TMP F2000 DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Her Hand at Driving an Open-Wheel Formula Car

By Taylor Thring

Recently,Toronto Motorsports Park invited me to participate in their F2000 Driving Experience program. During the day, I was able to test two of their single-seat, open-wheeled formula cars on a portion of TMP’s road course.

Following some discovery laps around the course – coached by one of their staff members – the in-class instruction meeting, and some time watching others behind the wheel, I was ready to hit the track for something completely out of my comfort zone.

As a short track racer who was brought up racing karts, I was very excited to try something new. Between my time in a Mini Stock and many years competing in karts, this was an experience I had never been exposed to. In the end, the team at TMP produced an adventure that I’ll never forget.

When you first arrive, facility owner Uli Bieri and his team make you feel at home with personal greetings and an in-class instruction meeting. This time is spent learning about the racetrack, the F2000 cars themselves, and the importance of shifting while on the course.

As you leave the classroom, the team escorts you across the property to the road course. There, we were driven around the track, in a street car, by one of the instructors. Having the opportunity to experience the course as a passenger – while receiving pointers on when to shift, throttle up, locate the passing lanes, and the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ – made myself and the others taking part more confident about what we were about to experience.

After all the preparation, I was definitely ready to get behind the wheel. Prior to the TMP F2000 Driving Experience, I had not been in a race car since 2019. And I hadn’t been on a road course since my early days in karting.

I DIDN’T WANT TO STOP!

Shifting during a run was something entirely new to me; it was tricky to get used to as the shifter was a very small H-patterned knob. And it was a tight fit, with very little leg room. When you are used to a full-size stock car, it was somewhat intimidating to be in a race car that size. That said, it didn’t take long to get used to. And after a few minutes on the track, I didn’t want to stop!

After two stints, my TMP USF2000 Driving Experience was done. There was no wiping away the smile on my face once I pulled in.

And I know I can speak on behalf of the others who participated, that they all had a great time, too. Everyone went at their own pace and had a blast.

If I had to compare it to something I’ve done before, I’d say it felt like I was driving a large go-kart. Down-shifting through corners, hitting the marks through the rumble strips, and the speed on the long straightaway made for a thrilling experience.

The team at Toronto Motorsports Park made a great effort to deliver the best possible experience to each customer taking part. To make the day even more memorable, we all went home with nice certificates recognizing that we’d completed the program, and pictures of us with ‘our’ F2000 cars (there were several in action at a time).

Uli intentionally sets a relaxed tone for the experience. While well organized, it was also quite casual, which makes everyone comfortable, regardless of their racing knowledge or experience.

The main goal was to have fun, while getting a taste of what it’s like to drive some amazing race cars.

In addition to the F2000 Driving Experience, TMP also offers a Drag Racing Experience and an Exotic Dream Car Experience. All include in-class instruction, with technical briefings and ‘discovery laps’ with experienced teachers included where needed. Race suits and helmets are also provided for the F2000 and Drag Racing experiences.

I strongly encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and head to Toronto Motorsports Park to participate in one or all of these programs. The F2000 Driving Experience is something I will never forget!

TMP is located in Kohler, Ontario. For information and booking assistance, go to TorontoMotorsportsPark.com or call 1-866824-RACE (7223). IT

With Files and Photos from CRC

TheCanadian Rally Championship returned to action at the 50th anniversary of Rocky Mountain Rally, round 2 of the 2023 championship. After the most recent editions were hosted in Alberta, the rally made a popular return to the Columbia Valley, BC. The later calendar date meant the teams faced hot temperatures and dusty, rough roads.

A large alliance of teams from Quebec made the effort to tow West for the event, but unfortunately their efforts were largely met with attrition and bad luck. The championship leaders, Alexandre Moreau and Ian Guité were the first to drop, suffering a fuel pump issue on the opening loop. While they were able to fix and continue, they incurred a ten-minute penalty for illegal servicing. By the end of the rally, they had climbed back to eighth overall, capturing five all-important points to retain the championship lead.

The brother-sister duo of Tanveer and Naila Deen proved the event could change roads and provinces, but they’d still bring their A-game. The 2022 event winners drove a smart weekend, conserving tires and showing some mechanical sympathy through the opening days’ stages. A picture of consistency throughout the weekend, the pair finished ten of 12 stages with top-three stage times, including five stage wins. They successfully descended the Hawke stage for the final time on Sunday, chalking up the win by 35 seconds.

After a back-and-forth battle with perennial rival, Jason Bailey, all weekend, Boris Djordjevic and John Hall emerged from the battle alone with second place secure in hand. Going into the final stage,

Bailey and Shayne Peterson trailed by just over ten seconds. The temptation was too great to ignore and Bailey spun trying to reel Djordjevic in, losing over 12 minutes in the process.

Bailey’s misfortunate also escalated Graham Bruce and Patrick Levesque to the overall podium, making it an Alberta sweep.

A highly experienced rallyist and driver, Bruce has an uncanny ability to put himself in the right place at the end of a rally to capitalize on other’s mistakes.

In two-wheel drive, the expected ding-dong battle between Chris Greenhouse’s Dodge and Nick Wood’s monster Datsun never materialized after Wood’s engine expired on Day 1. Greenhouse and Ryan Scott stayed focused on winning their class, despite sitting in a tantalizing 4th overall much of the rally.

A few close calls kept the team busy at service, but they accomplished what they came to do, with Chris Greenhouse claiming his first Western win ever – Canada or USA. Fellow Americans, Eric Bailey and Jordan Rock, brought their Scion FRS across the line in second in two-wheel drive and 6th overall.

Although not without his own mechanical issues, Vincent Trudel’s efforts to come West from Quebec were rewarded with the Production 4 class win alongside co-driver, Michelle Miller.

Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs

The teams of the Canadian Rally Championship were joined by Mexican teams from the NACAM Championship to bring the heat to New Richmond, Quebec at Rallye Baie des Chaleurs.

Celebrating it’s 45th Edition in 2023 with almost fifty entries, the third round of the Canadian Rally Championship presented a classic combination of challenging roads, humid weather, changing conditions, and plenty of attrition. The legendary Camp Brulé and Saut Du 5 spectator areas were packed with fans to watch it all go down despite frequent rain showers.

The road conditions shifted back and forth between slippery mud and dry gravel, but it didn’t slow Joel Levac and Laurence-Fanny L’Estage. The veteran team in the ex-WRC Mini put on a clinic for the rest of the field, leading the rally from stage two through the finish. Despite claiming that their focus was on having fun, the duo drove smooth and fast, avoiding the attrition that hit many of the teams.

Levac and L’Estage were flanked on the podium by two of the teams from the NACAM championship. Battling to bring home maximum points in their series, Ricardo Cordero, Alejandro Mauro, and Miguel Granados swapped positions several times through the rally. Cordero and Granados had the advantage of experience, having finished first and third respectively at Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in 2022. Cordero and co-driver Marco Hernandez came out on top of this battle, earning second place in their Citroen C3.

Granados and co-driver Marc Marti suffered a crash that, while not ending their rally, broke the driver’s concentration. This gave Mauro and co-driver Diego San Juan just enough of an opening to claim the third spot on the podium.

The race to the top of the 2WD standings was just as exciting. After blowing the turbo on their new Fiesta at Rocky Mountain Rally, André and René Leblanc rebounded spectacularly at their hometown rally. Despite getting high-centred and losing nearly a minute in the second loop on Saturday, the 2021 Overall Champions led the 2WD class from stage two, finishing nearly sixteen minutes ahead of fellow local heroes Mathieu Leblanc and Éric Dubé. Olivier Guité and Martin Noel rounded out the 2WD podium in their Fiesta.

Topping the list of teams who suffered this weekend was the Sub- aru of championship points leaders Alexandre Moreau and Ian Guité. Their hopes of extending their lead ended with a crash on stage two. Heroic efforts from their service crew resulted in a re-start, but Moreau ended the rally taking home only two more points, just enough to maintain a one-point lead in the overall standings.

Likewise, 2WD championship points leaders Chris Greenhouse and Ryan Scott were well on their way to their third podium finish of the year when a bad jump broke a driveshaft on stage thirteen. Finishing fourth in class was not what Greenhouse had in mind, but the points earned keeps him well ahead in his hunt for his first championship.

Special mention needs to be made of Jean-Sebastien Besner. Furious over the failure of his Evo at the Rocky Mountain Rally, he decided to treat himself to a new rally car for his fiftieth birthday, bringing an R5 Fiesta to Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs. Although unable to catch the lead group of NACAM competitors, Besner and co-driver Yvan Joyal showed amazing speed and consistency in their first rally with the new car, taking home fifth place and moving up into second place in the championship, just one point behind Moreau.

With another spectacular Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in the books, the teams will have a break before facing the fourth round of the Canadian Rally Championship at Rallye Défi Petite Nation, September 8-10, in Montpellier, QC. IT