Arek Wojciechowski takes second place in both races. Shows no signs of rust after a year off from driving, and is ready to challenge for the Championship!
Ottawa, Ontario, May 23rd, 2011 - The 8legs Racing team returned to Mosport Park for the first and second rounds of the 2011 Canadian Touring Car Challenge season held on May 21st and 22nd. This year, the team has entered a pair of BMWs in the championship. Driver Eric Hochgeschurz returns in car #11, and after a year off, Arek Wojciechowski takes the driver seat once again in the new #10 BMW.
After a few very hectic days leading up to the weekend - involving a last minute engine swap - the team unfortunately missed all testing and practice sessions. However, both cars were ready to roll out for qualifying at 8:40am on Saturday morning! Definitely a testament to the hard work and long hours put in by the crew.
Immediately the #10 car showed its strength by qualifying in 2nd position, only 6 one thousands off the pole. Hochgeschurz qualified 11th, using the session mostly to ensure the car was working correctly after all the last minute work.
The weather, being its unpredictable norm at Mosport, decided to throw some unplanned rain into the mix as the cars rolled out for race one on Saturday afternoon. Since all the cars were wearing slick tires not suitable for rain, this certainly made it a race to remember for all drivers! Car control was of utmost importance. Arek Wojciechowski in the #10 car lost the second place position to the #13 BMW, but as the conditions deteriorated, he kept the pressure up and regained the position, finishing the race in second place. "I think that race took 10 years off my life ... It was a really tough drive!" said Wojciechowski. Unfortunately, the winning Subaru with its all-wheel drive advantage was out of reach in the rain.
After steady gains and a careful drive in the worsening conditions, Eric Hochgeschurz brought the #11 car across the finish line in 5th position in class ... a great finish considering he didn't even have a windshield wiper installed!
Sunday morning practice saw both cars and drivers make good progress, but unfortunately the #11 car suffered electrical failures, including the loss of the power steering pump. After some quick repairs by the crew, the 8legs Racing BMWs were ready for race two Sunday afternoon.
Despite an 80% chance of rain, the track stayed dry for the race, and allowed both drivers to set personal bests on this track! After losing two positions as the green flag was waved, steady pressure and a flawless drive by Wojciechowski again brought the #10 car across the finish line in second position, earning him the second podium of the weekend, and a solid 2nd place in the overall championship points.
Eric Hochgeschurz fought hard to maintain his position, but the same electrical problems that plagued the car in practice resurfaced, and despite best efforts, he finished in 7th position. "We knew that we were going into this weekend at a disadvantage with last year's underpowered engine,"
commented Hochgeschurz, "but I can say that we worked very hard to ensure that the #11 car would be able to race, and I'm very happy with the result!"
Hochgeschurz' race results earned him a 5th place overall in the points.
The 8legs Racing team will return in two weeks for rounds 3 and 4 at the challenging Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, QC.
And they will be ready ...
8legs Racing is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and is supported by their family and friends, as well as the following partners: Lachute Performance, Bimmerworld, and Carleton Collision. Visit them online at www.8legsRacing.com where you will find information about the team, the cars, and the blog … which tells the whole story!
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