The 2018 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada season is comprised of twelve races over six race weekends. This year, rounds 1 and 2 were run with the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA cars creating a large combined field of more than 30 cars.
Robichon passed De Angelis on the second last corner of the last lap of the race to clinch the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada win by just a third of a second over De Angelis. De Angelis led in class for all but the final lap of the race. It was Robichon’s fifth win in GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. Robichon was the 2017 championship runner up to Scott Hargrove, who has now moved on to the Pirelli World Challenge. The overall race winner was 18 year-old Trenton Estep from San Antonio, Texas driving the No. 3 JDX Racing Porsche GT3 Cup car.
“I had a bad start,” said Robichon. “I got caught behind David Kolkmann and lost a lot of time behind him. After I got by him I was about four of five tenths of a second fast than Trent and Roman and I was catching them by quite a bit. After the caution I started reeling them in. I passed Roman on the last lap in turn 16 so I finished 2nd overall but I won the Canadian race.”
Will Hardeman, Zach Robichon and Nelson Mason
Remo Ruscitti from Bell River, Ontario finished third in the Canadian class in his No. 96 Open Road Racing car.
“At the beginning of the race we were in pretty good shape,” said Robichon. “We started to struggle a little bit but after the caution came out we had a really good car. Not quite enough to get by the leaders so I waited it out. On the last lap I knew I was going to have a chance somewhere. I could see it coming so I purposefully didn’t get involved, because I didn’t want to be the third victim of what was almost inevitably going to happen. I wasn’t willing to take any risk but apparently they were willing to take the risk and it kind of worked out for me. We had a bit of luck on our side but you have to be in the right position to get lucky. We had a rough start to the week but the team really pulled it through to start off the year like this.”
Will Hardeman from Austin, Texas, driving the No. 19 Moorespeed car, won the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA as a result of the final lap incident involving Trenton Estep and Roman De Angelis.
Complete results of both races can be found at the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama website.
Rounds 3 and 4 of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama take place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park May 19-20 and are part of the Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend.
Photographs © Copyright Gary Maavara and Mark Motors Racing/Lenssen Photo
Δ