Oh BOY was this an epic weekend!

Team #XPRBspec unloaded the Lombardi Honda Racing Fit on Friday at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Mosport) and began prepping the car in a ridiculously cold and wet morning and afternoon. Driver, Rui Teixeira (XPR Rooster) had not driven on the Grand Prix Circuit at Mosport before, so we wanted him to get as much practice as possible before the first race.



Our first session was Q1 on Saturday and we were pretty excited to get the season under way. However, it did not last long, as Rui was only able to get (LITERALLY) ONE flying lap in, before a touring class Mini had its engine let go and spilled oil across the full length of the circuit. CTCC officials called the session after only 5mins to clean the circuit. That one lap (the first of his career) got him 3rd on the grid, behind the quicker-on-the-straights Mazda 2's.



The team, along with Race Engineer, Stephen Hudec (XPR Roadrunner), prepped the car for the first race, and brought the car to the grid. Rui needed a good start to get ahead of the two cars in front....and THAT HE DID! Rui managed to time the start perfectly and was in first place before T1! Rui would battle hard, but would eventually be passed by the Mazda's on the Andretti Straight and could not keep up with them, but had a faster overall lap time by flying thru the corners. In the end, he finished 3rd in his first ever CTCC race, and grabbed the fastest lap of the race in the process!



The next morning, we made some more changes to the car and sent Rui out for Q2. Apparently, it worked, because Rui grabbed his first career POLE Position, and with that becomes the youngest pole winner in CTCC history!

For the race, he didn't get the greatest start and was passed going into turn 1, but almost gained it back in the absolutely blind corner 2. However, as with the first race, the Mazda was too much for the Fit down the long back straight, and Rui found himself sandwiched between the two of them. Unlike the first race, Rui held his ground and brought the car home in 2nd place, less than a second behind the winner. Again, Rui had the fastest lap, in which he broke the race-pace track record for CTCC B-Spec!



Not too shabby, when you consider before the weekend, he had never turned a lap on the famed Canadian circuit. Next up is Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve, as CTCC will be supporting the F1 Canadian GP weekend!



Team #XPRBspec at the end of the weekend. (Rui at Middle, Stephen at Right)