“Ontario-based team takes five podiums including two wins and three poles on way to incredible performance at Canadian Grand Prix”
Brantford, Ontario – June 15, 2011 – Britain West Motorsport, Canada’s leading Formula Ford competition group, completed a stellar weekend at the biggest motor race in the country that included eight top ten finishes. The leading Formula Ford team headed into the Canadian Grand Prix weekend with five cars looking to be a major factor in both the Pro and Masters classes. Racing at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve can be a challenge and with little track time, teams and drivers need to be on their game from the start. Running in the Pro Division, Pembroke, Ontario’s Nathan Blok had a career weekend taking pole in Friday qualifying and then hitting the podium in both the Saturday and Sunday races. A major factor all weekend long, Blok never fell outside the top four cars on the track, as he battled at the front and lead in both races. Back-to-back second place finishes vaulted the talented teen to the top of the Formula Tour 1600 points standings.
Also having a breakout weekend was Masters Division driver Guy Gilain from St. Eustache, Quebec, who took pole for the Saturday race in Friday qualifying. Gilain would cross the line in 21st, third of the Masters and earn a trip to the podium and set fast lap of the race for Masters. By way of his fast lap on Saturday, Gilain would get pole position for Sunday where he used his front row spot to cross in 17th place, first of the Masters drivers and a second trip to the podium.
“Both Nathan and Guy had the kind of weekend you dream of. Nathan was fast right from the start, taking pole on Friday by over a full second. He did a great job backing that up with two podiums. He really drove incredible,” comments David Clubine, Team Principal for Britain West Motorsport. “It was so great to see Guy bounce back from Tremblant and have a great weekend. He was quickest of the Masters and really drove and incredible race on both days in the dry and the wet.”
Another break out performance came from first time Formula Ford driver Isabelle Tremblay of Longueuil, Quebec. The stock driver was making her formula car debut and put the boys on notice. As the only female in the field, Tremblay was a quick study and took the Saturday win in the Masters class crossing in 18th place. Tremblay backed that performance up with a top five run on Sunday crossing in 23rd, fifth of the Masters Division cars.
St-Jeanne d’arc, Quebec native Sergio Pasian ran a solid program all weekend taking 14th spot on the sheets in Friday timed qualifying. From his seventh row starting position, Pasian drove an excellent race to cross in 13th in the Saturday race, the highest placing rookie in the field of 45 cars. The first year driver followed up that performance by crossing in tenth on Sunday as he earned his first top ten of the season. Sofina Foods Driver Development member Garett Grist from Grimsby, Ontario had an up and down weekend as he battled engine gremlins leaving him struggling for pace. Friday qualifying saw the rookie driver go fourth quickest, the highest position for a rookie, despite having a trouble with down shifts. On Saturday the 16-year-old driver had contact on corner three ending his day in less than a half a lap. With no time set from Saturday, Grist would start last of the Pro Division in 30th position. In wet conditions and still battling a miss fire as well as no track time from Saturday, the Formula Tour round two winner drove to 13th on the opening lap and then managed to move up to seventh, the highest placing rookie, before the race ended after just 11 laps.
“I was really blown away with how quickly Isabelle learned the car and how well she drove. She really has a great technical understanding,” continues Clubine from his shop in Brantford, Ontario. “Sergio had his best weekend yet. Tremblant was tough for him and he bounced right back to run at the front at the toughest track in the biggest field. This was an excellent weekend for him. We will definitely be looking at Garett’s car over the next couple of weeks. We dropped a new motor in for this race and maybe it still needs some tweaking.”
Up next for the Britain West squad with the Can Am Cup taking place at Mosport International Raceway on June 24-26 part of the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge.
A fixture in the Canadian motorsports scene for nearly two decades, Britain West has been supplying road racers and British Car Collectors since 1976. As the exclusive Van Diemen Chassis and Dunlop Tire importer for Canada, they also represent AimSport Mychron Data Systems, Penske Shocks and HANS Device. Britain West are also known as the leading engine builder for the popular Formula Ford power plant making use of an in-house machine shop, tooling and test dyno. The staff at Britain West has an eye for detail and put customer service first. For more information on Britain West Motorsport and this news release please contact Dave Clubine at dclubine@sentex.net or call 519-756-1610.
