Richmond Hill, ON – Overall and class champions for CASC-OR road racing and Ontario Time Attack (OTA) were honoured in style, with a buffet dinner and awards banquet rounding out a busy day at Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites on Saturday, November 9.
The year-end activities started in the morning, with an ice racing workshop, followed by workshops for road racing and OTA. The CASC annual members’ meeting took place in the afternoon, followed by a cash bar and dinner.
Door prizes, including sets of tickets to the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo, were raffled out by emcee Pat Gonsalves, with the help of two of the kids in attendance. What was already a memorable day for competitors, officials and their families concluded with the highly-anticipated hardware being distributed during the award presentations.
CASC-OR President Ted Michalos, Race Director Pat Cyr and Time Attack Director Kevin Wong gave brief opening remarks before OTA was first to take the stage. The top-three points finishers in each class received a plaque, before trophies were handed out to the overall driver champion, overall team champion and Rookie of the Year.
Nuwan Wijeratne, who drove a 2014 Porsche 991 GT3 to the Super Grand Touring B-Spec class title, won the overall championship; RMP Competizione took home the team championship; and Harley Lewis, aboard a 2018 BMW M2 in the Super Grand Touring B-Spec class, won overall Rookie of the Year. Full standings can be found below the event results here.
Unlike road racing, OTA is about lap times instead of physical battles for position.
“What Ontario Time Attack does differently than any other series, we basically clear the track so that we release everyone from fastest to slowest, that way you chase the theoretical perfect lap and you compare your perfect lap to other people’s perfect laps,” said Wong. “We have a unique balancing factor…we try to level the cars so that we try to bring the driver skill to the forefront.”
Next was road racing, where trophies were handed out to the top-three in each class. First up was the Miata Canada Cup, which ran its inaugural season in 2024, where Stephen Di Cesare (MCCU), Owen Clarke (MCC1) and Ron Rhead (MCC2) won championships. Formula racing followed, where James Morton (Formula 4) and Steve McCamus (Formula Libre) won titles.
It was then time for the fastest series, starting with the Pirelli Grand Touring Sprints; Rhead (GT5), Michael Sylvestre (GT4) and Krystian Palka (GT3) took home the championships. Before getting to the GT1 and GT2 classes, the ceremony switched gears to a few special awards.
Rookie of the Year was presented to Joanne Sierzant, who finished fourth in the GT5 standings aboard a 2004 Honda Civic. The Peter Jackson Trophy went to Perry Mason; the trophy is handed out to someone who shows dedication to the sport. The award was initially presented following the VARAC Peter Jackson Trophy Races, this past July at Shannonville Motorsport Park, and returned after a several-year hiatus.
The Elizabeth Dorey Award went to Richard Muise, a Miata Canada Cup driver who wears many hats in the regional racing world. His roles include rewriting rule books, participating in race committee and race organizer meetings, working as Regional Chief Steward, as Clerk of the Course and as an executive with the Ottawa Sports Car Club.
The Elizabeth Dorey Award is a print of original artwork, signed and dated by motorsport artist Jim Swintal. It represents the volunteers needed to successfully hold a race event; each individual is someone known by the artist, including Dorey, seen behind the registration table in the centre. The artwork has been awarded since 2002 to an annual keeper whose selfless commitment and tireless dedication to the sport makes holding events possible.
The award presentations concluded with the Pirelli Super Touring Sprints, where class championships went to Rocco Marciello (GT1) and Cyr (GT2/overall sprints champion). Full CASC-OR road racing standings can be found here.
For more information about CASC-OR and how to get involved, visit casc.on.ca.
