Round 8 - Canada (Montreal)



PRO SERIES 		Canada (Montreal)
Race Distance: 35 laps
1998/99 Pole Position: Mario Sarno (1:13.944)
1998/99 Race Winner: David Zasitko (0h46:21.466)


Qualifying

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeDiff.LapsPts
1.  # 3  Mario Sarno  BCR  1:13.944  +00.000  10  20
2.  #13  Gary Leighton  Turbo Geese  1:14.017  +00.073  10  16
3.  # 4  Mark Butler  BCR  1:14.137  +00.193  11  14
4.  # 7  Ian Parkhouse  Phoenix  1:14.794  +00.850  12  12
5.  #39  Robert Wilson  Powerecoil-2000  1:15.020  +01.076  12  10
6.  # 1  Olivier Leroy  Cyber Speed  1:16.345  +02.401  10  8

Race

In an eventful Pro race, Parkhouse burst through the front row from 4th at the start to lead into the first corner whilst at the back Leroy and Wilson banged wheels into the complex of corners at the start and spun off.

With the three cars locked together for the lead, Parkhouse, Sarno and Leighton scrapped long and hard for the lead, passing and re-passing each other cleanly until lap 17 when Parkhouse and Leighton peeled off into the pit lane. Sarno pits on the next lap but a problem with the left rear tyre meant he came out 6 seconds behind Leighton and Parkhouse.

An over ambitious move for the lead on lap 21 saw Parkhouse wallop a kerb and rebound into the side of Leighton, requiring an immediate pit stop for repairs to the Phoenix. Just to add to the drama, Sarno arrived on the scene too late to miss the scattering cars, running into the back of Leighton and tearing off his entire nose cone assembly. Leighton and Sarno both pitted for hasty repairs on lap 22 and when affairs had settled down Leighton led by 12 seconds with Parkhouse a further 10 seconds ahead of Sarno.

A spin by Leighton saw Parkhouse retake the lead on lap 27 however a mistake by the Phoenix driver on lap 30 let Leighton back ahead.

The reason for these spins became apparent when a light oil haze could be spotted coming from the rear of Robert Wilson's Powerecoil. The haze soon became a large white cloud which brought Wilson to a halt on lap 30. A further spin on the last of the oil on lap 33 saw Parkhouse lose 2nd to Sarno and in a daring last gasp move on the last lap, Sarno nosed ahead of a slowing Leighton to take the win by 2 seconds. Parkhouse finished a further 6 seconds back.

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeDiff.Pts 
1.  # 3  Mario Sarno  BCR  0h47:25.747  +0:00.000  180+5
2.  #13  Gary Leighton  Turbo Geese  0h47:27.039  +0:01.292  170+5+3
3.  # 7  Ian Parkhouse  Phoenix  0h47:31.581  +0:05.834  165+5
4.  # 1  Olivier Leroy  Cyber Speed  -1 laps     160 
5.  #39  Robert Wilson  Powerecoil-2000  29 laps  83.8%  128 

Last modified: Sunday 26 March 2000 - 21:37