Features Grand Prix du Canada and Trois-Riviéres

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series competitors have received an early Christmas present with the release of their 2013 season schedule.

In its third year of existence, the thriving young series and its competitors will be challenged by several of Canada’s finest racing venues.

The 2013 schedule will feature five race weekends highlighted by a new stop at the famed Grand Prix de Trois-Riviéres and a return to the Grand Prix du Canada FIA Formula One World Championship weekend in Montreal.

“The 2012 season established the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin as the fastest growing single-make series in North America,” said Steven Sewell, Director of the IMSA Development Series. “For 2013 we’re focused on further elevating the visibility and credibility of the championship. After sharing honors the past two years, the race at the Grand Prix du Canada is now solely in the hands of the Canadian series, and we ’ve been successful in adding a second race to the weekend, bringing our season championship total to ten rounds across five signature venues. In securing races at the esteemed Grand Prix Trois-Riviéres, we’ve taken another big step in firmly establishing the young series as one of the premier Canadian motorsport championships. ”  

The season kicks off with the Victoria Day SpeedFest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 19. The 10-turn, 2.459-mile permanent road course in Bowmanville, Ontario has held races for more than 50 years.

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will then head to Canada’s biggest racing weekend, the Grand Prix du Canada in Montreal. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series will race as part of the high profile FIA Formula One World Championship weekend on the street-based Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Following Montreal, the series will return to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 21 to run in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

The next stop in the 2013 racing season will be for the festival atmosphere of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivi éres. The Grand Prix began in 1967, and in 2012 it featured competition from six different racing series. The legendary street circuit is enjoyed by race enthusiasts and families alike, resulting in one of the top-five highest attended motorsports events in Canada each year.

The 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series season will culminate at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Sept. 8. The Alan Wilson design in Calabogie, Ontario, boasts the longest track in Canada at 3.05 miles with 20 turns.

May 19          Canadian Tire Motorsport Park      Bowmanville, Ontario
June 9           Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve                 Montreal, Quebec
July 21          Canadian Tire Motorsport Park      Bowmanville, Ontario
Aug. 11         Grand Prix Trois Rivieres                Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Sep. 8           Calabogie Motorsports Park           Calabogie, Ontario

For more information on the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin visit www.imsachallenge.ca, www.facebook.com/gt3canada or www.twitter.com/GT3Canada.

Photo courtesy of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada