In 2021, FEL (Franczak Enterprises Ltd.), an automotive learning and promotion company, expanded its presence in Canadian motorsports.

FEL saw an opportunity to revitalize and reinvest in Canadian car racing. FEL’s foray into the 2017 Toyo Tires F1600 Series as a featured sponsor resulted in fields growing from twelve to fifteen entries to over thirty cars in just three years.

The company was now ready to make its mark in the Touring and Sports Racer categories. The new FEL Motorsports Sports Car Championship Canada is for vehicles prepared to GT4 and TCR specifications. Various models of the purpose-built Radical SR3 sports racers compete in the FEL Cup Canada.

Each race weekend, FEL Cup Canada drivers compete in two forty-minute contests. The inaugural season kicks off in June at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the 41st VARAC Vintage Grand Prix. This event is followed by the championship’s only visit to Calabogie Motorsport Park. Then the series travels to Quebec to compete at ICAR Mirabel as part of the NASCAR Pinty’s weekend. Teams return to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Labour Day Weekend Sprints, this is followed by the Celebration of Motorsports, which is the final event of the championship.

The FEL Cup Canada series cars are built by the British manufacturer, Radical Sportscars. The company was founded by Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott in 1997. The early vehicles were road legal but were more popular as race cars.

There are two classes competing in FEL Cup Canada – Platinum and Pro 1340.

  • Platinum – This class is for the Radical SR8, which uses an RPE 2.7-liter RPX V8 engine fitted with a Powertec P-Tec six-speed sequential transmission. The setup produces 455-brake horsepower. The chassis is a space frame design with double wishbones, coil springs and adjustable shock absorbers and roll bars. Stopping the SR8 are four-piston calipers front and rear with vented rotors.
  • Pro 1340 – This is the slower of the two classes but the most popular. The Radical SR3 is powered by an RPE - Suzuki four-cylinder Double Overhead Camshaft engine with a displacement of 1340-cc, which produces 170-rear wheel horsepower. The SR3 is also a space frame chassis with a similar suspension and braking system. The Radicals use cast aluminum wheels fitted with 200/580/R15 tires on the front and 265/605/R16 on the rear.

In July, FEL Motorsports announced the Radical Invitational presented by Michelin. The races, held during the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Labour Day Weekend Sprints, were open to all competitors in the Radical community. During the event, drivers would compete in two forty minutes contests around the ten turn 2.459-mile road course.

The start of Saturday’s race for the FEL Motorsports Radical Invitational presented by Michelin. Leading the field of fourteen entrants into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s corner one is the pole-sitter and only Platinum competitor, Bruce McIntyre, in the No. 67 Radical SR8. Behind McIntyre is the No. 105 Radical SR3 RSX of Charles Robin. Robin started on the outside of the front row and was the fastest qualifier in Pro 1340.
The quickest of the Pro 1340 competitors was Charles Robin in the No. 105 Radical SR3 RSX. Robin was second fastest in practice but captured the category pole for the weekend’s first contest. In race one, he chased the Platinum class leader, Bruce McIntyre, until McIntyre retired. Robin would collect the overall and Pro 1340 division victory. Sunday’s race began on a damp track, Robin lead flag-to-flag for the win.
It was an excellent weekend for Emzone Radical Cup Canada series regular Austin Riley. Riley currently trails the Emzone points leader, Matt Graham, who did not participate in this event by twenty-four markers. He earned a pair of runner-up finishes during the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Labour Day Weekend Sprints and gained more experience in his new No. 20 Racing with Autism / Radical SR3 RSX.
Pro 1430 title contender, Alan Shaw, drove the No. 99 Radical SR3 RSX. To date, his season included four podiums, one of which was a runner-up result. Shaw qualified third in class for the first race of the weekend. During the contest, he passed Robert Burgess but lost a position to Austin Riley and finished third in his division. On Sunday, Shaw crossed the finish line in the fourth position.
Making his first appearance of the season was Robert Burgess, the president and owner of Radical Canada East. Burgess was piloting the No. 77 Radical SR3 RSX. He qualified second in Pro 1340 for Saturday’s contest, but in the race, Burgess lost places to Austin Riley and Alan Shaw to finish fourth. In the finale on Sunday morning, Burgess redeemed himself and captured the final position on the podium.
Bruce McIntyre is the only Platinum class competitor in the series. His No. 67 Radical SR8 is powered by an RPE 2.7-liter RPX V8 engine. As expected, McIntyre qualified on the overall pole for race one of the weekend. Unfortunately, he encountered issues and finished twelfth overall, eight laps behind the leaders. It went from bad to worse on Sunday. An off-course excursion damaged the rear wing and he failed to finish the race.

FINISHCLASSDRIVERENTRANT / CARLAPSRETIREMENTS
1PRO 1340Charles RobinCharles Robin / Radical SR3 RSX25-
2PRO 1340Austin RileyRacing with Autism / Radical SR3 RSX25-
3PRO 1340Alan ShawRilli Racing / Radical SR3 RSX25-
4PRO 1340Robert BurgessEmzone / Radical SR3 RSX25-
5PRO 1340Jim HallmanHallman Motorsports / Radical SR3 RS 25-
6PRO 1340Leigh ChapmanLeigh Chapman / Radical SR325-
7PRO 1340Peter DyckNRW Rennsport / Radical SR3 RSX25-
8PRO 1340Blair GibsonBlair Gibson / Radical SR325-
9PRO 1340Andre JamesKSP / Radical SR325-
10PRO 1340Don DagenaisRilli Racing / Radical SR3 RS24-
11PRO 1340Brad BakerBaker Racing / Radical SR3 RSX21-
12PlatinumBruce McIntyreRadical Canada / Radical SR817-
13PRO 1340Doug AllinghamAllingham Racing / Radical SR3 RSX13-
DNFPRO 1340Robert CalisiAIM Autosport / Radical SR3 RS11-

FINISHCLASSDRIVERENTRANT / CARLAPSRETIREMENTS
1PRO 1340Charles RobinCharles Robin / Radical SR3 RSX24-
2PRO 1340Austin RileyRacing with Autism / Radical SR3 RSX24-
3PRO 1340Robert BurgessEmzone / Radical SR3 RSX24-
4PRO 1340Alan ShawRilli Racing / Radical SR3 RSX24-
5PRO 1340Brad BakerBaker Racing / Radical SR3 RSX24-
6PRO 1340Peter DyckNRW Rennsport / Radical SR3 RSX24-
7PRO 1340Jim HallmanHallman Motorsports / Radical SR3 RS 24-
8PRO 1340Leigh ChapmanLeigh Chapman / Radical SR324-
9PRO 1340Doug AllinghamAllingham Racing / Radical SR3 RSX24-
10PRO 1340Blair GibsonBlair Gibson / Radical SR324-
11PRO 1340Andre JamesKSP / Radical SR324-
12PRO 1340Don DagenaisRilli Racing / Radical SR3 RS22-
DNFPlatinumBruce McIntyreRadical Canada / Radical SR85-
DNFPRO 1340Robert CalisiAIM Autosport / Radical SR3 RS1-

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