Lombardi Honda Racing collects another "Top 5"…
Nick Wittmer and Benjamin Distaulo Ensure Points at Mosport
Nick Wittmer and Benjamin Distaulo Ensure Points at Mosport
Mosport Park (Ontario), August 30, 2010.- The Lombardi Honda Racing team competed in the second-last event of the Canadian Touring Car Championship, held this past weekend at Mosport, near Oshawa. This double-header program allowed Nick Wittmer to maintain his lead in the Super Touring Driver's Championship while teammate Benjamin Distaulo's monumental comeback put him in the weekend's spotlight.
Contested as part of the American Le Mans Series Weekend, this new event on the Mosport track, where Nick Wittmer had won a race in June, was awaited with impatience by the entire Lombardi Honda Racing team. During Saturday afternoon's race, Nick Wittmer and Benjamin Distaulo finished back-to-back in fifth and sixth spots. The following day, Wittmer crossed the finish line in sixth place while Distaulo, who was forced to start last (30th place), made a huge comeback to finish tenth overall.
"Honestly, I was going for a podium but the first race was a bit chaotic so finishing in the "Top 5" is acceptable. During the second race, I had to deal with some mechanical problems so ensuring good points became the essential goal," explains Nick Wittmer. As for Benjamin Distaulo, after finishing behind his teammate on Saturday, he gave an exceptional performance on Sunday by climbing twenty spots.
"My biggest handicap was that the entire race was completed without a single yellow flag, which would have allowed me to close the gaps between the competitor with a little more ease. I had to push to the maximum and work really hard to win back spots one at a time during the thirty minutes of competition," explains Benjamin.
Ontarian driver André Rapone was entered by the Lombardi Honda Racing team in a third car for the weekend. Unfortunately, mechanical problems prevented him from competing both races.
Team owner Tony Lombardi has a mixed assessment of their weekend but the important thing for him was to leave Mosport with their championship lead in tact.
"We won't hide the fact that it was a challenging weekend mechanically, troubles prevented Nick and Benjamin from performing at their usual level and battling amongst the leaders as we have been accustomed to since early in the season," he explains. "I hold onto the fact that our drivers and mechanics never gave up and that allowed us to earn important points in the hunt for the title. Everything will now play out in two weeks at the final event on the ICAR circuit in Mirabel. According to my calculations, Nick has a 46 point lead in the championship so we can remain pretty optimistic," adds Tony Lombardi. The next event in the Canadian Touring Car Championship is the last of the season. It will take place at the ICAR complex in Mirabel on September 11 and 12.
Lombardi Honda Racing is contesting all rounds of the 2010 Canadian Touring Car Championship, which kicked off the season with two visits to Mosport before the Grand Prix in Mirabel, Toronto, and Trois-Rivières. The season concludes with this third trip to Mosport and a second visit to Mirabel in mid-September. The team receives support from the following partners : Lombardi Honda, Trim Line Montréal, Discount, Pole-Position Magazine, Distaulo Racing (Puma), Perry Auto Parts, Gulf and Pneu Nicoletti. All information concerning the dealership can be accessed on the web site http://www.lombardihonda.com/. For more information on the racing team, visit the site http://www.lombardiracing.com/ or visit the Lombardi Honda Racing page on Facebook and team videos on Youtube.
For more information :
Lombardi Honda Racing
(514) 728-2222
Contested as part of the American Le Mans Series Weekend, this new event on the Mosport track, where Nick Wittmer had won a race in June, was awaited with impatience by the entire Lombardi Honda Racing team. During Saturday afternoon's race, Nick Wittmer and Benjamin Distaulo finished back-to-back in fifth and sixth spots. The following day, Wittmer crossed the finish line in sixth place while Distaulo, who was forced to start last (30th place), made a huge comeback to finish tenth overall.
"Honestly, I was going for a podium but the first race was a bit chaotic so finishing in the "Top 5" is acceptable. During the second race, I had to deal with some mechanical problems so ensuring good points became the essential goal," explains Nick Wittmer. As for Benjamin Distaulo, after finishing behind his teammate on Saturday, he gave an exceptional performance on Sunday by climbing twenty spots.
"My biggest handicap was that the entire race was completed without a single yellow flag, which would have allowed me to close the gaps between the competitor with a little more ease. I had to push to the maximum and work really hard to win back spots one at a time during the thirty minutes of competition," explains Benjamin.
Ontarian driver André Rapone was entered by the Lombardi Honda Racing team in a third car for the weekend. Unfortunately, mechanical problems prevented him from competing both races.
Team owner Tony Lombardi has a mixed assessment of their weekend but the important thing for him was to leave Mosport with their championship lead in tact.
"We won't hide the fact that it was a challenging weekend mechanically, troubles prevented Nick and Benjamin from performing at their usual level and battling amongst the leaders as we have been accustomed to since early in the season," he explains. "I hold onto the fact that our drivers and mechanics never gave up and that allowed us to earn important points in the hunt for the title. Everything will now play out in two weeks at the final event on the ICAR circuit in Mirabel. According to my calculations, Nick has a 46 point lead in the championship so we can remain pretty optimistic," adds Tony Lombardi. The next event in the Canadian Touring Car Championship is the last of the season. It will take place at the ICAR complex in Mirabel on September 11 and 12.
Lombardi Honda Racing is contesting all rounds of the 2010 Canadian Touring Car Championship, which kicked off the season with two visits to Mosport before the Grand Prix in Mirabel, Toronto, and Trois-Rivières. The season concludes with this third trip to Mosport and a second visit to Mirabel in mid-September. The team receives support from the following partners : Lombardi Honda, Trim Line Montréal, Discount, Pole-Position Magazine, Distaulo Racing (Puma), Perry Auto Parts, Gulf and Pneu Nicoletti. All information concerning the dealership can be accessed on the web site http://www.lombardihonda.com/. For more information on the racing team, visit the site http://www.lombardiracing.com/ or visit the Lombardi Honda Racing page on Facebook and team videos on Youtube.
For more information :
Lombardi Honda Racing
(514) 728-2222
2010 Canadian Touring Car Championship
Date Location
May 22 and 23 Victoria Day Weekend at Mosport, Ontario
June 12 and 13 NASCAR High Octane Weekend at Mosport, Ontario
July 3 and 4 ICAR Grand Prix de Mirabel, Quebec
July 17 and 18 Honda Indy Toronto Grand Prix
August 14 and 15 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Quebec
August 28 and 29 American Le Mans Weekend at Mosport, Ontario
September 11 and 12 ICAR Sundown Weekend Mirabel, Quebec
Photo Credit : © Sylvain Lachapelle/Lombardi Honda Racing.
Photo 1: Nick Wittmer, leading the championship for the Lombardi Honda Racing team.
Photo 2: Benjamin Distaulo in action at the wheel of his Honda Civic Si.
Photo 1: Nick Wittmer, leading the championship for the Lombardi Honda Racing team.
Photo 2: Benjamin Distaulo in action at the wheel of his Honda Civic Si.
