Twenty-six year old Zach Robichon from Ottawa, Ontario had a great start to his 2018 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama season. Not only was the sun shining on Sebring International Raceway in central Florida, it was also shining on Robichon, who came away with three wins in two races.

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.

In the first of the two races, Robichon finished second overall but first amongst the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada cars. Roman De Angelis from Belle River, Ontario, one of his Mark Motors Racing teammates, finished third overall and second in the Cup Canada Challenge class. Remo Ruscitti from Vancouver, BC, driving the No.  96 Open Road Racing car, rounded out the Canadian series podium.

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 2^nd overall but I won the Canadian race.”

“Honestly, I don’t really know (what happened),” said De Angelis. “I looked in the mirror when I turned in and I saw the front bumper of his car, so I didn’t think he was going to lunge, but he went for the pass. I have to see the video to see if it was a decent pass or not, but he made the move stick and he got the win, so I guess he’s a better driver today.”

Remo Ruscitti from Bell River, Ontario finished third in the Canadian class in his No. 96 Open Road Racing car.

In the second race Robichon not only finished first in the Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada class but was also the overall race winner. Entering the final lap of the 45 minute race Robichon was following Roman De Angelis and Trenton Estep who were battling for 1st and 2nd. But as fate would have it, entering the final corner of the final lap of the race, De Angelis in the No. 1 Kelly Moss Road and Estep in the No. 3 JDX Racing Porsche made contact and spun and Robichon went on to win the race.

“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.”

Nelson Mason from Niagara Falls, Ontario, driving the No. 35 Policaro Motorsport car finished second, and Marco Cirone from Toronto, Ontario, Robichon’s other Mark Motors Racing team mate driving the No. 88 car, took the final step on the Canadian series podium. He moved up into third place as a result of De Angelis and Estep incident.

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.