2007 Exhibition Place - Toronto - Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship

The 2007 Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires offered amateur Touring car racers an excellent opportunity to showcase their talents at some of Ontario’s most popular tracks. The series provided competitors with professionally organized events that would attract sponsors and fans.

This 2007 schedule consists of eight race weekends. With the exception of the Toronto event, all races take place during Ontario region amateur sports car club weekends. The format at each venue includes two races – generally, thirty-minutes in length. The season kicks off mid-May at Mosport International Raceway. This is followed by the series premiere event at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Drivers will compete in support races during the Champ Car World Series weekend. In late-July, the championship travels to Calabogie Motorsport Park. In August, teams return to Mosport, where the remainder of the season’s races will be conducted.

In 2007, there are three classes. To help fans distinguish between the groups, the cars are fitted with different coloured windshield banners.

Touring – (Red Window Banner) - This is intended to be an entry-level category. Vehicles competing in this class are allowed a minimal amount of performance enhancements. The engines in this group may not exceed 2.0-liters. Manufacturers represented in this group include the Mini Cooper S, Honda Civic, Mazda Protege, Nissan Sentra and Acura Integra.
Super Touring – (Yellow Window Banner)- Super Touring includes many of the same makes and models found in Touring. However, this category allows motor modifications and aerodynamic enhancements. Vehicles in this group are limited to an engine displacement of 2.8-liters. Additional manufacturers competing in the group include BMW, Subaru and Audi.
Grand Touring – (Blue Window Banner) – This is the series quickest category. This group is for six and eight-cylinder vehicles with an engine displacement in excess of 2.8-liters. Popular cars in this class include the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, BMW M3 and Porsche 996.

The most anticipated event on the 2007 Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship’s calendar was the Grand Prix of Toronto. Rounds three and four attracted fifty-entrants. They would compete at Exhibition place on the eleven-turn 1.786-mile temporary street circuit.

Sweeping the weekend’s races at Exhibition Place was Roberto Sabato. Sabato, driving the No. 115 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, would move into the Grand Touring points lead after already claiming a first-place finish in the opening round at Mosport. The Grand Touring competitor started on the pole in race three and led flag-to-flag. On Sunday, Sabato repeated his performance, taking the overall and class victory.

Toronto would be an opportunity for Super Touring competitor Scott Nicol to redeem himself. Nicol was disqualified for a driving infraction in the second race of the season at Mosport International Raceway. In the weekend’s first event at Toronto, not only did he win his class, but he finished an incredible second overall. The next day, Nicol was first across the finish line, but he was disqualified by Series Officials.

Although the season was still young, the only driver to challenge Roberto Sabato’s dominance was Sasha Anis. Anis finished third in the first race of the season and when Sabato was penalized for passing under the yellow in round two, he captured the victory. Anis qualified second fastest at Toronto in the No. 14 Nissan 240SX. Unfortunately, he was no match for Sabato and scored second and sixth-place finishes.

Quebec’s Eric Leblanc’s season got off to a poor start. The driver of the No. 140 Twofast Racing Subaru WRX STI was unable to finish both opening rounds at Mosport International Raceway. His visit to Toronto’s Exhibition Place would be a much better experience. On Saturday, Leblanc qualified eighth overall and earned a third place in Super Touring. In round four, he captured another third in class.

The Super Touring points leader was Charles-Andre Bilodeau after two rounds of the 2007 Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship. The Montreal driver swept both races at Mosport International Raceway. Piloting the No. 26 GT Racing prepared BMW 325i, he managed a second in class in the weekend’s first contest. Bilodeau inherited a victory on Sunday following Scott Nicol’s disqualification.

Robert Calisi, driving the No. 39 Durabond sponsored Honda Civic, opened 2007 with fourth and fifth-place finishes at Mosport International Raceway. At the Grand Prix of Toronto, he fared much better. Calisi captured a runner-up finish at the weekend’s first event and won the following day. The results elevated him to second in the Touring category title chase.

Antonio Buso was competing in the Grand Touring category driving the No. 27 Eagle Talon Tsi. Buso entered the first two rounds at Mosport International Raceway, but the best he could manage was a tenth in class. His luck changed at Exhibition Place. In Saturday’s contest, he qualified sixteenth overall and finished fifth in class. The next day, Buso was fifth overall but second in Grand Touring group.

Joining the Super Touring points leader, Charles-Andre Bilodeau, at GT Racing in a second BMW 325i was Etienne Borgeat. Borgeat finished behind his teammate in the first race a Mosport, but in the second contest, he finished a distant tenth. Toronto did not start out well, Borgeat failed to complete round three. On Sunday, he came from the back of the grid and moved to third in class when Scott Nicol was disqualified.

After the first two rounds, Alain Lauziere led the Touring points standing. Lauziere won both ends of the opening weekend at Mosport. In Toronto, his momentum continued with a victory in Saturday’s race driving the crowd favourite, No. 47 Octane Promotion Mini Cooper S. Unfortunately, the following day, Lauziere finished a distant fifth, but he remained atop the championship battle.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	Grand Touring	Roberto Sabato	Chevrolet Corvette	16	-
2	Grand Touring	Sasha Anis	Nissan 240SX	16	-
3	Super Touring	Scott Nicol	Honda Civic	16	-
4	Grand Touring	Kurt Langeveldt	Mazda RX-7	16	-
5	Grand Touring	Van Peter Hanson	BMW M3	16	-
6	Super Touring	Charles-Andre Bilodeau	BMW 325i	16	-
7	Super Touring	Eric Leblanc	Subaru WRX STI	16	-
8	Super Touring	Ian Madden	Volkswagen Golf 1.8T	16	-
9	Super Touring	Gunter Schmidt	Chevrolet Cobalt SS	16	-
10	Grand Touring	Antonio Buso	Eagle Talon	16	-
11	Grand Touring	Bob Munro	BMW M3	16	-
12	Grand Touring	Gabriel Ursache	Subaru Impreza STi	16	-
13	Touring	Alain Lauziere	Mini Cooper S	16	-
14	Super Touring	John Lockhart	Saab 93 2.0T	16	-
15	Super Touring	Steve Anderson	Dodge Neon SRT-4	16	-
16	Touring	Robert Calisi	Honda Civic	16	-
17	Grand Touring	Robert McAuley	BMW M3	16	-
18	Super Touring	Scott Hall	BMW 325	16	-
19	Touring	Andrew Danyliw	Honda Civic	16	-
20	Grand Touring	Ray Arlauskas	BMW 325is	16	-
21	Touring	James Foote	Honda Civic	16	-
22	Super Touring	Jordan Marrison	BMW M3	16	-
23	Touring	Jesse Bradburn	Honda CRX	16	-
24	Touring	Brian Sibbitt	Mazda Protege 5	16	-
25	Touring	Brad Young	Honda Civic	16	-
26	Touring	Victor Simone	Nissan 200SX	16	-
27	Touring	Andrew Bearss	Mercedes C230 Kompresseur	16	-
28	Touring	Frank Blanchet	Nissan Sentra	16	-
29	Touring	Ken McCarten	Honda CRX	16	-
30	Touring	Steve Greiner	Honda Civic	15	-
31	Touring	Roger Bowes	Nissan Sentra	15	-
32	Touring	Jonathan Rashleigh	Toyota Corolla	15	-
33	Touring	Perry Iannuzzi	Nissan Sentra	15	-
34	Touring	Anthony Rapone	Honda Civic Si	13	-
35	Touring	Andre Rapone	Acura Integra Type R	13	-
36	Super Touring	Sam Kee	Honda S2000	12	-
-	Super Touring	Etienne Borgeat	BMW 325	11	Did Not Finish
-	Touring	Howard Chin	Volkswagen Scirocco	6	Did Not Finish
-	Grand Touring	Marco Cirone	Chevrolet Corvette	5	Did Not Finish
-	Touring	Nabeel Malik	Acura RSX Type S	5	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Nicholas Krikorian	Acura RSX Type S	3	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Allan DeWolfe	BMW 328	2	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Christian Raymond	Mazda Protege	0	Did Not Finish

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	Grand Touring	Roberto Sabato	Chevrolet Corvette	16	-
2	Super Touring	Charles-Andre Bilodeau	BMW 325i	16	-
3	Super Touring	Eric Leblanc	Subaru WRX STI	16	-
4	Grand Touring	Antonio Buso	Eagle Talon	16	-
5	Super Touring	Etienne Borgeat	BMW 325	16	-
6	Grand Touring	Robert McAuley	BMW M3	16	-
7	Grand Touring	Kurt Langeveldt	Mazda RX-7	16	-
8	Grand Touring	Bob Munro	BMW M3	16	-
9	Grand Touring	Sasha Anis	Nissan 240SX	16	-
10	Super Touring	Ian Madden	Volkswagen Golf 1.8T	16	-
11	Touring	Robert Calisi	Honda Civic	16	-
12	Grand Touring	Marco Cirone	Chevrolet Corvette	16	-
13	Super Touring	Ashley Taws	BMW M3	16	-
14	Super Touring	Jason Sharpe	Saab 93 2.0T	16	-
15	Super Touring	Christian Raymond	Mazda Protege	16	-
16	Grand Touring	Gabriel Ursache	Subaru Impreza STi	16	-
17	Touring	Andre Rapone	Acura Integra Type R	16	-
18	Touring	James Foote	Honda Civic	16	-
19	Super Touring	Steve Anderson	Dodge Neon SRT-4	16	-
20	Touring	Andrew Danyliw	Honda Civic	16	-
21	Touring	Alain Lauziere	Mini Cooper S	15	-
22	Touring	Jesse Bradburn	Honda CRX	15	-
23	Touring	Brian Sibbitt	Mazda Protege 5	15	-
24	Touring	Perry Iannuzzi	Nissan Sentra	15	-
25	Touring	Anthony Rapone	Honda Civic Si	15	-
26	Touring	Brad Young	Honda Civic	15	-
27	Touring	Victor Simone	Nissan 200SX	15	-
28	Touring	Richard Boake	Nissan Sentra Spec-V	15	-
29	Super Touring	Nabeel Malik	Acura RSX Type S	15	-
30	Grand Touring	Ray Arlauskas	BMW 325is	15	-
31	Touring	Andrew Bearss	Mercedes C230 Kompresseur	15	-
32	Touring	Frank Blanchet	Nissan Sentra	15	-
33	Touring	Steve Greiner	Honda Civic	15	-
34	Touring	Roger Bowes	Nissan Sentra	15	-
35	Touring	Jonathan Rashleigh	Toyota Corolla	15	-
36	Super Touring	Andrew Elliott	Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T	12	-
-	Super Touring	Scott Hall	BMW 325	9	Did Not Finish
-	Touring	Howard Chin	Volkswagen Scirocco	3	Did Not Finish
-	Grand Touring	Van Peter Hanson	BMW M3	0	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Steve Kent	Chevrolet Cobalt SS	0	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Allan DeWolfe	BMW 328	0	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Scott Nicol	Honda Civic	16	Disqualified

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