Montréal, May 20th, 2008 – The TwoFast Racing team competed in the first round of the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship at the Mosport International Raceway on May 17th and 18th and gave an outstanding performance with a podium finish.
Very happy to be back behind the wheel for the 2008 season, the team’s drivers were quite pleased with their performances, even though they had to face many difficulties during the week-end.
For Christian Raymond, driver of the Mazda # 04, the Friday practice went really well and gave him a chance to try the new tires. After choosing to step out of the qualifications, Raymond started the Saturday race from the 7th position. I felt really confident, the track had dried between the qualifications and the afternoon race and I knew I was able to get to the front of the pack. During the very first lap, Raymond quickly moved to the third position, finishing the race in second position.
On the Sunday, the conditions were horrible for the final race of the week-end – it was raining cats and dogs and we just couldn’t see a thing. However, for most of the race, I held the first position, it felt great!, says Raymond. With only one lap to go and a yellow flag ahead, the driver had to slow down, in order to stay behind a lapped car, which gave a chance to Nigel Heron to pass him in the following turn, leaving Raymond with a second position. If we continue to perform like in this first race, the 2008 season will be a great one. Being second in the Championship at the beginning of the season is beyond my expectations!
For Éric Leblanc, driver of the Mazda # 40, the week-end was full of surprises. At the fourth lap of the Friday practice, his car’s engine died. A team of mechanics from Montreal was rushed to Mosport with another engine and worked all night long, so that Leblanc could be back on the racing track for the Saturday morning qualifications, during which he held the first position until he made the decision to step out two laps before the end of the session, as the ground was drying. That decision left him with a 4th position : I decided to go back to the pit because I did not want to abuse the new engine that we had just installed.
As soon as the Saturday race started, and while Leblanc was leading the pack, the clutch broke! It’s always difficult to pull over before the end of the race, but it’s worst when you are in the very first position. We didn’t have a replacement part : the only one we could find was 45 minutes away and we could only get it the next morning at 9 o’clock! I got there, called the team to confirm that I had located the appropriate part, so that they could start preparing the car again, while I was driving back to Mosport with the precious clutch. The mechanics did a wonderful job and succeeded in fixing the car in time for the Sunday race – what a great team!, exclaimed Leblanc. Despite all these technical difficulties and one stop at the pit to clear the windshield, Leblanc finished in the 6th spot, earning precious points towards the Championship.
The team is already adjusting the cars and preparing them for an even greater performance during the next race in Shannonville May 31st-June 1st.
Two Fast racing wants to mention the incredible efforts their mechanics gave during the whole week preceding the race and during the week-end : Yves Bédard, chief mechanic, as well as Alexandre Boiteau, Benoît Brazeau, Dominique Brazeau and Mathieu Ouellette. The racing team also wants to thank their driver, François Ouellette, and their precious sponsors, the Québec Mazda Dealers Association, Rythme Urbain, Rack’N’Roll, Lettrage ProVan, International AllStars and Mazdaspeed.
Visit TwoFast Racing at http://www.twofast.ca/.
Information on the Championship is available at http://www.touringcar.ca/.
Very happy to be back behind the wheel for the 2008 season, the team’s drivers were quite pleased with their performances, even though they had to face many difficulties during the week-end.
For Christian Raymond, driver of the Mazda # 04, the Friday practice went really well and gave him a chance to try the new tires. After choosing to step out of the qualifications, Raymond started the Saturday race from the 7th position. I felt really confident, the track had dried between the qualifications and the afternoon race and I knew I was able to get to the front of the pack. During the very first lap, Raymond quickly moved to the third position, finishing the race in second position.
On the Sunday, the conditions were horrible for the final race of the week-end – it was raining cats and dogs and we just couldn’t see a thing. However, for most of the race, I held the first position, it felt great!, says Raymond. With only one lap to go and a yellow flag ahead, the driver had to slow down, in order to stay behind a lapped car, which gave a chance to Nigel Heron to pass him in the following turn, leaving Raymond with a second position. If we continue to perform like in this first race, the 2008 season will be a great one. Being second in the Championship at the beginning of the season is beyond my expectations!
For Éric Leblanc, driver of the Mazda # 40, the week-end was full of surprises. At the fourth lap of the Friday practice, his car’s engine died. A team of mechanics from Montreal was rushed to Mosport with another engine and worked all night long, so that Leblanc could be back on the racing track for the Saturday morning qualifications, during which he held the first position until he made the decision to step out two laps before the end of the session, as the ground was drying. That decision left him with a 4th position : I decided to go back to the pit because I did not want to abuse the new engine that we had just installed.
As soon as the Saturday race started, and while Leblanc was leading the pack, the clutch broke! It’s always difficult to pull over before the end of the race, but it’s worst when you are in the very first position. We didn’t have a replacement part : the only one we could find was 45 minutes away and we could only get it the next morning at 9 o’clock! I got there, called the team to confirm that I had located the appropriate part, so that they could start preparing the car again, while I was driving back to Mosport with the precious clutch. The mechanics did a wonderful job and succeeded in fixing the car in time for the Sunday race – what a great team!, exclaimed Leblanc. Despite all these technical difficulties and one stop at the pit to clear the windshield, Leblanc finished in the 6th spot, earning precious points towards the Championship.
The team is already adjusting the cars and preparing them for an even greater performance during the next race in Shannonville May 31st-June 1st.
Two Fast racing wants to mention the incredible efforts their mechanics gave during the whole week preceding the race and during the week-end : Yves Bédard, chief mechanic, as well as Alexandre Boiteau, Benoît Brazeau, Dominique Brazeau and Mathieu Ouellette. The racing team also wants to thank their driver, François Ouellette, and their precious sponsors, the Québec Mazda Dealers Association, Rythme Urbain, Rack’N’Roll, Lettrage ProVan, International AllStars and Mazdaspeed.
Visit TwoFast Racing at http://www.twofast.ca/.
Information on the Championship is available at http://www.touringcar.ca/.
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