Congratulations are in order! The Platinum team championship became Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsport’s own during the last weekend of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series.
Held at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the last weekend of August, the ninth and tenth races of the Porsche GT3 Cup were decisive in determining champions for all categories.
A few clouds over their heads
The team started the last race weekend of the season with a few clouds over their heads. Saturday’s race, shortened by a number of incidents, was a bittersweet event for Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsport. Top driver Daniel Morad finished second in Platinum while Michael De Quesada finished sixth overall and first in the Gold Cup class; these were great results, but two other team cars were severely damaged during the race.
Shaun McKaigue spun in Whites Corner, the last turn of the very first lap, bouncing off the wall right in front of Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsport’s Carlos De Quesada, resulting in a violent contact between both cars.
Later in the race, Tim Sanderson’s chase was abruptly stopped when Harry Steenbakkers hit him in the rear, sending him in the wall.
As soon as the cars were back in the paddock, chief mechanic Tony Ditto and his team went to work. Both damaged cars were hit on the front left side; both needed full front left suspension replacement as well as serious bodywork to be able to compete in the last race, held Sunday.
Working through the night
After working through the night, the team managed to have the two damaged cup cars ready with time to spare. Final alignments were done a couple of hours before Sunday’s race, tire pressure was triple-checked and off they went for a pre-race inspection.
Never give up is the team mantra and all members of the team proved it once again.
The tenth and final race was textbook perfect from start to finish. It was held under a green flag all the way, with every team competing able to do so the way the organizers intended.
Morad starting second held onto his position and kept series leader Green behind him for the entire 45 minutes of racing. Scott Hargrove won this race, as he did for Saturday’s race.
Tim Sanderson, Daniel’s teammate, also in the Platinum division, grabbed fifth position at the wheel of hia car that the team had rebuilt overnight.
Father and son
Behind the Platinum leaders, Michael De Quesad, finished seventh, good for the win in the Gold division in front of his father, Carlos De Quesada, eight overall.
This was Michael’s sixth Gold Cup win in a row, quite a feat for this 15 years old rookie.
The end result for the Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsport team, on its first year of motorsports involvement, is commendable: top driver Daniel Morad, also on his first year in the series, takes second spot in the driver’s Platinum Cup, five points behind the top spot; Michael De Quesada, a 15 years young rookie starting in competition, second in the driver’s Gold Cup, two points behind the leader. Most of all, Michael won the last six races of the season, a record for a rookie.
Team-wise, Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsport grabbed top spot in the Platinum Cup team championship and second spot, two points behind the top team, in the Gold Cup team standing.
If this new team was able to be at the top like this on its first year, imagine what will come next year! Stay tuned…
Date Posted: September 5, 2015