Press Release For Immediate Diffusion
Canadian Touring Car Championship Kicks Off This
Weekend…
Mathieu Audette Eyes
Victory at Mosport
Ste-Anne-des-Lacs
(Québec), May 16th, 2012.– The Audette Racing Team will take to
the Mosport circuit this weekend in Ontario, for the first two rounds of the
2012 Canadian Touring Car Championship season. At the wheel of his Dimensions
Doors/Novatech Acura RSX, Mathieu Audette will be up against particularly stiff
competition (this season close to fifty drivers are registered for the series)
but nevertheless, his goal is nothing less than victory for this first
double-header of the year.
Registered
in the Super Touring class, which incorporates all of the cars aiming for
overall victory, this year Mathieu Audette will be alternating driving duties
with his brother Rémy and will therefore not be contesting the entire
championship. Knowing he’s not there to score points, Mathieu’s main objective
on this weekend’s fast Mosport track is to climb to the top of the podium. ”
Several modifications to our Dimensions Doors/Novatech Acura RSX lead us to
believe that we will be faster than ever at Mosport. In addition, this season
the series directors decreased the minimum weight for our car model. It’s a
great decision for the show because it allows normally aspirated cars to be
more competitive with those that have turbo engines ” explains Mathieu. The
Audette Racing Team car will now be 175 pounds lighter than in the past.
Mathieu
Audette’s return to the series in 2011 saw him climb onto the Mosport podium
before winning at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. This time around, the
Audette Racing Team started their season’s preparations much earlier and is
ready to tackle the track. ” During a half-day of testing at St-Eustache, we
confirmed that everything was working well on the car. Three quick sessions was enough and we’re
ready ” mentions the Quebec driver.
Mathieu
Audette enjoys the track at Mosport and does not fear the congestion that there
will inevitably be in the Canadian Touring Car Championship this year. ” I’ve
always been relaxed in the congestion. I
once started thirtieth at Trois-Rivières and I was able to quickly join the
front of the pack. I am without a doubt one of the most experienced drivers in
the series and it can only play in my favour ” he confides. ” For sure this
year, with the introduction of a third class, the B-Spec cars that will be much
slower than our Super Touring cars, we’ll have to be even more careful but that
doesn’t stress me. For the most part,
that class has very experienced drivers and they know how to keep their racing
line when a faster car comes around to lap them ” analyzes Mathieu.
Three
test sessions will take place on Friday, in addition to one official
practice. Saturday morning will host the
only qualifying session prior to the two races; Saturday at 1:30pm and Sunday
at 3:30pm. The Canadian Touring Car Championship is sharing Mosport’s
“Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend” program with the Canadian Tire
NASCAR series, Porsche Cup Canada Series, as well as the American Trans-Am
series. It is one of the two most important motorsports weekends of the year at
this track, which is located northeast of Toronto and will from now on be
called the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
The
Audette Racing Team is contesting the entire Canadian Touring Car Championship
with Mathieu and Rémy Audette as alternating drivers. The team benefits form the support of
Dimensions Doors, Novatech, Les Extrusions du Nord, Verre Select, Jeld Wen,
OPM, Amusements Spectaculaire, Les Moulures PFJV, Evotech, Milette Doors, Gulf,
Mec-Inov and Omnitech.