MAC's little story
I come from Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, a small village with around 2 000 people, located right in the heart of Quebec, in the Mauricie region. I was born April 30, 1979 of a mother working as a teacher and a dad working as a car dealer. A sister, four years older than me, is also part of my family.
Introduced at an early age to car racing by my dad, a race and car lover himself, I made my début in karting around my dad's garage at the age of 5. Three years later, I started competing; I finished sixth in the Cadet category at the Quebec championship. I really got hooked and, in 1992, I participated in a championship in the Senior F-100 category. A difficult learning year for me, considering my young age. It's from 1993 that I started being successful: F-100 Quebec
champion
and Québec Senior F-100 vice-champion. Afterwards, I graduated in F-A, Super A (Canadian champion) and F-125. Those stages in karting were the prelude to my entrance in the F-1600 circuit.
At my first season, when I was 17, I became the youngest champion in the history of the Fédération Auto-Québec (FAQ). I won six podiums out of eight during this first season aboard my own Ford Formula and with my dad as a performance tuner. My great will, my control and my aggressiveness on the track earned me, among other things, the Gilles Villeneuve trophy at this event.
I was then prepared for my entrance on the US F-2000 scene during the 1998 season. I was the first Canadian to win the title of « rookie of the year » title in this prestigious North American series . My fifth position in the final overall ranking is also quite outstanding because I couldn't take part in the two first races that were sscheduled.
The next season, I only had one goal: win the American championship. Aboard a car of the Key Motorsport team, I won three races and six podiums to finally earn the title of vice-champion of year 1999. At this point in my career, the door was wide open for a first season in the Atlantic Fromula. Being a Team Player's driver , the new federal law banning tobacco sponsorship thwarted my plans, forcing Player's to give up its project.
I then worked even harder and completed a new US F-2000 season. Once again, I stood out with a third position in the final results and the vice-champion title on an oval track.
It's at this point in my career, in 2001, that I really felt the consequences of Player's withdrawal. Through lack of money, I only took part in one US F-2000 race, that I however brilliantly won in front of my fans. I also won the « Championnat du Québec sur glace » and took part in the « Challenge sur glace Michelin Canada-Québec ».
In 2002, Bombardier and Norampac compensated for my lack of money and allowed me to participate in the very first Montreal Molson Indy in the new Formula Renault 2000 series. During that year, I had the chance to be invited by the promoter of the American Le Mans series, M. Donald Panoz, for private trials in Road Atlanta aboard his competitive cars. This honour allowed me to race with this type of exotic cars at the «Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières» and at the Mosport Grand Prix where I ranked second and first respectively.
During summer 2003, I still participated in a few races in the Formula Renault 2000 series and I ranked 8 th with only half the season completed. I won the Sahlen's Sports Car Grand Prix in Watkins Glen and I ranked 2nd at the Toronto Molson Indy.
This year will probably be my most complete season, because I had the chance to race from the very beginning of winter as a test driver for the Gelles Racing team in the Formula Renault 2000 Winter series. Afterwards, as every year since 2001, I participated in the « Challenge sur glace de Sherbrooke » where I tested my reflexes against the four-time world champion, Alain Prost. My partner, Bertrand Godin, and I thrilled our fans by ranking fourth, a first for a Quebec team.
I also began endurance races by taking part in the « 6 heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant» where Normand Guindon and I ranked third aboard a flashy Corvette. I also remembered great moments of my life when I finished first at the « Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières» and at the Montreal Molson Indy aboard my BMW MZ3 Coupe tuned by my dad, Jean-Guy Camirand. Many other events are to come in 2004, so watch the « Press room » section for the latest news about me.
See you soon! 