MOSPORT PR - TWO-WEEK COUNTDOWN TO MOSPORT'S SEASON OPENER
TWO-WEEK COUNTDOWN TO MOSPORT’S SEASON OPENER Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am, Castrol Canadian Touring Car, SCCA Pro Spec Racer Ford, SCCA Pro Formula Enterprises and Sundown Grand Prix Highlight Mosport's Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend |
(BOWMANVILLE, ON – May 5, 2011) In just two weeks, Mosport International Raceway will kick off its 2011 season with the sights and sounds of thundering GT and Touring car racers on the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend, May 20-22. Some of North America's best road racing sedan championships - the Pirelli World Challenge Series, the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship, the classic Sundown Grand Prix endurance race into darkness and new to Mosport in 2011, the SCCA Pro Spec Racer Ford and SCCA Pro Formula Enterprises - take to the 3.96 km circuit for Mosport’s traditional holiday season-opener. Headlining the three-day weekend is a Pirelli World Challenge doubleheader, with combined class races for GT, GTS and Touring cars. The “Sports Car Wars” entry list is full of popular brands such as Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Honda, Mazda, Porsche, Viper, Volkswagen and Volvo. The 2010 GT Rookie of the Year Fred Roberts of Toronto, coming off an eighth place finish at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, placing him 11th in points, will have his work cut out for him as he battles against the brand new Cadillac CTS-V one-two punch of Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim. Roberts’ Viper teammate Jason Daskalos is coming off a win and currently sits third in the driver’s championship. Two-time defending American Le Mans Series GT champion and Porsche factory driver, Patrick Long will look to take back the points lead after missing the last race. Long got his 2011 campaign off to a hot start, winning the first two races of the year. Road racing veteran and Mississauga native Aaron Povoledo is coming off a Touring class win in Utah and currently sits second in the drivers championship. Povoledo has joined the K-PAX Racing team this season and is competing in the new Volvo C30. He will be looking to use the momentum of his last race as he makes his return to Canada. After returning to Mosport in 2009 following a six-year absence, the SCCA Trans-Am Series will continue their storied history at Mosport, which dates back to 1976. The Series has switched to a new three-class format this season (TA, T2 and T3). Defending champion Tony Ave is coming off a win in Round 2 at Miller and will be a race favourite in his Chevrolet Corvette. Gateway Racing’s Blaise Csida, who finished third at Mosport in 2010, will look to use his home track advantage to once again finish on the podium. Other drivers to keep an eye on will be RJ Lopez, Cliff Ebben and Simon Gregg. The country's top sedan road-racing series, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship, makes its first of three season stops at Mosport boasting a 40-car field with several new teams and marques competing in Touring and Super Touring classes. This is a doubleheader weekend for the Championship. New to Mosport in 2011, the SCCA Pro Spec Racer Ford for sports cars and the SCCA Pro Formula Enterprises for open-wheel racers will be running a doubleheader race weekend. Both series’ open their season on May 13-15 at Virginia International Raceway. The Sundown Grand Prix endurance race-into-darkness on Saturday returns to SpeedFest for a seventh consecutive year. There will be GT and Touring cars competing for overall and class wins in the three-hour classic. It wouldn't be a Victoria Day weekend celebration without Mosport’s popular fireworks show scheduled for Saturday night after the Sundown GP. The racing action starts Friday (May 20) with a full-day of practice for all six championships. Saturday (May 21) is a mix of practice and qualifying in the morning, followed by races for the SCCA Pro Formula Enterprises, Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA Pro Spec Racer Ford, Castrol Touring Car Championship and the Sundown Grand Prix. Sunday (May 22) morning opens with more qualifying and then races in Formula Enterprises, Spec Racer Ford, Castrol Touring, World Challenge and Trans-Am to close out the weekend. The three-day weekend SuperTicket is just $50 until May 18 ($60 at the Gate). Single-day tickets are also available. Each ticket includes parking, access to the race team paddock, the Mosport Marketplace and admission to Mosport Speedway's Saturday Night Stock Car season-opener at the half-mile paved oval located on the grounds. As with all Mosport events, children 12 and under are admitted for free when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Camping is a popular part of the Mosport experience, with advanced general camping passes just $35 for the weekend when purchased before May 18 (tents or pop-up trailers). Advance RV passes are $55. For those who would like to get closer to the action, the SpeedFest Corral offers a VIP hospitality package which includes a meet and greet with the drivers, race team tech sessions, an opportunity to drive their car on the track in a parade lap and a BBQ lunch on Sunday, all for just $100. For more information and to purchase tickets call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET), visit online at www.mosport.com, or email info@mosport.com. - 30 - |
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