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Kyle Marcelli to partner with Pfaff in Porsche GT3 Cup

April 5, 2012 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

The inaugural season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada was so successful, that Porsche Canada promised the series would be back in 2012. Not only would the series return, but they assured competitors and media that the competition would be even better as the field would swell. The series gets a big boost today with the news that Pfaff Automotive Partners would be fielding a car for Kyle Marcelli this year.

“My father built the company on a passion for motorsports and it gives me great pride to continue this racing legacy today,” said Christopher Pfaff, president and CEO, Pfaff Automotive Partners. “We are very excited about the upcoming race season and have great expectations for the team we have put together with Fiorano Racing and up-and-coming driver, Kyle Marcelli behind the wheel”.

Twenty one year old Marcelli is a popular driver in the American Le Mans Series and has been a friend of The Garage since he joined us as an instructor at our Winter Driving school for teens a couple of years ago.

“I’m really excited to be driving for Pfaff in this year’s Porsche GT3 Cup Canada. This marks a great opportunity for Pfaff Automotive to build on their already popular brand and successful auto-racing heritage,” said race driver, Kyle Marcelli. “For me, this serves as a wonderful platform to build a relationship with Porsche. Together our goals are quite simple, win races and sell cars.”

Fans will be able to see Marcelli and the Pfaff Porsche GT3 in action this year at the following events.

  1. May 17-20    Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport)
  2. June 8-10      Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
  3. July 5-8          Circuit Mont Tremblant
  4. July 19-22     Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
  5. August 9-12  Calabogie Motorsports Park

Head past the jump to read the full press release and watch a video of the series in action.
[Read more…]

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Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada first round at Calabogie this weekend Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada qualifying report Ottawa-area native Perry Bortolotti wins two races in inaugural GT3 Cup Challenge Canada weekend Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada heads to Montreal this weekend Bortolotti to represent Canada in Porsche Carrera World Cup

Cirone Takes Second Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Race at Mosport

July 25, 2011 by Media press release Leave a Comment

Series press release

Bortolotti, McKaigue and Seitz secure series class championships

BOWMANVILLE, Ont (24 July, 2011) – Toronto’s Marco Cirone made it a weekend double at his home
track, taking the second of two Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada races to close out the series’
inaugural season at the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.
[Read more…]

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IMSA GT3 Cup shows potential future of Canadian series

July 23, 2011 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

As excitement grows for the growth of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, the IMSA series is also at Mosport this weekend and their first race of the weekend was spectacular.
[Read more…]

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Porsche announces GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada qualifying report Ottawa-area native Perry Bortolotti wins two races in inaugural GT3 Cup Challenge Canada weekend 2011 VARAC Festival is in the books Default ThumbnailBortolotti, McKaigue Hope to Clinch Inaugural Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Titles

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada heads to Montreal this weekend

June 2, 2011 by Media press release Leave a Comment

Series press release

MIRABEL, JUNE 1, 2011 – After the dust had settled on the first round of the inaugural season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada at Calabogie, Perry Bortolotti had taken both races of the weekend’s double-header. And while he and Marco Cirone finished 1-2 in both races, each race went down to the wire in both wet and changing track conditions that placed a premium on driver ability. Both races were also characterized by tough, yet clean, racing, with a four-way struggle for third through sixth that wasn’t decided until the last few laps.

After a three-week hiatus, the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada series now shifts eastward to a new venue, Circuit ICAR on the site of the old Mirabel airport, in Mirabel, Quebec.

Bortolotti, driving the #84 SpeedMerchants/Fiorano Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, took part in a pre-race test earlier this month on a portion of the track that will be used for the race and was impressed with what he saw in his first look at Circuit ICAR.

“We’d never been to ICAR,” explains Bortolotti. “It’s pretty much what we expected. With concrete surfaces, there is a high abrasion factor and some bumpy surfaces, like at most airport circuits. The Michelin tires will be a big plus here, especially with all of their Sebring experience.”

Bortolotti continued: “and, since they are reconfiguring the track for our event, we only ran about two-thirds of the actual race circuit, so the other third will be new. There are very few visual markers, which increases the degree of difficulty.”

The changes in the track’s configuration will make it a more level playing field for all of the competitors, even those who have spent time at ICAR. And Bortolotti, who had a home-field advantage at Calabogie, is eager to increase his number of wins.

“The Calabogie race weekend was fantastic,” said Bortolotti. “But your luck can change quickly. It was good for me and for the team to get a little momentum and success behind us. We’re pumped
and have a lot more confidence in our abilities now.”

The series has gained some traction in the intervening weeks. “We were gratified with the amount of buzz the series has created among the members of the Canadian racing community,” said Joe Lawrence, President and CEO of Porsche Cars Canada. “The series came together in just a few weeks, but now that it is here and real, we’re getting calls from teams from as far away as British Columbia who are exploring ways to participate before the season ends at Mosport in July.”

“People are starting to see what this series is all about,” added Bortolotti, “and I think it will gain momentum quickly. I expect to see more cars next year, which will up the competition level and the fun quotient. But I can’t believe the amount of exposure we’ve already gotten. As word gets out, more people will be interested in participating and sponsoring the series.”

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge has become a fixture on the racing scene around the world. Run on every continent except Antarctica and Africa, it is estimated that the GT3 Cup Challenge will hold 120 events and 255 championship rounds in 2011. The concept of a Porsche based one-make cup series dates back to 1986, with the Rothmans-Porsche Challenge Series for the normally-aspirated Porsche 944 in Canada and the Porsche Turbo Cup Championship for 944 Turbos in Germany.

The series is divided into three classes; Platinum Cup, featuring the more powerful 2011 and 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, Gold Cup, which includes 2005½ – 2009 Porsches, and Silver Cup for 2002 – 2005½ 996 Porsches. All three classes run on Michelin tires.

Two events remain in the inaugural season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada: June 3-5 at Circuit ICAR (Mirabel, Quebec) and a season finale on the same racing card as their American counterparts July 23-24 at the Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. The season’s overall champion will be presented with a Tudor Heritage Chronograph, provided by Rolex Canada.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada will have two races this weekend at the newly reconfigured
Circuit ICAR – Saturday at 2:15pm and Sunday at 1:05pm EDT.

Additional information, including competitor regulations, is available at http://www.imsaracing.net.

Related posts:

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada qualifying report Ottawa-area native Perry Bortolotti wins two races in inaugural GT3 Cup Challenge Canada weekend Porsche announces GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada announces Michelin as tire provider Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada first round at Calabogie this weekend

Ottawa-area native Perry Bortolotti wins two races in inaugural GT3 Cup Challenge Canada weekend

May 15, 2011 by Media press release Leave a Comment

Porsche Canada press release

CALABOGIE, May 15, 2011 – It was a day of dampness and then sunlight, but when it was all over, Kanata, ON native Perry Bortolotti wound up on the top step of the podium in two decidedly different races.

Bortolotti won both races of the inaugural round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada series in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Bortolotti bested Toronto-based Marco Cirone, who was runner-up in both races as well.

For those hardy enough to brave the elements and who covered the earthen berms that were the grandstands at this natural terrain venue, they saw a classic race – close, filled with the kind of “will-he-or-won’t-he” intrigue only a rapidly drying racetrack can produce.

The first race rolled off at 10:00 AM EDT on a track that was still wet. In fact, IMSA had declared it a wet race, requiring all competitors to start the race on Michelin rain tires. At the green flag, thrown at the start by Porsche Cars Canada President and CEO Joe Lawrence, Bortolotti almost immediately drew out an eight-second lead over the second place Cirone.

“Our strategy was pretty clear – get away early and put as much distance between us and the second place car, then back off and conserve the tires,” said Bortolotti. “But while it was a good plan, the track dried way too fast and really started to eat up the tires.”

Rain tires are softer and need the cooling effect of wet weather to survive. The rapidly-drying track conditions, owing to a lack of any additional rainfall and a stiff, dry breeze, offered few and then no opportunities to cool down the tires.

“There were no puddles,” said second place finisher, Marco Cirone. “And as the tires started to wear down it became slicker and slicker. Finally it was more like a drifting event than a race.”
[Read more…]

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Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada qualifying report Porsche announces GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada debuts at Calabogie this week Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada first round at Calabogie this weekend Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada announces Michelin as tire provider

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada qualifying report

May 14, 2011 by Media press release Leave a Comment

Perry Botolotti qualifies in the rain

Porsche Canada press release

CALABOGIE, May 14, 2011 – Despite the rain, fog and the general overall murkiness, the vanguard of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada took to the track today for the very first official practice and qualifying session in the new series’ history.

The Calabogie race is the inaugural round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada series and the hardy group of spectators in attendance for today’s practice and qualifying were treated to some classic wet-weather on-track action. 911-based GT3 cars will race twice tomorrow on the magnificent new Calabogie Motorsports Park.

The cars rolled off in a moderate, steady rain. Kanata, ON native Perry Bortolotti quickly came to grips with the difficult conditions. After eight laps, he parked his SpeedMerchants/Fiorano Racing GT3 Cup car in the pits with a time of 2:21.051 and waited for the other competitors to match his time.
[Read more…]

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Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada debuts at Calabogie this week Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada first round at Calabogie this weekend Porsche announces GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada announces Michelin as tire provider

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada announces Michelin as tire provider

April 26, 2011 by Media press release Leave a Comment

Porsche Canada press release

MISSISSAUGA, April 26, 2011 – Shortly after announcing the 20th one-make Porsche series in the world – Porsche Canada today announced that leading tire manufacturer and worldwide Porsche technology partner, Michelin, will be the official tire supplier of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada.

Porsche and Michelin look back on a long-standing and extraordinarily successful cooperation. Together, they won the famous Le Mans 24 Hours with the 911 GT1 in 1998. Today, Michelin supplies racing tires for the 911 GT3 Cup cars in Porsche Michelin Supercup and the worldwide Porsche Carrera Cups, for the 911 GT3 RSR in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA GT championship as well as for the Porsche sports cars in Porsche Sports Cup.

Tires produced for one-make race series like the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada have to face a wide range of specific challenges, because the drivers have to use the same tire for all conditions in every race of the season. For rainy conditions, Michelin provides the specific rain tire. Furthermore, setup changes are limited to a few values defined in the regulations. This is another way Porsche ensures that the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada is more about driver ability, not the team’s ability to set up the car.

In addition to providing the series’ official racing tire, Michelin will also provide a set of its new Pilot Super Sport street tires to the winner of each GT3 Cup Challenge Canada race. Michelin will also provide a Porsche Design Driver’s Selection watch (worth approximately $1,000) to each second-place driver and $500 cash to each third-pace driver.

“We are thrilled to enter this exciting new chapter with Porsche, our global partner, and a very promising partnership with the International Motor Sports Association for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge,” said Tony Mougios, Marketing Director, Michelin Canada. “A race series of this caliber deserves no less than the most exciting tire. That’s why Michelin is proud to offer the new Pilot Super Sport as part of the prizing package for the competitors. The champions will enjoy a tire with endurance racing pedigree inspired by the same engineering that has powered 13 consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
The first race of the new Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada runs from May 14-15 at Calabogie Motorsports Park (Calabogie, Ontario), followed by June 3-5 at Circuit ICAR (Mirabel, Quebec) and ending the season with their American counterparts July 23-24 at the Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.

Additional information, including competitor regulations, are available at www.imsaracing.net.

Related posts:

Porsche announces GT3 Cup Challenge Canada

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