Under clear skies and balmy temperatures, the 24th running of the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres took place today at Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Fans were treated to a day of sheer racing spectacle. The 8th of a 12-race schedule, the Cart Toyota Atlantic race was the feature race of the Grand Prix.
Jonathan Macri piloted his NTN Bearings Swift to a strong 5th place finish, just ahead of rookie contender Joey Hand. Finishing 5th wasn’t an easy cruise to the checkered flag. No, not for Jonathan, who moved up as high as 4th place, once again sporting what is becoming his trade-mark aggressive style on the competition, all the while providing wheel-to-wheel racing drama for the fans. The first four laps saw Jonathan, in 5th, speed off with the front runners, and build a significant gap with each passing lap. The real drama was about to ensue, however, one lap latter, in lap 5, when Macri moved past Championship contender David Rutledge. By the 7th lap, Jonathan had pulled away from Rutledge. The chase was now on for Valiante and 3rd spot. Having clocked one of the fastest laps of the race, lap 15 would see Macri hone in on Valiante. Taking advantage of the draft provided by Valiante, Macri moved to the inside, but Valiante was quick to chop the lane. Pressing back, Jonathan tried another two times to get past Valiante on the inside, but again, Jonathan would be pushed off his racing line, having to pull back or risk a crash. Coming out of corner 11, still relentlessly bearing down on Valiante, Jonathan spun, but, having kept the engine running, he was able to get back into the race. The spin cost him a potential 3rd position and put Jonathan back to 5th. However, this race was one to cherish, even if a podium position was not his today.
“I had an excellent race,” Jonathan said, elated. The team engineer Bill Fickling did a great job setting up the NTN car. I was comfortable driving it, and was confident enough to challenge for position. I definitely enjoyed battling with David Rutledge and Michael Valiante. I managed to get by Rutledge. I drove clean, especially against Valiante, and don’t think I deserved being shut out the way I was. It’s tough fighting for a racing line, but once a driver comits to one and earns it, I think it’s wrong for another driver to chop the line. In all, I had a great ride, and am walking away with some good points.”
The race was won by Hoover Orsi. Martin Basso and David Rutledge finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, and Michael Valiante finished in front of Jonathan in 4th place.
With 4 of the 12 races still to be run, the Championship remains hotly contested. Hoover Orsi and David Rutledge are currently running 1st and 2nd in the Standings with 134 and 109 points respectively. Jonathan, like most drivers, is far from Championship contention, currently sitting in 5th with 53 points. However, Macri has the Rookie-of-the-Year Award squarely in sight. This Award appears to be more hotly contested than the Championship, as up to six rookie drivers are battling closely for the coveted prize. Jonathan currently sits 2nd in the rookie race, with 53 points, 3 points less than rookie leader Joey Hand.
Atlantic drivers can enjoy some rest and leisure time before their next scheduled race two weeks from today at Elkhart Lake, USA, for the Motorola 220 at Road America.
Report by Fedele Fortino
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