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The internationally successful Porsche GT3 Cup series was introduced to Canadian fans and participants in 2011.
The championship is one of twenty-three similar GT3 Cup series contested throughout the world.
Last season, the Canadian Championship debuted at Calabogie Motorsports Park in mid-May with a doubleheader weekend. Similar event formats followed at ICAR and Mosport International Raceway. After six races, champions were crowned in three categories. The Platinum Cup was won by Perry Bortolotti, Shaun McKaigue claimed the Gold Cup and the Silver title went to Robert Seitz. This year’s Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin kicks off on the Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Drivers will collect championship points during Saturday and Sunday races. Then the series travels to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve as a support event for the Canadian Grand Prix. This is the only track on the calendar that does not host a doubleheader weekend. The series stays in Quebec with teams competing at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in early July. Next on the schedule is the series second visit to CTMP during the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. Championships are determined during the final rounds at Calabogie Motorsports Park in August. As was the case last season, drivers compete in one of three classes.
A 4.0-liter aluminum six-cylinder engine powers the current generation Porsche GT3 Cup. The motor produces 450-horsepower at 7,500-rpm and is fitted to a six-speed sequential transmission. Stopping the Porsche are aluminum six-piston calipers on the front – while the rear is equipped with four-piston calipers. The alloy rims on the front of the Porsche are 9.5J X 18 and use 24/64-18 Michelin tires. And, on the rear are 12J X 18 wheels with 30/68-18 tires. The GT3 Cup weighs just over 1,180-kg. The first two rounds of the 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin were contested on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s 2.459-mile ten-turn road course. |
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The first lap through Moss corner for the start of the 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin season. Leading the field of twenty starters is the Platinum Cup pole-sitter, Macro Cirone, in the No. 88 6th Gear Racing Porsche GT3 Cup. Trailing Cirone is his teammate, Perry Bortolotti, in the No. 84 Porsche and the No. 21 Fiorano Racing car of American Carlos de Quesada. |
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Like many competitors in this year’s Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, 2012 would be Jean-Frederick Laberge’s introduction to the series. Laberge was fourth fastest in the qualifying session for race one and started third. With the demise of Marco Cirone and Carlos de Quesada, he claimed the overall and Platinum Cup win. He started on the pole on Sunday and earned another victory in the No. 91 Porsche GT3 Cup. |
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Last year’s Gold Cup (for Porsche GT3 Cup cars manufactured between 2005-1/2 – 2009) champion Shaun McKaigue returned to defend his title. McKaigue was competing in the familiar No. 34 Fiorano Racing prepared Porsche GT3 Cup. He qualified sixteenth overall for Saturday’s race and finished eighth, but more importantly, he earned the class win. In the finale, McKaigue encountered issues and finished last in his category. |
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In addition to Jean-Frederick Laberge, Silver Cup competitor Robert Seitz left the first weekend of the championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a pair of victories. Seitz drove the No. 58 6th Gear Racing prepared Porsche GT3 Cup and was last year’s class champion. He was the fastest Silver Cup qualifier for the weekend’s first race – starting seventeen and finishing thirteen. On Sunday, Seitz was fifteenth overall. |
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Bruce Gregory was another driver competing in his second season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. Gregory did not join the series until round three but earned a Gold Cup victory in race four at ICAR. This year, he was piloting the No. 18 Calabogie Motorsports Park sponsored Porsche GT3 Cup. Gregory started race one on the class pole but finished second. On Sunday, he redeemed himself with a victory. |
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Quebec’s Etienne Borgeat was splitting his time between competing in the Canadian Touring Car Championship, driving a Pontiac Solstice GXP and the No. 2 GT Racing Porsche GT3 Cup in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. In the opening weekend of both series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Borgeat had a more successful event in the Porsche - earning second and fifth-place finishes in the Platinum Cup division. |
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Sports car racing veteran Carlos de Quesada from Tampa, Florida, piloted the No. 21 Fiorano Racing Porsche GT3 Cup and competed in the Platinum Cup category. De Quesada was gridded in fifth place for the start of round one. Unfortunately, he only completed twenty-nine of the thirty-two-laps and finished tenth in class. The situation improved on Sunday as de Quesada captured a runner-up result. |
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Gold Cup competitor Tim Sanderson was unable to qualify or start Saturday’s first round of the 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. With the issues resolved for the weekend’s final event, the No. 07 Fiorano Racing prepared Porsche GT3 Cup started at the back of the field. Sanderson wasted no time battling to the front and at the checkered flag, he was tenth overall and second in the Gold Cup category. |
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| FINISH | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR / SPONSOR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unclassified | Kyle Marcelli | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Pfaff Automotive Partners | 32 | - |
| 2 | Platinum | Jean-Frederick Laberge | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 32 | - |
| 3 | Platinum | Etienne Borgeat | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / GT Racing | 32 | - |
| 4 | Platinum | Perry Bortolotti | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / 6th Gear Racing | 32 | - |
| 5 | Platinum | Randy Oswald | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 32 | - |
| 6 | Platinum | Martin Harvey | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Wingho Motorsport Racing | 32 | - |
| 7 | Platinum | James Hoddinott | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 32 | - |
| 8 | Gold | Shaun McKaigue | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 31 | - |
| 9 | Platinum | Ilker Starck | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / SCB Racing | 31 | - |
| 10 | Platinum | Anthony Mantella | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / GT Racing | 31 | - |
| 11 | Gold | Bruce Gregory | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 31 | - |
| 12 | Gold | Robert Maranda | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 31 | - |
| 13 | Silver | Robert Seitz | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup / 6th Gear Racing | 31 | - |
| 14 | Gold | Michael Levitas | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / TPC Racing | 31 | - |
| 15 | Silver | Gabor Foti | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 30 | - |
| 16 | Silver | Leho Poldmae | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup / TPC Racing | 30 | - |
| 17 | Platinum | Carlos De Quesada | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 29 | - |
| 18 | Platinum | Marco Cirone | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / 6th Gear Racing | 25 | Did Not Finish |
| 19 | Platinum | Harry Blazer | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Drive for Success | 14 | Did Not Finish |
| 20 | Gold | Andrew Danyliw | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / SCB Racing | 13 | Did Not Finish |
| - | Gold | Tim Sanderson | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | - | Did Not Start |
| FINISH | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR / SPONSOR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unclassified | Kyle Marcelli | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Pfaff Automotive Partners | 33 | - |
| 2 | Platinum | Jean-Frederick Laberge | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 33 | - |
| 3 | Platinum | Marco Cirone | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / 6th Gear Racing | 33 | - |
| 4 | Platinum | Carlos De Quesada | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 33 | - |
| 5 | Platinum | Perry Bortolotti | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / 6th Gear Racing | 33 | - |
| 6 | Platinum | Etienne Borgeat | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / GT Racing | 33 | - |
| 7 | Platinum | James Hoddinott | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 33 | - |
| 8 | Platinum | Ilker Starck | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / SCB Racing | 33 | - |
| 9 | Gold | Bruce Gregory | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 32 | - |
| 10 | Gold | Tim Sanderson | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 32 | - |
| 11 | Gold | Robert Maranda | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 32 | - |
| 12 | Gold | Andrew Danyliw | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / SCB Racing | 32 | - |
| 13 | Platinum | Anthony Mantella | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / GT Racing | 32 | - |
| 14 | Platinum | Martin Harvey | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Wingho Motorsport Racing | 31 | - |
| 15 | Silver | Robert Seitz | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup / 6th Gear Racing | 31 | - |
| 16 | Silver | Gabor Foti | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 31 | - |
| 17 | Silver | Leho Poldmae | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup / TPC Racing | 31 | - |
| 18 | Gold | Shaun McKaigue | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Fiorano Racing | 29 | - |
| 19 | Platinum | Randy Oswald | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Speed Merchants | 25 | Did Not Finish |
| - | Platinum | Harry Blazer | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / Drive for Success | - | Did Not Start |
| - | Gold | Michael Levitas | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup / TPC Racing | - | Disqualified |
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