CCTCC: Nick Wittmer now 2nd in Touring standings with Lombardi Honda Racing

JF Dumoulin, a pair of 4th places ... Nick Wittmer now 2nd in CTCC standings with Lombardi Honda Racing

Shannonville, Ontario, June 1st, 2009 – The second double header of the Canadian Touring Car Championship was held this weekend on the twisty Shannonville racetrack near Belleville and Montrealer Nick Wittmer earned a well deserved second place Saturday for the first round and settled for 6th place on Sunday with his new Honda Civic. The 23-year old driver started from third row on the first-round grid and carved his way up to second within a few laps.

He then tried to pass for the lead but ran out of laps. By virtue of the series ruling, he started from the front row for the Sunday round but experienced a power steering problem on the pace lap: he had to muscle his steering for the entire race and finally ended up in sixth overall. Meanwhile, new team-mate Jean-François Dumoulin took Lombardi Honda Racing second entry to a pair of fourth places in his maiden weekend with his new team. After four races, Wittmer now sits in second place in the series standings.

"We knew our cars had a better handling on such a twisty racetrack" commented a smiling Nick Wittmer. "Shannonville is the kind of track that forgives a lack of power and our Civics do rather well for atmospheric engines. I thought I had victory in sight on Sunday but understood my luck had turned when I felt the steering so hard. I was loosing all precision entering a corner and decided to nurse my car to the chequered flag. I think I will retain second place in the standings after the weekend but Lombardi is the best team overall."

"My car was well balanced", added Dumoulin who hails out of Trois-Rivières. "And the crew at Lombardi is so much fun to work with. I think I got the best out of my car with these fourth places and I hope we can improve for the next program at Mosport. This is the kind of track where you can challenge heavier and more powerful cars."

Back to Mosport in two weeks

CTCC series will head back to Mosport on June 13 and 14 for another double header. Lombardi Honda Racing will have again Wittmer (06) and Dumoulin (22) driving its Civics. "I met Jean-François Dumoulin on many occasions in Grand-Am weekends", mentioned Nick. "We get along very well and I must say he is as much fun to work with as my brother Kuno."

Lombardi Honda Racing team is competing in the Canadian Touring championship for a fourth season. The 2009 schedule shows 15 rounds heading to six facilities, It will star twice on the new ICAR track in Mirabel and the most important double header of the summer will obviously be the GP3R." 

For more information, go to Lombardi Honda web sites at www.lombardihonda.com or www.lombardiracing.com.
For more information : Michel Poirier-Defoy : 514 – 942 – 8463