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By 2000, the Canada GT Challenge Cup was in its fourth season.
Sanctioned by ASN Canada FIA, it was an eleven-round series of one-hour races.
Drivers competed at Mosport International Raceway (8-events) and Shannonville Motorsports Park (3-events).
A twelfth race scheduled for Mont-Tremblant was canceled.
A wide range of vehicles was eligible for the series – FIA GT, Professional Sportscar GTS & GT, SCCA Improved Touring, GT1, GT2 & Trans Am and ASA Stock Car. The list of ineligible cars was much shorter – Sports Racers, Ground Effects Cars and Showroom Stock. There were two classes (GT1 and GT2) based on qualifying and race lap times: Mosport International Raceway
Shannonville Motorsport Park
If a GT2 driver broke out of the time bracket, they would be moved to GT1. One or more drivers could compete in a car. However, the second driver had to complete either twenty-minutes or one-third of the total race laps to earn points. The races also included a mandatory one-minute pit stop during green flag conditions. There was a total event prize fund of over $50,000 and a year-end point’s bonus fund of $45,000 – split between the two classes to attract competitors. The third round of the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup was held at Mosport International Raceway during the Trans Am Weekend. Drivers would compete on the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course for one-hour. |
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In round two, John Brenner was running a comfortable second when he retired with an engine issue. The team had a week between events to make repairs to the No. 81 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Once again, Brenner started on the outside of the front row. He trailed Klaus Bytzek until Bytzek encountered his own problems – requiring him to make several pit-stops. Brenner moved into the lead and captured the victory. |
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The GT2 points leader, Blaise Csida, notched up his third victory of the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup season. Csida put the No. 7 Chevrolet Corvette seventh on the grid and first in class. Unlike the previous rounds, he was challenged by the Pontiac Grand Prix of Larry Barcza. Csida would win by a margin of 0.450-seconds. Bacrza went under the specified class lap time and will be a GT1 competitor in the next race. |
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Like John Brenner, Barry Coons and James Beaton encountered problems a week ago in round two. Unlike Brenner, they retired before completing the first lap of the race. With the No. 26 Century Mechanical Chevrolet Corvette repaired, the duo started fourth in the GT1 category. They inherited third place when Klaus Bytzek had issues and passed the Camaro of Jim Todd late in the contest for a runner-up result. |
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Bentley Hammer started the year in the GT2 category. During the season’s first race, he was battling with the Blaise Csida and broke out of the 1.30:000 class limit. Hammer put the No. 98 Phil Strudwick prepared Chevrolet Monte Carlo sixth on the grid. In the race, he would be a beneficiary of the issues encountered by Klaus Bytzek and Jim Todd. Hammer finished on the lead lap in fourth place. |
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It appeared that round three would be business as usual for Klaus Bytzek. To no one’s surprise, Bytzek put the No. 00 BMS Race Team Porsche 911 GT1 EVO on the pole. As expected, he pulled away from the field at the start of the one-hour contest. Just as Bytzek was about to the lap the second-place car, the under-tray on the Porsche came loose. He would make several visits to the pit lane and finish third in class. |
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A second Phil Strudwick Motorsports entry was the No. 92 Chevrolet Corvette, driven in the GT2 class by Greg Clifton. The team suffered from reliability problems last season, but they appeared to be sorted for the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup campaign. Clifton scored second and fourth-place finishes in the first two rounds. In race three, he started fifth in his category and captured the final spot on the GT2 podium. |
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| FINISH | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR / ENTRANT | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | GT1 | John Brenner | Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Hoosier Tire | 40 | - |
| 2 | 4 | GT1 | Coons / Beaton | Chevrolet Corvette / Century Mechanical | 40 | - |
| 3 | 6 | GT1 | Bentley Hammer | Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Strudwick Motorsports | 40 | - |
| 4 | 7 | GT2 | Blaise Csida | Chevrolet Corvette / New York Fries | 39 | - |
| 5 | 8 | GT2 | Larry Barcza | Pontiac Grand-Prix / Barcza Racing | 39 | - |
| 6 | 1 | GT1 | Klaus Bytzek | Porsche 911 GT1 Evo / BMS Race Team | 39 | - |
| 7 | 3 | GT1 | Jim Todd | Chevrolet Camaro / Aircraft Equipement | 39 | - |
| 8 | 12 | GT2 | Greg Clifton | Chevrolet Corvette / Strudwick Motorsports | 39 | - |
| 9 | 10 | GT2 | Ludwig Heimrath | Porsche 968 / Heimrath Porsche | 38 | - |
| 10 | 11 | GT2 | Torsten Krueger | Pontiac Firebird / Kruerger Racing | 38 | - |
| 11 | 22 | GT2 | Steve Hummel | Chevrolet Corvette / Tomsoft Racing | 38 | - |
| 12 | 20 | GT2 | Jacques Guenette | Porsche 911 | 37 | - |
| 13 | 16 | GT2 | Clue / Blewett | Nissan 240SX | 36 | - |
| 14 | 24 | GT1 | Paul Fix | Ford Mustang / Classic Tube | 36 | - |
| 15 | 14 | GT2 | Fernand Leblanc | Porsche 911 RSR / MCL | 35 | - |
| 16 | 17 | GT2 | Alan Jones | Toyota Supra Turbo / Jones Racing | 35 | - |
| 17 | 26 | GT2 | D & S Colivaris | BMW M3 / Colson Motorcars | 34 | - |
| 18 | 9 | GT2 | Rudy Bartling | Porsche 911 | 28 | - |
| 19 | 23 | GT2 | Mark Swain | Mazda RX-7 / Clarion | 15 | Engine |
| 20 | 13 | GT2 | Duane Hoo | Mazda RX-7 / Can-Jam Auto | 14 | Did Not Finish |
| 21 | 5 | GT1 | Lew Mackenzie | Chevrolet Camaro / Roger AT&T | 5 | Did Not Finish |
| - | 18 | GT2 | P & N Botsinis | BMW M3 / PJC Autoworks Ltd | 0 | Did Not Start |
| - | 19 | GT2 | Jim Harrison | Porsche 911 / Longhill Energy | 0 | Did Not Start |
| - | 21 | GT2 | Ray Genick | Porsche 911 GT2 Evo | 0 | Did Not Start |
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