2014 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - World Challenge

The 2014 World Challenge season was the twenty-fifth consecutive year for the series. There were eleven race weekends – the series kicked-off in March at St. Petersburg, Florida and ended at Miller Motorsports Park in September.

Two new classes were introduced in 2014 – GTA and TCA. There were now three categories for Grand Touring and Touring Car divisions:

Grand Touring (GT) – This is the series quickest group. Examples of vehicles racing in this class include: Porsche 911 GT3 R, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, McLaren 12C GT3, Cadillac CTS-V R, Lamborghini Gallardo FL2, Audi R8 and Ferrari 458 GT3.
Grand Touring Sportsman (GTA) – This class includes the same vehicles as Grand Touring. However, the drivers are not considered professionals. Competitors in this category are evaluated after each event and based on their performance, may be elevated to the Grand Touring group.
Grand Touring Sport (GTS) – The cars in this category are similar to the Grand Touring vehicles, but have more preparation restrictions. This class includes the Ford Mustang Boss 302, Chevrolet Camaro, Aston Martin GT4 and Porsche Cayman S.
Touring Car (TC) – This division is for smaller sedans and sports cars, which are permitted some performance modifications. Examples of vehicles competing in this category include: Honda Accord, Kia Forte, Mazda MX-5 and Porsche Boxster.
Touring Car A (TCA) – Many of the makes and models eligible for this category are the same as those found in the Touring Car division. What sets them apart are the minimum amount of modifications that can be made – most changes are to improve the safety of the vehicles.
Touring Car B (TCB) - The slowest of all the World Challenge categories is based on the Sports Car Club of America’s B-Spec class. Examples of vehicles competing in this group include: Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, Mazda 2 and Mini Cooper.

During the 2014 season, the Grand Touring cars would compete in sixteen fifty-minute races. The Touring Car division had fourteen forty-minute events. Results from these races would determine the Driver and Manufacturer Champions in the six classes.

During the Victoria Day Weekend, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hosted three rounds of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge series for the Touring Car, Touring Car A and Touring Car B categories. Drivers would compete in three forty-minute contests around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.

The start of the weekend’s final race (round four) for the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car, Touring Car A and Touring Car B competitors. Leading the charge into corner one is the pole-sitter, Michael DiMeo, in the No. 71 Honda Civic Si. On the outside of DiMeo is the No. 88 Honda Civic Si of the second-place starter, Gary Kwok. Behind the leaders are the Honda Civics of Karl Thomson and Tom Kwok.

A month earlier, Michael DiMeo driving the No. 71 LiUNA sponsored Honda Civic Si, won the Touring Car season opener at Barber Motorsports Park. DiMeo would rack-up another three victories at Canadian Tire Motorsport. He started the weekend’s first race on the pole and chased Jon Miller until Miller retired. In rounds three and four, DiMeo battled Gary Kwok for his second and third wins of the weekend.

Touring Car A competitor, Jason Wolfe, drove the No. 36 Kia Forte Koup. Wolfe qualified on the pole for Friday’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and led the contest flag-to-flag. The next day, he started second but passed the race leader, Shea Holbrook, on lap-2 for his second victory of the weekend. In the finale, Wolfe was gridded first and was in the lead with two laps remaining when he lost the spot to Ernie Francis, Jr.

Touring Car B competitor, Brian Price claimed the victory in round one at Barber Motorsports Park. The driver of the No. 51 Honda Fit earned his second win of the season in race two after qualifying on the pole. Price was on his way to sweeping the weekend when he moved from the fifth to first in Saturday’s contest. He was gridded third in the finale, but Price was unable to catch the pole-sitter, Nate Stacy and finished second.

In the off-season, Ernie Francis, Jr moved to the Touring Car A category. Francis, Jr made his debut with the Mazda MX-5 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. He started the weekend’s first contest second in class but fell to a third-place finish. In round three, Francis, Jr was third when a last-lap mistake by Shea Holbrook allowed him to grab the runner-up position. On Sunday, another late-race maneuver gave Francis, Jr. the victory.

Nate Stacy ended Brian Price’s dominance of the Touring Car B category in the finale at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Stacy started on the pole in the No. 14 Motorsports Development Group Ford Fiesta and led flag-to-flag. The previous day, he was gridded second in class, but spun on lap-1 and battled back for a third-place finish. In the first race, Stacy qualified second and finished in the fourth position.

In the first race of the weekend, the winner, Michael DiMeo, was challenged by Jon Miller until Miller retired with a mechanical issue. In rounds three and four, DiMeo’s most significant threat for the ‘hat trick’ came from the local driver, Gary Kwok, in the No. 88 M&S Honda Civic Si. Kwok was the runner-up in the three events but led Saturday’s contest before losing the top spot on lap-3 and the thirteenth circuit in the finale.

Driving the No. 7 Surf Fire & Security sponsored Mini Cooper was Jason Fichter. In the weekend’s first contest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Fichter qualified seventh in the Touring Car B category and finished fifth. On Saturday, he fared better and captured a runner-up result. In the finale, Fichter started fifth in class but lost two laps to the class leaders and finished in the eighth-place.

Sharing the No. 37 Mini Cooper at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was Tyler Palmer and Nick Lougee. Palmer competed in Friday’s event and started at the rear of the Touring Car B class but finished second. Lougee drove the Mini in the next two races. In round three, he started on the class pole but finished fourth. During the finale, Lougee battled for the final podium position but settled for another fourth-place result.

The second member of the M&S team was Gary Kwok’s brother, Tom. Tom drove the No. 63 Honda Civic Si. He was gridded in the third spot for rounds two and three at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Tom could not match the speed of the leaders and finished in the same position. He started behind Karl Thomson in the fourth position and finished in a distant fourth place on Sunday.

Winning round one in the Touring Car A category at Barber Motorsports Park was Shea Holbrook, driver of the No. 67 Honda Civic Si. Throughout the weekend, Holbrook battled for class honours with the Kia of Jason Wolfe and Ernie Francis, Jr., driving a Mazda MX-5. On Friday, she qualified third and finished second. The next day, Holbrook was third in class after starting on the pole. In the finale, she recorded a third-place finish.

Canadian Touring Car veteran, Nick Wittmer was entered in the No. 00 Shriners Hospital for Children Fiat 500. Wittmer qualified fifth in class for round two at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Late in the contest, he held off the Ford Fiesta of Nate Stacy to capture the final position on the Touring Car B podium. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue prevented Wittmer from starting and finishing the next two races.

Torontonian, PJ Groenke, was entered in the No. 66 Shea Racing Honda Fit. Rounds two and three at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park were significant disappointments for the local driver. After a mechanical issue and an accident, arrangements were made for Groenke to pilot the No. 24 Mini Cooper of George Calfo in the finale. After battling with his teammate, Paul Holton and Nick Lougee, he finished in third place.

POS.	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	TC	Michael DiMeo	Honda Civic Si	24	-
2	TC	Gary Kwok	Honda Civic Si	24	-
3	TC	Tom Kwok	Honda Civic Si	24	-
4	TC	Karl Thomson	Honda Civic Si	24	-
5	TC	Jason Saini	Mazda MX-5	23	-
6	TC	Adam Poland	Mazda MX-5	19	Mechanical
7	TC	Jon Miller	Honda Civic Si	5	Mechanical

1	TCA	Jason Wolfe	Kia Forte Koup	24	-
2	TCA	Shea Holbrook	Honda Civic Si	24	-
3	TCA	Ernie Francis	Mazda MX-5	24	-
4	TCA	Jason Cherry	Mazda MX-5	24	-
5	TCA	Russell Smith	Kia Forte Koup	24	-
6	TCA	Robby Foley	Mazda RX-8	24	-

1	TCB	Brian Price	Honda Fit	22	-
2	TCB	Tyler Palmer	Mini Cooper	22	-
3	TCB	Nick Wittmer	Fiat 500	22	-
4	TCB	Nathan Stacy	Ford Fiesta	22	-
5	TCB	Jason Fichter	Mini Cooper	22	-
6	TCB	Paul Holton	Honda Fit	22	-
7	TCB	George Calfo	Mini Cooper	22	-
8	TCB	Jim Cleveland	Mini Cooper	21	-
9	TCB	P.J. Groenke	Honda Fit	21	-
10	TCB	Andrei Kisel	Mini Cooper	0	Accident
11	TCB	Chris Capaldi	Ford Fiesta	0	Accident

POS.	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	TC	Michael DiMeo	Honda Civic Si	23	-
2	TC	Gary Kwok	Honda Civic Si	23	-
3	TC	Tom Kwok	Honda Civic Si	23	-
4	TC	Karl Thomson	Honda Civic Si	23	-
5	TC	Adam Poland	Mazda MX-5	22	-
-	TC	Jason Saini	Mazda MX-5	0	Did Not Start
-	TC	Jon Miller	Honda Civic Si	0	Did Not Start

1	TCA	Jason Wolfe	Kia Forte Koup	23	-
2	TCA	Ernie Francis	Mazda MX-5	23	-
3	TCA	Shea Holbrook	Honda Civic Si	23	-
4	TCA	Jason Cherry	Mazda MX-5	23	-
5	TCA	Russell Smith	Kia Forte Koup	23	-
6	TCA	Robby Foley	Mazda RX-8	14	Mechanical

1	TCB	Brian Price	Honda Fit	22	-
2	TCB	Jason Fichter	Mini Cooper	22	-
3	TCB	Nathan Stacy	Ford Fiesta	22	-
4	TCB	Nick Lougee	Mini Cooper	22	-
5	TCB	Jim Cleveland	Mini Cooper	21	-
6	TCB	George Calfo	Mini Cooper	22	-
7	TCB	Paul Holton	Honda Fit	22	-
8	TCB	P.J. Groenke	Honda Fit	21	-
9	TCB	Nick Wittmer	Fiat 500	22	-
-	TCB	Andrei Kisel	Mini Cooper	0	Did Not Start
-	TCB	Chris Capaldi	Ford Fiesta	0	Did Not Start

POS.	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	TC	Michael DiMeo	Honda Civic Si	26	-
2	TC	Gary Kwok	Honda Civic Si	26	-
3	TC	Karl Thomson	Honda Civic Si	26	-
4	TC	Tom Kwok	Honda Civic Si	26	-
5	TC	Adam Poland	Mazda MX-5	23	-
6	TC	Jason Saini	Mazda MX-5	2	Mechanical
-	TC	Jon Miller	Honda Civic Si	0	Did Not Start

1	TCA	Ernie Francis	Mazda MX-5	26	-
2	TCA	Jason Wolfe	Kia Forte Koup	26	-
3	TCA	Shea Holbrook	Honda Civic Si	25	-
4	TCA	Robby Foley	Mazda RX-8	25	-
5	TCA	Russell Smith	Kia Forte Koup	25	-
6	TCA	Jason Cherry	Mazda MX-5	21	-

1	TCB	Nathan Stacy	Ford Fiesta	23	-
2	TCB	Brian Price	Honda Fit	23	-
3	TCB	P.J. Groenke	Mini Cooper	23	-
4	TCB	Nick Lougee	Mini Cooper	23	-
5	TCB	Paul Holton	Honda Fit	23	-
6	TCB	Chris Capaldi	Ford Fiesta	23	-
7	TCB	Jim Cleveland	Mini Cooper	23	-
8	TCB	Jason Fichter	Mini Cooper	21	-
9	TCB	Nick Wittmer	Fiat 500	12	Mechanical
-	TCB	George Calfo	Mini Cooper	0	Did Not Start
-	TCB	Andrei Kisel	Mini Cooper	0	Did Not Start

Copyright Notice:

All content (photographs and text) appearing on this website are the exclusive property of © www.zoompics.com and are protected under International copyright laws. The subject matter on this website may not be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated.