The first race weekend of the year is always special. Getting to see friends and rivals from last year, seeing if you’ve gotten rusty in the off season, or start off right where you left off. Being part of the Vallis Motor Sport team, Daniel was confident that he’d have a fast car.
Throughout morning practice, Daniel kept cool, made mental notes of the track conditions, and gave feedback to the team during the debriefs.
Demaras was quick in qualifying, working the draft with new teammate Jason in the No. 19. Pole position was out of his grasp, but Daniel would start on the inside of row 2.
The stress of the first race weekend in the 2023 Canadian Formula 1200 Championship overwhelmed Daniel.
With a fresh rebuild over the winter, the No. 12 MagiSeal Formula 1200 car was in top shape, but all that vibration can shake things loose. The team carefully checked over the car.
Bill Vallis and Bill Davis worked to find more speed out of the 1200 cc powerplant, by making a timing adjustment before the first race of the weekend.
Meanwhile Phil ‘the champ’ Wang held court with the drivers, announcing the new series sponsors including EPIC Racewear and Velo Stak along with returning sponsor Illustrated Tracks. Demaras was lucky enough to win an Ayrton Senna print.
With the driver’s meeting over, and smiles hidden away, the raging bumblebees that are the Formula 1200 race cars took to the track for an exciting Race 1 of the BEMC Spring Trophy weekend.
At the start/finish line on the opening lap, contact between the No. 38’s nosecone and the No. 12’s overflow bottle (at the tail-end of the car) brought out a yellow flag. A trailing racer hit the aluminum bottle and sent it flying through the air like a missle, bringing out the red flag to retrieve the debris, and the stricken No. 38 race car.
Daniel started the race P3 and moved up to P2 by the checkered flag. Sunday would give two more chances to race for victory.
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