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As was the case last year, the Ontario Formula Ford Championship schedule consists of seven weekends; for a total of fourteen contests.
The points system remains unchanged for this year - a competitor’s two worst finishes will be dropped from their total -
meaning a driver is collecting points in twelve of their best fourteen races.
The season kicks off in May at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) 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 CTMP for races five and six. In early August, competitors make their third of five visits to CTMP during the BARC Canadian Touring Trophy Races. After a one-year absence, teams travel to Calabogie Motorsports Park, where they will share a pair of races with Quebec’s Formula Tour 1600. The penultimate weekend of competition occurs in mid-September as part of the 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 one of two engines - a four-cylinder, 1600-cc Ford engine or the 1.5-liter HPD Honda L15A7. Both motors produce approximately 120-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. Teams are required to use a spec tire – the Toyo Proxes R888. For 2012 the FFC class was rolled into FFB. There were two groups for this season.
The manufacture date for the individual car and not the model is used to determine the year split and if a vehicle is categorized as FFA or FFB. The penultimate weekend of the 2012 Ontario Formula Ford Championship was held on September 15-16 during the BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races. Drivers would compete in two head races around CTMP’s ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.
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The start of Saturday’s race - round eleven - for the 2012 Ontario Formula Ford Championship at CTMP. Leading field of sixteen entrants into corner one is the pole-sitter, Caitlin Johnston, in the No. 68 Warp 9 Sports Van Diemen RF97. Next to Johnston is the second-fastest qualifier, Michael Adams, driving the No. 59 Flagship Racing Services Van Diemen RF01. Behind the fastest qualifiers are Jesse Lazare and Shane Jantzi. |
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There was another strong crop of rookies this season; among them was Jesse Lazare. Lazare’s first race of the Ontario Formula Ford Championship was round five, where he finished third. At his third event, he claimed his first victory. In round eleven, during the BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races, Lazare would earn his third win of the season. On Sunday, he started fifth and finished third in the No. 3 Piper DF5. |
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Caitlin Johnston scored her first victory of the season in round five at CTMP. Johnston qualified on the pole for Saturday’s contest at the BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races. She battled with Jesse Lazare early in the first contest but would lose positions and finish fourth. The next day, Johnston redeemed herself. She was the fastest qualifier and led flag-to-flag in the No. 68 Warp 9 Sports Van Diemen RF97. |
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This weekend the top FFB competitor was Graham Lobban driving the No. 48 Van Diemen RF94 powered by the new Honda engine package. Lobban had a number of podium finishes this season, one of which was a victory in round nine at Calabogie Motorsport Park. The BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races would be the highlight of his year. After two challenge contests, Lobban left CTMP with a pair of wins. |
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Another rookie making a name for himself was Jack Mitchell Jr. To date, his record included four podium results which included a victory. Mitchell qualified fifth for the weekend’s first contest, piloting the No. 2 Piper DF5. He passed Michael Adams, Shane Jantzi and Caitlin Johnston to finish in the runner-up position during the race. Mitchell was the third-fastest qualifier for the finale but finished sixth. |
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It wasn’t a great weekend for the points leader, Michael Adams, as he was outperformed by his championship rival, Catlin Johnston. Adams qualified second fastest for the weekend’s first contest and would move into the lead on the penultimate lap. However, he would finish in fifth-place. On Sunday, he found himself starting on the outside of the front row but chased Johnston to a runner-up result. |
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| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | A-1 | Jesse Lazare | Piper DF5 | 15 | - |
| 2 | 5 | A-2 | Jack Mitchell Jr. | Piper DF5 | 15 | - |
| 3 | 4 | A-3 | Shane Jantzi | Van Diemen RF02 | 15 | - |
| 4 | 1 | A-4 | Caitlin Johnston | Van Diemen RF97 | 15 | - |
| 5 | 2 | A-5 | Michael Adams | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 6 | 7 | A-6 | Dan Purdy | Carbir DS3 | 15 | - |
| 7 | 9 | B-1 | Keith Lobban | Van Diemen RF94 | 15 | - |
| 8 | 10 | A-7 | Lee Racicot | Vector MG-96 | 15 | - |
| 9 | 12 | B-2 | Craig Willis | AERO II | 15 | - |
| 10 | 11 | A-8 | Marc Bishara | Van Diemen RF99 | 15 | - |
| 11 | 13 | A-9 | Ivan Graham | Van Diemen RF02 | 15 | - |
| 12 | 15 | B-3 | Mike Lee | Lola T540E | 15 | - |
| 13 | 16 | B-4 | Kieran Murphy | Van Diemen RF91 | 14 | - |
| 14 | 14 | B-5 | Paul Bollenbach | Reynard 90SF | 12 | - |
| 15 | 17 | B-6 | Amy Castell | Zink Z10 | 9 | - |
| 16 | 8 | B-7 | Andrew Mason | Van Diemen RF90 | 8 | Did Not Finish |
| - | 6 | A | Steve Bamford | Mygale SJ-11 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | 18 | B | Andrew Celovsky | Reynard FF82 | - | Did Not Start |
| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | A-1 | Caitlin Johnston | Van Diemen RF97 | 15 | - |
| 2 | 1 | A-2 | Michael Adams | Van Diemen RF01 | 15 | - |
| 3 | 3 | A-3 | Jesse Lazare | Piper DF5 | 15 | - |
| 4 | 6 | A-4 | Shane Jantzi | Van Diemen RF02 | 15 | - |
| 5 | 5 | A-5 | Steve Bamford | Mygale SJ-11 | 15 | - |
| 6 | 4 | A-6 | Jack Mitchell Jr. | Piper DF5 | 15 | - |
| 7 | 8 | A-7 | Dan Purdy | Carbir DS3 | 15 | - |
| 8 | 7 | B-1 | Keith Lobban | Van Diemen RF94 | 15 | - |
| 9 | 12 | A-8 | Marc Bishara | Van Diemen RF99 | 15 | - |
| 10 | 13 | B-2 | Mike Lee | Lola T540E | 15 | - |
| 11 | 11 | A-9 | Ivan Graham | Van Diemen RF02 | 15 | - |
| 12 | 10 | B-3 | Craig Willis | AERO II | 14 | - |
| 13 | 9 | A-10 | Lee Racicot | Vector MG-96 | 10 | - |
| - | 14 | B | Andrew Celovsky | Reynard FF82 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | 15 | B | Kieran Murphy | Van Diemen RF91 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | - | B | Paul Bollenbach | Reynard 90SF | - | Did Not Start |
| - | - | B | Amy Castell | Zink Z10 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | - | B | Andrew Mason | Van Diemen RF90 | - | Did Not Start |
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