https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/ CanadianRacingOnline.com Discussion Board en-US Tue, 19 May 2026 02:08:56 +0000 wpForo 60 https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/championship-decided-this-weekend-coveted-al-craighead-memorial-race-goes-sat/ Tue, 13 Sep 2016 09:49:20 +0000
CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDED THIS WEEKEND

COVETED AL CRAIGHEAD MEMORIAL RACE GOES SATURDAY



TORONTO, ON (September 12, 2016) – The 2016 Toyo Tires F1600 Series will be decided this weekend during the 62nd Annual BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.



Courtice, ON’s Michael Adams has a commanding lead in the points coming into the weekend, with a cabinet full of 1st place series trophies to prove why. His all or nothing style has rewarded him with spectacular victories but has also cost him a few trips to the stewards’ office, resulting in lost points and some sanctions.



The only challenge to his crown will come from 15 year-old superstar rookie Roman DeAngelis who has burst onto the motorsport scene with podium results in almost every appearance. The last time out at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was a breakthrough weekend for the youngster as he led laps and traded positions with Adams, looking for the first time as a championship contender. Look for him to hang it all on the line this weekend.



Newly crowned Super Series Champion Trenton Estep sits third in the points but is not expected to enter this weekend. That leaves the door open for another young standout, Ben Hurst, who has drastically improved his pace and has a shot at nabbing the third points position.



The B Class, as always, has been hotly contested. Stephen Adams, a former F1600 champion and father to A Class points leader Michael comes in with a good lead over the super consistent Byron Leis. Adams is a regular at the front and is usually in wheel to wheel battles wit many of the A class cars so he will have to make sure not to leave the door open for Leis to nab the top spot in the final 3 races.



Graham Lobban sits in 3rd place and could play a large wild card in the championship outcome. Bullet fast, Lobban will be up front challenging for wins and could take enough points to change the top 2 spots.



Keith Lobban, Graham’s brother, sits in 4th in the championship and will have to keep a close eye on 5th place David Graham who has had several outstanding weekends despite a limited schedule.



Saturday’s feature will be a hard fought shootout. The coveted Al Craighead Memorial Cup is up for grabs and if last year’s race between Michael Adams, Zacharie Robichon and eventual winner Scott Andrews is any indication of how badly these young drivers want to win this trophy we are in for a real treat.



The trophy was renamed last year in honour of our departed friend Al Craighead, a name synonymous with amateur open-wheel racing and the co-founder of the original Can-Am Cup with former colleague Rob Howden in an effort to grow awareness and participation in the class of F1600.



Craig’s passion for the sport at this level took him all over North America as both a writer and a competitor. His knowledge of the inner workings of the sport fostered deep, long lasting relationships with drivers, team owners and series promoters.



We are delighted that Al's wife Denise along with Al’s mother will be in attendance to make the trophy presentation.

 

Practice for the Al Craighead Memorial Can-Am Cup gets underway Saturday morning. Qualifying will take place shortly before the lunch break with the main event happening mid-afternoon.



The final two races of the 2016 Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series will take place on Sunday.



Tickets for the event are free to the public if downloaded from the CASC-Ontario Region website.





Photo by Michael Haley



SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com


The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/championship-decided-this-weekend-coveted-al-craighead-memorial-race-goes-sat/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/busy-august-for-canadian-f1600-competitors/ Wed, 17 Aug 2016 21:22:52 +0000
SUPER SERIES CHAMPION CROWNED THIS WEEKEND IN CALABOGIE



TORONTO, ON (August 17, 2016) – The month of August is a busy one for Canadian F1600 competitors, starting with the BARC Canadian Touring Trophy a little over two weeks ago.



Michael Adams won over hard charging Trenton Estep and Roman De Angelis in Race 1, with his father Stephen taking the B class honors, joined on the podium by Byron Leis and David Graham.



In Race 2 Michael Adams had to work much harder to keep the young rookies at bay, but did manage his 2nd win of the weekend over Estep and De Angelis. Stephen Adams also nabbed his 2nd win of the weekend over David Graham and Byron Leis.



The top 3 picked up where they left off and battled tooth-and-nail over the entire race, this time Estep grabbing the win over Adams and De Angelis, who looked to have found another gear this weekend and is now a legitimate threat to win for the balance of the season. A late race accident spoiled Stephen Adams’ sweep of the weekend, handing the win to David Graham over Byron Leis and Bruce Kitchen.



With just one weekend off many Ontario competitors headed east to the popular Grand Prix Trois-Rivieres for the 3rd event on the Super Series calendar.



Trenton Estep and Stephen Adams sat atop the Super Series point standings and were the two favourites heading into the weekend.



Both drivers had up and down weekends. In Race 1 Estep would slip first, missing the corner at the end of the long back straight and dropping to the rear of the field with a lot of work to get back to the front. Several laps later Adams suffered the same fate. At the checkered it was JP Jodoin with the checkered flag in his hand over Michel Bonnet and Didier Schraenen. Adams and Estep would remarkably make it back up to 4th and 5th respectively followed by De Angelis and Ben Hurst.



Race 2 was all Trenton Estep, winning dominantly over Michel Bonnet and Michael Adams. Roman De Angelis and Didier Schraenen would round out the top 5.



In Race 3 Adams needed a last lap pass of Michael Bonnet to take the win. Jodoin would bring his car home 3rd over Olivier Bedard in 4th. Roman De Angelis capped off his rookie debut at the storied track with another impressive top 5.



Just one week later the Super Series will crown its champion at the Ted Powell Memorial at Calabogie Motorsport Park, just west of Ottawa, ON, as part of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series event.



“A” and “B” class regulars will be joined by Formula Tour competitors from Quebec in what is sure to be a super competitive weekend.



Michael Adams comes into the weekend leading the Super Series championship narrowly over Trenton Estep and Michael Bonnet with the rookie Roman De Angelis sitting in 4th.



Adams leads the Ontario Toyo Series points standings over Roman De Angelis with Estep in 3rd and Ben Hurst in 4th.



Testing for the Ted Powell gets underway this Friday with practice, qualifying and race 1 on Saturday. Sunday we will line up for 2 more races, one in the morning and one late afternoon.





SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com





The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/busy-august-for-canadian-f1600-competitors/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/series-heads-back-to-canadian-tire-motorsport-park-for-touring-trophy/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 01:55:02 +0000


TORONTO, ON (July 25, 2016) – The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship season rolls into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend for the BARC Canadian Touring Trophy Races – rounds 10, 11 and 12 in the championship.



Defending Super Series champion Michael Adams has been untouchable in his Britain West Mygale Honda so far this season and would have a perfect record if not for some penalties suffered in the last round at Shannonville just two weeks ago. He will be challenged by some ultra-fast rookies and a new driver to the championship this weekend.



Topping that list of speedy youngsters is Trenton Estep. He swept the Montreal F1 Super Series weekend in his Exclusive Autosport Spectrum but the move to Ontario has proven to be tough when going head-to-head with the experienced Adams. He has the outright pace to get the job done but will need to tap into what he learned about the draft in his first trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to grab a win.



Roman De Angelis has had an outstanding debut in his rookie season with the Brian Graham Racing Piper team. He has been on the podium every single weekend and with each lap continues to get quicker. He grabbed a win at Shannonville after Adams was penalized but last weekend in Quebec grabbed another, this time crossing the finish line first. Now that he has tasted victory and has experience on the fast CTMP track he will be a real threat.



Ben Hurst is in his sophomore season with Brian Graham Racing and given the fact he had never raced anything before jumping straight into the ultra-competitive F1600 scene he has improved remarkably. He is no stranger to the podium and looks ready for a breakout weekend.



The B Class has been dominated by Graham Lobban this season. He can be challenged on any given weekend by drivers like Steve Bodrug, Stephen Adams and his brother Keith Lobban. This class has provided some of the best on track action this season and is expected to be a hard fought battle when they line up and take the green.



New to the series will be Y.D. Reims of Kennesaw, GA and Kevin Kapelke of Kitchener, ON who makes the move up from F1200.



Practice and qualifying will get underway Saturday and race one will be in the early afternoon. Races two and three will take place on Sunday.



Photo by Michael Haley



SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com





The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/series-heads-back-to-canadian-tire-motorsport-park-for-touring-trophy/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/michael-adams-sweeps-canadian-historic-grand-prix/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 18:42:57 +0000


LOCKED IN CLOSE SUPER SERIES BATTLE WITH TEXAN TRENTON ESTEP



BOWMANVILLE, ON (June 20, 2016) – Hot sunny skies and large crowds greeted the Toyo Tires F1600 Series competitors as they rolled in to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this past weekend as part of the popular VARAC Canadian Historic Grand Prix.



A combined event, with points being awarded for the Toyo Series and the F1600 Super Series, saw 26 competitors take to the high speed circuit over 3 days.



Several drivers were making their series debut this weekend including Trenton Estep all the way from Texas, John Valerio, James Britnell and Brent McPhail. Tony Cove also had a competitor from England, Ross Drybrough, race his car on the Saturday.



Michael Adams earned the pole for Race 1 in a tight battle with Estep and Britain West Mygale teammate Gord Ross. Former B Class champion Craig Willis made a surprise move to the Brian Graham Racing Piper stable and would qualify 3rd. His teammates Roman DeAngelis, the rookie who had an outstanding debut in the series’ last outing would start 4th and Ben Hurst starting 5th.



The B Class would be hotly contested. Graham Lobban would start on pole with Steve Bodrug alongside and his brother Keith Lobban slotted into the 3rd starting position.



Following qualifying Trenton Estep was assessed a penalty for a blend line infraction and would be forced to start his Exclusive Autosport Spectrum in 13th.



At the drop of the green Adams took the early lead while Willis, Ross and DeAngelis waged a battle for the remaining podium positions. Trenton Estep was on a charge and made quick work of a number of competitors early and set his sights on the leaders.



Remarkably he made his way to the gearbox of Adams and made a valiant effort to take the lead at the end of the back straight, only to be passed back by Adams on the last corner of the last lap, the two leaders touching briefly in one of the most exciting finishes in quite some time.



Gord Ross would eventually come out on top of his race long battle and grab the final step on the podium. Willis and DeAngelis would round out the top 5.



The B Class put on one of the best races in recent memory as well. Graham Lobban fought off a hard charging brother Keith Lobban to win and former champ Stephen Adams nabbed the final podium spot.



Things picked up right where they left off for Race 2 Sunday morning with Estep on pole based on his fastest lap in the first race. Adams would start alongside and the two made multiple, bold passes lap after lap to the delight of the large crowds in attendance. At some points in the race there were 3 wide passing opportunities as Ross and Willis took their turns at the front as well. Adams would grab a very narrow win over Estep, his 2nd of the weekend. Ross cruised home in 3rd when Willis made a rare mistake and spun, but recovered well to bring the car home in 5th. Ben Hurst had an impressive drive to 4th.



Roman DeAngelis suffered a rare mechanical failure on the first lap with a broken master switch killing the power to the engine and ending his day without a timed lap, forcing him to start dead last in Race 3.



The B Class put on another epic battle but this time Stephen Adams came out on top over Graham Lobban and Keith Lobban. It was a popular victory as both father (Stephen) and son (Michael) stood on the victory podium together on Father’s Day.



Race 3 didn’t disappoint. Estep’s pace had him on the pole once again with Adams alongside and Ross starting in 3rd.



The race got off to a clean start and the passing back and forth followed shortly thereafter. The two young stars fought hard all race long with Adams and Estep changing the lead almost every lap. The checkered flag was thrown one lap early as the car of Kieran Murphy lay on the edge of the track after striking the wall in corner 9. Adams grabbed his 3rd victory of the weekend over Estep with Gord Ross nabbing his 3rd podium finishing position of the event as well. His outstanding efforts saw him awarded the Master’s drive of the event as well.



Willis had another solid drive with a new team and brought is car home 4th ahead of an incredible drive by Roman DeAngelis in 5th – making up 20 positions after starting dead last due to his Race 2 misfortune.



The B Class was hotly contested again with the lead changing regularly. Graham Lobban eventually came out on top over Stephen Adams and a hard charging Steve Bodrug.



Next up for the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship is the twists and turns of Shannonville Motorsport Park, July 16, 17.

                                                                                 



SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/michael-adams-sweeps-canadian-historic-grand-prix/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/2016-toyo-tires-f1600-season-opener/ Sat, 14 May 2016 01:23:26 +0000


F1600 Series Kicks Off the 66th Running of BEMC Spring Trophy Races





TORONTO, ON (May 13, 2016) – The 2016 Toyo Tires F1600 Championship season gets underway this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, participating in the 66th running of the BEMC Spring Trophy Races.



Defending Super Series champion Michael Adams makes a return to the seat of the Britain West Mygale Honda he had so much success with last year. He will headline a mixed field of series veterans and outstanding young competitors.



The Brian Graham Racing team has prepared two Piper Hondas for sophomore driver Ben Hurst, last season’s rookie of the year and karting star Roman De Angelis.



Both drivers have had an extensive testing program in the US over the winter and are eager to get the season rolling. “Brian and the team have been working really hard this off season and with all the testing I feel ready and am excited for the weekend,” said Hurst.



De Angelis will contest the entire season and looks to grab the rookie of the year title. “This will be my first race of the Canadian championship so it will be good to see where I am compared to the other drivers. I am coming in as a rookie but my main goal is to win the championship and as many races as possible so we will be giving it our all.”



The B Class title will be hotly contested this season. Defending champion Connor Wagland is suffering from a back injury and will miss the first round but his father Steve, a former F1600 champion in his own right, will pick up the driving duties for the Burloak Cycle team.



Steve Bodrug and Keith Lobban will be two drivers to keep an eye on as well as the returning David Graham.



New for 2016 is a three race per weekend format giving competitors more opportunity for wheel to wheel action at every event.



Practice and qualifying will get underway Saturday and race one will be in the early afternoon. Races two and three will take place on Sunday.



SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe


The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/2016-toyo-tires-f1600-season-opener/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/f1600-michael-adams-wins-thrilling-season-finale/ Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:47:36 +0000







Reid Arnold And Connor Wagland Claim Championships – Ben Hurst Wins Rookie of the Year


BOWMANVILLE, ON (September 13, 2015) – Michael Adams wins a thriller of a season finale at the BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races earlier today.



The rains were coming down hard all day but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm behind the wheel as Courtice, Ontario’s Michael Adams, Ottawa, Ontario’s Zacharie Robichon and Australian native Scott Andrews put on a wet weather racing showcase.



Robichon started from the pole and led into corner one. Adams spun his tires allowing Andrews through but he managed to hold off the ambitious “B” class pole sitter Craig Willis.



A little further back in the field there was immediate action. Gord Ross had a quick spin but barely broke momentum and continued. Ben Hurst and Andre du Preez tangled and spun but both got going quickly.



The lead trio then set their sites on each other, making several passes per lap and all taking turns at the lead for the entire race distance until the safety car was dispatched with 5 minutes left for 2 separate incidents involving Connor Wagland and Amy Castell.



The race ended under the safety car period with Adams’ Britain West prepared and FEL Drives sponsored Mygale Honda in front followed by Robichon and Andrews. Reid Arnold and Gord Ross would round out the top 5.



“That has to be one of the best races I have ever been involved in,” said a jubilant Adams. “I botched the start and things just got manic from there. There were so many passes I can’t even keep the story straight to be honest. Zach (Robichon) and Scott (Andrews) were awesome to race with. They race so hard and don’t give you an inch but race so clean, we were just hammering on each other. It was just incredible.”



The “B” Class race was all Craig Willis. He started from pole and ran with the A Class lead pack for a good part of the race. Graham Lobban ran for much of the race in a strong 2nd place but spun and suffered damage to his car, ending his day early. Graham’s brother Keith benefited from the spin and finished 2nd. Byron Leis enjoyed a career day and finished on the final step of the podium.

Willis was also the recipient of the popular, traditional Indian headdress handed out annually to the winner largest class of the BEMC weekend.



The championship points were also decided today. The “A” Class was controlled for most of the season by Keswick, Ontario’s Reid Arnold with only Andre duPreez with a mathematical shot at denying him the championship.



Arnold came into the season doing a last minute deal to race with Brian Graham Racing, the Piper dealer for Canada and a multi-championship winning team. The success was instant for the sophomore driver and he blossomed under the tutelage of the veteran team owner.



He had a solid, confidence inspiring outing in the very first weekend and that set the tone for a consistent season of top 5 finishes allowing him to lock the championship up in the penultimate round in his Optimum Edge sponsored Piper Honda



“I’m really excited to get this championship,” said Arnold. “When I came to BGR I was struggling with some confidence issues and not always knowing what to do in certain situations but they really helped me to mature as a driver. They are a really professional team and coached me along. My race today was good. I could relax knowing I had the championship and had a lot of fun racing with Willis in the rain.”



Dundas, Ontario’s Connor Wagland came into the weekend with a good lead in the points and had the objective of playing it fairly conservative, trying to get the championship locked down on the Saturday. He did just enough to do that, securing his 2nd title in a row.



Wagland drove his Burloak Cycle / Jones Tools sponsored Van Diemen Ford to 3 victories this season but was haunted late in the championship by Graham Lobban who had strong runs with several wins in the 2nd half of the season.



“In the first half of the season we were messing around with some different setups on our car and they weren’t really working like we had planned,” said Wagland. “We were in the lead at that point and decided to go back to what we knew and really make a run for the back to back title. It worked out great and we locked it up on Saturday so we could go and have fun today. Unfortunately I ended up in the wall late in the race but what an amazing season.”



Ben Hurst came to the championship with only a racing school and some arrive-and-drive karting under his belt. He also had a rollover on his 2nd weekend of racing but didn’t let any of that deter him from his goal, winning the popular Rookie-of-the-Year honour in his BGR prepared Piper Honda.

“I had a rough start to the season with the rollover and not knowing what to expect,” said Hurst. “That crash could have slowed me down but it had the reverse effect. I kind of felt like crashing wasn’t a scary unknown anymore and I wasn’t nervous. From there I worked hard with my team analyzing data, watching videos, learning from my teammates. It has been an awesome experience and I can’t wait to get next season started.



Over 40 drivers from across North America competed in Toyo Tires F1600 Championship across 6 events and on 3 very challenging circuits. Announcements on the 2016 schedule will be made in the coming weeks.





SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com



Photos by Michael Haley



The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather’s Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/f1600-michael-adams-wins-thrilling-season-finale/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/scott-andrews-wins-thrilling-al-craighead/ Sat, 12 Sep 2015 22:13:32 +0000
MEMORIAL CAN-AM CUP



Craig Willis Impresses with B Class Victory








BOWMANVILLE, ON (September 12, 2015) – Scott Andrews battled Canada’s best young drivers in a thrilling duel for the most sought after title in the country – the Al Craighead Memorial Can-Am Cup.



Andrews made his series debut a month ago, sweeping the Calabogie rounds and impressing the locals with how quickly he adapted to the challenge of new circuits and a new tire.



Qualifying was an exciting session with Andrews grabbing the pole in the dying seconds. The defending Can-Am Cup winner Zacharie Robichon started alongside with recent F1600 Super Series champ Michael Adams in 3rd.



The start set the tone for the entire race with the lead group 3-wide before corner 2. At the end of the first lap it was Adams who came to the front with Robichon and Andrews in tow. The lead pack was 6 cars long, nose-to-tail.



The safety car was deployed for Taegen Poles on lap 3 as she locked up the front tires and slid into the gravel trap in corner 5. She would return to the race after being pulled and getting some service on the car.



On the lap 8 restart the action heated up once again. Race leader Robichon was passed by Adams with Andrews making an aggressive move to slide by as well. The intense battle was allowing “B” Class leader Craig Willis to close in on the lead pack and become a factor in the final outcome.



Over the last few laps the intense fight between Adams and Robichon allowed Andrews to gap them slightly and grab the victory. Adams would just get by on the last lap to secure 2nd and Robichon would cross the line in 3rd. It was an impressive display of wheel-to-wheel racing with all 3 drivers spending time at the front of the pack.



“That was a great battle with Adams, Robichon and Willis all in the lead group,” said winner Andrews. “I am really honoured to have won the Al Craighead Memorial Can-Am Cup Trophy. I know how much it means to everyone up here and I am really humbled to have won it for my team owner, Michael Duncalfe.”



Last year’s Cup winner Robichon led the most laps but seemed to struggle near the end. “The car was pretty good at the beginning of the race but became a real handful as the laps wore on. I think we may have a little issue with the brakes so we will get that sorted tonight and be strong for tomorrow. I did not get to test the car and it is a brand new one to the team so these things can be expected. We will be good tomorrow.”



“A” Class points leader Reid Arnold brought his championship winning dream a little closer with a solid 4th place effort.



The “B” Class was controlled the entire distance by former champion Craig Willis. He was clearly on pace with the lead group and finished 4th overall, an impressive feat in an older car. Willis would be followed across the line by Graham Lobban and a charging Steve Bodrug.



“That was a great race for me,” said Willis. “I was able to hold on to the lead pack for most of the race and when they really started to battle I was right there fighting for third overall so ya, I’m pretty happy. The “A” cars have much better aero but I think I have some ideas on what we can adjust overnight and be a little stronger tomorrow.”



“B” Class points leader Connor Wagland complained of a loss of power and noise coming from the rear of the car so he wisely decided to play it conservative and nurse the car home with his championship still to be decided.



Competitors will line up and do it all over again Sunday, starting with an early morning practice, qualifying and an early afternoon race start. This will be the final round of the season.





SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com



Photos by Michael Haley



The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather’s Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.



The Formula 1600 Super Series is the combined premiere events of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series from Ontario and the Toyo Tires Formula Tour 1600 Series from Quebec.  The series is comprised of a four event, double-header format and competes at CTMP’s Victoria Day SpeedFest, Formula One Grand Prix of Montreal, Shannonville’s Bay of Quinte Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Trois Rivières.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/scott-andrews-wins-thrilling-al-craighead/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/scott-andrews-sweeps-calabogie/ Sun, 23 Aug 2015 20:38:44 +0000  
Graham Lobban Doubles in "B" Class Battle
 


CALABOGIE, ON (August 23, 2015) - Scott Andrews made a clean sweep of both pole positions and collected both wins at Calabogie's MCO Ted Powell Memorial earlier today.

The Australian driver was up doing a one-off event while there was a break in his US F1600 season and quickly got to grips with the twisty track and the Toyo Tires tire package.

The race got off to a rough start. The leaders got through corner 1 cleanly but mid pack they were 4-wide leading to contact between Danby Crowder and Stephen Temple and Shane Viccary.

Crowder and Viccary continued but Temple was sent into the barrier, bringing out the safety car and ending his day.

The corner workers removed the stricken car quickly and once the race resumed it was all Andrews, leading every lap just ahead of Exclusive Autosport teammate Thomas McGregor.

"Today was a lot of fun," said Andrews. "I really like this track and have obviously had a great weekend. The car performed well and I'm thrilled to have won here. It was an amazing weekend."
 




The battle for 3rd place was extremely intense between "B" Class competitor Graham Lobban, series points leader Reid Arnold and his Brian Graham Racing teammate Mikhail Goikhberg.

Lobban went the entire race fending off the two Piper Honda drivers. Initially it was Arnold putting the pressure on Lobban then Goikhberg snuck by and took up the fight. Goikhberg would hold off Arnold and grab the last spot on the "A" Class podium. Arnold's 4th place drive overall has increased his lead in the championship.

With fists pumping in the air Lobban grabbed the "B" Class win in an impressive drive to finish 3rd overall. He would be joined on the podium by the consistent Connor Wagland and Amy Castell, both of which had eventful drives missing some spinning drivers.


Other notable performances include rookie Ben Hurst, collecting another top 5 in "A" Class in his Brian Graham Racing Piper Honda and Keiran Murphy who showed great pace all weekend collecting a 5th place finish in "B" class.

Next up is the BEMC Indian Summer weekend, September 12 and 13 where the 2015 champions will be crowned.





Photos by Michael Haley 

The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather's Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.

The Formula 1600 Super Series is the combined premiere events of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series from Ontario and the Toyo Tires Formula Tour 1600 Series from Quebec. The series is comprised of a four event, double-header format and competes at CTMP's Victoria Day SpeedFest, Formula One Grand Prix of Montreal, The Bay of Quinte Grand Prix at Shannonville Motorsport Park and the Grand Prix of Trois Rivières.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/scott-andrews-sweeps-calabogie/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/scott-andrews-grabs-race-one-in-calabogie/ Sun, 23 Aug 2015 09:36:32 +0000




www.formula1600.com



For Immediate Release



SCOTT ANDREWS GRABS RACE ONE IN CALABOGIE



Graham Lobban Charges to “B” Class Victory





CALABOGIE, ON (August 22, 2015) – Australian native Scott Andrews dominated race one of the MCO Ted Powell Memorial today, starting from pole and leading every lap on his way to victory in round 9 of the championship.



Andrews, making his series debut and having never seen the Calabogie track before arriving Friday put on an impressive display of talent from the moment he took the wheel. He paced practice and his pole-winning lap was almost a second under the track record.



The race got off to a clean start with Andrews holding off teammate Thomas McGregor into corner one. From there he proceeded to run at near record setting pace for the first half of the race and built up a seven second lead.



McGregor had a fairly quiet race in second with a heated battle for third overall behind him between “B” Class leader Graham Lobban, Reid Arnold and Connor Wagland.



Contenders Mikhail Goikhberg and Andre du Preez ran into trouble early with off track excursions and had to come to the attention of their respective crews. Both would return to the race, however.



There were intense battles throughout the rest of the field but the battle for 3rd was the one to watch. Lobban and Arnold exchanged places several times right up until the last lap with some daring passing. Wagland was right there ready to pounce the entire time should they get together.



At the checkered flag it was Andrews cruising home with a 11 second lead followed by McGregor and Arnold.



“I just love coming to race in Canada,” said an elated Andrews. “The Toyo tire is so much fun to drive on. The car moves around a lot and the driver makes all the difference and that’s the style of racing I really enjoy. I am really happy to get the win and my Exclusive Autosport Spectrum was perfect all day.”



Graham Lobban put on an incredible performance grabbing his “B” Class win, running as high as 3rd overall. Connor Wagland was right there the entire time and finished 2nd, looking to repeat as series champion. Amy Castell had an impressive drive to 3rd and returned to the podium with her car now under the Britain West tent.



Other notable performances include rookie Ben Hurst, finishing 4th in his Brian Graham Racing Piper Honda and Keith Lobban who recovered from a lap one off, dropping to last and then driving back through the field to a 4th place finish in “B” Class.



Competitors will line up and do it all over again Sunday, starting with an early morning practice, qualifying and an early afternoon race start.





SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com



Photos by Michael Haley



The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather’s Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.



The Formula 1600 Super Series is the combined premiere events of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series from Ontario and the Toyo Tires Formula Tour 1600 Series from Quebec.  The series is comprised of a four event, double-header format and competes at CTMP’s Victoria Day SpeedFest, Formula One Grand Prix of Montreal, the Bay of Quinte Grand Prix, and the Grand Prix of Trois Rivières.]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/scott-andrews-grabs-race-one-in-calabogie/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-heads-to-calabogie-for-the-mco-ted-powell-memorial/ Sat, 22 Aug 2015 07:38:15 +0000


Series Points Standings Starting to Take Shape Heading

Into Rounds 9 & 10





TORONTO, ON (August 21, 2015) – The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship heads to the hills of Calabogie Motorsports Park this weekend, August 22 and 23, for the MCO Ted Powell Memorial Races, rounds 9 and 10 of the 2015.



The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship battle for A Class honours has seen Reid Arnold’s grip tighten on it with news that Brian Graham Racing teammate Zacharie Robichon will not be entered for this round. Arnold, of Keswick, ON holds 596 points based on some solid finishes this season but has yet to score a win. A new motor has been installed just in time for this event and he is expected to be very strong. Andre du Preez of Minesing, ON will most likely slip into second in the championship based on his tally of 546 and a rapid improvement in pace over last season.



“I'm excited to get back behind the wheel,” Arnold says. “It’s been almost a month since our last event and I can’t wait to get there and see if we can grab our first checkered flag.”



Winning doesn’t come easily and Arnold will have his hands full with several big name drivers this weekend. Mikhail Ghoikhberg has returned to the series and is sure to be a force. He will be joined by a pair of very quick competitors who have been racing in the US this year, Scott Andrews – an Australian now living in Las Vegas, NV and former winner in this championship Thomas McGregor of Saskatoon, SK.



In B class, points leader Connor Wagland continues his steady charge going into the weekend. Second in points Graham Lobban will be competing and keeping Wagland honest all weekend long and third place contender Amy Castell is now campaigning her car with technical support from Britain West which will surely put some pressure on the two ahead of her as she make her championship run.



There are some new faces making their series debut as well. Stephen Temple is campaigning a Van Diemen recently purchased from Britain West, Noel Castell, Amy’s father, makes his series debut. Local driver Peter Andrews will try his hand and vintage racing standout Shane Viccary is also debuting in the series.



The MCO Ted Powell Memorial Race Weekend is sure to be a fantastic event with over 150 cars competing in 7 unique classes of competition. Tickets for the event are free and can be downloaded from http://www.casc.on.ca/sites/default/files/6_mco_aug_22-23_wicket.pdf



The F1600’s will get rolling Saturday morning with a practice, followed by a qualifying session and afternoon race. The schedule is repeated on the Sunday.





SERIES CONTACT: Jason Sharpe, (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com, Twitter: @jasonsharpe



If photographs are required please contact Jason Sharpe (416) 557-5451 or jasons@movemotorsports.com



Photo by Michael Haley



The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather’s Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.



The Formula 1600 Super Series is the combined premiere events of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series from Ontario and the Toyo Tires Formula Tour 1600 Series from Quebec.  The series is comprised of a four event, double-header format and competes at CTMP’s Victoria Day SpeedFest, Formula One Grand Prix of Montreal, the Bay of Quinte Grand Prix, and the Grand Prix of Trois Rivières.
]]> Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-series/toyo-tires-f1600-championship-heads-to-calabogie-for-the-mco-ted-powell-memorial/