Amy Castell

A comeback weekend for Toyo Tires Formula 1600 driver Amy Castell at Calabogie Motorsport Park in Ontario, Canada lands her on the podium despite early struggles.

While testing on Friday presented a few mechanical issues limiting Castell’s time on track, she was able to quickly learn the 20-turn circuit in just the last two sessions of the day.  Qualifying on Saturday would find Castell sitting 10th overall and 4th in the B Class. After narrowly avoiding a race incident, Amy Castell would remain in the uncontested 3rd position for the remainder of the race.

During Sunday’s qualifying, ignition issues would mean that Castell would only be able to complete one full lap – enough to qualify 4th in B Class. An incident during the start of the race led to a restart where Castell was able to stick with Connor Wagland’s 2nd position car.

“It’s so good to be back on the podium after the difficulties we’ve been having the past few weekends,” commented Castell. “The team did an amazing job with the car and I can’t wait for next weekend!”

Castell had previously had a problematic outing in the rain-soaked BARC Grand Prix event.   The Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship winners will be determined at the 61st annual BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races on September 12-13 at Bowmanville’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Amy Castell is supported by Landmark Cinemas Canada, Castrol Canada, Bell Racing USA, Performance Physixx, KarmaComa Studio, Jaguar Land Rover Waterloo and Volvo of Waterloo, Driverseat Kitchener, and Leaf Racewear.

The Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region. The series is comprised of six double-headers and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park, and Calabogie Motorsports Park.

 

Toronto-based film and video production company KarmaComa Studio will be joining driver Amy Castell at the track for the remainder of her 2015 Toyo Tires Formula 1600 season to shoot segments for an upcoming short film about her journey to excel in the world of open wheel racing.

Formed by Anton Koher and Nikita Zolotarov, KarmaComa Studio utilizes award winning equipment to achieve dynamic cinematography for automotive and racing films.

Our goal is to tell unique, inspiring stories using exciting and innovative filmmaking techniques. We believe Amy’s journey and her passion for racing makes for a compelling story and we look forward to begin working with her in the coming weeks.” said Nikita Zolotarov

19 year-old Waterloo, Ont. Native Amy Castell began racing in the Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship at the young age of 16 and hasn’t looked back since. In 2014, she became the first female nominee for the Team Canada Scholarship – sending a Formula 1600 driver to England for the annual Formula Ford Festival at the legendary Brands Hatch circuit.

KarmaComa Studio has such a passion for all forms of racing and it really shows in their work. They bring so much experience from the film industry and are able to make motorsports look like moving art,” commented Castell. “I believe we will be able to create some amazing pieces to share my story and the world of racing with everyone.”

In addition to the short film, KarmaComa Studio will be assisting in the production of an upcoming pre-movie spot that will appear on Landmark Cinemas screens at the Kitchener and Waterloo locations this summer, as well as segments for another upcoming project to be announced later this season.

Amy’s next race will be the inaugural Bay of Quinte Grand Prix, featuring DAC Trillium Trophy Races, July 18/19, at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

Rainy conditions proved problematic for open wheel driver Amy Castell at the BARC Grand Prix of Ontario this past weekend.  Downpours and heavy winds would arrive at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park just in time for the Saturday race and would last for 24 hours, leaving the track conditions tricky for the race.

With the track surface soaked and areas left with standing water, tensions were high as the field used the pace lap to look for any places with grip.    Drivers would struggle with traction conditions as the race began, with a car hitting the wall in turn two, creating a full course caution after just a few laps.

Unfortunately for Amy Castell, she would find herself in a similar situation only a few laps after the course returned to green.

This weekend was a bit disappointing. We were running so closely to the front and had a sizeable gap to the car behind me. The rain just got the best of me into turn four and I made contact with the wall,” explained Castell. “All you can do from with things like this is figure out what you did wrong and do better next time; and I look forward to doing that.”

Assessing the situation after Saturday’s mishap, the team would decide to withdraw from Sunday’s race and focus their efforts on preparations for the next event, the inaugural Bay of Quinte Grand Prix.  The event will take place July 18-19 at Shannonville Motorsport Park and will feature DAC Trillium Trophy Races.

A strong triple-podium finish for 19 year-old Amy Castell at this past weekend’s Canadian Historic Grand Prix at Bowmanville, Ontario’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.   The Waterloo, Ontario native would capture her first win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the Club Ford, Formula Ford, and modern Formula 1600 mixed feature.   She also landed two third place finishes in the Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship features on Saturday and Sunday.

The Canadian Historic Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious events on the Vintage and Historic Racing Calendar in North America.   The largest and most popular event of its kind in Canada, it is considered a “Major Spectator Event” at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park since 1999.

Amy Castell would compete with the Open-Wheel Formula Ford Racers, the “Featured Marque” for 2015 where racers battle for the Oliver Clubine Trophy in honor of Ollie Clubine, a champion and pioneer of Canadian Road Racing.

The Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship began with their first race on Saturday afternoon.  A mid-race incident in Turn 10 would send the field to a safety car. With only one lap of green to the checkered flag, and an A-class car separating Castell from the top two B class cars, Castell would have to settle for third.

Sunday’s race would prove to be a dramatic battle between three cars for 2nd position. For the entire race, the cars of Steve Bodrug, Connor Wagland, and Amy Castell would trade positions and be nose-to-gearbox – all within striking distance at any corner. Starting the last lap in fourth position, Castell set up a stunning crossover pass in the final corner that led to a drag race down the front straight where she would finish third by half a car length.

In addition to the normal double-header format of the Toyo Tires Formula 1600, there was a feature race bringing together Club Ford, Formula Ford, and modern Formula 1600 vehicles. After qualifying on pole for the race, Castell and fellow racer David Clubine had a hard fought battle for the lead. They kept fans on their toes as they change places countless times; often going through numerous corners side-by-side. A crash by one of the front running cars would lead to the race being ended under safety car.   Castell would lead the field to the checkered flag and earn her first win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Overall this was an amazing weekend! I learned a lot about strategy and planning ahead and I think that’s what allowed us to earn 3 podiums this weekend. The car was on point this weekend and provided me with the confidence to push harder, and make the passes on the outside of corners,” commented Castell. “I also have to thank Matt Garwood for being on the radio with me and my dad for making the car a dream to drive. We will build on this weekend’s successes and keep pushing to be the best we can be.”

The Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship Series – the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region. The series is comprised of six double-headers and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.