2014 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - Canadian Touring Car Championship

2014 was the eighth season for the Canadian Touring Car Championship. The series continued to offer racers an excellent opportunity to showcase their talents at some of eastern Canada’s most widely recognized and well-established race circuits. The series provided amateur competitors with professionally organized events that would attract fans and sponsors. The success of the championship was reflected in the number of drivers who participated during race weekends.

This 2014 schedule consists of seven race weekends at six different tracks. The format at each venue includes two races – generally, thirty-minutes in length. As has become tradition, the season kicks off on the Victoria Day long weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Next on the calendar is the series’ visit to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve during the Grand Prix of Canada weekend. The championship returns to Ontario for rounds five and six at Calabogie Motorsport Park. Early in July, teams will be at ICAR Mirabel. For the first time since May 2009, teams with compete at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Next up is the series annual stop on the street circuit at Trois-Rivieres. Series champions will be crowned when teams visit Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the NASCAR Truck weekend.

In 2014, there were three classes. To help fans distinguish between the groups, the cars are fitted with different coloured windshield banners.

B-Spec – (White Window Banner) – B-Spec is the Canadian Touring Car Championship’s entry-level category. As a result, all adjustments made to a vehicle must be within the manufacturer’s specifications. Brake pads and rotors may be changed, but they have to retain the original dimensions. The maximum wheel size is 15X7 fitted with Continental 205/50R15 tires. There was an extensive list of cars that qualify for this class – Mazda 2, Mini Cooper, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Sonic, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris.
Touring - (Blue Window Banner) – Vehicles competing in this class are allowed a minimal amount of performance enhancements. This group is limited to a maximum engine displacement of 2.0-liters. The suspension components are unrestricted, but vehicles have a minimum ride height of three inches. Brake pads and rotors may be changed, but they have to retain the original dimensions. The maximum wheel size is 17X8 fitted with Continental 225/45R17 tires. Manufacturers represented in this group include the Mini Cooper S, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Golf and Scion.
Super Touring – (Orange Window Banner) - Super Touring is the series fastest class. This category allows engine modifications and aerodynamic enhancements. The maximum engine displacement for this group is 3.0-liters. The suspension components are unrestricted, but vehicles must have a minimum ride height of four inches. Unlike the other two classes, the brake components are not subject to any restrictions. The maximum wheel size is 17X9 fitted with Continental 225/45R17 tires. Manufacturers competing in the group include BMW, Subaru, Honda, Pontiac and Hyundai.

For the last six seasons, the first two rounds of the 2014 Canadian Touring Car Championship were conducted at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Two thirty-minute races were held Saturday and Sunday around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.

Last year in the season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Remy Audette failed to finish both races. In 2014, the driver of the No. 21 Audette Racing Honda Civic Si-R redeemed himself. Audette started on the overall and Super Touring for both of the weekend’s contests and led flag-to-flag. He left the first two-rounds with a solid lead in the title chase.

Another driver to deliver a strong performance in the opening rounds at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was last year’s Touring championship runner-up, Michel Sallenbach. Sallenbach returned to 2014 in the No. 46 Octane Motorsport prepared Mini Cooper S. In the weekend’s first contest, he qualified an incredible fifth overall and won his class. The next day, Sallenbach finished behind the 2013 Touring champion, Damon Sharpe.

In 2013, Ste-Agathe-des-Monts’ Normand Boyer was the B-Spec class runner-up. This season, Boyer was going to rectify that situation and he got off to an excellent start. Like Remy Audette in Super Touring, Boyer swept the weekend capturing, both rounds of the B-Spec category driving the No. 7 Lucky 7 Mazda 2. Equally impressive, he accomplished this feat, starting at the back of the grid for round two.

The reigning Super Touring series champion, Scott Nicol, returned to defend his title. Nicol qualified fourth fastest for round one driving the No. 1 Velocity Motorsport Club Honda Civic Si-R and moved into second place before the end of the thirty-minute race. Sunday did not go as well. He was gridded third for the start but finished two laps behind the leaders - seventh in class.

Another driver back to defend his crown was the Touring class title holder, Damon Sharpe. He also returned with the team, Blanchet Motorsports, that helped him win the 2013 championship. His season did not get off to a good start. He failed to record a qualifying time in the No. 84 Honda Civic Si and finished two laps behind the leaders – ninth in class. On Sunday, Sharpe fared much better and took the class win.

Newcomer, Rui Teixeira, had an impressive debut. Teixeira joined Lombardi Honda Racing driving the No. 31 Honda Fit. He qualified seventeenth overall and third in B-Spec for Saturday’s contest before finishing behind Normand and Manuel Boyer. The following day, Teixeira started on the class pole - eighteenth overall and captured the runner-up position.

The 2013 B-Spec Canadian Touring Car champion, Karl Witter, returned for another season of competition, but this time it was in the Touring category. Wittmer was entered in the No.82 Ste-Rose Honda Racing Honda Civic Si for the first two races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. In both of the weekend’s contests, he earned himself the final position of the class podium.

Audette Racing entered a second car in the Super Touring category. The No. 12 Audette Racing Acura RSX Type S was driven by Mathieu Audette, brother of this weekend’s big winner, Remy. Mathieu failed to record a qualifying time for race one and started at the rear of the field but managed to capture the final position on the class podium. In the finale, he started second and chased his brother to a runner-up finish.

The No. 89 Equipe 89 Racing Team Honda Civic Si was piloted by Touring car veteran, Jocelyn Hebert. In addition to competing in the Canadian Touring Car Championship, Hebert had logged many miles in the Grand-Am Cup and World Challenge series. He started his 2014 campaign with a strong result – starting and finishing second in class. On Sunday, Hebert was not so fortunate and had an accident on lap-4.

The second Lucky 7 B-Spec entry was driven by Manuel Boyer. Boyer was in the No. 77 Mazda 2 with backing from Les Blocs Normand and Bionet. The Canadian Touring Car Championship rookie qualified on the pole in his first race but finished behind his teammate, Normand Boyer. In the finale, he started second in class but was in third-place at the checkered flag.

The three-time Canadian Touring Car champion, Nick Wittmer, debuted the No. 91 Ste-Rose Honda Racing Honda Accord in the Super Touring category last season. Although he captured a runner-up result at Trois-Rivieres, the new car proved to be quite a challenge and failed to complete five races. Wittmer opened the season by qualifying third but finished seventh. The next day, he rebounded with a third-place.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR / SPONSOR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	Super Touring	Rémy Audette	Honda Civic Si-R / Audette Racing	19	-
2	Super Touring	Scott Nicol	Honda Civic Si-R / Velocity Motorsport	19	-
3	Super Touring	Mathieu Audette	Acura RSX Type-S / Audette Racing	19	-
4	Super Touring	Roger Ledoux	Subaru WRX / Lachute Performance	19	-
5	Super Touring	Gunter Schmidt	Chevrolet Cobalt SS / GS Motorsports	19	-
6	Super Touring	Gary Kwok	Mitsubitshi Lancer Evo X / M&S Racing	19	-
7	Super Touring	Nick Wittmer	Honda Accord / Ste-Rose Honda	19	-
8	Touring	Michel Sallenbach	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	19	-
9	Super Touring	Nathalie Hénault	Subaru WRX / Lachute Performance	19	-
10	Touring	Jocelyn Hébert	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89	19	-
11	Touring	Karl Wittmer	Honda Civic Si / Ste-Rose Honda Racing	19	-
12	Super Touring	Marc-André Bergeron	Mazda RX-8 / Masif Performance	19	-
13	Touring	Eric Lacouture	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	18	-
14	Touring	Paul Gravel	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	18	-
15	Touring	Marie-France Gagné	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	18	-
16	Touring	Samuel Laquerre	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89	17	-
17	Touring	Samantha Tan	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	17	-
18	B-Spec	Normand Boyer	Mazda 2 / Boyer Motorsports	17	-
19	B-Spec	Manuel Boyer	Mazda 2 / Boyer Motorsports	17	-
20	B-Spec	Rui Teixeira	Honda Fit / Lombardi Honda Racing	17	-
21	Touring	Damon Sharpe	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	17	-
22	B-Spec	Stefan Yasin	Mini Cooper / Exclaim Motorsports	4	Did Not Finish
23	Touring	Stuart Clark	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	3	Did Not Finish

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR / SPONSOR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	Super Touring	Rémy Audette	Honda Civic Si-R / Audette Racing	19	-
2	Super Touring	Mathieu Audette	Acura RSX Type-S / Audette Racing	19	-
3	Super Touring	Nick Wittmer	Honda Accord / Ste-Rose Honda	19	-
4	Super Touring	Nathalie Hénault	Subaru WRX / Lachute Performance	19	-
5	Touring	Damon Sharpe	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	19	-
6	Touring	Michel Sallenbach	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	19	-
7	Touring	Karl Wittmer	Honda Civic Si / Ste-Rose Honda Racing	19	-
8	Touring	Stuart Clark	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	19	-
9	Touring	Samuel Laquerre	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89	19	-
10	Touring	Eric Lacouture	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	19	-
11	Touring	Paul Gravel	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	19	-
12	Super Touring	Marc-André Bergeron	Mazda RX-8 / Masif Performance	19	-
13	Touring	Marie-France Gagné	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	18	-
14	Touring	Samantha Tan	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	18	-
15	B-Spec	Normand Boyer	Mazda 2 / Boyer Motorsports	18	-
16	B-Spec	Rui Teixeira	Honda Fit / Lombardi Honda Racing	17	-
17	B-Spec	Manuel Boyer	Mazda 2 / Boyer Motorsports	17	-
18	Super Touring	Roger Ledoux	Subaru WRX / Lachute Performance	17	-
19	Super Touring	Scott Nicol	Honda Civic Si-R / Velocity Motorsport	17	-
20	B-Spec	Stefan Yasin	Mini Cooper / Exclaim Motorsports	17	-
21	Super Touring	Gary Kwok	Mitsubitshi Lancer Evo X / M&S Racing	17	-
22	Touring	Jocelyn Hébert	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89	4	Did Not Finish
23	Super Touring	Gunter Schmidt	Chevrolet Cobalt SS / GS Motorsports	3	Did Not Finish

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