CASC-OR CLASS CHAMPIONS

CO-OVERALL WINNERS HEADLINE 2022 CLASS

Story by J. Wally Nesbitt

Thebest represented discipline in CASC-OR motorsports is the GT Sprints category. Boasting five racing classes (GT1 to GT5), the car count was sufficient this year to allow for split fields with the more powerful GT1 and GT2 machinery competing separately from the only slightly slower GT-3/4/5 entrants.

The power end of the GT Sprints racing enjoyed large, loud fields of race cars with 21 registered drivers scoring points over the course of the 18-race calendar.

While an assortment of Trans-Am TA2 cars were regularly found at or near, the front of the pack, it was the little BMW that could, and did, win the GT1 championship this year. Long-time GT Sprints competitor Rocco Marciello overcame a mechanical issue in his No. 53 RMP Motors BMW M235iR to claim the 2022 crown.

“At the first race weekend, I was two laps into the Friday test session when I blew the motor,” explained Marciello. “I found a replacement in the scrap yard that lasted the year. But we were in quite a hole because of missing those first three races.”

Despite the setback, Marciello rebounded with a season total of two class wins and six additional podium finishes.

“This championship came by being consistent, getting the best finishes we could, and scoring the most points in every race.”

When Daria Khachi and John Hansen decided to forego the July races at Shannonville Motorsport Park, it opened the door for the No. 23 BMW M3 of Patrick Cyr to grab the GT2 points lead, an advantage that the Enterprise, ON driver held on to until the end of the season. Riding a record of three race wins and five runner-up results, Cyr survived a late season surge from Khachi to lock down the 2022 GT2 championship, his lead over Khachi in the year-end scoring, a mere 38 points.

Reviewing the box score for the GT3 Sprints class, it was a season of streaks.

The early scoring was dominated by Chantel Carter and her No. 123 Mazda Miata, as the Richmond Hill, ON pilot notched five race wins in the opening six races, only to lose her momentum with a blown motors. Bruce Wylie (No. 67 BMW M3) would win only the GT3 season finale, but his run of ten additional podium finishes allowed him the secure second place in the final tally.

Besting all comers – winning seven of the final nine races and the GT3 class crown – was motorsports novice Marc Lafleur.

“I had never raced anything before,” admitted Lafleur. “But when I sold my business, I made up my mind to find another challenge and that’s when I decided to go all-in with racing.”

Purchasing a partially finished BMW M3 E46 from a racer in Montreal, Lafleur leaned on his “newest, best friends” Bill and Demi Chalkias and EXO Performance to prepare the car and provide guidance and coaching as he hit the track in the No. 03 Harry Rosenbacked Bimmer.

“This year was a complete learning experience, I came off the track having learned something in every race. I know nothing about the technical side of the sport, but fortunately, Demi was able to translate what I was telling her about what I felt in the car into posi- tive adjustments. Little by little, I was picking up my lap times by listening to the advice from the Chalkiases and that allowed me to build confidence in myself and to feel more comfortable in most situations.”

Unfortunately, the GT4 and GT5 GT divisions were sorely under-represented this year, although the numbers did not deter from the on-track action.

Earning top billing in the GT4 year-end scoring was Matt White who guided his No. 76 Porsche to four class victories. Claiming seven class wins allowed veteran Joseph Comacchio (No. 155 BMW 235i) to claim top billing in the GT5 category.

OPEN-WHEEL CLASSES

Loosely formatted under the Formula Libre banner, the CASC F-4, F-Libre/ Radical and Formula Vee 1200 entrants enjoyed similar track time as their GT kin, with all four classes crowning top scorers at year’s end.

Overall Champions

In an unusual move, the CASC-OR executives have decided to name two drivers as 2022 Co-Overall Champions.

A 15-year veteran of the CASC F1200 battles, Phil Wang drove his No. 173 1996 Caracal C formula car to ten race wins plus seven more podium finishes and his record-setting eighth class title in 2022. A driving force behind the rejuvenation of the Formula Vee class, Wang leads by doing, entering as many races as possible, while assisting any class newcomer with their problems.

As previously detailed, Marc Lafleur, a true racing rookie, dominated the latter part of the season in the GT3 Sprints division, outscor- ing his nearest rival by 165 points.

Their dominance on each of the racing disciplines made the choice to offer Co-Champions status to both a wise one.

Inside Track Motorsports News would like to offer congratulations to all CASC-OR competitors, champions or not.

GT SPRINTS FINAL POINTS (TOP THREE)

GT1: 1. No. 53 Rocco Marciello (373 pts), 2. No. 41/120/ 161 Blaise Csida (332), 3. No. 02 James Beaton (297) // GT2: 1. No. 23 Patrick Cyr (388 pts), 2. No. 199 Daria Khachi (350), 3. No. 30 John Hansen (228) // GT3: 1. No. 03/88/3 Marc Lafleur (483 pts), 2. No. 67 Bruce Wylie (318), 3. No. 123 Chantel Carter 252) // GT4: 1. No. 76 Matt White (218), 2. No. 213 Steve Barnett (65), 3. No. 126 Khalid Eidoo (62) // GT5: 1. No. 155 Joseph Comacchio (289 pts), 2. No. 16 Michael Bos (192), 3. No. 83 Kevin Glass (168).

OPEN WHEEL (TOP THREE)

CASC Formula 1200: 1. No. 173 Phil Wang (549.25 pts), 2. No. 49 Nathan Yiu (512.50), 3. No. 12/19 Daniel Demaras (386.50).

CASC Formula Four 1. No. 11 James Morton (384 pts), 2. No. 9 Richard Walker (245), 3. No. 55 Mike MacNeil (241).

CASC Formula Libre: 1. No. 141 Tyson Balbosa (108 pts), 2. No. 151 Norman C. Wong (104), 3. No. 29 Michael Cross (100).

CASC Radical: No. 342 Kenny Riedmann (87 pts), 2. No. 12 Mark Boyd (55), 3. No. 351 Yang Chen (51). IT