Race Report: Continental Grand-Prix de Mirabel

With promising, competitive changes made to his #3 Hyundai Tiburon, JC Cote expected better results heading into last weekend’s Grand-Prix de Mirabel.

Saturday morning's Qualifying had him start his afternoon Race One at 20th, but the constrained track of Circuit ICAR made for a messy race from the start. Cote went into corner two on the first lap holding 20th, with cars 3-4 wide for the tight left hander. Unfortunately, some overly aggressive driving in the Touring class led to substantial contact, and #80 punted JC's driver’s side, costing him to fall to 28th. Taking the next half lap slow to assess any damage (which luckily wasn't substantial), JC set on an aggressive hunt of the pack ahead, moving steadily through the field to finally finish 14th in his Super Touring Class.

Sunday's Race Two's strategy involved a cautious, conservative approach in turns one and two. Immediate aggressive contact off the green flag resulted in various car parts strewn across the track, so JC settled back in 21st, biding time to begin his climb through the tightly packed field. After several cautions throughout the race, and with 10 minutes left, JC fought his way to up the field and was hit once again by #80, spinning him in turn 8. Though damage was not severe enough to end his race, he was left with little opportunity to regain his positions before the #66 Mitsubishi flipped going through turn 14, red-flagging the race. Cote was classified 15th in his Super Touring Class.

His disappointment was evident:

“I felt we were set to solidly crack the top 12 this weekend and I’m upset that the final ranking doesn’t reflect our speed and potential. But I have to shift my focus to the next race now, and I am really looking forward to moving to our Pontiac Solstice."

JC now begins preparation for the Honda Indy Toronto which takes place July 16-18 at Exhibition Place. He is supported by partners Chinook Productions, The Team 990, Redux Media, Operation Enfant Soleil and Xtreme Airbrush Designs.