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Season Recap Blog 2: Victoria Day Speedfest

Posted on: December 4th, 2013 | No Comments

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David Ostella made his debut in the Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin Series in late May at the first race of the 2013 season, the Victoria Day Speedfest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport). Ostella benefited from being at a track he knew like the back of his hand, but he had to handle the nerves of beginning a new series in a new car. The nerves were not around for long, however. After a fifth place finish in Race 1 Ostella found the top of the podium in Race 2. With the Victoria Day Speedfest following the 12 Hours of Sebring, that made back-to-back winning weekends for the 22-year-old.

You consider Mosport your home track. Does this mean you’re more comfortable there?

David: “Mosport is my home track. I’ve probably raced there, been on the track there, more than any other track. It made things a little easier knowing it so well. Of course being in the Porsche for the first time, it was helpful to be some place I knew.”

This was your first race in a Porsche, were you nervous at all?

David: “Every time I get into a race car a little bit of nerves start to build. You start thinking about the whole season and how this race affects it. But you just have to keep your head down and focus on what’s in front of you, what you have to accomplish.”

Did it take time to get used to the way a Porsche handles, or was it easy for you?

David: “It was only my third or fourth time in a Porsche at all at this point. It is an easy car to drive once you get things figured out. In the first race it was a little challenging because I was learning what the car’s braking weight was and how it handles. But after that I felt pretty comfortable in the car.”

You had back-to-back race weekend wins, did this make you feel like sportscar racing was for you? 

David: “It reassured me on the choice I had made to move to sportscars. I felt much more comfortable. The first race I finished fifth, I was still figuring the car out, like I said it was only my third time in a Porsche. The second race I won and it was a clean race with a lot of battles going on. It was encouraging.”

The GT3 Cup Challenge Canada races are sprint races and you had just come off of an endurance race, did you have to change your racing style?

David: “You have to change your mindset. At Sebring I didn’t have to worry about getting the lead right out of the box. With the Porsche races you have to get up to speed immediately or you’re done. You have to take care of the tires and the car because if you have to come in to the pits it’s over. That type of racing is more my style.”

After that first weekend what were your thoughts about the Canadian series and the rest of the season? 

David: “I could tell I was in a great development series. I knew I would learn a lot about Porsche. It was a great starter series, it’s only three years old and it is a series where you can learn. It gets you a lot of exposure too, being able to participate in F1 weekends and being around the bigger guys.”

What do you like most about Mosport?

David: “I’m comfortable there, Mosport is one of my favorite tracks. It’s because of Turn 8, after the straightaway. You pull a lot of G-force. You have to use light braking, if you go in too fast you’ll lose it if you brake too much then you’ll be too slow through the turn. I love the blind corners, it’s just a great track.”