Pirelli Echo Cup Returns for 2005, Adds Ontario Event

The Pirelli Echo Cup series will return in 2005 with more teams and technical changes for the upcoming season. The series, born in 2004 from an agreement among the Toyota Dealer Association, Pirelli Tire Inc. and several sponsors, was enormously successful in its first season. “The series will be even more competitive this year,” explains Public Relations Manager Jean Malboeuf. “An additional dozen cars will be starting the series and our drivers now have the experience of a full season under their belt. Our small Echos are performing better than ever. The event calendar is taking a whole new dimension as we will race on more tracks and will even hold a round in Ontario. The success of the Pirelli Echo Cup series rests on the drivers and the wonderful management team.”

The 2004 champion with the Futuroto Team, Jacques Blanger, will return to defend his title against many experienced drivers such as Luc Lesage, Stphane Trahan, Yves Legris, Bruno Carr, Jean-Sbastien Besner and Yannick Bardieux.

Sylvain Prigny, last year’s Trac Racing Rookie of The Year, will have to give up his spot on the team to make room for other new rookies, like Franois Viau, Steven Leblanc and Stphane Bastarache. However, Prigny will join the Dry Toyota Team and will be teamed up with Jean-Franois Veilleux, an experienced driver and past national champion. The season will undoubtedly have its share of surprises; we remember for instance the unexpected victory of Daniel Fortin in his first Mont-Tremblant race last year.

The Pirelli Echo Cup will hold a highly anticipated visit to the Trois-Rivires Grand Prix and will also stage its first race out of Qubec on the new Calabogie track, northwest of Ottawa. The season will end during the Fall Classic on the Mont-Tremblant track.

For 2005, the small Echos will remain the same, except for new Koni Sport shocks and Snyper brakes that have been designed specifically for the series.