Richard Boake makes a hat trick on the streets of Toronto

Richard Boake dominated the TCR field in the second event of the Sports Car Championship Canada on the streets of Toronto. The Blanchet Motorsports driver and his Audi RS 3 LMS have won all the three races of the weekend ahead of the points leader Dean Baker, whose leading margin was reduced to 40 points over Boake.

Race 1 – Louis-Philippe Montour had won the pole at the end of a close Qualifying with the top-four covered by 25 hundredths, as Baker, Boake and IMSA guest star Mark Wilkins were just behind the leader. Baker led from Montour at the start, but they made contact in lap 2, with Montour’s Volkswagen Golf GTI crashing against the wall. In lap 6, Boake passed Baker for the lead just before the safety car was deployed following an incident that eliminated Ed Killeen and Quinn Attrell. 

Racing resumed for the two final laps, with Marco Cirone moving into second ahead of Baker who was then able to regain the position during the last lap; Wilkins beat Justin Di Benedetto to the line in the sprint for P4.

Race 2 – Boake sat on pole thanks to his second-best Qualifying lap, with Montour alongside him. Montour started well and led, while Boake struggled to keep Gary Kwok and Wilkins behind. Montour built a 2.3-second margin over Boake, while Kwok, Wilkins, Baker and Cirone delivered a close battle for P3. Soon, Boake began to eat into Montour’s margin and eventually passed him for the lead in lap 7. Behind them, Baker overtook Wilkins for P4 in lap 4 and then Kwok for P3 in lap 5; Cirone imitated Baker and moved up to fourth in lap 6. Then, in lap 8, Wilkins passed Kwok for P5 after their cars clashed.

In lap 12, after a TCA car stopped on the track, the safety car was deployed and circulated until the end of lap 13; Boake was right behind a pair of GT4 cars and he was closely chased by Montour, Baker and Cirone. In lap 17, Baker overtook Montour for P2 just before Connor Attrell’s Hyundai Elantra crashed into the wall and prompted the safety car back on track; the race was then neutralized until the chequered flag was waved, hailing Boake’s second victory of the day from Baker, Montour, Cirone, Wilkins and Kwok. 

Race 3 – Following the results of Race 2, Boake and Baker shared the front row and led the field at the start with Cirone and Montour their first pursuers. Gary Kwok was under pressure while defending P5 from Wilkins and Di Benedetto; then he was hit by Di Benedetto and crashed in lap 4, prompting the safety car into action. Racing resumed in lap 10, with Boake and Baker fighting for the lead, while Cirone was now chased by Wilkins who had passed Montour for P4. Boake managed to pull away from Baker, while Montour and Di Benedetto joined Cirone and Wilkins in the battle for P3. For the rest of the race, Wilkins stuck on the tail of Cirone’s car, but couldn’t find a way through, while Montour kept Di Benedetto at bay to finish fifth.

The series will resume in three-week time at Trois Rivières.

Toronto – Race 1

1. Richard Boake (Blanchet Motorsports, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 14 laps

2. Dean Baker (Baker Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 0.444

3. Marco Cirone (Martella Motorsports, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 1.370

Toronto – Race 2

1. Richard Boake (Blanchet Motorsports, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 24 laps

2. Dean Baker (Baker Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 2.459

3. Louis-Philippe Montour (GT Racing, Volkswagen Golf GTI), 3.558

Toronto – Race 3

1. Richard Boake (Blanchet Motorsports, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 23 laps

2. Dean Baker (Baker Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 2.650

3. Marco Cirone (Martella Motorsports, Audi RS 3 LMS II), 9.796

Championship points

1. D. Baker, 215 pts; 2. R. Boake, 175; 3. LP. Montour, 152

Picture: Chaitan Singh@abyssalmedia