www.formula1600.com For Immediate Release
WEEKEND SWEEP AT BARC GRAND PRIX OF ONTARIO
MARKS THREE WINS IN A ROW FOR ROBICHON
BOWMANVILLE, ON (June 28, 2015) – Zacharie Robichon posted a dominant performance in today’s second race of the BARC Grand Prix of Ontario weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and extended his streak of victories in the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship to three in a row.
Had the race been one lap longer, though, today’s win would likely have slipped from his hands.
Mosport had endured a downpour that had lasted 24 hours when the cars rolled out on track, and so Robichon’s team set up his car for heavy rain conditions. But, incredibly, the sun came out as the field took the green flag, and the track dried more and more as each lap ticked by.
That left Robichon – who had run so strongly in the early going that he lapped all but two other cars – as a sitting duck to his teammate, Reid Arnold, who opted to race with a setup more suited to dry conditions.
Arnold gained on Robichon by an average of a second a lap over the latter half of the race, and he was only 0.72 seconds behind Robichon as the Brian Graham Racing duo crossed the line at the checkered.
“I saw him coming, and I knew he was quicker than me those last few laps,” Robichon said. “The drier the track got, the more my advantage was going away. But I was watching my mirrors and thought, ‘I can keep this.’ In the end, it worked out.”
“I came really close to passing Zach,” Arnold added. “But he had a stronger rain setup and he’s better in the rain here, so I’m sure that gave him a hand. But all in all, it was a good race. I still had a ton of fun, and the team gave me a great car.”
Joining the BGR teammates on the podium was Andre du Preez, who had to overcome an issue on the opening lap and pass six other cars to claim his ultimate result of 3rd in A Class.
“On the first lap I misjudged the corner in 5b and the car just went around on me,” du Preez explained. “I hit the wall squarely. It hit on two points that we use to lift the car, so it didn’t damage the car at all. I managed to escape from that and just keep going until the end, which was extremely lucky.”
In B Class, Graham Lobban also completed a weekend sweep by claiming victory in today’s second Toyo Tires F1600 Championship race of BARC Grand Prix of Ontario. He also achieved a remarkable result of 3rd place overall. Lobban was joined on the B Class podium by points leader Connor Wagland, who finished 2nd, and Mike Lee, who ended the day in 3rd.
The next race weekend on the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship schedule is the inaugural Bay of Quinte Grand Prix, which will be held on July 18 and 19 at Shannonville Motorsport Park outside Belleville, Ontario. The event will feature multiple classes of open-wheel, sports car, and vintage racing surrounded by a festival atmosphere. Further information and ticket sales can be found at bayofquintegp.com.
SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe
If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com
Photos by Michael Haley
The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather’s Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.
The Formula 1600 Super Series is the combined premiere events of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series from Ontario and the Toyo Tires Formula Tour 1600 Series from Quebec. The series is comprised of a four event, double-header format and competes at CTMP’s Victoria Day SpeedFest, Formula One Grand Prix of Montreal, the Bay of Quinte Grand Prix at Shannonville Motorsport Parks and the Grand Prix of Trois
Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=21351.msg113829#msg113829
