Paul Edwards (No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP. R): “We were running strong last year until a big pile up in the Casino turn and I spun. We were able to get a good toe down the straights and the GXP. R is always good in transitions and through the corners. We were able to hang with the front cars. We are still at a deficit to the other cars so we will need a trouble free race on the track, pits and in the inspection line. Montreal is a great track; I would love to be on the podium for this race. It supposed to be nice and cool, (so) we can turn the A/C off and get a couple extra horsepower.”
Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Coyote): “It’s always great to race in Canada, but especially at Montreal, because it’s only an hour from my home. I love the circuit - I’ve won here a few times in other cars - and the crowd will be awesome. The people there are real racing fans.”
“A lot of my friends and family members will be there, so it will be good to go to Montreal and race in front of that crowd of people as well. I’ve raced there before, but obviously at these levels the competition is pretty tough, so I’m sure the other drivers are going to figure out the track pretty quickly as well.”
Michael Valiante (No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara): “Any time I get to race in my home country, it’s a big honor to be representing Canada in this series. Racing in Montreal is a little bit different from being in my home town in Vancouver, but I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a great facility and I really enjoy Montreal.”
Jean-Francois Dumoulin (No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang GT): “Last year we finished fourth - and we almost got third, actually. The Mustang passed me on that last turn. There was an incident in the last corner. Obviously we all want to try and win races, which is why we’re all here. I think we have a good chance with the Mustang at Montreal, and since it’s my home track, I’ll be pretty excited. The team’s been working really hard. We had some motor issues this year, but I think everything should be sorted out for Montreal. I know that track and my co-driver and I are really good at that track. It’s a warm-up for my real race - Trois-Rivieres.”
“It’s always fun to race at home; you know a lot people. All my friends will be there. I don’t really get nervous when they are all there. Actually, I think the extra pressure helps me out.”
Christian Fittipaldi (No. 16 Cheever Racing Pontiac Coyote): “I am happy to be back with Cheever Racing and the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team, and especially look forward to driving again with Antonio (Garcia). We get along very well and I admire his skill as a driver. This combination has great potential.”
Mark Wilkins (No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford Riley): “I’ve raced pretty much everything here: Formula Renault, Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Mazda, so I’ve got quite a bit of experience here. It’s different from the tracks we usually race on, so I’m looking forward to it. Running the open-wheel cars helped me in my move to Daytona Prototypes here last year, because the lines are pretty similar. Getting used to the extra weight of the Daytona Prototype was the big difference, but the experience in open-wheel cars really helped me get up to speed last year.”
Sylvain Tremblay (No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8): “It’s my hometown; my home track. We had a great run there last year, just with some problems. I really enjoy the track and the French-Canadian culture. It’s neat to bring my team and my crew to where I grew up, so they can see a lot of the things I talk about. That’s always fun.”
“We focused improving a couple of key areas for our run at Montreal. We made some changes to improve our car dramatically and that should make a big difference there. Every year, it’s a case where there will be someone I haven’t seen in 10 years - and it’s always fun to go. It’s a very busy time for us, with extra family and that sort of thing, but I enjoy all of it!”
Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley): “Montreal is a great track and one that I’ve always loved. Having watched the F1 races over the years, it’s always a special kind of feeling racing on the same track as they do. Now, with the NASCAR Nationwide Series there as well, our Montreal weekend is a very big happening. Last year, it looked like we were headed for a win but a faulty wheel gun put a stop to that. We fell to 10th after our mishap and I had a great time trying to make it back toward the front. I made it up to third and was very happy to get by Scott Pruett in the last few laps for the last podium spot. There are some very long straights at Montreal, which hasn’t been our strong suit this year, but everyone on the team and everyone at Pontiac have been doing everything possible to give us the best possible package. With the championship looking more and more difficult, we very much want to win this race, especially since we think we gave one up at Barber.”
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