BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (Aug. 28, 2015) – Scott Hargrove knows his chances are slim to repeat as Platinum Cup champion in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin. So all he can do is keep the pedal to the metal.

Hargrove, from Surrey, British Columbia, led both practices on the opening day of the season finale for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Single-Make Series Friday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. His best lap of 1 minute, 19.608 seconds, came during the first, early-afternoon session in the No. 25 OpenRoad Racing Porsche.

“I’m pretty much out there having a ball, as I know the championship is a long shot,” Hargrove said. “The best way to go about it is to have fun and drive the wheels off the car. So that’s what I’m doing. Sawing at the wheel, having a grin on my face the entire time and just looking forward to the race.”

Championship leader Chris Green, from Montreal, was second at 1:19.876 from the first session in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche. His closest pursuer, Daniel Morad of Thornhill, Ontario, was third at 1:19.891 from the second session in the No. 22 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports entry.

Green, from Montreal, leads Morad by 11 points, 140-129, entering the final two rounds. Green must score at least 30 points – a combined finish of third and fourth – to clinch his first Platinum Cup title.

Hargrove is third in the standings, 22 points behind Green. He missed the opening two rounds of the season on Victoria Day Weekend at CTMP in mid-May but has won five of his six starts since his season debut in June at Toronto.

“The first session this morning was the first time I had been on this track in a year, so I’m still getting back into the groove,” Hargrove said. “I got out of the car after the first session and wasn’t quite happy with some of the things I was doing, so I went back out there, even though we were on older tires, and made some gains through the corners and in my driving. We were able to match the time for this morning.”

Rounds 9 and 10 will take place Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30 during the popular NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at CTMP. Round 9 is scheduled for 2:50 p.m. (ET) Saturday, with Round 10 starting at 4:15 p.m. Sunday. Both races are 45 minutes.

Qualifying is scheduled from 8:55-9:15 a.m. Saturday on the daunting, 10-turn, 3.957-km (2.459 miles) circuit.

Harry Steenbakkers, from Ottawa, was fourth quickest Friday during practice at 1:20.294 in the No. 78 Mark Motors Racing Porsche.

Platinum Masters championship leader Marco Cirone, from Toronto, rounded out the top five at 1:20.329 in the No. 88 Mark Motors Racing Porsche. Cirone leads Tim Sanderson of Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports by eight points, 156-148, as he aims for his third consecutive Platinum Masters title.

Michael de Quesada, from Odessa, Florida, was the quickest driver in the Gold Cup class at 1:21.706 in the No. 24 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports entry. De Quesada, 15, has won four consecutive rounds entering this event and is eight points behind Gold Cup championship leader and fellow series rookie Orey Fidani, who leads 136-128.

“Whatever happens, happens,” de Quesada said. “I can only do my race; everyone else is going to do theirs. I can’t let myself get too overwhelmed about it.

“I came here for the first weekend of the series and didn’t do too well, had a major crash. Same with Toronto. Then we got this new car, and immediately this car was awesome for me. And then through the season, I got so much experience, and I got so much better and learned so much more.

“When I came here (this weekend), it was just natural for me. It just came quick after I learned the track.

Fidani, from Woodbridge, Ontario, was second quickest at 1:22.347 in the No. 13 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche to set up a scintillating showdown for the title.

The Team Championship races are tight between rivals Pfaff Motorsports and Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville. Pfaff leads, 140-138, in Platinum Cup and 136-128 in Gold Cup.

Schedule

Qualifying: 8:55-9:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29

Round 9 (45 minutes): 2:50-3:35 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29

Round 10 (45 minutes): 4:15-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30

Driver Autograph Session: Noon-12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, Victory Podium

Race Coverage

Live timing: All on-track sessions at scoring.imsa.com

Twitter: Live text commentary from all sessions at @IMSALive

For more information about Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, visit www.imsa.com, follow hashtag #GT3CAN @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.