Photo Courtesy of Elhard Motorsports
ChumpCar Canada is a new division of Optima Battery/ChumpCar World Series. ChumpCar Canada is owned and operated by the former North Region Staffers Sal Sanfilippo and Wendy Edwards-Sanfilippo.
ChumpCar is North America’s home for affordable competitive road racing. Endurance racing starts from 7 to 36 hours long.
The Basic Rules
Not including the required safety equipment that you’ll need – roll-cage, racing seat, racing harness — your car must be valued at less than $500. That’s valued as assessed by the general market, not what you paid for it.
Personal safety gear includes a Snell SA helmet and SFI-FIA certified driver’s gear.
Strip out the entire interior and take out all the glass, except the windshield. Install the roll cage, seat and harness. Add some numbers and you have just created a $500 race car.
If you cheat, screw-up or both… you’ll be docked laps. If you come to Tech Inspection with a car that’s worth $1,500 plan on starting the race about 100 laps down from everyone else.
Photo Courtesy of Elhard Motorsports
2015 CHUMPCAR CANADA EVENTS
April 18-April 19 CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK (MOSPORT)
“The Inaugural ChumpCar Canada Event”
June 20-June 21 CALABOGIE MOTORSPORTS PARK
“Calabogie-boogie-bash”
August 1-August 2 CASTROL RACEWAY: 24 Hour
“Castrol 24 Hour Oil Slick”
August 22-August 23 AUTODROME SAINT-EUSTACHE
“St. Chumptache”
September 12-September 13 CALABOGIE MOTORSPORTS PARK
“Loonie Laps at the Lake”
October 10-October 11 CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK (MOSPORT): ChumpCar Canada Chumpionship, “ChumpCar Canada Chumpionship”
If you have any questions, concerns or know of anyone who may want to sponsor this event or the series please email wendy@chumpcarcanada.com and/or sal@chumpcarcanada.com
Become a Volunteer
If you are not racing in one of these events the 2nd best way to watch a race is as a: Motorsport Volunteer, Safety and Tech Inspection, Registration, Corner Workers, Pit Lane Marshalls.
https://www.facebook.com/chumpcarcanada
http://www.chumpcarcanada.com/
Photo Courtesy of Elhard Motorsports
I had a chance to interview Edmonton’s Mr. Motorsports Mike Elhard of Elhard Motorsports.
Velocity: “Would all the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club (NASCC) cars qualify to race the ChumpCar race?
Mike Elhard: “If it is a real race car, no problem, actually over built”
Velocity: “Reading the rules, if you were running a Ferrari they just add on laps to make it even.”
Mike Elhard: “ChumpCar has very specific rules of what cars can run and what cars are $500. If you go outside those rules you will pay in penalty laps and if you really go outside those rules you’ll end up in EC class, which is a class for everyone that didn’t follow the rules.”
Velocity: “It sounds like a lot of fun.”
Mike Elhard: “It is the funniest thing you can do, as far as racing goes. I have never found anything quite like it. It is an epic slog for 24 hours. It is hard on the body, equipment, the team trying to fix it & get back on the road. “That is the fun!”
Velocity: “Do you have a lot of teams interested about the ChumpCar race?
Mike Elhard: “Lots, I am guessing we are going to have between 30 to 40 teams.”
Velocity: “Were you in the Calgary Chumpcar race at Race City?
Mike Elhard: “We won the Calgary Chumpcar race.”
Velocity: “How many teams were in that race?”
Mike Elhard: “There were 31 in that one.”
Velocity: “It looks like Castrol was putting in some improvements.”
Mike Elhard: “Yes they are putting in curbing this week.”
Velocity: “It was funny, I met the ChumpCar Canada people at the World of Wheels in Calgary, they said they were going to Edmonton to race. So I told them if they were going to Edmonton to race they should talk to Edmonton’s Mr. Motorsports Mike Elhard. That’s when they said you were who they were going to meet.”
Mike Elhard: “Yes I called them in the first place & invited them to come out to Edmonton. Nothing happens by chance, you gotta make it happen! I do my part to make as much happen as I can in this province.”
Velocity: “So are the race fees all set?’
Mike Elhard: “They are not set in stone but expect $1200 per car for 4 drivers & additional drivers about $200 more.”
Velocity: “So are you going to run 4 drivers yourself?”
Mike Elhard: “I am probably going to run 4 teams with 6 drivers in each car. I will have 24 drivers there with dedicated pit crew.”
Laughing he siad: “I’m kind of like the Roger Penske of ChumpCar.”
So after some laughter, Velocity: “Before I let you go anything you are looking forward to this season?”
Mike Elhard: “I am looking forward to obviously the Chumpcar stuff, Knox Mountain Hillclimb a spectacular event in Kelowna, it’s 65 years old. Idaho Rally, it will be the 1st time I do a performance rally in a buggy, the same one I had in the Numb Bum. 1 Lap of Ontario. I have registered in the Alcan 5000, a 5000 km rally from Branning Washington to Anchorage Alaska.
Photo Courtesy of Elhard Motorsports
Potential Car in Calgary, free for sponsorship – Former Race City Claimer Race Car
1991 Saturn SL 2 Caged with racing seat & blown transmission
Due to medical reasons I am not allowed to race or marshal this season. I was planning on throwing in a 5 speed transmission & racing the car in the Edmonton ChumpCar race, then Ice racing it in the winter. Since I am not able to race this season if someone wants to fix the car & race. It would be free based on VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Sponsorship. The deal is still available if someone takes the car, cuts the cage & takes out the racing seat based on VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Sponsorship. Otherwise car is for sale for $250
If interested in the car or cage & seat email cpaavola@velocitymotorsportsnews.com or
call 587-349-2520.
Photos Courtesy of Elhard Motorsports