CTMP Friday Notebook

Photo: Brian Cleary/BCPix.com

***There have been a number of Balance of Performance adjustments made for SRO Category C tracks ahead of this weekend. It includes a 30kg weight break and turbo boost increase for the Acura TLX GT, a decrease in top-end boost for the Cadillac ATS.V-R and weight adjustments for the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 (+5kg) and Audi R8 LMS ultra (-20kg).

***Both Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the most recent round at Barber Motorsports Park are classified as Category C tracks. The BoP changes were already in place for last weekend’s Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup round at Silverstone, which is also Category C.

***Cadillac had its worst qualifying effort of the season, with Michael Cooper and Johnny O’Connell qualifying the ATS-V.Rs 10th and 12th, respectively. “We are struggling for power, searching for some top speed. Johnny and I ringing the necks of these Cadillac ATS-V.R Coupes,” Cooper said.

***Despite entry fee incentives from the series, there have been no additions to the SprintX grid this weekend. A handful of teams from the GT/GTA/GT Cup classes had considered running their cars but ultimately opted out due to potential damage risks and the fact of being on back-to-back race weekends.

***Turner Motorsport considered running its BMW M6 GT3 for Bret Curtis and Jens Klingmann in SprintX but Curtis told Sportscar365 they did not want to compromise their PWC GTA effort. There was also talk of TruSpeed potentially entering its GT Cup class Porsche for Sloan Urry and his driver coach, Ryan Dalziel, but it also did not materialize.

***Urry is again racing this weekend with a fractured wrist following a non-racing related accident last month prior to Barber. The GT Cup points leader drove Barber with the injury, finishing 3rd and 2nd in class, and had it casted in between rounds.

***Only seven SprintX cars qualified as the No. 69 M1 GT Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra of Dion von Moltke and David Ostella was sidelined with suspension issues. A ball joint failed on the car in morning practice and wasn’t able to be repaired in time for qualifying. The car will start from the rear of the grid.

***Turner driver Bret Curtis told Sportscar365 his BMW has been down on straight-line speed and attributed it to the SRO BoP. Curtis, who is taking part in the full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with the car, is using this weekend to get additional seat time in the turbocharged GT3 sports sedan.

***Patrick Long, who makes PWC debut with Wright Motorsports this weekend, is driving the same Porsche 911 GT3 R chassis the former series champion ran at EFFORT Racing, prior to the team’s abrupt end to its 2016 program. Both Porsches EFFORT had campaigned are privately owned.

***Long’s former teammate, Michael Lewis, is on the sidelines this weekend but is working on a few different options to put him back in the series later this year. Lewis currently sits 4th in the GT class points standings, thanks to his pair of wins at St. Pete.

***Of note, there are a total of 14 new-for-2016 Porsche 911 GT3 R cars in North America. Porsche Motorsport North America President Jens Walther told Sportscar365 the German manufacturer has reached production capacity for this year and are currently taking orders for November deliveries.

***While college students Alec Udell and Michael Cooper have finished up their classes for the school year, high schooler Austin Cindric still has to take his finals next week. The 17 year-old K-PAX Racing driver will fly back to Charlotte Sunday night and take his biology final on Monday.

***Jon Fogarty competed in last weekend’s Coast Hills Classic mountain bike race in Newport, Ore. The two-time Grand-Am champion, along with his son Will, were among the 200 individuals that took part in the 24-mile race.

***All cars in this weekend’s Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama race are carrying decals in support of the Canadian Red Cross’ Alberta Fire Relief Fund. Series officials will be hosting a raffle at the track, with the winner getting a parade lap prior to Sunday’s second race. All funds will go the Canadian Red Cross.

***Catch live streaming coverage of tomorrow’s races on world-challenge.com. The GTS race gets underway at 10:20 a.m. ET, followed by GT/GTA/GT Cup at 1:15 p.m. ET and SprintX at 5:45 p.m. ET. Highlights of all three races will be aired Sunday, May 29 at 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John