Trois-Rivières, Quebec – Max Mällinen encountered his first street circuit and came away with two fifth place finishes over the Formula Tour 1600 weekend at GP3R, or better known as the tight street course in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
Fresh off six straight SCCA Majors victories, Mällinen was back for his second weekend with leading Canadian team, Exclusive Autosport. He had competed previously with the Championship-winning team at the Canadian Grand Prix, in the Formula Tour 1600 support race.
Strapping into the No. 92 Spectrum/Honda, it was the first street course for Mällinen. With two races over the weekend, and a host of other championships on the course, track time was limited for the 17-year old, as well as the 25-car field that was entered, with just a single practice session prior to qualifying.
In the first race of the weekend, Mällinen qualified seventh and came away with a fifth place finish. Three laps of that race were run under full-course caution conditions, limiting some time to move forward. On Sunday, Mällinen had improved his starting spot to sixth, and came away with another top five finish in a competitive event, which also included an unfortunate four-lap stint behind the safety car.
“Trois-Rivieres is a great race,” said Mällinen, who hails from Liberty Lake, Washington. “It was a European-style street course where it is challenging to get it right. One practice session and straight to qualifying. The Canadian pro drivers have a lot of experience on the circuit and are tough competitors. To qualify up front and come home with two top five finishes is a great result.”
A smaller city in the Quebec Province, Trois-Rivières treats it’s long-time annual street race as a major sports event. Over the years some of the world’s top drivers have cut their teeth on the streets in Trois-Rivières.
With Patrick Dussault as his teammate at Exclusive, Mällinen was able to gain experience on a tight and tricky street course. In addition, he marked another weekend meshing with the Exclusive Autosport team. Mällinen usually runs with Swan Racing in the United States.
With his experience at Montreal, and results at the Canadian Grand Prix, should Mällinen find himself in the Quebec-based F1600 pro series again, he will be a threat at the front of the field, especially with more experience on the spec tire.
“I have really enjoyed the Canadian pro series stops at Trois-Rivières and supporting the Montreal F1 race,” Mällinen added. “Great circuits, fans, atmosphere and competitors.
“The No. 92 Spectrum/Honda performed great,” he continued. ”The Exclusive Autosport team prepared the car quite well, and with their circuit knowledge, they gave me a quick car.”