Fans are back at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Labour Day Sprints.
By: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
August 4 2021
 

Bowmanville, Ontario – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is pleased to announce that racing will go ahead on the September long weekend this year with the CTMP Labour Day Weekend Sprints event on September 3rd to 5th, with limited spectators.

 

It will be an exciting weekend of Canadian racing content with the NASCAR Pinty’s Series competing on both Saturday and Sunday. Also racing will be the Nissan Sentra Cup, FEL Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin, Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin, and Toyo Tires F1600 Series.

 

A limited number of tickets for the event are now on sale. Tickets are being sold exclusively online. No tickets are available at the gate so that all contact tracing information can be completed in advance. Only Weekend SuperTickets and Sunday tickets are available for purchase - no Friday and Saturday-only tickets will be sold. Camping is available for the event and must be purchased with a Weekend Superticket as usual.

 

As with all CTMP events, admission is free for children aged 16 and under when accompanied by an adult with an admission ticket. During the checkout process online, fans will be required to provide names for each person in their party, including ages of children, as they will be issuing wristbands at the gate for this event.

 

All spectators will be required to wear a mask while on the property, except when eating, drinking, or while at their campsite and with their family members.

 

Advanced Pricing for tickets will be available until Wednesday, August 18th at Midnight.

 

Click HERE for ticket details or to place your order now!

 

Follow us at @CTMPofficial for details and updates as we look forward to a great long weekend event in September!

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The Canadian Touring Car Championship returns to the streets of Trois-Rivieres.
By: Canadian Touring Car Championship
August 3 2021
 

Shannonville, Ontario – The Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Pirelli heads to the famed Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières for Rounds three and four of the 2021 season. Round three will see the return of the highly anticipated Friday night race under the lights, before concluding the weekend on Saturday morning.

 

GP3R has been a fixture on the CTCC calendar since 2008, and after being cancelled for 2020 season due to the pandemic, the drivers are excited to get back racing on the streets of Trois-Rivières.

 

The 2021 edition will feature some of the most talented drivers in Canadian sports car racing, including local icon Jocelyn Hebert.

 

“Of course we’re excited to race at the GP3R,” said TCR competitor Jocelyn Hebert. “It will be the first race there in two years, and the team is very excited. It’s our home track and we’re bringing three cars, it’s the first major event in Canada and it will be a great weekend for us and our sponsors.”

 

The CTCC also welcomes back many drivers that have been away from the sport for a while. After a hiatus from the series of seven years, Samuel Laquerre will be back piloting a Honda Civic Si with the 89Racing Team. He will be joined by teammate Daniel Blanchette, whose last appearance was in 2018.

 

For the first time since 2018, Michel Sallenbach will return to the championship with his bright orange Mini Coupe JCW R58 with Team Octane.

 

With a large number of the drivers hailing from the province of Quebec, it gives many of the competitors a chance to race at their home track in front of their family and fans.

 

“Trois-Rivières is my hometown,” said General Manager of the CTCC, Dominique Bondar. “I’ve been coming to the event since I was a kid, and to see it return in 2021 is very near and dear to my heart. It’s absolutely incredible to see what can happen when a community rallies together in order to make such a marquee event happen.”

 

Being the first major event of its kind in Canada, GP3R will be run with provincially mandated health guidelines in effect. However, the health regulations will allow the sport to get back to what it does best, bring hype back to the city and putting on a spectacular show for the fans. With the safety of the competitors, fans and crew at the utmost importance, the guidelines will help ensure everything goes off safely.

 

To know more about CTCC, visit our website at www.touringcar.ca. You can follow CTCC on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CTCCracing or tag us using our hashtag #CTCCracing.

 

About CTCC

CTCC presented by Pirelli is a Sports Car Racing Championship and a leader in Canadian motorsport. It provides race fans with close and exciting competition between some of Canada’s finest and fastest race car drivers. CTCC takes pride in the fact that it’s Canadian owned and operated, and that it’s one of the longest-running professional sports car series in Canada. It showcases race cars based on their original street version since 2007.

 

Experience the rush of CTCC racing!

 

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The FIA World Motorsport Council has approved a provisional ABB FIA Formula E World Championship 2021/22 calendar, that includes a Canadian stop for the first time since Montreal in 2017 as part of the 2016-2017 season. (Photo-Formula E)
By: ABB FIA Formula E Championship
July 9 2021
 

Monaco – Formula E and the FIA have today published the provisional calendar for the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, featuring three new locations as part of a record sixteen-race season spanning 12 cities across four continents.

 

The calendar was ratified following the day’s earlier FIA World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, confirming the busiest season yet of electric racing.

 

Getting underway in late January, the season opener will once again take place under the stars of Diriyah following the success of last season’s inaugural night race. The Formula E grid will then head to Mexico City before visiting the first of three new cities with South Africa’s Cape Town – returning single-seater FIA World Championship racing to the country for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix.

 

China then makes a welcome return to the Formula E calendar in March 2022 before events in Rome and Monaco, with the race in the Principality moving from a biannual event to an annual event following May’s hugely successful E-Prix and the accommodation of the Automobile Club de Monaco.

 

Berlin, the only city to have featured in every season, takes its familiar place on the calendar in May followed shortly after by the second new venue with Vancouver.

 

Racing then heads to the Big Apple for a series of double headers beginning with the New York City E-Prix, before two races at London’s ExCeL and a climatic double-header season-finale in Seoul utilising a circuit incorporating the Olympic Stadium.

 

After two consecutive years of absence due to the global pandemic, Formula E plans a return of the Parisian race in 2023 for the arrival of Formula E’s Gen3 cars. The Paris E-Prix will move to a biannual event format, adapted to provide a new balance for the championship’s calendar. Each year of racing will see Paris welcome the Allianz E-Village, the electric mobility celebration and laboratory of innovative ideas promoting clean mobilities.

 

To follow the latest news and information on Formula E visit www.FIAFormulaE.com

 

2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship - Provisional Calendar

EVENT
ROUND
LOCATION
DATE
1
1 & 2
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
28 & 29/01/2022     
2
3
Mexico City, Mexico
12/02/2022
3
4
Cape Town, South Africa*     
26/02/2022
4
5
China (TBC)
19/03/2022
5
6
Rome, Italy
09/04/2022
6
7
Monaco, Monaco
30/04/2022
7
8
Berlin, Germany
14/05/2022
8
9
TBC
04/06/2022
9
10
Vancouver, Canada*
02/07/2022
10
11 & 12
New York City, USA
16 & 17/07/2022
11
13 & 14  
London, UK
30 & 31/07/2022
12
15 & 16
Seoul, South Korea*
13 & 14/08/2022

 

* Subject to track homologation

 

Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer Of Formula E Alberto Longo

“In Formula E’s short history, we have always looked to grow the championship and our reach. Next season is set to be another landmark for the series with a record number of races and incredible new cities backing Formula E and our electric movement. To be returning racing to South Africa, along with the likes of Vancouver and Seoul, is a huge achievement for the series, on top of expanding Monaco to an annual event. As our last season with the Gen2 car, it promises to be one of the most exciting yet and lay the foundations for the all-new Gen3 era in season nine.”

 

About the ABB FIA Formula E Championship

Formula E exists to accelerate sustainable human progress through the power of electric racing. The only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, Formula E was founded to counteract climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.

 

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings intense and unpredictable all-electric racing to the heart of iconic cities around the world. In its first six seasons Formula E crowned five different champions and celebrated 17 winners in 69 races. With more automotive manufacturers on the grid than any other motorsport, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is not only one of the most compelling racing series on the planet but also an unparalleled proving ground for race-to-road electric vehicle and sustainable mobility technologies.

 

Powered by purpose and united by a passion to deliver edge-of-seat racing, the positively charged Formula E community of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, host cities and fans work together to light up the world with the transformative power of electric racing.

 

www.FIAFormulaE.com

 

About ABB

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energises the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

 

 

 

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Justin Di Benedetto scored a pair of top 10's at Mt Tremblant. (Photo-Olivier Delorme)
By: Di Benedetto Racing
July 27 2021
 

Mont-Tremblant, Quebec – Di Benedetto Racing travelled to the Laurentians region in the province of Québec for the second round of the Sentra Cup. Circuit Mont-Tremblant was the host of two action-packed races that saw driver Justin Di Benedetto finish 6th and 4th.

 

Justin Di Benedetto was no stranger to Circuit Mont-Tremblant as he had raced on this track last season in the Micra Cup. He didn’t lose time getting used to the track again, setting flying laps during the practice sessions. When it came time to qualify, Justin set the 4th fastest lap time on Saturday and Sunday morning, putting the #4 Wondr Gaming Nissan Sentra on the second row for both races.

 

Saturday’s race was full of action as the field proved to be highly competitive once more. “Race 1 started pretty well,” explains Justin Di Benedetto. “I qualified 4th, which set us to start on the outside row. When the green flag came down, I lost a little bit of ground compared to cars on the inside row. I was running in 5th place trying to pass a few cars, so I lost time there, and I also lost the opportunity to catch up with the lead pack.”

 

“The pace was very strong throughout the race; the crew gave me an excellent car that I feel I could have put on the podium if it wasn’t for the time lost fighting my way back up. In the end, I finished 6th, which is a strong result for points towards the championship.”

 

Sunday’s race was slightly different for Justin as competitors were more eager to get a spot on the podium. “I started 4th, on the outside row once again. I had a good initial getaway, but I had to deal with a few drivers who started from the back of the field that were charging their way through, and I ended up 5th or 6th. Everything went well until a driver made an over-ambitious move in Turn 12, resulting in pretty heavy contact in the left rear side of the car. I lost quite a few positions from that but the contact ended up causing an ABS issue for the remainder of the race, which made the car extremely hard to drive.”

 

Although Justin crossed the line in 6th place, penalties were applied after the race, putting Justin in 4th place. “It was unfortunate. I feel Sunday’s race could have gone a lot better. The pace was there, but I had to manage the ABS issue, causing me a lot of time. However, I am happy with the points scored this weekend. Now it’s a matter of recovering and keep going forward.”

 

Justin is now 7th in the Championship standings, with 121 points, only 5 points away from 5th place. The Sentra Cup is headed to the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in three weeks, on August 13,14 and 15. At one time or another, some of the best drivers raced at this mythical event in the streets of Trois-Rivières. Like Formula 1 Champion James Hunt, who raced there in 1976 in the Formula Atlantic series, he came in 2nd, beat by future star Gilles Villeneuve who got a shot in Formula 1 after James Hunt praised his driving skills to McLaren Cosworth.

 

Joining Wondr Gaming on Di Benedetto Racing’s Nissan Sentra; Drone Delivery Canada, Danavation Technologies, Nugen Medical Devices, Launch Capital, Irwin Lowy LLP, Hybrid Financial, Canaccord Genuity - The Polonoski Team, Whitecap Canada, Rentex Realty, KJ Harrison Investors, Air Canada Cargo, First Canadian Capital, Buzbuzian Capital Corp., Cormark Securities, Lynwood Capital, D&B Accountants, Humphries Planning Group, Channel 13, Sussex Strategy, Marrelli Support Services, Ventresca Travel and Grazie Ristorante.

 

Technical Partners include; SPI Racing, Ultraray Motorsports, Wrap Werks and Kevin Glover Racing.

 

Follow Justin Di Benedetto and Di Benedetto Racing on social media: FacebookInstagram and Twitter or through their website: https://www.dibenedettoracing.com/

 

Nissan Sentra Cup Calendar

June 25- 27 : Races 1 & 2 - Shannonville
July 23 – 25 : Races 2 & 3 - Circuit Mont-Tremblant
August 13 – 15: Races 4 & 5 – Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières
August 27 – 29: Races 6 & 7 – Circuit ICAR
September 3 – 5 : Races 8 & 9 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Septembre 23 – 26: Races 11 & 12 – Circuit Mont-Tremblant

 

About Justin Di Benedetto: Justin Di Benedetto, is a 24 year old Canadian who competes in the Canadian Nissan Sentra Cup Series. Justin is a graduate of York University with a Major in Business and works in the capital markets industry in Toronto. Justin’s passion in motorsports has progressed over the years from karting to cars. He has competed throughout North America and together with his father Tony they have formed Di Benedetto Racing Inc. More information here:

https://www.dibenedettoracing.com/

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Lewis Hamilton will spend at least 2 more seasons with Mercedes. (Photo-Twitter @MercedesAMGF1)
By: Tim Hauraney
July 5 2021
 

After what seemed like an eternity of negotiations last season to produce a one year contract for 2021, creating a contract for 2022 and onwards appeared much easier this year. Converting Zoom calls into in-person negotiations helped speed conversations between Lewis Hamilton (Seven time world champion) and Toto Wolff (Team Principal & CEO of Mercedes- AMG Petronas F1 Team). Hamilton said “Toto was fantastic within the negotiations, Ola and the board have been incredibly supportive and we just continue to grow in our relationship and how we communicate and making sure that we are aligned. It’s a great commitment from them, a great commitment from myself to continue to stay aligned with Mercedes.”

 

At 36 years old, and in his 15th season of Formula 1, Hamilton is still motivated to add an eighth, and maybe ninth, F1 world championship to his resume. The British driver is currently second in the drivers standings just 32 points back from rival Max Verstappen after 9 rounds.

 

If it doesn’t happen for Hamilton this season, the upcoming 2022 regulations could pose an opportunity or a challenge, but it’s one that Wolff believes Hamilton is looking forward to. Wolff stated about Lewis earlier Saturday, “I think he never wanted to stop competing in formula 1, but obviously you must always have options, and stopping was never an option. So it seemed pretty clear that we were continuing, but he is well informed, and well aware what is happening around the 2021 car. He knows our structure, and has the confidence in what we do, and even if it is difficult like for example, today (Saturday) there's still the faith in each other going forward.”

 

At the beginning of the season some questioned if Hamilton’s late contract signing would have disrupted the team, and applied unwanted pressure to not only the Mercedes driver, but the team as well. Hamilton however, doesn’t see pressure as a bad thing, but one that he embraces. He enthused that “it doesn’t change the pressure for me, I always bet on myself.” He continued, “when I do these one year deals it’s not like ‘oh what if I don’t perform?’ I know I am going to perform because I know how to do that. I know the work that I need to do in order to be able to perform. I think for the longevity of the team, the confidence, the sponsors, all those things, it’s super important that these things get done as quick as they can.”

 

Hamilton has raced with Mercedes engines at McLaren until moving over to the works team in 2013. It’s a relationship that has gone on for 15 seasons and counting in Formula 1. Hamilton not only appreciates that relationship and all they have accomplished, but what they can achieve both on and off track specifically with the drive to improve diversity and equality within the sport.

 

The seven time world champion expanded on how “it’s exciting to see what Mercedes are doing, the support they have given me during this period with Black Lives Matter, with turning our car black for the second year in a row, for really pushing for a more diverse and inclusive environment. It’s amazing to think, the conversations we’ve had, it’s an amazing new part to a journey that we have started. For sure several years ago, I could have only dreamed of being in this position, and I’m excited for what that can be.”

 

Before the deal, there had been rumblings that Hamilton could possibly retire at some point, but with this new two year contract, it has solidified Hamiltons’ commitment. By the time the deal comes to an end, he will be 38 years old. It’s not age that the reigning world champion is concerned about, it’s desire. He thoughtfully elaborated that “there’s gonna be a point in which I’m gonna want to move on to do different things, and I guess it’s just always comes down to how I never do anything half ass. I am not going to do it at 80 percent, 70 percent, and just trundle along, there are people that can do that. I am only here to win, so if there is ever a point that I feel that I don’t want to commit the time or the effort, the mental time and energy that it takes then that will be the time for me to stop. But, as I said I don’t plan to be here till I am 40. I hope I have something else exciting to do beyond, but regardless, no matter what time you stop, I’m gonna miss this sport, I am gonna miss the competing side of it for sure."

 

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