It was a dream start to the revised 2016 plans for Patrick Long with Wright Motorsports filling the void left by the stalled Effort Racing effort in the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge.
Long would lead from lights to flag at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in race one on Saturday with the field getting a clean getaway, Long fending off a first lap challenge in the #58 Porsche 911 GT3R from both Absolute Bentley man Andrew Palmer and Acura driver Ryan Eversley, the Bentley man fending off the Acura to retain second slot.
Both Nissan GT-Rs were looking to make up places at the start too, there was not quite enough in the tank for either to make it by their nearest rivals.
With Eversley dropping back from the lead pair, Adderly Fong and James Davison running relatively lonely races behind it was, in truth, a fairly processional affair as the full 50 minutes stayed green.
The biggest battle in the middle part of the race was between Bryan Heitkotter in seventh, under pressure from Alvaro Parente’s K-Pax McLaren 650S GT3 but holding the #9 car at bay putting the Portuguese McLaren factory man under pressure from behind from K-Pax team-mate Austin Cindric but the more experienced man drew out an advantage in the closing stages though no opportunity presented itself for the McLaren to get onto meaningful terms with the Nissan ahead.
In GTA Mike Schein made it a Wright Motorsports Porsche double win in his #16 Porsche 911 GT3R, fending off a spirited attack from the (until now) class 100% man Martin Fuentes in his Ferrari.
Jon Fogarty held back the battling pair for a while but once the Porsche found his way by the Gainsco McLaren man sportingly allowed the Ferrari through to allow the class led battle to continue.
Brent Holden came home a distant third in GTA in the #14 Porsche.
The GT Cup lead battle looked the best of the bunch for a while but local driver Chris Green suffered the heartbreak of a left rear puncture gifting the lead, and eventual class win to Alec Udell with Sloan Urry coming home a close second.
