Photo: GP3R
Connor Clubine won twice on the streets of Trois-Rivieres in the two Formula 1600 races at the Canadian city’s annual grand prix last weekend.
Bertrand Godin was the driver to beat in a soaking wet qualifying session on Friday, setting a 1m21.235s to take pole by 0.781 seconds over Marc Antoine Cardin. Clubine was third, 1.406s behind, and Didier Schraenen qualified fourth.
In the 12-car field, only 10 dared to set laps and they were spread by 9.822s on pace with blue flags even coming into play as some tip-toed around the track. The fastest drivers were willing to go side-by-side with each other at times, in part to escape the intense spray and minimal visibility they encountered running behind other cars.
Chris Hobe spun at one point, and towards the end Schraenen slowed then went off and eventually stopped off-track.
The heavy rain meant the evening’s race was cancelled, meaning Saturday afternoon’s race ran as the first F1600 fixture of the weekend. A caution period was required before lap one ended after Cardin drove over the back of Henderson Knox’s car, and Godin led Schranen, Clubine, Duncan Murdoch and Lindsay.
Oddly when the pace car eventually returned to the pits (with Michel Vezina doing so too), the caution period continued for another lap and some drivers were caught out trying to pass each other. The pace car then reappeared, and when a proper restart occurred the top three pulled away.
Godin had a small gap, and after a few laps Clubine dived down the inside of Schraenen at turn one and successfully completed the pass despite running deep. On the lap after he slipstreamed Godin but could not attempt a pass, although the leader could be seen checking his mirrors repeatedly on every straight.
It was a similar story on the following lap, with Godin not committing to a line into corners until the last moment so Clubine could not be sure whether to look for space on the inside or the outside in case Godin then went to fill it too.
That tactic worked for two laps, but a turn one then allowed Clubine to get alongside before turn two. He did not have a speed advantage at the corner though so Godin stayed ahead, then he defended the inside line down the back straight and stuck to the middle as they returned to the pit straight.
On the lap after Clubine acted, braking late on the inside at Depailler corner to move ahead. He immediately began to pull away, helped by lapped traffic coming into play, and Vezina (who had eventually rejoined the race) retired after going under the archway.
Clubine won by 6.168s, Schraenen had Godin in his sights late on, and a lock-up meant Murdoch came under intense pressure late on but held fourth ahead of Lindsay, who pipped Pascal Bellemare by 0.029s in a photo finish.
o at the tart 77 led 6 and 94? a big lckup wa whay allowed 6 to get pat, even thouh 6 then had a locjup in lad too
Clubine started on race two pole on Sunday ahead of Godin, with Schranen and Murdoch on row two. The top three broke away, and a lap two lock-up into turn one by Clubine enabled Godin to get close through to Depailler where he took the lead after prolonged wheel-to-wheel action.
They remained super close, and Godin thought of defending the inside at Depailler on lap four before picking the outside line to stay ahead. There was lots of defending over the next two laps, while Lindsay spun down the order, then on lap seven Clubine went down Godin’s inside at the end of Boulevard du Carmel and got ahead.
Traffic to lap came into play mid-race, and after getting super close exiting the final corner Godin returned the favour on Clubine in the same place he had been passed. So Clubine was back to being intimidating in his mirrors, and on a traffic-heavy lap which included Vezina spinning out the lead returned to Clubine.
In the race’s final quarter he built a huge 12.4s lead, with Schraenen a lonely third as Murdoch faded to seventh after he stopped pressuring him.
Results round-up
Race 1 (19 laps)
1 Connor Clubine Britain West Motorsport 29m46.346s
2 Bertrand Godin +6.168s
3 Didier Schraenen +8.864s
4 Duncan Murdoch Murdoch Racing +31.787s
5 James Lindsay +32.896s
6 Pascal Bellemare +32.925s
7 Olivier Dulac +41.007s
8 Chris Hobe +48.130s
9 Martin Janson Janson Racing +48.703s
Ret Michel Vezina
Pole:
Fastest lap: Clubine, 1m12.243s
Race 2 (20 laps)
1 Clubine 24m06.759s
2 Godin +12.419s
3 Schraenen +21.150s
4 Marc Anctoine Cardin Cardin Racing +24.539s
5 Henderson Knox Henderson Racing +43.975s
6 Bellemare +47.784s
7 Murdoch +59.783s
8 Lindsay +1m03.526s
9 Dulac +2m16.341s
10 Hobe +1 lap
FL: Godin, 1m11.338s