A very trying rounds 3 and 4 of the Canadian Touring Car Championship held at ICAR on June 3rd through 5th leads to a podium finish in race one, but ends in disappointment as both cars DNF in race two.

June 7th, Ottawa, ON - The 8legs Racing team arrived at the newly redesigned and extended Circuit ICAR at Mirabel, QC early on Thursday morning, with the intent of getting some testing done prior to the official Friday event start.  Unfortunately, the #11 BMW of Eric Hochgeschurz, with a fresh race engine installed, was not yet ready for the track, and was still at the engine tuner's shop.  Additionally, the spec fuel for the CTCC was not available at the track, and the #10 car sat empty and waiting.  As a result, no testing could be done for either car, and the team went on to enjoy some local hospitality and wait impatiently for Friday morning.

During Friday morning practice, Arek Wojciechowski in the #10 BMW was finally able to get on track, and experience the changes made to the circuit.  He found it to be extremely bumpy, dirty, and green.  Fortunately, most other competitors were in the same situation, except for the lucky few who were able to take advantage of Thursday testing. The #11 car did not arrive at the track in time for the morning test session.

Afternoon qualifying went without incident for the #10 car, leaving Wojciechowski to start in 5th position.  Eric Hochgeschurz didn't fair so well.  After only two laps, the car started to overheat, and his session was done.  The suspected culprit was a failed head gasket.  A long night was ahead for the 8legs Racing crew.  A replacement head gasket was available, so the team got to work disassembling the engine.  Late into the night, the work was done, and the car was ready for Saturday morning practice.

Race time Saturday afternoon arrived with sunny skies, and the drivers were eager to race.  Due to a mix up in positioning as the cars rolled out on track, Wojciechowski was forced to start on the outside rather then the more desirable (and correct) inside starting position.  Additionally, a miss-shift during the start caused the #10 car to loose several positions, leaving Wojciechowski with a challenging climb back towards the front of the pack.  His efforts paid off, and Arek Wojciechowski finished the race in third place, earning him his third podium finish of the season!  "This track is very hard to pass on," commented Wojciechowski, "It really becomes a matter of out-breaking your competitors into a turn, and hoping to still make it!  I'm very happy with the result, despite my less than stellar start."  Eric Hochgeschurz, with a largely un-tuned (but at least working!) engine completed the race in 8th position in class, after fighting his way from the back of the field.

Minor setup changes and additional engine tweaks to the #11 car prior to Sunday morning practice showed good promise as the car was finally running well and only slightly behind the #10 car.  The 8legs Racing cars were ready for the second race of the weekend, and the team was in good spirits!

Unfortunately, it was not to be.  The green flag waved, and the lead cars charged into turn one.  Wojciechowski defended the inside, but ran out of room and contact occurred with the #14 Hyundai Genesis, causing it to spin, and subsequently get T-boned by the #10 BMW.  Wojciechowski was able to continue, but a short time later, the engine started to overheat.  Not wanting to risk catastrophic engine failure, he pulled off the track, and discovered a failed hose clamp ... the engine had no water, and his race was finished.

Hochgeschurz did not fair any better.  While his start was clean, barely into lap two, the engine lost power and he pulled into the pits.  All kinds of steam and smoke emanated from the engine signaled the end of the race for the #11 car as well.  Both drivers were understandably disappointed with the result of this race.  Arek Wojciechowski said, "After the particularly bad start, the engine started to overheat.  Knowing how sensitive these engines are to heat, I just didn't want to chance it. While I'm disappointed that I had to cut my race short, I'm very glad that the engine is ok, and I will be back to race another day!"  Hochgeschurz felt similar disappointment.  "I long for the days of reliable engines, and just driving and having fun." he commented.

What fate awaits the 8legs Racing team at Mosport in three weeks?  Find out at the Vortex Brake Pads 200 on June 25th and 26th.

8legs Racing is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and is supported by their family and friends, as well as the following partners: Lachute Performance, Bimmerworld, and Carleton Collision. Visit them online at www.8legsRacing.com where you will find information about the team, the cars, and the blog … which tells the whole story!

For more information contact:

Arek Wojciechowski
(613) 295-1329

Eric Hochgeschurz
(613) 769-8109

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Ottawa, Ontario, May 23rd, 2011 - The 8legs Racing team returned to Mosport Park for the first and second rounds of the 2011 Canadian Touring Car Challenge season held on May 21st and 22nd. This year, the team has entered a pair of BMWs in the championship. Driver Eric Hochgeschurz returns in car #11, and after a year off, Arek Wojciechowski takes the driver seat once again in the new #10 BMW.

After a few very hectic days leading up to the weekend - involving a last minute engine swap - the team unfortunately missed all testing and practice sessions. However, both cars were ready to roll out for qualifying at 8:40am on Saturday morning!  Definitely a testament to the hard work and long hours put in by the crew.

Immediately the #10 car showed its strength by qualifying in 2nd position, only 6 one thousands off the pole.  Hochgeschurz qualified 11th, using the session mostly to ensure the car was working correctly after all the last minute work.

The weather, being its unpredictable norm at Mosport, decided to throw some unplanned rain into the mix as the cars rolled out for race one on Saturday afternoon. Since all the cars were wearing slick tires not suitable for rain, this certainly made it a race to remember for all drivers!  Car control was of utmost importance.  Arek Wojciechowski in the #10 car lost the second place position to the #13 BMW, but as the conditions deteriorated, he kept the pressure up and regained the position, finishing the race in second place. "I think that race took 10 years off my life ... It was a really tough drive!" said Wojciechowski. Unfortunately, the winning Subaru with its all-wheel drive advantage was out of reach in the rain.

After steady gains and a careful drive in the worsening conditions, Eric Hochgeschurz brought the #11 car across the finish line in 5th position in class ... a great finish considering he didn't even have a windshield wiper installed!

Sunday morning practice saw both cars and drivers make good progress, but unfortunately the #11 car suffered electrical failures, including the loss of the power steering pump. After some quick repairs by the crew, the 8legs Racing BMWs were ready for race two Sunday afternoon.

Despite an 80% chance of rain, the track stayed dry for the race, and allowed both drivers to set personal bests on this track!  After losing two positions as the green flag was waved, steady pressure and a flawless drive by Wojciechowski again brought the #10 car across the finish line in second position, earning him the second podium of the weekend, and a solid 2nd place in the overall championship points.

Eric Hochgeschurz fought hard to maintain his position, but the same electrical problems that plagued the car in practice resurfaced, and despite best efforts, he finished in 7th position. "We knew that we were going into this weekend at a disadvantage with last year's underpowered engine," commented Hochgeschurz, "but I can say that we worked very hard to ensure that the #11 car would be able to race, and I'm very happy with the result!" Hochgeschurz' race results earned him a 5th place overall in the points.

The 8legs Racing team will return in two weeks for rounds 3 and 4 at the challenging Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, QC.

And they will be ready ...

8legs Racing is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and is supported by their family and friends, as well as the following partners: Lachute Performance, Bimmerworld, and Carleton Collision. Visit them online at www.8legsRacing.com where you will find information about the team, the cars, and the blog … which tells the whole story!

For more information contact:

Arek Wojciechowski
(613) 295-1329

Eric Hochgeschurz
(613) 769-8109

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A very productive test day on Friday allowed Eric Hochgeschurz to develop further confidence in this season's newly built #11 BMW.  Excellent weather, a well-prepared car, consistent driving, and some luck combined for a nearly perfect weekend result.

Hochgeschurz qualified a respectable 10^th on Saturday morning.  A great clean start in Race One on Saturday afternoon saw the 8legs Racing BMW move up six positions by mid-race, but despite a hard run at the 3^rd place #36 Subaru WRX, Hochgeschurz finished in 4^th place.

Sunday afternoon was another hot and humid day at Le Circuit ICAR. During the pace lap, the BMW of Greg Pootmans had a mechanical failure leaving a gap in the first row starting position.  As the green flag flew, Eric Hochgeschurz seized the opportunity and moved into 2^nd place on the first lap where he would build a gap while trying to chase down the race leader.  A full course yellow in lap five tightened up the field, and Eric briefly lost a position to the Camirand Competition BMW Z3 coupe; but due to a mechanical failure in the Z3, this did not last. Clean racing and good defending kept Eric in 2^nd place and in front of the hard charging #12 RSX until the race was finished early under a red flag.

"Eric drove a perfect race," commented Arek Wojciechowski, 8legs Racing crew chief.  "He had a great start, consistent lap times, great racing lines, and he defended his position well."  He added: "The crew worked hard to provide a great car, and we were all grinning during the feature race!" 

After the emotional podium celebration, Eric Hochgeschurz said: "The car was fantastic for the entire race!  I just focused on driving my lines and not driving in my mirrors. I thought back to my SoloSprint days, and just drove against the clock.  It was an awesome end to the weekend!"

8legs Racing is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and is supported by their family and friends, as well as the following partners: Bimmerworld, Bully Performance Clutch, and Carleton Collision. Visit them online at www.8legsRacing.com where you will find information about the team, the cars, and the blog … which tells the whole story!

For more information contact:

Arek Wojciechowski
(613) 295-1329

Eric Hochgeschurz
(613) 769-8109

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CTCC is the feature series of the weekend.  Visit us in the paddock, and come cheer us on during the races.  This venue is less than two hours from Ottawa.  More information and tickets available at this link: http://www.circuiticar.com/