2010 Trois-Rivieres - Street Tuner - Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

Last season was the final year of the Grand-Am Road Racing’s contract with KONI. In 2010, Grand-Am partnered with Continental Tire. The series was renamed the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Obviously, this new arrangement also meant that after ten-years, teams would no longer be competing on Hoosier spec DOT-approved tires.

The cars in the series are relatively unchanged from their road-going counterparts – modifications are mandated mainly for safety – roll cages, window nets, etc. They also used spec DOT-approved tires produced by Continental. Based on performance potential, the cars were divided into one of two groups:

Grand Sport (GS): The quicker of the two classes - the group features the larger displacement engines as well as smaller four-cylinder motors with forced induction systems. The power-plants produce between 350 and 405-horsepower. Minimum weights range between 2,900 – 3,300-pounds, which is dependent on the motor configuration and displacement. This class includes cars such as the BMW M3, Ford Mustang, Porsche 997 and Porsche Carrera.
Street Tuner (ST): The smaller displacement cars compete in this class in which engines typically produce between 170 and 240-horsepower. Popular vehicles found in this group are the Volkswagen GTI, Acura TSX, Mazda RX-8, Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si, BMW 328i, Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Mini Cooper S.

The 2010 season consisted of ten race weekends and started in January at Daytona International Speedway, which was followed by a second event in Florida at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In April, the series would visit Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama and then move on to Virginia International Raceway. Round five would be conducted at Lime Rock Park. This would be the first of two race weekends where the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes competed separately. The teams traveled Watkins Glen International in June and after this event, race weekends took place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and New Jersey Motorsports Park. In August, teams made the trip to Canada, where the action would take place on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. This would be the penultimate round and was the second weekend that the two classes had their own race. The finale was held at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park.

The penultimate round of the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge was held at Trois-Rivieres. Street Tuner competitors would race on the ten-turn 1.521-mile temporary street circuit.

The start of the penultimate round of the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Leading the field of nineteen cars into corner one is Quebec’s Jocelyn Hebert in the 89 Racing Team Honda Civic Si. Next to Hebert is the other front row starter, David White, driving the No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW 328i. Behind the leaders are the Hondas of David Thilenius and Zach Lutz.

Last year at Trois-Rivieres, Owen Trinkler and Jade Buford started on the pole in the RSR Motorsports Mini Cooper S, but a broken seat took them out of contention. In 2010, Trinkler’s co-driver, Randall Smalley, started tenth. During the first caution, they changed drivers and Trinkler drove the remainder of the contest. On lap-60 of 91, he moved into the lead. Trinkler held on for the team’s second consecutive victory.

Derek Whitis and Tom Long led the Street Tuner point standings earlier in the season after capturing victories in rounds two and three. Poor finishes and failure to enter a couple of events dropped them down the order. At Trois-Rivieres, Whitis qualified sixth fastest in the No. 25 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. Long drove the final stint but lost the lead on lap-60 and finished second by a margin of 4.766-seconds.

Last years Street Tuner winner, Andrew Carbonell, was sharing the No. 26 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 with Rhett O’Doski. O’Doski performed the qualifying duties and started in the fifteenth position. The final caution of the race occurred on lap-54 and the team used it as an opportunity to change drivers. Carbonell assumed the lead but contact with another car dropped him to sixth place. He fought back to finish third.

Becancour, Quebec driver, Jocelyn Hebert, gave the local fans something to cheer about when he put the 89 Racing Team Honda Civic Si on the pole. Hebert would lead the first fifty-four-laps of the event. During the final caution period, he pitted for new brake pads and the driver change. After a lengthy stop, the Honda returned to the race in eleventh place. Hebert and his co-driver, Cyril Hamelin, would finish seventh.

The Street Tuner podium for round nine of the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car championship. In the center are the winners, Owen Trinkler and Randall Smalley, who scored their second consecutive victory of the season. On the left side of the rostrum are the runner-ups from Freedom Autosport, Tom Long and Derek Whitis. The final spot on the podium is occupied by Rhett O’Doski and Andrew Carbonell.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	ST	Smalley / Trinkler	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	91
2	ST	Long / Whitis	Freedom Autosport / Mazda MX-5	91
3	ST	O'Doski / Carbonell	Freedom Autosport / Mazda MX-5	91
4	ST	Thomas / Heumann	BimmerWorld / BMW 328i	91
5	ST	Baas / Povoledo	APR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI	91
6	ST	Liefooghe / Sweeney	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	90
7	ST	Hebert / Hamelin	89 Racing Team / Honda Civic Si	90
8	ST	Borgeat / Olson	Next Generation Motorsports / BMW 330	89
9	ST	Cattaneo / Mirzayan	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	89
10	ST	Sheehan / Quinlan	3D Racing / BMW 330	89
11	ST	Burrows / Hopwood	Kinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup	86
12	ST	Aschenbach / Thilenius	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	84
13	ST	Theetge / Theetge	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	60
14	ST	Espenlaub Putman	Freedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 3	42
15	ST	Lally / Jonsson	Kinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup	42
16	ST	Pecorari / Mason	V-Pack Motorsport / BMW 330i	11
17	ST	Stadlander / Hurley	APR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI	5
18	ST	Clay / White	BimmerWorld / BMW 328i	0
19	ST	Lutz / Everley	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	0

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