FRAN-AM announces full schedule for three Canadian 1600 championships VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CAN - Fran-Am Sport - Canada Operations, the organization behind the 2003 Fran-Am 1600 Canadian regional series, announced today full schedules for all three Canadian series. In 2003, Regional Pro Championships will be based in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia represented appropriately as 'Canada East', 'Canada Central' and 'Canada West'. All three series will kick off in June and feature 4-5 events qualifying towards a double-header weekend at the 'Fran-Am Finals' in Phoenix, Nov. 1 and 2, 2003. The championship schedules also feature some high-profile events such as the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, Molson Indy Montreal, Mosport ALMS race and Grand-Am Rolex events at Mosport and Mont Tremblant. The schedule for the Fran-Am 1600 Canada East Championship series sanctioned by FAQ is as follows: June 13 - 15 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX, Montreal, QC Formula One July 4 - 6 Ste-Croix Grand Prix, Ste-Croix, QC FAQ July 18 - 20 Shannonville Motorsports Park, Shannonville, ON DAC (Non-Championship Event) Aug 15 - 17 Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, ON ALMS (Non-Championship Event) Aug 22 - 24 MOLSON INDY MONTREAL, Montreal, QC CART Sept 12 - 14 Mosport Grand-Am Cup, Bowmanville, ON Grand-Am (Non-Championship Event) Sept 19 - 21 Le Circuit Mt. Tremblant, St. Jovite, QC Grand-Am The schedule for the Fran-Am 1600 Canada Central Championship series sanctioned by CASC is as follows: June 13 -15 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX, Montreal, QC Formula One (Non-Championship Event) July 4 - 6 Shannonville Motorsports Park, Shannonville, ON MCO July 18 - 20 Shannonville Motorsports Park, Shannonville, ON DAC Aug 15 - 17 Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, ON ALMS Aug 22 - 24 MOLSON INDY MONTREAL, Montreal, QC CART (Non-Championship Event) Sept 12 - 14 Mosport Grand-Am Cup, Bowmanville, ON Grand-Am Sept 19 - 21 ROLEX GRAND AM, Mt. Tremblant, QC Grand Am (Non-Championship Event) The schedule for the Fran-Am 1600 Canada West Championship series sanctioned by CACC is as follows: June 13 - 15 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX, Montreal, QC Formula One (Non-Championship Event) June 28 - 29 Mission Raceway, Mission, BC ICSCC Aug 9 - 10 Pacific Raceway, Seattle, Washington, USA ICSCC Aug 15 - 17 Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, ON ALMS (Non-Championship Event) Aug 22 - 24 MOLSON INDY MONTREAL, Montreal, QC CART (Non-Championship Event) Sept 5 - 7 Mission Raceway, Mission, BC CACC Sept 27 - 28 Mission Raceway, Mission, BC ICSCC October 4 - 5 Pacific Raceway, Seattle, Washington, USA TBA Information meetings will be held in Toronto and Montreal the weekend of April 26 & 27 to give potential competitors the opportunity to meet with series officials, see the car up close and discuss the upcoming season. Full details of these meetings will be announced shortly, please check www.fran-am.com for information. Each Fran-Am 1600 Regional Series features a per race prize fund of CDN$15,600 with the overall Canadian Fran-Am 1600 Champion winning a brand new Fran-Am 2000 racecar complete with 22 sets of Michelin race tires and an XAP data acquisition system, which the winner will race in 2004 in the Fran-Am 2000 North American Pro-Championship in order to further his/her racing career. The second and third highest placing Canadians in the 'Fran-Am Finals' will be awarded US$15,000 and US$8,000 respectively. 2002 saw the Fran-Am 2000 North American Pro Championship series grow from eight entries at the inaugural event in Vancouver to 27 over the course of the season. In addition, Fran-Am's World Championship Winter Series grew even more to feature 36 drivers from 14 countries competing for the title. Fran-Am Sport - Canada Operations expects the same level of success to follow the three Canadian Regional Fran-Am 1600 series as well as the premiere Pro Series events in Canada in 2003. The Fran-Am 1600 Regional Championship series are the first step on Fran-Am Sport's Driver Development Ladder, with drivers eventually making the jump to race in the Fran-Am 2000 Series. The Fran-Am 1600 race car features a spec-Tatuus carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, sealed 1.6-liter/123-horsepower motor (capable of running an entire season without a rebuild), 5-speed sequential gearbox, and spec-Michelin Sport racing tires. For more information on the Fran-Am Series, please visit www.fran-am.com.