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The 2015 Toyo Tires F1600 Championship schedule consists of six weekends; for a total of twelve contests.
The season kicks off in May at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) during the Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend. In June, the series returns to CTMP as a support event for the VARAC Canadian Historic Grand Prix event. Then the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship makes its third of four stops at CTMP for the BARC Grand Prix of Ontario Races. In mid-July, competitors race at Shannonville Motorsport Park during DAC’s Bay of Quinte Grand Prix weekend. Then teams travel to Calabogie Motorsports Park for rounds nine and ten. The BEMC Indian Summer Races is the series’ final weekend of competition and determines class champions. The single-seater, open-wheel race cars in the championship are powered by one of two engine options - a four-cylinder, 1600-cc Ford engine or the 1.5-liter HPD Honda L15A7. Both motors produce approximately 120-horsepower. A mixture of European and North American chassis is used by competitors. Minimum vehicle weight is determined by the suspension design and ranges from 1050 to 1125-lbs. Teams are required to use a spec tire – the Toyo Proxes R888. Drivers collect championship points in one of two groups.
The manufacture date for the individual car and not the model is used to determine the year split and whether a vehicle is categorized as F1600A or F1600B. The 2015 Toyo Tires F1600 Championship kicks off at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park during the Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend. Drivers will compete in two heat races around the ten turn 2.459-mile road course.
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The first lap through Moss corner for the opening round of the 2015 Toyo Tires F1600 Championship. Leading the field of sixteen starters is the pole-sitter, Michael Adams, in the No. 59 Flagship Racing Services prepared Van Diemen RF92. Behind Adams is the third-fastest qualifier, Michel Bonnet, driving the No. 22 LM Scuderia Vector MG-96. Trailing Bonnet are Mikhail Goikhberg, Reid Arnold and Connor Wagland. |
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Michael Adams, the series 2011 F1600B and 2012 F1600A champion, swept the weekend’s proceedings. Driving the No. 59 Flagship Racing Services prepared Van Diemen RF92, Adams qualified on the poles for rounds one and two at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. He led, the race shortened, round one flag-to-flag and won by a margin of 2.659-seconds. On Sunday, Adams went unchallenged and was victorious by 10.566-seconds. |
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The F1600B category was dominated by third-generation racer Connor Wagland. Wagland, the 2014 Toyo Tires F1600 class champion, drove the No. 23 Burloak Cycle sponsored Van Diemen RF91. He qualified on the category pole for Saturday and Sunday’s contests. Race one was an easy victory, but in the finale, Wagland battled with veteran Steve Bodrug before capturing first-place for the final time on lap-14. |
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Reid Arnold had an impressive start to the 2015 season. Last year the driver of the No. 11 Piper DF5’s best result was a fourth-place finish. Arnold qualified on the outside of the front row for the first race of the weekend. He chased the eventual winner, Michael Adams, and was in second-place when the contest was red-flagged. On Sunday, Arnold started second and captured another runner-up result. |
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Quebec’s Michel Bonnet has been competing in the provinces Formula Tour 1600 off and on since 2002. Bonnet has been the series runner-up on several occasions, driving the No. 22 LM Scuderia prepared Vector MG-96. Bonnet started Saturday’s race in third and contested the spot with Jean-Philippe Jodoin and Caitlin Johnston before grabbing the final position on the podium. In the finale, he finished fourth. |
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2015 was the fourth season of the Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship for Amy Castell. Castell made her series debut in a 1974 Zink Z10, but a change to a newer Reynard 90SF saw a marked improvement in her results, culminating with a class victory last year. She opened this season with a runner-result after qualifying second in F1600B. On Sunday, Castell qualified fourth in her category and finish third. |
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During the off-season, Jean-Philippe Jodoin traded in his Van Diemen RF03 for a newer Mygale SJ14 prepared by Britain West Motorsports. Jodoin was fourth fastest in the qualifying session for round one but could not defend the position in the race again Mikhail Goikhberg and finished fifth. He was gridded third for the final race of the weekend and traded the spot with Michel Bonnet before finishing in third place. |
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Toyo Tires F1600 Championship veteran Steve Bodrug returned for another season in his No. 41 Vintage Tires Limited sponsored Van Diemen RF93. During the qualifying session for Saturday’s contest, Bodrug recorded the thirteen fastest time – fifth in F1600B. In race one, he moved up the order and finished ninth overall and fourth in class. On Sunday, Bodrug started third in his group but earned a runner-up result. |
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| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A-1 | Michael Adams | Van Diemen RF92 | 12 | - |
| 2 | 2 | A-2 | Reid Arnold | Piper DF5 | 12 | - |
| 3 | 3 | A-3 | Michel Bonnet | Vector MG-96 | 12 | - |
| 4 | 5 | A-4 | Mikhail Goikhberg | Piper DL7 | 12 | - |
| 5 | 4 | A-5 | Jean-Philippe Jodoin | Mygale SJ14 | 12 | - |
| 6 | 7 | B-1 | Connor Wagland | Van Diemen RF91 | 12 | - |
| 7 | 8 | B-2 | Amy Castell | Reynard 90SF | 12 | - |
| 8 | 9 | B-3 | Mike Lee | Lola T-540E | 12 | - |
| 9 | 13 | B-4 | Steve Bodrug | Van Diemen RF93 | 12 | - |
| 10 | 10 | A-6 | Ben Hurst | Piper DL7 | 12 | - |
| 11 | 11 | A-7 | Andre du Preez Jr. | Spectrum 014 | 12 | - |
| 12 | 12 | B-5 | Kieran Murphy | Van Diemen RF91 | 12 | - |
| 13 | 16 | B-6 | Bruce Kitchen | Van Diemen RF92 | 12 | - |
| 14 | 15 | B-7 | Byron Leis | Reynard 92SF | 12 | - |
| 15 | 14 | A-8 | Danby Crowder | Van Diemen RF98 | 11 | - |
| - | 17 | A | Andrew Celovsky | Van Diemen RF97 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | 6 | A | Caitlin Johnston | Van Diemen RF97 | 12 | Disqualified |
| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A-1 | Michael Adams | Van Diemen RF92 | 18 | - |
| 2 | 2 | A-2 | Reid Arnold | Piper DF5 | 18 | - |
| 3 | 3 | A-3 | Jean-Philippe Jodoin | Mygale SJ14 | 18 | - |
| 4 | 4 | A-4 | Michel Bonnet | Vector MG-96 | 18 | - |
| 5 | 5 | A-5 | Caitlin Johnston | Van Diemen RF97 | 18 | - |
| 6 | 10 | A-6 | Andre du Preez Jr. | Spectrum 014 | 18 | - |
| 7 | 6 | B-1 | Connor Wagland | Van Diemen RF91 | 18 | - |
| 8 | 8 | B-2 | Steve Bodrug | Van Diemen RF93 | 18 | - |
| 9 | 9 | B-3 | Amy Castell | Reynard 90SF | 18 | - |
| 10 | 7 | B-4 | Mike Lee | Lola T-540E | 18 | - |
| 11 | 13 | A-7 | Ben Hurst | Piper DL7 | 18 | - |
| 12 | 11 | B-5 | Kieran Murphy | Van Diemen RF91 | 18 | - |
| 13 | 12 | A-8 | Mikhail Goikhberg | Piper DL7 | 18 | - |
| 14 | 15 | B-6 | Byron Leis | Reynard 92SF | 17 | - |
| 15 | 14 | A-9 | Danby Crowder | Van Diemen RF98 | 14 | - |
| 16 | 16 | B-7 | Bruce Kitchen | Van Diemen RF92 | 4 | Did Not Finish |
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