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The 2006 Fall Classic at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant (video)

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Olivier Delorme


(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
Tremblant, Québec - The Fall Classic at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant was held on the weekend of September 22 to 24. The name is appropriate since the event starts on the first official day of the fall season. In addition, it was rainy, chilly and humid, so the track conditions were certainly not helping the fearless drivers. Thanks to the slippery surface, the few spectators on hand witnessed a spectacular display of drifting. On Sunday morning, however, the sun managed to peak through the clouds on some occasions, but the rain came back in the afternoon to spoil the party. Notwithstanding the dismal weather, everyone had a blast.

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
During the weekend, three of our writers were racing: two in the Touring Class, Nigel Heron and Pascal Bastien, and one in the Vintage Class, Amyot Bachand. In the Touring Class, the race was hotly contested as Nigel Heron and Étienne Chabot were battling for the Rookie of the year title. In the Saturday race, Nigel finished 21st after getting sandwiched. Too bad because he had qualified for the 9th place on the starting grid. Pascal Bastien could not have been steadier as he started 7th and finished in the exact same position. Finally, Amyot Bachand was 5th in the qualifying session and 9th on the overall board (first in his category).

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
On Sunday, the sun helped the drivers during the morning races. Amyot, who took part in the first race of the day, finished in 16th place due to various mechanical problems. Nigel also had a rough race; he was involved in an accident during the third lap that forced him to quit the race. For his part, Pascal came out strong but missed the podium by one place. Despite forfeiting, Nigel still finished three points ahead of Étienne Chabot in the standings and he was crowned as the 2006 Rookie of the year.

Since the Fall Classic marked the end the season in many classes, the atmosphere was unbelievable and very friendly throughout the weekend.
(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
More than seven racing classes were on the menu. Therefore, there was a lot a people in the pits and, of course, lots of great-looking race cars.

Because of the rain, several drivers had a hard time on the track, while others were luckier. One thing's for sure: the rain made for great entertainment. There were many track exits and a lot of drifting. We should point out though that the event was darkened by a major crash that nearly cost Ghislain Thériault his life. Indeed, during the open runs on Friday, Ghislain hit a deer in the middle of the track. He is said to be in stable condition but still remains in a coma. Despite his crash, Ghislain managed to win the Rookie of the year title in Formula 1600. On a happier note, many drivers showed their support to Frédérick Ouellet-Hamel, who has cancer, by sporting his name on their cars.

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
In the end, the rain of the weekend did not bring down anyone's spirit, including the spectators'. Our smiles shone brighter than the sun did on Sunday morning. Yet again, the Fall Classic was a success. For additional coverage of the event, you can see the interviews we made with our three racing writers throughout the weekend as well a complete photo gallery.
Olivier Delorme
Olivier Delorme
Automotive expert
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