Crosslink Motorsports’ Evagoras Papasavvas recovered from a difficult weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) to claim victory in the final FRAC race and limit the damage to his championship campaign.
Papasavvas arrived at CTMP leading the standings and immediately showed strong pace by taking pole position. However, steering wheel problems, a heavy Race 1 incident and a difficult-to-handle repaired car prevented him from converting that speed into the results he expected across the opening two races.
The championship contender eventually found a way back to the front in Race 3. Starting fourth, Papasavvas moved through the field and secured victory to end a weekend that had tested both him and the Crosslink Motorsports crew.
Steering wheel problem derails Papasavvas from pole
Papasavvas began the weekend strongly by securing pole position and putting himself at the front for Race 1. However, steering wheel issues struck almost immediately after the start and forced him into an early recovery drive.
A restart of the car eventually resolved the problem, but the delay dropped Papasavvas to the back of the field. He responded by working his way forward and reached the battle for fifth as he attempted to recover as many positions as possible.
However, contact during that fight brought his race to a violent end. The incident left Papasavvas upside down on the circuit and caused significant damage to the car, leaving Crosslink Motorsports with a major repair job before Race 2.
Although the crash ended his opening race, Papasavvas escaped the incident and the team immediately turned its attention towards rebuilding the car for the following contest.
Crosslink Motorsports works overnight to repair car
The Crosslink Motorsports crew worked through the night to prepare the car for Race 2, allowing Papasavvas to take up another pole position despite the damage sustained in the opening race.
However, the team had no opportunity to properly test the rebuilt car or develop an ideal setup before returning to competitive action. Papasavvas therefore entered Race 2 with a car that proved difficult to handle.
A spin eventually ended his hopes of recovering a strong result and cost him further championship points. After arriving at CTMP as the points leader, Papasavvas faced the final race with significantly less to show for his pace than he had expected.
Nevertheless, the team still had one opportunity remaining to rescue the weekend, and Papasavvas entered Race 3 determined to make the most of it.
Papasavvas charges from fourth to CTMP victory
Papasavvas started the final race from fourth and immediately began working his way towards the front. After two difficult races, he finally converted the pace he had shown throughout the weekend into a result.
The Crosslink Motorsports driver fought through the field and took the victory, ending the CTMP round on the top step of the podium. The result gave Papasavvas an important points return after the setbacks that had affected the opening two races.
The win also reflected the work completed by the team following the Race 1 crash. Crosslink Motorsports rebuilt the damaged car overnight and continued working through the issues that followed, allowing Papasavvas to remain in contention for a strong result before the weekend ended.
Papasavvas praises Crosslink after difficult FRAC weekend
Papasavvas acknowledged the contrast between the pace available from the beginning of the weekend and the setbacks that prevented him from capitalising on it. He also praised the Crosslink Motorsports crew for repairing the car and continuing to fight through the difficult event.
“It was definitely a weekend of highs and lows,” explained Papasavvas. “We had the speed from the beginning with pole in qualifying, but the steering wheel issue in Race 1 put us in a difficult position, and then the incident while I was fighting for fifth caused a lot of damage. The Crosslink guys worked incredibly hard overnight to get the car back together for Race 2, and unfortunately, we did not have any time to get the setup right before going straight into the race. The spin cost us even more points, so winning Race 3 was really important. I am proud of the entire team for never giving up this weekend. We know we lost points that we should have had, but we will take the win and come back even stronger at VIR.”
The victory did not erase the points lost earlier in the weekend, but it gave Papasavvas and Crosslink Motorsports a positive result to carry into the closing stages of the championship.
Papasavvas turns attention to VIR title fight
With CTMP complete, Papasavvas will now shift his focus to VIRginia International Raceway for the penultimate event of the 2026 FRAC season.
The Canadian weekend reduced the points return he could have taken from his qualifying pace, but the Race 3 victory ensured he still left with a significant result. As the championship enters its final rounds, Papasavvas will aim to recover the ground lost at CTMP and continue his push for the 2026 FRAC title.
