Press Release For Immediate Diffusion
F2000 series champion’s CTCC debut …
Rémy Audette in Touring
Car Action this Weekend
at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Ste-Anne-des-Lacs (Québec), June 6, 2012.– Last
year’s champion of the American F2000 Series, Quebec driver Rémy Audette, will
contest the first Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) races of his career
this weekend as part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Canada on the Circuit
Gilles-Villeneuve.
Taking the wheel of the Audette Racing Team’s Dimensions Doors/Novatech
Acura RSX, Rémy Audette is also taking the spot of his brother Mathieu, who won
the first two races of the season. This driver rotation was planned as part of
the Quebec team’s race program for the 2012 season, as explained by Rémy: ”
Mathieu and I are sharing the wheel this year and for the GP of Canada, we
decided that I would drive the Audette Racing Team’s car. It’s a track that I love, where I’ve always
done well, and I’m eager to do both races here this weekend “.
Former Canadian Formula Tour 1600 champion and F2000 Series champion last
year in the United States, Rémy Audette comes with plenty of open-wheel driving
experience. He may be a novice in the
Canadian Touring Car Championship but he can definitely handle his way around
the Touring cars : ” There will no doubt be a bit of adaptation that I have to
go through but I have already competed at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in the
Honda/Michelin series. It was back in
2006 and I earned the pole position, so knowing this course well plays a roll
in keeping any anxiety levels down. I’ve already tested the Dimensions
Doors/Novatech Acura RSX, most recently at the ICAR Circuit in preparation for
this weekend in Montreal, and everything went well ” he confides.
Last
year, during the Canadian Touring Car Championship’s first visit to the Circuit
Gilles-Villeneuve (NASCAR weekend in August), several teams suffered from
engine problems. In order to eliminate any bad surprises, the Audette Racing
Team paid particular attention to this area : ” we made the decision to build
an engine a little less powerful but more reliable ” indicates Rémy Audette,
who presently hold 5 pole positions and one victory on the Circuit
Gilles-Villeneuve (FT1600 in 2007).
The goals
for Rémy’s first appearance remain high, as always : ” I think I’ll need the
first session to get a feel for everything but after that, I should be in a
good rhythm. The competition is high in
the Canadian Touring Car Championship but I’m nonetheless aiming for a podium
finish ” adds Rémy Audette, who will have his older brother Mathieu as team
boss. ” Every time he’s been in my ear coaching me during a race, it has gone
well. We have fun talking to each other during competition and we agree on
strategies. In addition, he knows the car so well, it can only be a benefit to
me ” concludes Rémy.
The
revised schedule of the Grand Prix of Canada allows the Canadian Touring Car
Championship competitors to be on the track four times during the weekend.
Starting on Friday, for an open practice session from 11:55am to 12:25pm
(sandwiched between two Formula 1 sessions), and again from 4:30pm to 5:00pm
for qualifying. The first race will take
place on Saturday, June 9th at 3:30pm and the second is scheduled
for Sunday morning at 9am to kick start the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
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 Portes, Gulf,
Mec-Inov and Omnitech.