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This year’s Ontario Formula Ford Championship included an extra point scoring weekend.
Since 2006, the final Formula Ford races of the season, held at the Celebration of Motorsport, did not count towards the title chase.
At this event, drivers were contending for the CanAm Cup. With fourteen contests on the schedule, the points system changed.
A competitor’s three worst finishes were dropped from their final total -
meaning a driver was collecting points in eleven of their best fourteen events.
The season kicks off in May at Mosport International Raceway during the BEMC Spring Trophy Races. The next two rounds are part of the DAC Trillium Trophy Races at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Then the series returns to Mosport for a doubleheader event during the High Octane Weekend. In late July, competitors make their way to Calabogie Motorsports Park as part of the MCO Ted Powell Memorial Races. This is followed by two events at Mosport - the BARC Canadian Touring Trophy Races and BEMC Indian Summer Races. The CASC-OR Celebration of Motorsport ends the season in Ontario and determines class champions. The single-seater, open-wheel race cars in the championship are powered by a four-cylinder, 1600-cc Ford engine, which produces120-horsepower. A mixture of European and North American chassis is used by competitors. Minimum vehicle weight is determined by the suspension design and ranges from 1050 to 1125-lbs., with the driver. Teams are required to use a spec tire (Dunlop Formula Ford treaded racing tire). Driver’s compete in one of three classes:
The opening rounds of the Ontario Formula Ford Championship were held during the British Empire Motor Club’s Spring Trophy Races at Mosport International Raceway. Drivers would compete in two heat races around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.
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The start of round one for the Ontario Formula Ford Championship at Mosport International Raceway. Leading the field of the seventeen entrants into corner one is the pole-sitter, Spencer Pigot, in the No. 3 Brian Graham Racing Van Diemen RF01. Behind Pigot is the other front row starter, Caitlin Johnston, driving the No. 68 Pizza Pizza sponsored Van Diemen RF97. Trailing the pair are Dean Baker and Stefan Rzadzinski. |
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American Spencer Pigot entered rounds one and two of the Ontario Formula Ford Championship to obtain some valuable seat time in his quest for the Sip Barber National Championship. Pigot put the No. 3 Brian Graham Racing prepared Van Diemen on the pole and won a very wet race one by a margin of 25.284-seconds. He started second in the finale but could not match the pace of the winner, Dean Baker. |
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Ontario Formula Ford Championship regular Dean Baker finished third in last year’s FFA title chase. The driver of the No. 52 Baker Racing Van Diemen RF01 opened this season’s campaign by qualifying third fastest for Saturday’s contest. Unable to catch and pass Spencer Pigot and Caitlin Johnston, Baker finished in the third position. The next day he started on the pole and led flag-to-flag to win by a margin of 6.582-seconds. |
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Caitlin Johnston returned for another season of the Ontario Formula Ford Championship in the familiar No. 68 Pizza Pizza sponsored Van Diemen RF97. She opened the weekend by qualifying on the outside of the front row – missing the pole by 1.144-seconds. In the first contest of the weekend, Johnston maintained her position and finished in the runner-up spot. On Sunday, she started fourth but finished fifth. |
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Winning the open round for the FFB division at Mosport International Raceway was Ken Soederhuysen. Soederhuysen was driving a Swift DB-6 intended for the F2000 class, but it had been converted to Formula Ford specifications. He started fifteenth overall and first in class for race one and went unchallenged. On Sunday, Soederhuysen started fourteenth but completed only two laps before retiring. |
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Gord Ross competed in the FFB category driving the No. 63 Van Diemen RF91 prepared by Britain West Motorsports. This was Ross’ second season in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship. Last year, the rookie finished second in the FFB standings. He started the first race of the weekend at the back of the grid and collected a third-place in his group. On Sunday, Ross redeemed himself with the class victory. |
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Another driver entering his second year of the Ontario Formula Ford competition was Stefan Rzadzinski. In his rookie season, Rzadzinski captured the runner-up spot in the overall standings. He returned with Brian Graham Racing, driving the No. 2 Van Diemen. He was third fastest in the qualifying session for Saturday’s contest but lost a spot in the race to Dean Baker. In the finale, Rzadzinski started and finished third. |
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| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A-1 | Spencer Pigot | Van Diemen RF01 | 7 | - |
| 2 | 2 | A-2 | Caitlin Johnston | Van Diemen RF97 | 7 | - |
| 3 | 4 | A-3 | Dean Baker | Van Diemen RF01 | 7 | - |
| 4 | 3 | A-4 | Stefan Rzadzinski | Van Diemen RF01 | 7 | - |
| 5 | 11 | A-5 | Keenan Harris | Van Diemen RF03 | 7 | - |
| 6 | 7 | A-6 | Paul Kostoff | Van Diemen RF98 | 7 | - |
| 7 | 10 | A-7 | Taylor Near | Van Diemen RF01 | 7 | - |
| 8 | 5 | A-8 | Steve Tzountzouris | Van Diemen RF00 | 7 | - |
| 9 | 15 | B-1 | Ken Soederhuysen | Swift DB-6 | 6 | - |
| 10 | 12 | A-9 | Scott Beath | Van Diemen RF99 | 6 | - |
| 11 | 13 | A-10 | Tony Cove | Van Diemen | 6 | - |
| 12 | 17 | B-2 | Kieran Murphy | Crossle 62F | 6 | - |
| 13 | 16 | C-1 | Andrew Celovsky | Reynard 82SF | 6 | - |
| 14 | 18 | B-3 | Gord Ross | Van Diemen RF91 | 6 | - |
| 15 | 9 | A-11 | Ayrton Triolo | Van Diemen RF01 | 5 | Did Not Finish |
| 16 | 14 | A-12 | Fabio Urbano | Van Diemen RF01 | 4 | Did Not Finish |
| 17 | 8 | A-13 | François Leblanc | Van Diemen RF05 | 0 | Did Not Finish |
| - | 6 | A | Kris Fairweather | Van Diemen RF98 | - | Did Not Start |
| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A-1 | Dean Baker | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 2 | 2 | A-2 | Spencer Pigot | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 3 | 3 | A-3 | Stefan Rzadzinski | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 4 | 6 | A-4 | Keenan Harris | Van Diemen RF03 | 15 | - |
| 5 | 4 | A-5 | Caitlin Johnston | Van Diemen RF97 | 15 | - |
| 6 | 5 | A-6 | Scott Beath | Van Diemen RF99 | 15 | - |
| 7 | 8 | A-7 | Paul Kostoff | Van Diemen RF98 | 15 | - |
| 8 | 10 | A-8 | Ayrton Triolo | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 9 | 7 | A-9 | Steve Tzountzouris | Van Diemen RF00 | 15 | - |
| 10 | 11 | A-10 | Taylor Near | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 11 | 12 | A-11 | Fabio Urbano | Van Diemen RF01 | 14 | - |
| 12 | 13 | A-12 | Tony Cove | Van Diemen | 14 | - |
| 13 | 16 | C-1 | Andrew Celovsky | Reynard 82SF | 13 | - |
| 14 | 9 | B-1 | Gord Ross | Van Diemen RF91 | 13 | - |
| 15 | 15 | B-2 | Kieran Murphy | Crossle 62F | 13 | - |
| 16 | 14 | B-3 | Ken Soederhuysen | Swift DB-6 | 2 | Did Not Finish |
| - | - | A | François Leblanc | Van Diemen RF05 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | - | A | Kris Fairweather | Van Diemen RF98 | - | Did Not Start |
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