By Lee Bailie / Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher Coming as it did on a random Thursday, nearly a month after the final race of the 2013 season, news of Dario Franchitti’s retirement from IndyCar racing after 16 seasons caught me completely off guard, to the point that I learned of it from an office colleague who doesn't follow the sport – and for good reason, as it’s not her area of responsibility – after she saw the news online. My initial reaction – aside from surprise – was that she must be mistaken. She must have confused Franchitti with someone else or didn’t have all the facts. He can’t be retiring now…can he? Yes he can, and he is. Franchitti, at age 40, with three Indianapolis 500 victories, four IndyCar championships and 31 combined CART and IndyCar wins is retiring from the sport he’s competed in full-time since 1997 (minus one forgettable season in NASCAR in 2008). He’s leaving the sport – and one of its very best rides in the no. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing machine – after being advised by doctors that continuing to race would pose significant risks to his long-term health. While the broken back and ankle he suffered in a nasty last-lap crash in Houston on Oct. 6 should heal just fine, things aren’t so straight forward with respect to the concussion he sustained in the same incident. With all of the attention currently being focused on former athletes (particularly ex-football players) suffering from health problems in later life after taking repeated blows to the head during their playing days to the point that several have committed suicide, it seems Franchitti isn’t willing to sacrifice the quality of his post-racing life in pursuit of another championship or Indy 500 win. It’s hard to argue with that thinking when one considers the amount of punishment the Scotsman has endured during his IndyCar career. Despite all of his success, he has been involved in some downright scary on-track incidents in his racing career – crashes in back-to-back races at Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway in 2007 in which his car was launched into the air stand out in my memory – and the cumulative effects of all of those hits could have a similar impact on Franchitti as it has for a growing number of former athletes in contact sports. The bottom line is the body of evidence linking repeated head shots and concussions with neurological problems in later life is too large to ignore anymore, and to do so is just plain foolish. So as much as I’d like to see Franchitti continue on for another season or two to chase IndyCar history, he’s far too smart for that. Given that his place in the sport’s history is already assured, and he’s financially set for the rest of his life, why take the risk? There is no reason – he’s got nothing left to prove. So off into the sunset rides one of the most accomplished IndyCar racers of a generation. Franchitti was not only an intense, exacting competitor, he also possessed a keen understanding of the sport and his place within it. He possesses an enormous appreciation for IndyCar traditions – particularly those associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – and always seems to carry himself in accordance with its best aspects. A student of racing, he often professes his enduring respect and admiration for the greats that have come before him, both from his native Scotland (the late Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart in particular), and the rest of the world. The reverent tones with which he speaks of them and his ex-CART rival (and close friend), the late Canadian Greg Moore, further imbues his career with a sense of statesmanship, not to mention grace. His retirement leaves a massive void in the IndyCar Series. This off-season the series is already coping with the departure of several of its biggest corporate backers (including title sponsor IZOD), and now it will have to embark on a new season without its most recognizable and accomplished star. Ironicially, Franchitti’s departure may have just given the 2014 IndyCar season its biggest enduring storyline: life after Dario. I’ll leave the 2014 season – along with all of the hotstove speculation regarding who will drive the no. 10 Target Chevy at Ganassi – for another blog post, but will close by saying that Franchitti’s retirement leaves as big a void as IndyCar has experienced in the last 20 years. With due respect to the passing of Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick’s defection to NASCAR, Franchitti meant a great deal more to the sport than either of them. On a personal note, I will miss interviewing Franchitti almost as much as I’ll miss watching him race. The times I’ve interviewed him in recent years he was always thoughtful, patient and willing to answer any question I cared to ask him – the consummate, classy pro, in other words. I hope the new generation of young stars, led by Canada’s own James Hinchcliffe, will do for this IndyCar era what Dario Franchitti did for his. If they can pull it off, they will both honour his legacy and create a new one worthy of celebrating.

The 1976 Formula One racing season was one of the most dramatic battles for the championship, and the stepping stone to making F1 the world-wide must see sport it is today. Respected film director, producer and actor Ron Howard made the film “Rush,” which is based on this true-life story. Even though Howard makes no claim to have made a documentary, the new feature film promises to take us back to that remarkable year in Grand Prix racing and those two larger-than-life characters, James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The 1976 F1 season turned into a struggle between Hunt and Lauda for the World Championship. It had more turns than a soap opera and it left fans and the general public glued to the television sets in the middle of the night as the final round played out in Japan. Hunt went to public school (which is actually private school for the upper classes) and had some aspiration to become a doctor, but he gave it up for racing. Lauda came from a well-to-do family in Vienna, but he flunked out of high school and, to the family’s dismay, took up car racing. Both started racing in Minis and moved on to small formula cars. Hunt’s big break came when the young Lord Hesketh, who inherited his family fortune, decided to get into motor racing and hire Hunt as his driver. Before long they were simultaneously racing in F1 in their own Hesketh car and hosting the most out- rageous parties ever. They had reputations for over-the-top dilettante behaviour, but managed to did score 14 top-fives and a win at Zandvoort during 1973-75. Lauda, despite his family’s money, chose to make it on his own. He talked a Viennese bank into loaning him money against a life insurance policy (no doubt, the bank was well aware the older Lauda patriarch was good for it if things went wrong). He bought an F1 ride in March of 1972 and switched to BRM the next year, having borrowed even more money. BRM’s sponsor Marlboro signed on as a personal sponsor to help bring him out from under the load of debt. Lauda first came to my attention when, in the rain at the 1973 Canadian GP, he started from the fourth row and soon took the lead, which he held until the track began to dry. Lauda also caught Ferrari’s attention and was hired by them for 1974. He won the world championship by 1975. At this point he was the best F1 driver on the best F1 team. At the start of the 1976 season, Lauda looked like a shoe-in for the title. Who could challenge he and Ferrari for the championship? Not Fittipaldi in the Copersucar, not Scheckter in the strange six-wheeled Tyrell, not Lotus with its uncompetitive Lotus 77 and no name drivers, and not Brabham with its down-on-power Alfa engine. The answer was Hunt – who would have guessed? Hunt found himself out of a ride at the end of the 1975 season when Hesketh decided he could no longer afford to run the team from his own resources. Luckily for Hunt, the two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi left McLaren in the lurch when he accepted a lucrative offer to race for the Brazilian Copersucar team in 1976. McLaren signed Hunt, but it wasn’t clear whether he was going to be the number one driver or number two to Jochen Mass, a driver no one would have tipped as having championship potential. I was grand prix racing mad in those days. I had already attended 26 GPs in Canada, the United States and in Europe – my total rose to 48 by the end of the decade. I was a bit of an insider in that I was one of the ASN’s designated sporting stewards from 1976 on. The first round of ‘76 was in Brazil. Hunt put everyone on notice when he won the pole but his car failed during the race and Lauda won the race. Next came Kyalami in South Africa. Again Hunt won the pole with Lauda beside him on the front row. Lauda led every lap to win over Hunt. This was the first year for the Long Beach GP and I saw a Regazzoni-Lauda one-two Ferrari sweep. Hunt crashed out of the race. After Long Beach, Lauda was leading with 24 points while Hunt, with six points, was fifth in the standings. During the interval after the Long Beach GP, Lauda was working on his new home, building a swimming pool. Lauda jumped onto the front-end- loader tractor to move some earth and he managed to roll the tractor on top of himself – a compound fracture of three ribs and other injuries. The fourth round was in Spain at Jarama. Hunt won the pole and the race. Lauda, despite the broken ribs, was second. However, post-race scru- tineering revealed that Hunt’s McLaren was 1.8 cm too wide across the rear tires and he was disqualified, elevating Lauda to first. On appeal eight weeks later, McLaren’s Teddy Mayer argued that disqualification was too severe and he won the day, the win was reinstated and replaced by a $3,000 fine. Lauda won both the next two rounds – Belgium and Monaco – while Hunt dropped out of both races, falling further out of contention. Still awaiting the deci- sion on the Spanish GP disqualification, Hunt had a mere six points to Lauda’s 51. Six races in and it looked like Lauda had the title all but wrapped up. In the next two races, Lauda finished third in Sweden, and dropped out in France with engine failure while Hunt was third and first. You might assume that Hunt and Lauda were adversaries on and off the track, but despite the difference in their personalities they were on good terms, having been roommates in earlier days. The British Grand Prix was as close as they came to being in a one-on-one conflict. The British GP was held at Brands Hatch, a very intimate circuit where the bulk of the spectators are in a bowl around the pit/paddock area. Lauda and Hunt qualified on the front row with Lauda’s teammate Regazzoni on the second row. Hunt had another of his poor starts and Regazzoni flashed past only to ram Lauda. Hunt hit Regazzoni’s rear wheel and vaulted over. With apparent chaos in the first corner, the officials threw the red flag and stopped the race – a questionable decision. Hunt’s front suspension was damaged and he pulled around and took a short cut back into his pit stall. The race officials didn’t seem to know what to do next – they were being assailed with suggestions from all interested parties. Should they allow drivers to use backup cars or not? Should they allow Hunt, who had not completed a full lap to restart? The partisan British crowd, with some encouragement from pit lane, started to chant and the atmosphere began to feel like a near riot. The officials bowed to the real- ity of the situation and allowed Hunt, whose car had been repaired during all this back- and-forth, to restart the race. Hunt passed Lauda for the lead just past half distance and the crowd was ecstatic. Hunt finished in first, Lauda second. Ferrari immediately appealed the decision to allow Hunt to restart the race. Two months later the Court of Appeal ruled against Hunt and he was disqualified and Lauda was awarded the win. But a lot had happened in the meantime. The German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring followed the British race and it was here where Lauda had his near-fatal accident. They were still using the old Nordschleife and it was obviously too dangerous for F1 racing, but Lauda was outvoted and the race went ahead. Lauda, who had changed to dry tires after the first lap, was running well back from the leaders. Apparently something broke on his suspension and he crashed heavily out back. This was compounded when two other cars crashed into his car, turning it into a ball of fire. The following drivers stopped and tried to help, but it took a long time before Lau- da was extracted from the car and rushed away to hospital. He had serious burns and lung injuries from the toxic gases and fire extinguisher Halon – he was read his last rites. It looked like, at best, Lauda’s racing career was over. Meanwhile, Hunt was the winner in Germany. Ferrari sat out the next race, Austria, which was won by John Watson in a Penske, while Hunt was fourth. I was at the next race, Holland, which was won by Hunt. At this point Lauda still led the championship with 58 points to Hunt’s 56 (Hunt still had his points for the British GP at this point). With Lauda seemingly out for the rest of the season at least, Hunt now looked set to win the championship. Cheers from the Brits; boos from the Italians. No matter what, the next race – the Italian GP at Monza – was going to be dramatic. The McLaren haulers were held up for hours at the Italian border cross- ing. After qualifying, officials took samples of fuel and declared the McLarens, which had been using their own supply of Texaco fuel, had too high an octane rating. Nothing for it but to replace the fuel with the track’s supply and go to the back of the grid for the start. On Monday the Italian officials’ position proved to be unfounded, but it was to late to fix it. That was nothing compared to Lauda’s stunt. Just seven weeks after his horrific crash at Nürburgring, Lauda was back, swathed with bandages. He qualified fifth, the fastest Ferrari. Hunt fell out almost immediately and had to walk back to the pits past the crowds of screaming and spitting tifosi. Amazingly, Lauda finished fourth, his bandages soaked in blood. With the appeal decision giving him the Brit- ish GP win about this time, Lauda had rebounded to a 17-point lead over Hunt with just three races remaining. Of course, I was at the Canadian and the Watkins Glen GPs. Hunt won in Canada while Lauda, in eighth, scored no points. At the Glen, Hunt won again but Niki was third. This left the points standings going into the finale in Japan at Lauda 68, Hunt 65. Hunt could wrest the championship way from Lauda, but he would need to earn at least three more points. Japan saw the dramatic conclusion. Race fans across the world were glued to their televisions. After a long delay due to heavy rain, the organizers who were under pressure to get the race started before they lost their satellite feed to the rest of the world, decided to start. Lauda who had been vocal in demanding they wait until the rain had let up, started the race but after only a couple of laps he pulled in and retired. No doubt the dam- age to his eyelids from his accident in Germany (which would be repaired during the off-season to follow) contributed to his difficulties driving in the rain. With Hunt in the lead, it would seem he had it in the bag but the rain soon let up. Hunt failed to respond to a signal to come in for new tires and he ran his tires completely bald and pitted with two flats, A lengthy pit stop saw him fall to fifth, but then others had similar tire problems which saw him finish in third – enough to win the magic four points and the championship by a single point over the heroic Lauda. Of the two drivers Lauda was the bet- ter and if it weren’t for his Nürburgring accident, would surely have been the champion by a solid margin. He did win the championship in 1977 and, after coming out of retirement, again in 1984. He continues to be active in F1 as a TV commentator and, now, as non-executive chairman of the Mercedes F1 Team. Hunt was the darling of much of the English-speaking fan base, but how good a driver was he? He was addicted to tobacco, drinking and women. In those days nobody spoke openly about drug use, especially in motorsport, but there are commentators now who contend Hunt was a user of cocaine – either on a limited basis or throughout his racing days. For sure he drove on an adrenaline high – which meant it took a while after he got out of the car before he came back down to normal. Ask Ernie Strong, the marshal who tried to assist him after he crashed out of the Mosport race in 1977. Hunt swung a roundhouse and knocked him flat on his back for his trouble. Hunt continued with McLaren in 1977 and 1978, but the M23 had been around since 1973 and the new M26 was no faster. 1977 was a disappointing season despite three wins; 1978 was marked by nine retirements and a disqualification. In 1979, he drove the first seven races for the Walter Wolf – six DNFs and an eighth – before he called it a day and retired for good. The 1976 season was a turning point for Grand Prix racing. Bernie Ecclestone was already working to build an organized, money-making sport out of the casual collection of almost amateur garagistes and a couple of factory teams. The rivalry between Hunt and Lauda, energizing the support of the rival fan groups – English versus German and Italian, made F1 must-see television. That was the foundation upon which modern F1 is built. It quickly became a staple of big-audience, big-money television in countries around the world, rivalling the Olympics and World Cup in its commercial importance. Simultaneously, we have seen a gradual change from the old easy-going attitudes toward safety and race rules. No more do we see threats of driver boycotts as they struggle to demand minimal levels of safety. No more do we see the somewhat ad hoc approach to the rules. Now they pay close attention to the rules and have a protocol that ensures there is much more continuity of race personnel and the administration of the race procedures and decisions. We are now used to decisions made during the race or immediately after, no more waiting months from a group of well-meaning old-timers to make a decision based on who knows what. In today’s more orderly racing world, it seems impossible to imagine another wild character like Hunt reaching the pinnacle of motorsport – or a Lauda persevering to almost win the world championship despite two serious accidents. And is the sport better for it?

It’s business as usual. I come into the paddock on Saturday, a day earlier than expected because I know race day is even more formal, and I figure the extra day is worth getting to know my surroundings. It’s also intriguing to see the team’s order of operations: drivers attending meetings, mechanics building up cars only to tear them down and build them up again, technical analysts making sure telemetry and vehicle setups are optimized for the track and weather conditions. This level of dedication isn’t foreign to anyone here, but when the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) comes to race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport), attention to detail seems to be heightened. In the BMW garage it is already at its peak. I arrive around lunch and find the team press officials over at Marion’s Catering for a quick bite while the mechanics and engineers prep for the final practice session heading into qualifying. Marion and her team travels as part of the ALMS and IndyCar circuit, and with fresh coffee and plenty of southern hospitality, it’s a great place to start introductions. I’m quickly given an itinerary of the team’s events and it’s as much as I expected, but in about half the time. I plan my day and quickly realize there’s no way I can keep up with everything. For starters, I would need some form of motorized transport to cover the time and distance. Second, there are multiple events happening at once. BMW Team RLL is a top-notch operation co-owned by none other than racing legend and Team Principal Bobby Rahal, television icon David Letterman and entrepreneur Mike Lanigan, so if there is any team with high expectations, this is it. Team RLL’s partnership with BMW began in 2009 with the M3 GT2. Piloted by current drivers Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, Bill Auberlen and former teammate Tommy Milner, the team from Hilliard, Ohio claimed first and second place finishes at Road America in just their first season. The following year, RLL won its first team title and BMW’s first manufacturer’s title since 2001. In 2011, they swept the driver, team and manufacturer championships. It is a formula built on success. Coming in to 2013, the automaker dropped the fan favourite M3 in place of the newly-designed BMW Z4 GTE. With the current-gen M3 coupe now out of production, the Bavarian automaker looked to their sleek, small coupe that has been so successful in GT3 competition overseas. In GT3 trim, the Z4 V8 outputs approximately 35 more horsepower compared to the ACO-regulated GTE (515 vs. 480), has a smaller fuel tank, and makes use of ABS braking and electronic traction control systems, which makes the switch over Le Mans GTE regulations a fairly straightforward process. “We had the setup history from the M3 as a basis to start from, but the Z4 GTE is a very different car,” says Team RLL Technical Director Jay O’Connell. “It’s been a lot of fun to work on – it’s smaller and shorter, so it’s a lot more agile because it’s wide and low. But we’ve been able to make it just about as stable as the M3 by getting the setup just right, even though it has a shorter wheelbase.” What makes the move to the new package so impressive was the team’s ability to string together two wins in the first four races: first at Lime Rock, then at Long Beach. But as any professional in the racing industry will tell you, a weekend at Mosport is very different to other courses on the calendar. “It’s one of the toughest tracks that I see every year. It’s what I call a real ‘man’ track – you’ve got to have confidence in your car,” driver Joey Hand says after coming off a five-race stint in Germany’s premier DTM touring car series. “It’s one of these great North American tracks that has so much history. It’s been a track where we’ve struggled actually. We’ve led here before, we’ve had good fast cars before, we just haven’t won here, so I’d really like to win here.” That objective is obvious from the final practice going into qualifying. When teams prep for the weekend, there is a host of dedicated staff members. Each car is outfitted with two mechanics, tire changers, two gas personnel, spotters, a Michelin tire engineer, a race engineer, the technical director and an extra member for window cleaning and other tasks. Final practice is serious business going into qualifying, but in the pits it’s packed and feels like race day. The radio chatter during the final practice session between the drivers and their engineers is the same – nonstop from start to finish. Feedback is given at each corner and straight – entering and exiting characteristics, steering, suspension, tires, balance, speed and track conditions. I equate it to writing an algebra test while a sitting next to a classmate asking a barrage of questions. It might not be as annoying, but for anyone other than a professional driver, it would be more than distracting, let alone at 250 km/h. After making the necessary changes, the GT class is back on track just 30 minutes later, this time with a much quieter, more focused demeanor. The Z4s are set up as optimal as possible, with a focus on some steering issues that plagued both cars during practice. Last year the M3 qualified with times of 1:16.011 and 1:16.398. This year in the Z4, Müller (who has qualified on pole twice in the M3 at CTMP) smashes that time in the white no. 56 with a 1:15.672. BMW veteran Auberlen isn’t far behind with a 1:15.726 in the black no. 55. That puts the Z4s in fourth and fifth, higher than the team’s expectations at a track where straight-line speed and horsepower rules. The team qualifies ahead of the Ferrari 458, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs and one of the Corvettes, but behind the more powerful Chevy and both SRT Vipers. “Frankly I’m more enthused than I thought I would be,” Rahal says. “I thought we were going to be further off the pace just because of our straight line deficit. Forget that the back is a long straight – it’s all uphill too. That’s pure power there that makes all the difference. Right now the Vipers are quite a bit faster than us up the straights, but we’re better than they are through the corners, so we really have to be opportunistic and give the guys really good pit stops and have good strategy. If it comes down to pure horsepower, I think they (SRT Vipers) have everybody covered. But races are usually dependent on more than just that.” On Sunday morning teams make final preparations for the official start of the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at noon. The qualifying tires are scrubbed and sitting in the sun, warmed and ready to be mounted on the cars as per regulations, while mechanics make their final checks. The drivers are nowhere to be seen, except for Müller, who offers a brief pre-race insight. “Our races are pretty unpredictable, there are a lot of things going on,” he says. “The first two laps are pretty critical, after that it calms down a little bit. If we continue what we’ve been doing [this season] and have a trouble-free race, we’ll hopefully be on the podium again – that’s what we’re aiming for.” The green flag waves and the cars are off clean, the Z4 GTEs running as high as first at the first- and second-hour marks. Running consistently in third and fourth, the team is having the trouble-free race they’d hope for, but straight line speed and traffic hurts the BMWs chances at victory. Ultimately they drop a position from qualifying to fifth and sixth, a result of steering issues carrying over from qualifying and a 10 km/h straight speed difference from the class-winning and fourth place Corvettes and the SRT Vipers, which finish second and third. “I was surprised the track took so much rubber and that the balance went so far rearward during the run,” Hand says. “The car had a little bit of understeer throughout the weekend, but we had a lot of understeer at the end of the race. That was a big struggle for me, because the understeer caused me to overheat the front tires in traffic, and then I had to be really easy on them when I was by myself. When I got behind the guys and got a little bit of aero push – combined with an understeer balance the tires just started to cook.” Fifth and sixth may not be the biggest surprise at a track where flat out speed is so important, but a late surge from CTMP first-timer and BMW newcomer Maxime Martin saw him take the fastest lap in class (1:15.907) with more than 20 minutes remaining. It’s a positive result to take forward, and one that shows that this newest BMW still could see the top of the podium in years to come, when the ALMS merges with Grand- Am Road Racing to become United SportsCar Racing next year. In this, the 15th and final year of the ALMS, BMW has brought yet another iconic car to Mosport, and one that continues to show the strength of the German automaker. From the 1999 Le Mans-winning V12 LMR that didn’t start due to safety concerns, to the Prototype Technology Group M3, Schnitzer M3 GTR and the newest Z4 GTE, BMW has been a staple of the world-class sports cars that carve through the hills of Bowmanville every year. And regardless of the result, it gives the fans something great to watch.

From Novice to Pro, it puts you in the know There are two types of motoring enthusiasts in this world – those who are fast, and those who want to go fast. Really, it doesn’t matter which category you belong to, but there comes a point when those who ‘want’ must make a decision between wanting and actually doing. Luckily, there are a number of avenues that allow you to get involved, whether it’s at the hobby level, or a step toward becoming an amateur or professional driver. The Bridgestone Racing Academy is one of the few options that offer you the chance to do both. You can whet your appetite, or dive in for the full experience. Located at the world-class Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the Bridgestone Racing Academy operates out of the facility’s Driver Development Track (DDT) that sits adjacent to the Grand Prix circuit, and home to numerous events throughout the year. With many different layouts, the track is highly-configurable suited to just about any car or driving experience – the most popular being time trials and, more recently, drifting. My experience on the circuit has been in road-going sports cars that include a Ferrari 355, Mini Cooper S and Subaru WRX. This time, I have the opportunity to drive my first open-wheel car as part of the Bridgestone Racing Academy’s Thrill of a Lifetime 3 program, a single-day program aimed at open-wheel or track “newbies” to give the full experience of a Formula car with minimal risk. Getting us around the track is the Van Diemen DP08 F2000 Formula car, a $72,000 fully-prepped, 450 kg (1,000 lb.) race car complete with a lightweight flywheel and five-speed sequential dogbox. It's powered by a 2.3-litre, 170-horsepower Mazda engine – the same version under the hoods of the mid-size Mazda3. The only difference compared to the majority of Mazda3 engines out there is the fuel it runs on – super-clean Ultra 94. Available only at certain race tracks and select Petro-Canada stations nationwide, it’s the highest quality pump fuel in the country and ensures maximum power, fuel efficiency and engine performance with minimal gunk. No regular stuff here. The Academy has operated out of the DDT since it was designed by school owner Brett Goodman and ALMS founder (and former Mosport owner) Don Panoz. Heading a number of schools in his career, Goodman prides himself on a 28-year injury-free record. His program involves rigorous in-class training that goes over everything from braking to proper gear changes, flags, balance and cornering techniques. The focus is on safety in the cockpit as much as it is out of it, and everything is held to strict standards, as every school should be. It’s three warnings and you’re out, although with the safety and teaching measures in place, it’s hard to imagine getting booted unless you’re trying to. Prior to each session, our instructor Jamie was there to answer any questions and provide useful feedback. After all, more than 50% of the participants that attend the Racing Academy every year are either novice drivers or corporate clients. Our day is split equally between novices and advanced drivers, allowing us that can go moderately fast to take greater advantage of the DP08s. When we hop in, it’s hard not to feel like Senna, Prost or Schumacher back in his Benetton days. You’re strapped tight into a cockpit with little more than the steel roll cage, ignition switch on the left, tiny sequential shifter on the right, and throwback Momo steering wheel complete with digital readouts. Oh, and an emergency fire extinguisher you want to be sure not to hit. It’s too cool not to be excited! The advanced group is rolled out in the first of three sessions that get progressively faster, primarily to get a feel for the car and the track. I haven’t had a day when the DDT isn’t challenging, but I’m hoping this will be the fastest I will have travelled it yet. On the first lap, it’s by far the most connected I’ve been to it, due in part to the incredibly responsive Bridgestone RE-11s. As we go on, the immediate feedback from the car is exhilarating; you learn how far you can push the car and when to take caution while maximizing your speed. This is especially important considering the cars are not equipped with ABS – you want to hit your points and not over compensate. The three-strike rule applies for spins too, after all. Each of the “Thrill” programs requires participants to stay behind the instructor’s car to ensure safe driving and, rest assured, for many people that’s more than enough. Come session three, my group is given a little more freedom, principally because our instructor sees that we’re comfortable and he can spread his wings a little bit. Slamming through the gears is a total joy in the Van Diemen. When the final white flag waves, there are equal feelings of contentment and melancholy. But, that’s the great thing about the Bridgestone Racing Academy. The care and determination to create a program that’s extremely fun and perhaps even more educational is what makes it such a draw and keeps you wanting more. If you’re a novice, take the half- or full-day Thrill program. If you are an advanced lapper, take a half- or full-day Lapping course, or step up your game and try the Advance to Racing program for your CASC or SCCA racing license – chances are the experience in an open-wheel car is going to give you a whole new set of skills to advance your driving repertoire. Another great opportunity for those on the younger end of the age spectrum is the 3.5- or six-month Mechanic program, where students can obtain their racing license, participate in lapping and competitions and learn the ins and outs of open-wheel race cars. It’s a truly unique program for anyone looking at making racing and automotive a career. With support from clients like James Hinchcliffe, Danica Patrick and Canadian DTM and Mercedes Junior driver Robert Wickens, and programs for even the least experienced drivers, it’s hard to deny the Academy doesn’t offer something unique and fun for everyone.

This Roush Stage 3 Mustang is the very same one we drove the snot out of in Mid-Ohio. It is the base Stage 3 model – Roush calls it Phase 1 – with a selection of options added to make it more unique. Sitting somewhere between the Ford Shelby GT500 and Boss 302 Mustangs in terms of performance and price, this comes complete with body upgrades, suspension, wheels, tires and brake package. Of course, the Ford 5.0L Coyote V8 powertrain gets RoushCharged to 575 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 505 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm – that's 155 hp and 115 lb-ft over stock – thanks to the 2.3L Eaton-based TVS R2300 supercharger. The 5.0L Ford Racing Aluminator V8 crate engine is being offered on the 2014 models to access Stage 2 and 3 numbers (625 and 675 hp, respectively), and all Roush Performance cars begin with the base Ford chassis (not included), which in this case is the 2014 Ford Mustang GT. “The base platform that Ford provides in the Mustang is excellent,” says Jack Roush Jr. “The 5.0L V8 engine has great performance. It has the ability to go to higher rpms than pretty much any Ford motor I’m aware of. The six-cylinder is excellent as well. It has great horsepower, a great price point and gets very good mileage.” Being able to build upon these platforms with Roush Performance packages is a great starting point for any performance and racing enthusiast that might be looking for a head-turning daily driver and/or a weekend track car with some serious gusto. “One of the things that is probably under appreciated in the market – because you can’t see it – is our calibration,” says Roush. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time really getting our superchargers to work well. We put a ton of work into calibrations that work in a very wide variety of environmental extremes.” There are 20 Roush Performance approved dealers in Canada and 60 parts stores nationwide. But not every Ford dealer can sell them, they’ve got to be a certified Roush dealer. Use the online dealer locator on the Roush website to find one in your area. “A heavy percentage of our dealers are in Vancouver, BC and Alberta area, but we are growing our Ontario and Eastern Canada divisions as well,” says Tony Marszalek, Director of Product Planning at Roush Performance. Canadian-spec “Roush packages” start at $5,350 for the RS and $19,750 for the Stage 3 (prices subject to change), and you can buy the 2014 Roush Performance Stage 3 Mustang here in Canada. “It comes as a complete car, certified by the government agencies from an emissions standpoint. And it is turn-key, ready to go.” Most Roush-approved dealers do stock inventory. “Our smaller dealers would stock two to four cars at a time, and the big (U.S.) dealers would stock 20 to 30 cars at a time,” he says. “If they don’t have something on the lot that fits your needs, you can custom order one... It takes six to eight weeks for delivery.” To go from a stock Mustang GT to one of these Stage 3 cars is a pretty drastic transformation according to Marszalek. “We touch just about every point on the car... the body, front, back, sides... we change the complete suspension front to back, springs, bars, shocks, struts. We change out interior components as well (those are optional) but we change about 50% of the interior. Then we do exhaust, wheels, tires, brakes and then the powertrain. We take out the entire manifold and upper intake assembly and switch it for our supercharger.” Finally, updating the software not only adds horsepower, it also maintains the same drivability and durability as the stock Mustang GT. And, like all Roush Performance vehicles, this one comes with a three-year warranty. Race car performance meets road car drivability in the 2014 Roush Performance Stage 3 Mustang. It’s the kind of car you can drive from your house to the track, go out and have fun with and drive home in without making any modifications. Capable of pulling 1.02 Gs on the skidpad, the Cooper Zeon RS3 summer performance tires are up to task in the dry. Of course, a fresh set of brake pads and high-temperature fluid goes a long way in getting two solid days of fade-free braking at one of the best technical road courses on the continent. Specifications2014 Roush Stage 3 Mustang EngineRoushCharged Coyote 5.0L V8 engine – 575 hp/505 lb-ftFeaturing Eaton's 2.3L TVS technology Chassis / SuspensionPerformance suspension systemRoush 18-in. chrome wheel with Cooper RS3-S tires ExteriorR6 aerobody kit (front chin spoiler, rocker splitters, rear splitters, aero rear valence, high-flow upper grille with Stage 3 badge, high-flow lower opening, front aero pockets with fog lamps, rear decklid spoiler, hood scoop)Square “R” fender badgesRoush Stage 3 graphicsDual chamber exhaust tipsJack Roush signature graphic on decklidSquare “R” faux gas cap badgeStage 3 decklid badgeRoush windshield bannerStage 3 serialized engine bay plaqueEngine bay plaque with chassis builder's signature InteriorRoush gauge cluster (premium equipment groups only)Embroidered floor matsCentre console badgeStage 3 interior medallion Installed optionsRoush 20-in. graphite wheelsHorizontal bar-style lower grilleVent pod with LED-lit boost gaugeRoush engine coil coversSuede-wrapped steering wheelPainted X-brace and rear seat deleteBillet performance pedalsRoush Stage 3 interior package (leather seating with suede inserts and Stage 3 embroidery, suede door panel inserts, suede shift boot)Roush shifter ballRoush laser-cut hood strutsRear quarter window louversDual chamber performance exhaust systemLocking lug nutsPerformance braking package (front: four-piston calipers with 1-pc. 14-in. slotted rotors; rear: painted caliper with slotted rotors)Hawk Performance HT14 front and HT10 rear brake padsATE Super Blue Racing DOT4 high-temperature brake fluid

Pay drivers have always been part of Formula One, but with the worldwide economic downturn it seems that pay drivers are proliferating. Or are they? Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Toro Rosso, Lotus and Sauber all pay their drivers, but Force India, Caterham, Williams and Marussia each have one or two drivers who brought funds or sponsors to the team to secure their rides in 2013. Furthermore, Caterham and Marussia had to drop drivers they had on the payroll last year – Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock – for pay drivers this year. “All the teams are definitely under pressure to protect different revenue streams into their teams,” Marussia’s President and Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon tells PRN Ignition. “But I don’t think it is any different from any other year. The term ‘pay drivers’ itself does not make a lot of sense. A team will structure its income through a lot of different revenue streams, and all the teams, including the world champions, will make a commercial decision on who will drive their car.” Particular drivers have more or less of a chance of attracting different sponsors, and that is the same at the front of the grid and the back of the grid. This is certainly true in the case of Sauber and Ferrari. F1 teams usually deal in Euros, British pounds and U.S. dollars. All amounts here have been converted to Canadian dollars at the current exchange rate. Telmex and Claro, huge mobile phone companies in Central and South America, pay Sauber $26.1 million per year because Mexico’s Sergio Perez drove for the team in 2011 and 2012. Perez has gone to McLaren but the Telmex contract with Sauber runs through 2014. And, Spanish bank Santander pays Fernando Alonso’s $40.1 million salary at Ferrari. “It is part and parcel of way the sport is currently structured,” Lowdon says. “So you don’t really have that scenario where somebody decides to be a F1 driver one day and just walks up with a barrel of money. That is a bit of an over-simplification.” Lotus team principal Eric Boullier says there is something wrong with F1’s financial model. “We definitely need to have more than half of grid being sustainable and profitable to afford to bring talent and chose the driver we want and not being obliged to check the amount of money a driver is bringing to make your business sustainable,” he maintains. “This is where something is wrong. For me the debate is not pay driver or not. If tomorrow you want a driver and you rate his talent highly, even if he is bringing you money then it is fine. But we should have at least 50% of the grid in F1 today able to choose the driver they want and not depend on the money they bring.” Annual budgets for the teams in F1 range from $54 million to $320 million. All the teams agree that costs should be cut, but they can’t agree by how much to do it and how to do it. Currently, the teams get 50% of the money made by F1 commercial rights. That includes income from TV rights, race hosting fees and circuit advertising. Is part of the reason teams are resorting to pay drivers because they are not getting enough from the commercial pie? CVC Capital owns the majority of F1’s commercial side, and Bernie Ecclestone runs the show for them. “It is easy to say I want more money,” Boullier replies, “but we need to have more sponsors, or sponsors bringing more money. The question is why we can’t get them, or why we can’t them fast enough? It is, in my opinion, more a complex issue.” Racing from karting all the way up to F1 is so expensive that somebody has to pay the bills. In the past, companies such as Elf, Marlboro, BMW, Mercedes and Renault funded drivers. Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne would not be in F1 without Red Bull’s backing – neither would Perez or Esteban Gutierrez without Telmex, or Lewis Hamilton without McLaren and Mercedes. But these are cases of money finding talented drivers. Less gifted drivers and those who are not in the right place at the right time have to search for backing. And they have become so proficient at finding money that their funding has become an integral part of a team’s financial strategy. “If you look at some of the smaller teams and if it (the pay driver money) is becoming double digit numbers (as in over $10 million), that’s a serious income source and that is why we are seeing this happening,” Mercedes Executive Chairman Toto Wolff says. Many people in F1 are cocooned from the reality of the worldwide recession. “Outside of F1we are living in a serious crisis,” Wolff notes, “and you can see that sponsoring and marketing are probably the first things that you are cutting. And we are seeing that. But then if you look at the global picture in terms of F1 it is growing. Television revenues grow even if the (viewership) model changes. The promoter fees grows. So what we are seeing at the moment is just a tough economic environment. This is why we have to rely on other income sources.” PRN Ignition puts this question to Lowdon: I am a competent driver who has won in GP2. How much money do I need to bring to get a ride with Marussia, or one of the other teams at the less posh end of pit lane? “It is not as clear cut as that,” he responds. “I am not trying to avoid your question. It depends on who you are, what your prospects are. There is invariably a trade-off between the situation the team is in at that present time. Does it need a certain amount of funds? Is there a threshold? We have had drivers approach us with anything from $10 to $20 million. So the variations are huge. It is very seldom that the decisions are made on who has the biggest amount of money. There are way too many factors to consider than just money.” Drivers are paying anything from $2.7 million to $50 million this season, but the going rate is $10.7 million. But these are not guys with stacks of money and negligible talent. The current crop of pay drivers all won races in GP2, Renault World Series or Formula 3. This is a new breed of pay drivers. They need to be skilled at raising money and at driving. The teams will accept nothing less – the days of signing worthless drivers worth a lot of money are over. Six of the BestPay drivers sometimes repaid with race results and glory. But more often in the past they had little or nothing to show for the masses of money they poured into their distinctly inglorious and brief times in F1. Three of the best F1 pay drivers of all time were Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda who between them racked up 15 world titles and 140 championship race victories. After a successful career in Argentina, Fangio headed to Europe in 1948 thanks to the backing of the Argentine government and the Argentine Automobile Club. Schumacher was part of Mercedes’ junior driving program. And, when he got a chance make his F1 debut with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes paid Jordan $150,000 USD. Benetton snatched Schumacher away, but Mercedes continued to “pay” for the final five races of the season in 1992 as well by finding a new sponsor for Benetton. Lauda, meanwhile, brought his own money to the table by taking out a bank loan worth 100,000 British pounds ($1.37 million today) to pay for his 1972 F1 season with March. He took out an additional 80,000 British pound ($1 million today) loan for the 1973 season with BRM. Lauda was on the verge of bankruptcy when he ran in third place in Monaco. Thereafter, BRM said he would not have to pay and would become a salaried driver instead. The list of the pay drivers in the “far more money than talent” category who did not achieve fame and fortune is a long one. Three of the best at being the worst ever pay drivers were: Jean-Denis Deletraz, Esteban Tuero and Yuji Ide. Deletraz had been lapped 19 times before he retired in his F1 debut in the 1994 Australian Grand Prix with Larrousse. He only “raced” ink F1 twice more with the highlight being classed 15th and seven laps behind in the 1995 European Grand Prix. Money rather than skill so fast-tracked Tuero’s career that he was in F3000 by age 18 and F1 by age 19 with Minardi. Way out of his depth, he only finished four of the 16 races in 1998. Ide was slow, got in the way of other drivers, caused Christijan Albers to have a massive shunt, and had his Super License yanked by the FIA after he took part in just four races in 2006 with Super Aguri. Others to consider are: Taki Inoue, who called himself the worst ever driver in F1; privateer Al Pease who was disqualified for being too slow in the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix; Marco Apicella, whose entire F1 career lasted 800 meters before he crashed out of the 1993 Italian Grand Prix; and Paul Belmondo, who only managed to qualify for seven of the 27 races he entered. Who Pays What?Who pays what for the privilege and prestige of racing an F1 car? Obviously, the teams and drivers aren’t going to publicly reveal any money amounts, so PRN Ignition talked to individuals who do the contract wheeling-and-dealing behind the scenes, and obtained additional information from other sources in the paddock, including team personnel, sponsors and even the drivers’ wives and fathers. While the figures below are fairly accurate, it must be remembered that none of them are official. Marussia $20 MillionJules Bianchi has paid a mere $2.7 million for the season. But then Marussia had already banked the $2.7 million Luiz Razia paid as a first installment of the $20 million he had promised the team from a consortium of Brazilian companies. When the next installment failed to appear, Marussia ditched Razia. The Ferrari’s Driver Academy pays for Bianchi, but is looking for a sponsor to defray that cost. Grahame Chilton, the multi-millionaire chairman of insurance firm Aon Benfield and vice chairman of Aon Corporation, has funded his son Max in his climb to F1. However, the $23.4 million that Marussia gets does not come directly from the senior Chilton, but rather from a consortium of sponsors he has brought to the team. Caterham 10.7 MillionGuido van der Garde and Charles Pic each bring $10.7 million. Van der Garde’s money comes from the clothing company McGregor. It is owned by his fiancée’s father who has also put together a consortium including Beelen.nl, a recycling and demolition company, to fund van der Garde’s racing career. Pic’s father owns one of the largest trucking companies in France, and has bankrolled son Charles. French oil company Total also contributes for Pic’s share. Caterham gets further income from its two reserve drivers Alexander Rossi and Ma Qing Hua, who are each paying $1 million to take part in Friday morning practice sessions. Williams $50 MillionPDVSA, the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company, contributes $50 million per year to the team (and that fee goes up 10% annually) because Venezuela’s Pastor Maldonado is a Williams’ driver. Two Finnish-based companies – Wihuri, an international industry and trade conglomerate, and Kemppi, a manufacturer of electric welding machines and related products – pay a total of $2.7 million for Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas. Force India $10.7 MillionThe team pays a salary to Paul di Resta but welcomes the $10.7 million brought by Adrian Sutil who has put together a group of 10 personal sponsors and partners. His main contributors are Medion, which sells computers, and soft drink producer Capri-Sun.

Like AMG (Mercedes), M Performance (BMW), Mazdaspeed, even TRD (Toyota Racing Development), Nismo stands for more. Actually, it stands for motorsports – Nissan Motorsports to be sure – and with that you get more. More style, more performance, more technology, more fun – it's all there in the 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo. Founded in 1984, Nismo exists to bridge the proverbial gap between racing and street performance. It transfers what it learns on the race track over to parts and accessories that go directly onto its various production vehicles, as well as the shelves of aftermarket parts retailers worldwide. As such, Nismo has competed in various prototype, open wheel and sports car series' in Japan for many years. In fact, Nissan had been racing long before the official start of its motorsports and performance division. That isn't going to change. When people conjure up images of Nissan race cars, the predominant images are of the R35 GT-R that have been competing in the Super GT and FIA GT Championship series for years now. Nismo is also active in other series' and races around the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula Drift, Lucas Oil Offroad Series and, more recently, has entered the Australian V8 Supercars series with some V8-powered Altimas race cars. The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC and, of course, the new 2014 Garage 56 electric ZEOD RC race car (set to appear in 2014 at Le Mans) are two of its newest and most cutting-edge racing innovations.On the production side, Nismo badges can be found on the high-performance 370Z platform and, in some markets, the GT-R – Nissan's halo performance car since 2009. Of course, you can buy Nismo parts and accessories directly through most Nissan dealerships in Canada. There are also aftermarket parts retailers and distributors that can locate exactly what you’re looking for in North America as well as the Japanese domestic market (JDM). You can even find Nismo parts for many late-model Nissan, Infiniti as well as Datsun vehicles from the 240SX to the Sunny 1200 and many in between. I've driven a few Nismo-badged vehicles in the past – the 2005 Nismo 350Z and its predecessor the 370Z Nismo Edition a couple summers ago – and they proved to be a blast to drive, both oozing the extra performance and style that Nismo promises. The 2013 Juke AWD is just the latest Nismo to go under my right foot. For me, the Juke is a winner, even in non-Nismo trim. It may look funny to some, but I think it is one of the best-looking crossovers on the market planet. It has nice, flowing body curves with sculpted wide hips, a lighting package like no other – those big round beamers are fog lights actually, the small skinny things are smoked headlights and just look at those LED daytime running lights! – and for the price, the Juke ticks most of the boxes. Some would argue that its looks and personality are things that only mothers could love – I think it looks like a frog, a very stylish frog – but it definitely stands out. If its silhouette isn't enough to capture your imagination, then the contrasting red side mirrors, Tri-coat paint and Nismo badges ought to do the trick. Furthermore, the front and rear fascias have been reworked on the Juke Nismo with the GT-R in mind and, to improve aerodynamics even further, Nismo adds a lower diffuser, tweaks the wing and gives the Juke lower, beefier side skirts that link everything together from front to back. That spoiler is said to increase downforce by 37% for added stability and responsive handling. With stiffer spring and dampening rates compared to normals Jukes, the Nismo-tuned suspension offers a really nice, balanced ride whether on rough city streets or smooth highways. The 18-inch Nismo wheels and ContiSport Contact summer tires are great too and, though the vehicle could further benefit from a further reduction in ride height – from a performance handling standpoint – the level of sportiness this offers should satisfy most daily drivers. Combined with Nissan's latest-generation CVT, the 197-hp 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder feels sufficiently endowed once the car is on the roll with good passing acceleration. There is, however, a bit of lag that's noticeable on starts, and the optional Xtronic CVT always sounds like it's going full tilt. Still, the interior is quieter than the many CVT-equipped Nissans I have driven in the past. It is worth pointing out that this is the only Nismo with one though. This is by no means a track car, but with 184 lb-ft of torque available from 2,000 to 5,200 rpm, it is said to pull to 100 km/h in eight seconds, give or take a couple tenths. If there is one thing I wish Nissan had done with the Juke Nismo, it is to offer a manual transmission with the optional torque vectoring AWD system. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the FWD model; and, the CVT-driven AWD version is still a sporty performer with no shortage of traction, but I feel like it should at least have some paddle shifters to help give it a more high-performance drive. The electric steering is also tuned by Nismo, and provides excellent driver feedback with good weight and linear response. It tilts but does not telescope, so finding the most comfortable driving position will have to be done with the six-way manual seat adjustments. Sight lines are surprisingly good, and the rear passengers are away from prying eyes thanks to tinted privacy glass from the B-pillars back. The Nismo shift knob and door trim are nice touches, as is the bright red tachometer. But I can't understand why the speedometer right next to it doesn't match. (Go figure.) Save for that wicked cool leather and synthetic suede covered steering wheel – complete with red racing stripe at 12 o'clock – and the superb Nismo-spec front seats – they're well-bolstered, comfy and grippy for spirited driving – the interior is a bit drab. There is perhaps an overabundance of hard plastic on the dash and various trim panels, but there is at least a generous amount of head and legroom for front and back seat passengers – definitely more than enough for average height to tall individuals. Entertainment and user-friendliness are taken care of aplenty thanks to a two-DIN head unit that plays through a Rockford Fosgate EcoPunch seven-speaker audio system, including the integrated eight-inch powered sub in the cargo area. Steering wheel audio controls, a Bluetooth handsfree phone system, navigation with five-inch colour display and integrated control (I-Con) system with A/C helps the driver listen, talk and find their way in total comfort and convenience. A rearview camera, iPod connection and Sirius XM readiness come standard. The Juke Nismo also gets an intelligent key and push-button start, power windows and door locks as well as a host of active and passive safety features from ABS brakes and six standard airbags to front seat active head restraints that reduce the chance of whiplash in the event of a collision. Disc brakes are sized at 11.7 inches and 11.5 inches in the front and rear, respectively – the former rotors are vented. Cargo-wise, the little Juke does alright. Rear volume goes from 297 litres (seats up) to 1,017 litres total volume with the seats folded down. The 60/40 sliding rear bench seat backs do fold flat, but the cargo floor is rather high and the size and shape of the rear opening will limit the amount of things you can take with. That said, it's more than sufficient for groceries and runs to and from the airport, for example. It's not the most luxuriously-appointed vehicle, and it certainly isn't perfect (what is?). It definitely is nothing like the ultra-low volume Juke-R (a total of 21 will be made), which is essentially a wolf in sheep skin (read a GT-R chassis and drivetrain with a Juke body – Google it, it'll blow your mind!), but it is very much a vehicle with a magnetic personality and solid everyday performance to boot. It gets decent fuel economy, looks great, drives well and doesn't take up the whole driveway. I would be perfectly proud to own one of these. And that is no joke! Pluses:+ Eye-catching design with great body kit+ Comfortable interior, great seats+ Smooth transmission+ Stylish design+ It's a hatchback! Minuses:- Too much hard plastic for cheapish interior - CVT (performance cars deserve a real manual transmission)- Small head unit display prone to glare- Push button starter 2013 Juke Nismo AWDBase Price: $24,998Price as Tested (before taxes): $30,473Engine: 1.6L DIG 4-cyl. turboHorsepower / Torque: 197 hp / 184 lb-ftConfiguration: FATransmission: Continuously variable transmission (CVT)Observed Fuel Economy: 12.1 L/100 km combinedFuel Economy Ratings: 8.0 / 6.6 L/100 km (city / hwy.)Basic Warranty: 48 months / 60,000 kmOptions on Test Vehicle: Tri-coat paint ($300); CVT and AWD ($3,480).Additional charges: Destination and delivery ($1,695).

Radical Sportscar Sets Up Shop in CanadaThe name Radical Sportscars might not mean much to anyone who isn’t a hardcore aficionado of sports car racing, but there is a sizeable following around the world for these closed-wheel, open-cockpit cars powered by Suzuki motorcycle engines, including Canada. Since 1996, more than 1,700 units have been sold worldwide. Ideal for both racing and track days alike, these lightweight, but fast cars have the appearance of a scaled down LMP2 car and come complete with all of the hallmarks that those cars are known for – large rear wing and diffuser, front splitter, sequential gearbox, paddle shifters and available headlights – but for a fraction of the cost. Raced all over the world, particularly in Europe, the Peterborough, UK-based company has an official presence in just about every part of the globe, but prior to February 2013, their sales network did not extend to Canada. 

Enter Robert Burgess, the new president of Radical Sportscars Canada, a 20-year plus road racing veteran who is interested in ‘getting back into a real racecar’ as he tells PRN Ignition in a recent interview. After performing his due diligence, he settled on Radical and decided to reach out to the company about getting his hands on one. Once he began dialoguing with management he learned of the company’s desire to expand into Canada and expand its North American footprint (there are three existing dealers in the U.S.), and soon the conversation evolved into Burgess heading up expansion efforts into the Great White North. Fast-forward several months, and the operation is now over four months old and has already sold and delivered its first car. Despite having sold just one car at press time, Burgess is optimistic that figure will grow as the company’s presence becomes more established. He tells PRN Igniton that there were already 25 Radicals in Canada without an official Canadian sales channel, so clearly a demand for the cars exists here. Operating out of a small suburban-Toronto facility in Brampton, Ontario, Burgess is currently retailing a lineup of four cars: the entry level SR1 ($55,000 – all figures CAD), the mid-range, volume-leading SR3 RS which was the company’s first official Canadian sale ($79,000), the V8-powered SR8 ($150,000) and the RXC Coupe ($150,000), which Burgess claims is as fast as a Porsche GT3 Cup car that costs approximately $80,000 more. To get a better sense of the company’s products, this writer met Burgess and his small support team at one of their recent track days at Toronto Motorsports Park, just south of Hamilton, Ontario to sample a brand-new SR3 RS. Having never driven a bonafide race-car before – although I did ride shotgun in one last fall at CTMP – I’m quite excited about the prospect of turning a few laps in anger at TMP. 

Upon arrival, I put on a helmet and went out with Burgess as a passenger for a few laps to get the feel of the SR3 RS (and to shoot some cool video). It’s hard to describe what it’s like to ride in (and drive) a low-slung, open-cockpit racecar that has tons of downforce and corners like it’s on rails. The closest thing the sensation resembles – at least for me – is that of being in a go-kart…a much faster, cooler-looking go-kart.  At any rate, Burgess spent a good half-hour turning hot laps before we switched seats. I’m not going to lie – I was a little nervous as I was strapping in, especially because the cockpit of a racecar is a completely new experience for me. For all of the racing I witness as a journalist, it’s a whole other ballgame when I am the one in the driver’s seat. After doing a brief tour around the paddock parking lot to get a feel for the car, we headed out onto the track. Because this track day is a public session I had to be cognizant of others turning laps in their road cars – many of which I could catch up to very quickly. It took a couple of laps to get used to not using the clutch while lapping (it only needs to be engaged at launch), and a few times I did mix up the upshift and downshift paddles, but it quickly became second nature at which point the fun factor increased enormously. 
 Because of my lack of familiarity with both the car and the track – both of which were firsts – I chose not to push too hard, but I was fast enough to get a sense of the car’s hyper-quick acceleration and braking characteristics and got a very good feel for its taut handling through the turns and its overall speed. Overall, it’s an easy car to drive fast and, with a little practice and experience, it has the potential to make just about anyone feel like a racecar driver.

 Based on my experience, I understand the appeal of these cars for those current and prospective owners: it looks and drives like a racecar and can be raced as one, but it’s also ideal for track days (having two seats makes it appealing for couples, as Burgess points out) and is reasonably priced for a purpose-built machine.  Speaking of racing, there is a new Radical Canada Championship based in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC-OR and run in conjunction with the Formula Libre class on regional race weekends (see schedule below). Although the Radicals run in the Formula Libre class they are competing against one another only and competitors are awarded points towards their own distinctive championship. As it stands now, all Radicals regardless of make and model year are eligible to compete in the series but that may change as more entries join in coming years. There were four Radicals at the first round at Shannonville in May and Burgess hopes to see that figure rise as the season wears on. It is still early days for Radical Sportscars Canada, but Burgess is confident having an official presence in Canada will only help strengthen and grow the brand. Based on first-hand experience, I can personally attest to the company’s growth potential. 

 2013 Radical Sportscars Canada Championship 

May 4-5 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, ON.May 28 – Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ONJune 22-23 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, ONJuly 27-28 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, ONAug. 24-25 – Calabogie Motorsports Park, Calabogie, ONSept. 14-15 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, ONSept. 28-29 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, ON

I came in blind. I don’t often come in blind these days, so it was actually kind of nice for a change. You see, I’d never driven a Maserati before in my life for no good reason other than circumstance. Of course, I’m familiar with the line-up; in fact, I was more than just familiar, I was full of yearning. From the time the modern version of the Quattroporte first appeared in public, I was full of admiration for the car’s striking design; from the moment the GranTurismo made its debut, I couldn’t stop myself from stopping and staring whenever one drove by. Along with my appreciation for Maserati design came the fear that once I did manage to drive an example, I’d be disappointed. My impression of the brand was that it was a watered-down version of Ferrari, a collection of cars that looked quick, but weren’t all that quick when it came down to it.For me, Maserati was the supermodel of the exotic car set – you know, the one who looked great initially, but didn’t look so great when she started to talk. Then, we finally met. The setting was the small town of Balocco, some 80 km west of Milan in the northwesterly part of Maserati home turf. This town is known, mainly, for the Circuito di Balocco, an old Alfa Romeo proving ground that was built in the early 1960s. But in a cruel twist of fate, the raciest of the Maseratis we were there to drive – the 2014 GranTurismo MC Stradale – was reserved for the roads surrounding the facility. No matter: For this test, I played the diplomatic immunity card and did my utmost to sample the performance of the Maserati while staying within the vicinity of local laws. First, a disclaimer: The version tested is the European-spec GranTurismo MC Stradale, a road-going version of the company’s production-based racer. The differences between this car and the one we receive in North America – dubbed, simply, the GranTurismo MC – are significant. The Stradale features Brembo carbon-ceramic brake discs, for one, whereas the GT MC here makes do with Brembo steel discs. The bigger difference, though, is with the transmission: The Euro version spotlights a racy, six-speed, electro-actuated direct-shift automatic; the American model employs a ZF six-speed automatic. I had the good fortune to sample both transmissions (we drove the GranTurismo Convertible with the ZF) and, although the direct-shift number is not massively quicker, it does convey that visceral, guttural feeling with each shift that a “standard” automatic would never be able to approximate. The transmission just begged for the driver to take the next gear – up, down, sideways, it didn’t matter. Apart from these differences, the two versions of the GT MC are mirror images of one other. Under the carbon fibre hood resides a 4.7-litre V8, a 454-horsepower motivator built by Ferrari at the home office in Maranello. This engine loves to be revved to its limit and, when combined with that direct-shift transmission, the net effect is a very involving, very kinetic driving experience.Without the benefit of track time, it’s impossible to comment on how well the Maserati performs at the limit. The carbon ceramic brake discs certainly felt capable. The GT MC Stradale can, reportedly, complete the sprint to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, an entirely decent result. Top speed rolls in at 298 km/h, well more than I managed while dodging in, out and around those tiny Italian towns. What I can report is this: The steering is light, but not too light. The driving environment, characterized by great swaths of Alcantara and double-stitched leather, is extremely well done. The steering wheel offers high levels of grip. The seats provide a clinic on offering support in times of need. And, this latest model also now features a back seat for two modestly-sized passengers. But, by far the most important aspect of the interior is the set of buttons immediately to the right of the steering wheel, the ones that fiddle with the ECU settings. One button in particular, the one with “RACE” written on it… well, that pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? I have to confess that I find it very difficult to dislike a car with a “race” setting. In the case of the Maserati, the race mode triggered quicker shifts, heightened response from the V8 and a nastier engine note. Perfect. Over and above all these terrific qualities, the aspect of the GT MC Stradale that most resonated with me was its sport suspension system with continuous adaptive dampers. I’ve been regularly stunned by the suspension work of a number of manufacturers recently – Aston Martin and Jaguar spring to mind instantly, but there are others – and the engineering on the Maserati continues this very welcome theme. The car soared across all types of road surfaces, easily absorbing imperfections in the road while, at the same time, keeping the rubber matted to the road. It’s likely that a test on a high-speed, less-than-perfectly-paved track would have revealed the bending points of this particular suspension system, but for everyday driving on the average piece of tarmac, the Maserati does the business and then some. Last but not least, we arrive at the exterior design – the look of the supermodel, as it were. The base GranTurismo is a gorgeous design; the race-inspired additions on the MC Stradale have given the car a far more sinister appearance. The laundry list: a new front splitter, a carbon fibre hood with central air intake, side skirts, two rear extractors and forged 20-inch alloy wheels. The net effect: dynamite. (Side note: The way the designers at Pininfarina have managed to integrate the oval Maserati grille from days gone by into a 21st century car is pure magic.) In North America, the 2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC starts at $165,900 and, to me, that just doesn’t seem like enough money. 2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC Base price: $165,900Engine: 4.7-litre V8Horsepower/Torque: 454 hp / 383 lb-ftConfiguration: FRTransmission: 6-speed automaticFuel economy (L/100 km): 16.6 / 11.4 (city/hwy.)

What is it like to drive a $300,000 mid-engine British super car on Canada's famed Mosport Grand Prix road course at the gorgeous, newly-renovated Canadian Tire Motorsport Park? Well, thanks to our friends at McLaren Toronto (part of the Pfaff Automotive Group), I can unequivocally confirm that it is exhilarating and unlike anything many people are likely to experience. The car is the McLaren MP4, and the automaker and its only Canadian dealer – at the time of this writing (a new store in Vancouver is set to open this winter) – have teamed up to bring a colourful selection of 2013 McLaren MP4 12C Coupes and Spiders for me to sample at speed on the track.Just to get into this exclusive car will set one back $258,700 and/or $287,200, respectively. But if you can afford one, you can probably afford two. Start adding performance options like the $15,090 carbon ceramic brake package, $13,120 super lightweight forged wheels and Pirelli Corsa tires, not to mention the up to $33,450 in exterior and interior carbon fibre pieces it can take, and you might also consider selling a kidney on the black market to help fund your obvious addiction to amazing super cars. As it is, the base MP4 12C now tops my 'Most expensive cars driven' list, but not by much. Until now, the ultra-exclusive aluminum-bodied Spyker C8 Spyder I drove in 2006 was selling for around $240,000 USD at the time. The topless McLaren, however, kitted-out with just the aforementioned options blows it out of the water at $348,860. Yet the list of options goes on... and on! Oh, and additional fees may apply. Is it all worth it? Hell, yes! Some people think the styling is too plain and not befitting of a premium luxury super car with serious track creds. Bah! It has just the right balance of function and form – only my humble opinion, but such is the nature of fine art. Even before the flowing aluminum body curves and high-end finishes are added to it, the 75-kg carbon fibre MonoCell is worthy of being put on a pedestal. It is lighter, stiffer, safer and more structurally sound, and underpins both the coupe and retractable hardtop versions as well as the imminent P1, which is in the midst of wrapping up its battery of extreme weather and durability tests. Oh, and rumour has it something is brewing at the Nürburgring. McLaren first introduced the carbon monocoque to F1 in 1981, and hasn't built a car with anything else ever since. The 1992 McLaren F1 road car was the first street car to use a carbon chassis and body. On the 12C and 12C Spider, aluminum extrusions and castings are welded onto front and rear structures and bolted directly to the MonoCell. Along with the carbon MonoCell, they carry the lightweight composite body panels. Apart from the roof and the engine cover, their body panels are identical to one another. Almost perfectly balanced front to rear (47/53) and paired with McLaren's midship-mounted 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 616 horsepower and 443 lb-ft torque from 3,000 to 7,000 rpm, the McLaren MP4 is undoubtedly a machine Leonardo di Vinci could call a masterpiece. What better way is there to experience fine art such as this is there then to drive it at 250 km/h on CTMP's creepy-fast 1.6 km-long Andretti straightaway? Of course, there are nine more apexes out here – and, thus an equal number of braking zones and corner exits – to enjoy the immense Gs this flight of fancy is capable of. Climbing into the driver's seat on CTMP's lengthened pitlane is akin to getting into “The Bat” roller coaster at Paramount Canada's Wonderland, yet it's like slipping on your most comfortable pair of shoes. Sitting very close to the ground, the brake and throttle pedals are both placed directly in line with the driver. All primary controls are within reach, the steering wheel just perfect. Just like the F1 car, the MP4 driver may enjoy the 12C in any number of driving modes, ranging from mildly-amusing to rip-snorting awesome! It can easily be set up to be stable in corners with a touch of body rollm, to stiff on rails with an attitude and, naturally, anywhere in between, simply by pressing a few buttons and turning a couple of dials. Dials on the centre console allow fine-tuning. The left one changes handling characteristics dynamically, affecting the roll stiffness and ESC settings. Its counterpart on the right alters the throttle and shift maps as well as interior engine noise levels to achieve the level of awesome you are striving for. The seven-speed, double-clutch SSG transmission boasts racy paddle shifters that can be left alone, or hammered on like would-be Jenson Buttons or Sergio Perezes. Inspired by F1, McLaren's ingenious ProActive Chassis Control suspension combines double wishbones with coil springs and innovative dampers that are controlled by a network of a pneumatic and hydraulic wizardry that takes care of body roll without having to install heavy metal roll bars. In F1 circles, anything that isn't 100 per cent necessary is extra weight. Like a bat out of hell, launch control and optional Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires fire the MP4 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds, 200 km/h in just nine seconds. It does a quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds at 215 km/h. And I was doing over 250 km/h at the end of the Andretti Straightaway before getting on the brakes hard. Even in sport mode, the car stays perfectly flat and balanced diving late into the Esses at turn eight; large diameter vented and drilled cast iron brakes and rear airbrake halt the car from 200 and 100 km/h in a chest-bruising 124 and 31 metres, respectively, without much ado. McLaren also uses those brakes and stability controls in its “brake steer” system, which slows the inside rear wheel to improve turn-in, improve cornering speeds, agility and driving fun factor. This is really noticeable in turn nine where it helps set up for the final turn – White's Corner – as it is important to keep your exit speed up for a strong finish. The system is just as useful in the downhill turn one and two, where line and throttle control are important. After making the apex, progressive throttle takes the McLaren toward the shiny new asphalt runoff zone that now entices drivers to get back on to the throttle early before Quebec Corner. Turn four is a blind left at the top of a very steep compression. Once through the turn, a quick stab up the other side into 5A and B is enough to make some drivers queasy. Nail 5C and exit perfectly, and the 12C is perfectly happy to charge up the straight through six and seven in track mode at the unholiest velocities. However, this is one area of the circuit where the track setting might be a little too stiff, as it is full of bumps that rattle the car around at some serious speed and angles. Having an iron gut might be necessary to enjoy the impressive G-forces, because driving the MP4 in default mode is like riding on the back of a vampire bat. Driving it in sport mode is like riding on a vampire bat's back during feeding. Driving the MP4 in track mode would be like riding the back of a vampire bat at feeding time during mating season. The 2013 McLaren MP4-12C a full-on orgy of race car sights, sounds and body-moving parts, but it's not scary to drive at all. It's as impressive on the track as it is on normal roads – it’s serious fun, and worth the price of admission with a driving experience that is second to none. My only quip is that McLaren should have named this car the Vampire Bat. It has a sleepish look and docile side to it, but when it wakes up to feed and finds it itself on a race track as fast and technical as this one, what a treat it is! Specifications 2013 McLaren MP4 12C / 12C SpiderBase Price: $258,700 / $287,200Engine: 3.8L twin-turbocharged V8Horsepower / Torque: 616 hp / 443 lb-ftConfiguration: Mid-engine, rear-wheel (MR)Transmission: 7-speed SSG automaticFuel Economy Ratings: 11.7 L/100 km (comb.)