|
In 2021, FEL (Franczak Enterprises Ltd.), an automotive learning and promotion company, expanded its presence in Canadian motorsports.
FEL saw an opportunity to revitalize and reinvest in Canadian car racing. FEL’s foray into the 2017 Toyo Tires F1600 Series as a featured sponsor resulted in fields growing from twelve to fifteen entries to over thirty cars in just three years. Emzone Radical Cup Canada drivers compete in two contests each race weekend.
The Emzone Radical Cup Canada series cars are built by the British manufacturer, Radical Sportscars. The company was founded by Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott in 1997. The early vehicles were road legal but were more popular as race cars. The Radicals used in the series are the SR3 model powered by an RPE - Suzuki four-cylinder Double Overhead Camshaft engine with a displacement of 1340-cc, which produces 170-rear wheel horsepower. The chassis is a space frame design with double wishbones, coil springs, adjustable shock absorbers, and roll bars. Stopping the SR3 are four-piston calipers front and rear with vented rotors. The Radicals use cast aluminum wheels fitted with 200/580/R15 tires on the front and 265/605/R16 on the rear. Introduced in 2024 was the Masters category for drivers aged 40 and older. The class has a separate Masters championship. The series introduced a new wrinkle this year, designed to give fans more exciting on-track action and provide 'up and coming' competitors with the opportunity they need to develop racecraft. For the weekend's second contest, the starting grid will be an inversion based on the six fastest laps from race one. The Emzone Radical Cup Canada opening rounds were held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the Castrol Victoria Day Speedfest. Drivers competed in two contests around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course. |
|
|
The new inversion procedure, which sets the top six grid positions based on the fastest times from race one, was implemented for the weekend's final contest. As a result, Radical Academy’s Alana Carter in the No. 2 Radical SR3 XX started on the pole. Entering corner one, she was passed by the other front starter, Brady Clapham, driving the No. 77 GTA Exotics Radical SR3 XX. Also slipping past Carter is the No. 15 Radical Canada East entry of Parker Gill. |
|
|
Brady Clapham drives the No. 77 GTA Exotics-sponsored Radical SR3 XX. Last year, Clapham missed securing the title and finished second. He opened this season by qualifying third for Saturday's contest and followed the leaders until an opportunity allowed him to finish second. In the finale, Clapham was leading when he received a drive-through penalty. He fought back to a second place but was awarded the win after Alex Tagliani was penalized. |
|
|
Evan Cooley from the USF2000 series joined the Emzone Radical Cup Canada championship, driving the No. 22 TWOth Autosport Radical SR3 XX. Cooley made an impressive debut by qualifying on the pole for race one. Cooley chased Alex Tagliani for much of the contest but passed him on the penultimate lap for the lead and victory. Using the new invert procedure for the second contest, he started sixth and finished in the third position after penalties were assessed. |
|
|
|
Robert Burgess has participated in the series since its inception. He finished fourth in last year’s standings with a season high of second in Toronto. For Saturday’s contest, Burgess was gridded eleventh overall but got around the leaders, John Painter and Daniel Earle, to claim the victory. On Sunday morning, he found himself racing for the lead with Painter and Steven Wistuba. Burgess passed Painter, and Wistuba retired, but he was penalized and finished second. |
|
|
|
Returning for his second year in the championship is Masters’ class competitor Daniel Earle. Earle, who drives the No. 39 Auto Eclectic Motorsports Radical RS3 XX, was fourth in last year’s standings with two victories at the final event. He qualified on the Masters pole for race one but could not hold off Robert Burgess and John Painter, finishing third. In the finale, Earle chased the leaders and inherited the Masters victory when Robert Burgess was penalized. |
|
|
|
NASCAR Canada competitor Alex Tagliani brought a new seven-car effort to the opening round of the series. Tagliani pilots the No. 8 Tag One Motorsport Radical SR3 XX. He qualified on the outside of the front row and led most of the first race. An aggressive pass by Evan Cooley also cost him a position to Brady Clapham, and he finished third. On Sunday, Tagliani was gridded in the fourth spot. He grabbed the checker first but was penalized, finishing fifth. |
|
|
|
Another competitor returning from last year is John Painter. The Australian finished third in the Master’s final standings, driving the No. 9 RooSpeed Racing Radical SR3 XX out of the Auto Eclectic Motorsports stable. Painter started the opening round in tenth overall and led before crossing the finish line second in class. In the event’s final contest, he battled with Steven Wistuba and Robert Burgess. A late race spin at Moss Corner and a drive-through penalty resulted in a fifth in class. |
|
|
|
Alana Carter joins the series full-time this season after participating in only a single event last year. Carter is driving the No. 2 Radical Academy Radical SR3 XX. She is also joined by Sydney Cassels on the all-female Radical Academy team. Cassels qualified fifth for race one and finished sixth, with her teammate fifth at the checkered flag. As a result of the new inversion rule, Carter started on the pole in the finale and finished fourth. Cassels collected a seventh-place result. |
|
|
|
| FINISH | CLASS | DRIVER | ENTRANT / CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PRO 1340 | Evan Cooley | TWOth Autosport / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 2 | PRO 1340 | Brady Clapham | GTA Exotics / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 3 | PRO 1340 | Alex Tagliani | St-Hubert / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 4 | PRO 1340 | Parker Gill | Radical Canada East / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 5 | PRO 1340 | Alana Carter | Emzone / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 6 | PRO 1340 | Sydney Cassels | Emzone / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 7 | PRO 1340 | Chase Pelletier | Purity Gases / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 8 | PRO 1340 | John Benoualid | Evoli Consulting / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 9 | PRO 1340 | Jean-Christophe Duchaine | BFL Canada / Radical SR3 XX | 24 | - |
| 10 | PRO 1340 | Jesse Lambert | Radical Canada East / Radical SR3 XX | 2 | - |
| 1 | MASTERS1340 | Robert Burgess | Radical Canada / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 2 | MASTERS1340 | John Painter | RooSpeed Racing / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 3 | MASTERS1340 | Daniel Earle | Auto Eclectic Motorsports / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 4 | MASTERS1340 | Steven Wistuba | Euro Parts / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 5 | MASTERS1340 | Cedric Ohayon | Farinex / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 6 | MASTERS1340 | Alan Shaw | Auto Eclectic Motorsports / Radical SR3 XX | 25 | - |
| 7 | MASTERS1340 | Denis Larue | Toa One Motorsport / Radical SR3 XX | 22 | - |
| 8 | MASTERS1340 | Hamish Miller | XMS Racing / Radical SR3 XX | 21 | - |
| 9 | MASTERS1340 | Daniel Mongrain | Monduri Racing / Radical SR3 XX | 18 | - |
| FINISH | CLASS | DRIVER | ENTRANT / CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PRO 1340 | Brady Clapham | GTA Exotics / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 2 | PRO 1340 | Antoine Senechal | Tag One Mosports / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 3 | PRO 1340 | Evan Cooley | TWOth Autosport / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 4 | PRO 1340 | Alana Carter | Emzone / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 5 | PRO 1340 | Alex Tagliani | St-Hubert / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 6 | PRO 1340 | Jesse Lambert | Radical Canada East / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 7 | PRO 1340 | Sydney Cassels | Emzone / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 8 | PRO 1340 | Parker Gill | Radical Canada East / Radical SR3 XX | 13 | Did Not Finish |
| 9 | PRO 1340 | John Benoualid | Evoli Consulting / Radical SR3 XX | 6 | Did Not Finish |
| 10 | PRO 1340 | Chase Pelletier | Purity Gases / Radical SR3 XX | 2 | Did Not Finish |
| 1 | MASTERS1340 | Daniel Earle | Auto Eclectic Motorsports / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 2 | MASTERS1340 | Robert Burgess | Radical Canada / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 3 | MASTERS1340 | Alan Shaw | Auto Eclectic Motorsports / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 4 | MASTERS1340 | Cedric Ohayon | Farinex / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 5 | MASTERS1340 | John Painter | RooSpeed Racing / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 6 | MASTERS1340 | Hamish Miller | XMS Racing / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 7 | MASTERS1340 | Steven Wistuba | Euro Parts / Radical SR3 XX | 28 | - |
| 8 | MASTERS1340 | Denis Larue | Toa One Motorsport / Radical SR3 XX | 27 | - |
| 9 | MASTERS1340 | Alexandre Moise | BFL / Radical SR3 XX | 27 | - |
| 10 | MASTERS1340 | Daniel Mongrain | Monduri Racing / Radical SR3 XX | 26 | - |
| 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. |
