World Challenge

World Challenge Confirms Future Direction of GTS Class
Photos © Mathisen Media
TOPEKA, Kan. (July 26, 2010) – WC Vision, managing arm of the World Challenge Championships, today announced plans for the future of the GTS class that will include a mix of production sports cars and sport sedans, continuing to provide one of the most diverse classes of racing in all of motorsports. The initiative is designed to introduce cars to World Challenge that were not previously eligible or competitive in the Series.

The 2009-spec Touring Cars, such as the Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX cars currently competing in GTS and former competitors such as the MAZDA3 and BMW 328i, will continue to compete and be equalized through adjustments from SCCA Pro Racing to remain competitive.

The core of the class moving forward will be to provide a place for production-based, mid-level sports cars, including a ready-made place for pony cars like the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro to battle. Additionally, it will offer a place for current-model Domestic, European and Japanese sports cars and sedans including the Audi S4 and S5, BMW 335 and M3, Cadillac CTS-V, Mercedes CLK V-8, Infiniti G37, Nissan 370, Lexus ISF, Mitsubishi EVO, and Subaru WRX STi.

“When GTS was announced for 2010, we knew this would be a transitional year, providing a place for the more radical 2009 Touring Cars while building a platform to build upon for years to come,” WC Vision Director of Operations Scott Bove said. “As GTS moves forward, it will fill the clear void between the Touring Car and GT classes, offering great racing by some of the marketplace’s hottest and most popular cars.”

With exceptions allowed to equalize the performance of each of the machines, the GTS cars will use stock transmissions and pickup points. Only the cars grandfathered in, such as the Acura TSX and BMW 328i, will be able to use sequential gearboxes. Wings and splitters will continue to be used, but no exotic suspension components will be permitted.

The new GTS cars will maintain a stock body, with no carbon fiber body panels permitted while maintaining the stock unibody chassis.

Like in the GT and Touring Car classes of World Challenge, performance will be managed with weight and engine restrictor adjustments.

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 12-race 2010 World Challenge Championship next races August 7 – 8 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the World Challenge Sports Car Challenge presented by Optima Batteries. For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com
 

World Challenge Manufacturers’ Fan Championship Heating Up
TOPEKA, Kan. (June 30, 2010) - After three events and five races, the battle for the 2010 World Challenge Manufacturers’ Fan Championship is fast becoming an all-out Sports Car War.

As part of the Sports Car Wars marketing initiative in 2010, this is the inaugural year for the Manufacturers’ Fan Championship. This one-of-a-kind championship gives enthusiasts of brands the opportunity to compete against each other at each World Challenge event. Fans are judged and ranked as to how well and enthusiastically they support their favorite brand.

So far in 2010 the competition has been fierce and the rivalries have not disappointed. Volvo and Honda enthusiasts laid down the gauntlet at the first races of the season at St. Petersburg, dominating the competition and showing that Volvo and Honda fans would be a force to be reckoned with in the race for the Championship.

"We were thrilled to help Honda win Round One of the Manufacturers’ Fan Championship at St. Pete, but certainly not surprised,” said John Whitaker of Team Hondaworks. “Honda fans are extremely brand loyal and the fun-loving, rowdy Honda fans seem to enjoy seeing a variety Honda products on the track. Team Hondaworks wants to thank the Florida s2000 club for their support during the weekend. We made a number of new friends!"

"Volvo is currently leading the Manufacturer's Championship and Randy Pobst is leading the GT Drivers' Championship,” K-PAX Racing Team Owner Jim Haughey said. “We hope all of our Volvo fans show up to Watkins Glen to go for a win in the Manufacturers’ Fan Championship. The competition will be fierce but we hear a large following of Volvo enthusiasts will be showing up at The Glen and we look forward to their support."

At Long Beach, fans had many opportunities to interact with the teams and fellow enthusiasts and compete against the other manufacturers. Dodge enthusiasts came out on top with their support for the Woodhouse Racing and Daskalos Roberts Racing teams.

"We are fast recognizing the importance of this fan championship,” said Bob Woodhouse, owner of Woodhouse Performance. “If you think about it, this is why we race, for a chance to compete in front of people who really care about our manufacturers’ products."

Receiving honorable mentions at Long Beach were the enthusiasts supporting Nissan, Mazda, Volvo, and Porsche.

The next battlefield was north of the border when the World Challenge traveled to the legendary Mosport International Raceway for two races. Corvette enthusiasts finally awoke to show their true colors and won the weekend in their support for Canadian racing hero Ron Fellows, driving for CRP Racing, and Tony Gaples, driving for Blackdog Racing.

The World Challenge heads to Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York for the Independence Day weekend and going into the World Challenge Grand Prix of Watkins Glen presented by Sunoco, Corvette enthusiasts lead the way with two wins. Volvo, Honda, and Dodge each have one win each, and with seven races still to go enthusiasts from Acura, Porsche, Nissan, VW, Mazda, Scion and Lotus still have plenty of opportunity to win the Championship.



Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 12-race 2010 World Challenge Championship next races July 3 at the World Challenge Grand Prix of Watkins Glen presented by Sunoco. For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com.
 

RealTime Acuras to Challenge GTS

News from  RealTime Racing
SAUKVILLE, WI (March 24, 2010) — World Challenge stalwart RealTime Racing will return to the series with a pair of new-generation Acura TSXs; not to defend its 2009 Touring Car Championship, but to move up to the new GTS class.

Eight-time SCCA Pro Racing champion Peter Cunningham will lead the Acura Motorsports charge as the Wisconsin-based squad welcomes back former RTR pilot, Nick Esayian. The reunited band mates look forward to the competition in the first-year category.
 

“Coming into the new year we had a decision to make: Remove a number of go-fast bits and run in Touring Car, or tune up our TSXs to try and be competitive in GTS,” explained ’08 Touring Car champion Cunningham. “It’s a faster group of cars—anything from other Acuras and Lotus, all the way to big iron like Corvette and Viper.
 

“I can guarantee you we’re not going to outrun anyone down the straightaway, but we should have their number in the turns,” Esayian added. “We had the opportunity to test a couple of weeks ago in Texas and I can tell you it was a ball to drive one of these unleashed front-drive rockets!”

Nick spent the first four years of his World Challenge career driving for RealTime, before joining the BimmerWorld BMW effort in 2007. Now, after two years in a rear-wheel-drive Touring Car, Nick returns as a faster and more experienced driver ready to take on his teammate and all the rest.

Notably missing from the 2010 lineup is defending and five-time Touring Car Champion, Pierre Kleinubing. The challenging economy forced the team to cut back on the number of entries it will run this season—hopefully a temporary situation for the 13-year RealTime Acura veteran. The good news is he landed on his feet with a leading role on Glenn Bocchino’s i-Moto Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge effort.

The 21st season of the SCCA World Challenge Series commences this weekend, March 26-28, for a doubleheader at the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg. The production-based WC sports cars will share the Florida streets (but not at the same time) with the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Beyond the addition of the new category, there is other exciting news to report: Fans of the series that can’t make it to the races in person will enjoy expanded television coverage—on the Versus network.

After 11 years of great coverage on the SPEED Channel, the series now makes the move to Versus. Fans will be able to tune in to WC coverage on weekend afternoons—often times before or after LIVE Emmy Award-winning IndyCar programming.

Versus is making quite a name for itself as an action sports leader, as the television home of the Dakar endurance rally, Tour de France bicycle classic and NHL Hockey, and is now the home of World Challenge competition. The WC races will be produced in 2010 by IMS Productions, the same people who provide the lauded coverage of the Indy racers.
 

Another development new this year is the increase in the number of races and the decrease in the teams’ travel schedule. How is this possible? Now, half of the eight World Challenge weekends will have one race on Saturday and a second on Sunday. Points will accumulate in each of the 12 races to determine the champions in GT, the new GTS class (GO ACURA!) and Touring Car.
 

World Challenge Races To Be Available Over the Internet at SpeedcastTV.com

TOPEKA, Kan. (March 11, 2010) – Good news for Canada!  WC Vision has announced today a partnership with Speedcast Productions that will bring World Challenge Championship fans an opportunity to watch every 2010 race broadcast anywhere in the world, from a computer.

Beginning with the season-opening Acura Sports Car Challenge of St Petersburg, all World Challenge races will be available for viewing on SpeedcastTV.com the day after each race airs on Versus in HD. SpeedcastTV.com has set up a special section called World-ChallengeTV that will deliver all series races and video.

In addition to replaying the Versus broadcast, SpeedcastTV.com will have exclusive in-car footage, features and outtakes not seen during the television broadcast.

"We are excited to have SpeedcastTV.com partner with us to bring World Challenge races to our fans over the internet," WC Vision VP, Marketing and Communications Dave Drimmie said. "Many of our fans have asked us to provide our races to them over the internet and we are happy to announce this will be the case going forward from our first race in 2010."

Speedcast Productions has created the most comprehensive and cost-effective video production and delivery program in motorsports. Leveraging extensive live production capabilities, powerful online tools and relationships throughout the television industry, Speedcast has positioned itself on the cutting edge of streaming video production.

All World Challenge races on SpeedcastTV.com can be accessed directly by visiting www.world-challengetv.com.

"I've been a fan of World Challenge for a long time, and their brand of super-competitive wheel-to-wheel racing is a perfect fit for Speedcast's growing online network,” said Speedcast President Clark Cambern said. “World-ChallengeTV is going to give fans all over the world the chance to connect with the series like never before, and I'm very excited to see this come together."

Since its inception in 2006, Speedcast has produced and delivered video coverage of over 60 road, oval and kart races. In 2009, Speedcast provided live coverage of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 12-race 2010 World Challenge Championship begins March 26-28 with a doubleheader race weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com
 

CRP Racing Adds Driver Ron Fellows and Sponsor Carlisle Companies to World Challenge Line-Up
News from CRP Racing
Harrisburg, NC (March 4, 2010) – CRP Racing is pleased to announce that seasoned road-course racer Ron Fellows will be driving its No. 2 Chevrolet Corvette C6 in the 2010 World Challenge GT Championship.

A longtime sports car and road-racing veteran, Fellows is credited with three class championships in the American Le Mans Series, two class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 19 overall victories in the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-Am Series as a member of the Corvette Racing Team.

Fellows made 14 World Challenge GT starts between 2004 and 2007, earning three wins (Mosport in 2004, Mosport in 2005, and Long Beach in 2006) and seven podium finishes. Fellows also was fastest qualifier three times.

CRP Racing owner, Nicholas Short, is excited to have a driver of Ron Fellows’ caliber join the team.

“I’ve known Ron since the Trans-Am days and when the opportunity arose to have him drive for us, it was a very easy decision,” Short said. “I couldn’t be happier having him join CRP Racing.”

Also joining the CRP Racing Team is primary sponsor Carlisle Companies, Inc. which is a diversified global manufacturing company serving industries ranging from foodservice to aerospace to specialty trailers to construction materials to specialty tires and wheels. Carlisle will use the opportunity to promote their Cragar, Black Rock™ & ITP™ wheel brands and ITP™ Off-Road and Carlisle trailer tire brands. In the past, Carlisle has been involved in off-road racing with its ITP™ and Black Rock™ brands. Cars equipped with ITP™ tires earned class wins at the 2009 Baja 500 and 1000 off-road races.

“Carlisle is headquartered in the heart of racing country, Charlotte, NC,” said David Roberts, Chairman, President and CEO of Carlisle Companies, Inc. “We manufacture tires, wheels and power transmission belts used in some of the toughest racing environments. Our sponsorship of cars in last year’s Baja 500 and 1000 races were successful as class wins were achieved by cars using ITP™ tires and wheels.

“Partnering with CRP and Ron Fellows is an extension of our commitment to the performance and motorsports industry,” Roberts continued. “Our Cragar wheel brand was the wheel of choice by many of the top names in motorsports in the past and we look forward to rekindling that preference. Cragar branded products continue to be a favorite with hot rod and muscle car enthusiasts. The introduction of the Black Rock™ brand for the off-road enthusiast has been extremely successful and we want to continue that success. I think the association with CRP Racing will allow us to accomplish our goals. In addition, many of our employees are racing enthusiasts and successful amateur racers. Sponsoring CRP Racing is a natural fit for us and allows our products and people to be involved in motorsports.”

With the support of Carlisle Companies, Inc. and the talent and skill of driver Ron Fellows, CRP Racing looks forward to running a highly competitive race team in the World Challenge GT Series this season.

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing and managed by WC Vision, the World Challenge Championship will offer three classes of racing this year – GT, GTS and Touring Car. The series will feature 12 races at eight different venues, beginning with the doubleheader weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March 26-28.

 

Global Motorsports Group Announces Three Car World Challenge Team For 2010
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
SANTA ANA, Calif. (Feb. 19, 2010) – Coming off of its strongest season yet in the World Challenge Championship, Global Motorsports Group is announcing its return to the championship for the 2010 season.

GMG, based in Southern California, will return with a trio of Porsche 911 GT3s to compete in the World Challenge GT class. Leading the team will be team owner and driver James Sofronas of Newport Beach, Calif. Sofronas enjoyed a stellar 2009 season, in which he scored wins at the Long Beach Grand Prix and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on his way to finishing a career-best second in the championship.

Joining him will be series veteran Dino Crescentini, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., who is back for his third season in the Stoptech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3. Crescentini scored a win in 2009 at Watkins Glen International Raceway, on his way to finishing the season in ninth place. In the third GMG Porsche will be William Ziegler, the 2009 World Challenge Rookie of the Year. All three cars will be outfitted with GMG’s line of World Challenge parts, StopTech brakes, Sparco safety gear and BBS wheels. GMG also enjoys a close association with Porsche Motorsports North America.

“There is no doubt that World Challenge is one of the most competitive and demanding racing series in North America,” said Fabryce Kutyba, co-owner of Global Motorsports Group. “This allows us to develop and test our World Challenge line of components and complete packages for Porsche cars. GMG’s products are the direct result of our involvement in motorsport, and through this race winning experience we are able to develop the best products in the world to enhance performance and maintain factory reliability.”

“We are very happy and proud to announce that we are returning to World Challenge GT with all three of our 2009 drivers for this season,” said Sofronas. “World Challenge has been the foundation on which we have built our race team and our Porsche product line. GMG World Challenge parts can be found not only on our race cars, but our customer’s street and race cars. We are excited to see what 2010 holds for us.

“On a personal level, I can’t wait to get back into the No.14 GMG Porsche GT3 and fight for a championship. Finishing second last year and getting those two wins was great, but now it is time to go after the top spot at the awards banquet. I can’t wait for the lights to go out in St. Petersburg.”

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 12-race 2010 World Challenge Championship begins March 26-28 with a doubleheader race weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com.
 

World Challenge Programming to Air on VERSUS in 2010
TOPEKA, Kan. (Jan. 4, 2010) – WC Vision today announced that the 2010 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge Championships will air on VERSUS.

The World Challenge Championships, consisting of three separate categories—GT, GTS and Touring Car—are America’s top production car-based series. The World Challenge 2010 telecasts will be 90-minute programs, up from 60 minutes in 2009, with high-quality production values, renowned announcers providing color commentary and feature segments with behind-the-scenes footage. Some telecasts will air around IZOD IndyCar Series programming and series information will also be included on www.versus.com.

VERSUS is the national (USA) cable television home of the NHL, the IZOD IndyCar Series, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and the Tour de France. The network also airs college football, featuring nationally ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West and is home to original programming such as Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau.

“We are thrilled that our 2010 events will air on VERSUS,” WC Vision VP of Marketing and Communications Dave Drimmie said. “The series returns to a weekend timeslot and this year our fans will have a longer and more in-depth program. We’re also looking at a syndication package that would enable World Challenge to reach a total of 160 million households.”

NOTE: In those parts of Canada that carry VERSUS, their programming runs on OLN (Outdoor Life Network.)
 

Two More World Challenge Dates Added to 2010 Schedule
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Nov. 18, 2009) – WC Vision and SCCA Pro Racing have added two doubleheader events to the 2010 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge schedule.

The SPEED World Challenge Championships will once again headline Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ont. The May 21 – 23 weekend will be a doubleheader event for both classes.

“World Challenge has become a fixture on Mosport’s schedule,” Mosport International Raceway President and General Manager Myles Brandt said. “In fact, we’ve hosted 19 World Challenge events, more than any other track. The series always puts on a great show and our fans will be pleased to hear that Mosport is set to host a doubleheader weekend in 2010.”

After a solo trip by World Challenge Touring Car to VIR in 2008, both classes will return to scenic VIRginia International Raceway, in Alton, Va., to headline the Sept. 10 – 12 weekend with a doubleheader. It’s the first time World Challenge GT has raced at the 3.27-mile course since 2002.

“It’s great to have both classes of World Challenge back at VIR,” VIRginia International Raceway General Manager Josh Lief said. “The Touring Car race here in 2008 was phenomenal. It was the perfect example of what happens when you combine a series as competitive as World Challenge with a world-class facility like VIR. Our fans are definitely looking forward to a double dose of World Challenge in September.”
 

World Challenge Finale Races Air on SPEED Tuesday
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Oct. 30, 2009) – The Applied Computer Solutions Monterey Sports Car Championships Presented by Bondurant, Round 10 of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships Presented by Toyo Tires, will air on SPEED, Tuesday Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. (EST).

The one-hour show opens with a showdown for both the World Challenge Touring Car Driver’s Championship and Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine. Winning the pole in his No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX, Kleinubing brings the Manufacturers’ Championship to a tie between Acura and Mazda and cuts into Jason Saini’s Championship lead by 15 points. That’s exactly what Saini didn’t need, as his No. 74 MAZDASPEED/ StopTech/ProParts MAZDA6 will start from ninth on the grid. Kleinubing appears to have the Championship in hand, leading the field away from the grid on the standing start with teammate Peter Cunningham in his No. 1 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX to serve as wingman, but a full-course caution erases the healthy lead built up by the teammates and bunches the field back up. It’s the perfect situation for Saini to make up the ground he needs to finish fourth and claim the Championship for himself. Tune into SPEED to see who will be crowned the 2009 World Challenge Touring Car Champion.

The World Challenge GT race follows, with Brandon Davis’ No. 10 ACS/Sun Micro Systems Ford Mustang GT starting from the front of the grid for the second race in-a-row, thanks to the post-qualifying coin toss. This time it was teammate Boris Said who clicked off the fastest qualifying lap, but incorrectly called tails, handing the top spot to Davis. Starting from the front gives Davis a little breathing room in the Championship, as his nearest competitor, Tony Rivera, starts his No. 97 Tax Masters/Brass Monkey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 fourth on the grid. The safety car appears shortly after the race begins and James Sofronas takes advantage of the restart to pass Davis for the lead in his No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3. Davis’ Championship is still safe, but with 10 laps to go Rivera moves into third. Is there enough time left for Rivera to steal the crown away from Davis? Don’t miss the final race of the 2009 World Challenge GT season on SPEED.

To follow SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge through the off season, visit www.world-challenge.com or follow the series on Twitter @SPEEDWC.
 

World Challenge Round Nine from Road Atlanta Airs Tuesday
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Oct. 19, 2009) – The SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Toyo Tires Road Atlanta Grand Prix Presented by Dish Network, Round Nine of the 2009 season, will air Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED.

The program kicks off with the World Challenge Touring Car race, which was due to have James Clay start his No. 36 BimmerWorld GearWrench BMW 328i from his first-career pole position, but a wrong call on the post-qualifying coin toss inverted the top five, putting teammate Nick Esayian’s No. 34 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i at the top of the grid. On the standing start, the third BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i of Seth Thomas gets a great launch, allowing him to line up behind Esayian. While Thomas looks for an opportunity to take the lead from his teammate, fifth-starting Clay has his hands full with the No. 44 Acura/ RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX of Kuno Wittmer and the No. 75 MAZDASPEED/ StopTech/ ProParts MAZDA6 of Eric Foss. Set the TV to SPEED to see if Thomas or Esayian crosses the finish line first and if Clay can come through to complete the team’s first podium sweep.

Next up, it’s the World Challenge GT race, with GT Championship leader Brandon Davis starting up front in his No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions Ford Mustang GT. Though Davis did not qualify in the top spot, an incorrect call on the post-qualifying coin toss by pole winner Randy Pobst, inverted the top five on the grid. As the start lights flash off, Pobst’s teammate, Andy Pilgrim, gets the launch of a lifetime in his No. 8 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 to rocket from fourth to first. Davis was able to slot into second, but soon had a hard-charging Eric Curran in his mirrors. With his thoughts on keeping his Championship lead secure, Davis doesn’t give Curran’s No. 30 Whelen Engineering Corvette much trouble and Curran sets off in chase of Pilgrim. Tune into SPEED to see if Curran has the pace to catch Pilgrim.

For a full World Challenge TV schedule visit www.world-challenge.com
 

Kleinubing Nets Monterey Win, Fifth Title
Acura Takes Top Manufacturer Honors for Record 8th Season
Photos © Jimmy Sykes
MONTEREY, California (October 11, 2009) — The RealTime Acura team knew it was all on the line when they left Wisconsin for the sunny skies of California for the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship finale at the Monterey Sports Car Championship. It is under pressure that the RTR boys work best and they responded with a spectacular end to the season.

Pierre Kleinubing led the team in his No. 42 Acura TSX with a pole-sitting start, and never gave up his first place position to take the pinnacle of the podium. Team leader Peter Cunningham, in the matching No. 1 machine, was hot on his heels and finished second, just 0.610-second behind. With this win, Kleinubing’s second for the 2009 season and his 29th overall, he clinched the Drivers’ Championship and helped to lock in the Manufacturers’ Championship for Acura and the RealTime team.

This was Kleinubing’s fifth win at Monterey, perhaps his most sweet victory yet, because of the team significance. “I didn’t know Championship scenarios, but everyone else on the team did. I just wanted to do my part,” said Kleinubing. “When we took the checkered flag, I waited a little bit until Turn Four, and then I asked ‘did we win the Championship?’ Maybe everyone pulled over and let [Saini] by! I wasn’t thinking about anything other than winning the race.”

“I’m thrilled for Pierre, this was a fantastic win, a truly remarkable way to end the season,” said Cunningham. “I couldn’t be happier with this team right now. We knew what we had to do and we did it. We had to stay clean at the start and stay focused to the end, and here we are.”

Coming into the weekend, Acura trailed Mazda by the razor thin margin of one point in the Manufacturers’ race, but Kleinubing tied the score by earning the one point awarded for the pole. The team was optimistic that it might out-duel the Mazdas, but as previous season finales have shown, mayhem could be the standard for the race.

In the Drivers’ points battle, Kleinubing and Cunningham entered the final round in what seemed like only a mathematical chance for the title, 54 and 80 points behind Mazda ace Jason Saini. After Kleinubing’s 15-point gain for the pole and Saini’s (no bonus points earned) eighth place qualifying effort, it suddenly became clear that Kleinubing had a legitimate shot at winning all the marbles.

“Our primary goal was to secure the Championship for Acura; having Pierre take the Drivers’ Championship as well is icing on the cake,” added Cunningham.

Mosport winner Kuno Wittmer came to California sixth in points, looking to move up a position or two in the standings and assist in the charge for Acura. He proved once again to be a force to be reckoned with as he turned in impressive practice times and qualified for a fourth place start, adding to the heavy dominance of the RealTime team. However, after only six laps Wittmer was forced to retire the No. 44 Acura due to a rear hub failure. “We can’t always get what we want,” said Wittmer, “but it’s hard to be disappointed when your team walks away with the spoils. All in all, it’s a good day.”

Former full time RealTime pilot Eric Curran also ran for the Acura RealTime team at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Curran skillfully maneuvered the No. 45 TSX to an 11th place finish, gaining one position from his 12th place start.

Also driving for the RTR team this weekend was SCCA Club Racing National Championship T3 Honda S2000 standout Sage Marie. Marie dove head first into the deep end of the pool in his pro racing debut. He impressed the team with his quickness in coming to grips with the No. 43 TSX and drove it to a 14th place result.

Another accolade bestowed on the RealTime Acura team was ‘Crew of the Year’. This honor was especially appreciated by everyone on the team because it is voted on by each of the other crews in the series.

Kleinubing has now earned his fifth Drivers’ Championship with a total of 973 points, Saini came in second with 960 and defending champion Cunningham finished in third with 921. Acura won the Manufacturers’ Championship with 72 points, ahead of Mazda’s 65 and BMW’s 42.

RealTime continued its rewriting of the record books in 2009 with its 12th Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships. It was the primary contributor for four of Honda’s five SPEED World Challenge Touring Car titles (1993, ’94, ’95 and ’96) and all of Acura’s eight trophies (98, ’99, ’00, ’02, ’05, ’06, ’08 and ’09).

Three different RealTime drivers have won championships in SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring Car competition: Peter Cunningham (1995, 1997[GT], ’02, ’06 and ’08), Michael Galati (’96 and ’98) and its newly crowned thirteen-year veteran Pierre Kleinubing (’97, ’99, ’00, ’05 and ’09).

You will not want to miss this spectacular showdown. Catch all the racing action of the 2009 Touring Car Championship finale on Tuesday, November 3, at 2:00p EDT on the SPEED channel.
 

SPEED Broadcasts World Challenge Races from Road America on Friday
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Sept. 9, 2009) – The Road America Grand Prix Presented by StopTech, Round Eight of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships, will air on SPEED Friday, Sept. 11, at 2 p.m. (EDT).

The Road America program begins with an inverted World Challenge Touring Car grid. Though Charles Espenlaub qualified on the pole in his No. 73 MAZDASPEED/StopTech/ProParts MAZDA6 for the second race in-a-row, a wrong call on the coin flip resulted in fifth-qualifying Kuno Wittmer in the No. 44 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX taking the top spot on the grid. As the cars launch from the traditional standing start, Wittmer’s teammate, Pierre Kleinubing in the No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX moves from third to second and follows the Canadian into Turn One. The teammates will swap spots several times before one of them is forced to pit with mechanical trouble. Tune into SPEED to see which Acura takes the checkered flag.

Next up is World Challenge GT, which also features Wittmer, who makes a guest appearance in the No. 13 Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper. When polesitter James Sofronas breaks an axle on his No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3 on the standing start, second-starting Wittmer assumes the lead and heads into Turn One side-by-side with Tony Rivera’s No. 97 Tax Masters/Brass Monkey Racing Porsche 911 GT3. Wittmer holds the spot but is under intense pressure from Rivera. Could Wittmer possibly pull the upset and score his first-ever GT win, or will Rivera become the first repeat GT winner of 2009? Set your TV to SPEED to see who will spray the champagne at Road America.
 

World Challenge Mid-Ohio Races Air Tuesday
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Aug. 31, 2009) – All the racing action from Round Seven of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships, the Toyo Tires Mid-Ohio Grand Prix Presented by Dish Network, is set to air on SPEED Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 2 p.m. (EDT).

World Challenge GT starts things off with Brandon Davis’ No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra on pole, and the No. 8 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 of Andy Pilgrim starting second. Determined to claim his first win of the 2009 season, Davis nails the standing start and quickly opens up a one-second lead on Pilgrim. That lead triples in size on lap 17, when Pilgrim’s car pulls into pit lane with a broken transmission output shaft. Tony Rivera, in the No. 97 Tax Masters/Brass Monkey Racing Porsche 911 GT3, inherits the runner-up spot as a result, but does he have enough time to chase down Davis? Tune into SPEED at 2 p.m. to see if Rivera can give Davis a run for his money.

Following GT action, it’s World Challenge Touring Car, with Charles Espenlaub on the pole in his No. 73 MAZDASPEED/StopTech/ProParts MAZDA6 for the first time since Road America in 2006. Espenlaub is immediately under fire from third-starting Peter Cunningham in the No. 1 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX, while, at the same time, Cunningham is fending of Espenlaub’s teammate, Eric Foss in the No. 75 MAZDASPEED/StopTech/ProParts MAZDA6. When the two make contact, Cunningham must save a wicked slide through Turn Seven and the field scatters to avoid him. Meanwhile, the heated battles up front and two full-course caution periods have allowed Jason Saini to charge through the field from eighth in his No. 74 MAZDASPEED/StopTech/ProParts MAZDA6. Keep your eyes glued to the screen to see if Saini can successfully navigate his way through shark invested waters to the front.

If you or your DVR miss it the first time, the Toyo Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Presented by Dish Network will re-air on SPEED, Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 4 a.m. (EDT). For a full World Challenge TV schedule, visit www.world-challenge.com
 

Kleinubing Delivers Home Victory
Acura’s Road America Win Tightens Chase
News from RealTime Racing
Photos © Jim Sykes
ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 15, 2009) – Pierre Kleinubing led the RealTime Acura team this weekend with his first SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship checkered flag since the 2008 season opener. In the 16 races since then, the four-time Touring Car champion has stood on the podium an impressive 10 times, just not on the top step. The win, the second for the all-new 2009 Acura TSX, was not only timely, but also hugely popular, because of the large contingent of friends and family in attendance at Road America, RealTime’s home track.

Peter Cunningham finished sixth on the day, missing the top-five for the first time in six races. Woodhouse Performance team owner and semi-retired Dodge Viper driver Bob Woodhouse made his Touring Car debut, and drove an RTR Acura TSX to a ninth place finish. Mosport victor Kuno Wittmer’s day started with great promise until a mid-race mechanical problem dropped him to tenth.

The RealTime team was optimistic after the coin toss inverted the fast five qualifiers, moving Wittmer from fifth to the pole while Kleinubing maintained the third position. Right after the start, Kleinubing maneuvered into second place behind Wittmer in turn one. The two RTR drivers prepared to battle it out for the duration, switching positions on Lap 5, but an electrical glitch sent Wittmer to the pits two laps later.

Kleinubing lost his wing-man, but not the race. He battled on, holding off fast qualifier Charles Espenlaub’s Mazda for a well-deserved 28th World Challenge Touring Car win.

Coming from seventh on the grid, Cunningham battled with Eric Foss’ Mazda for the sixth place spot throughout the race, with unrelenting heat from the BMWs of James Clay and Seth Thomas just behind.

Woodhouse was on a steep learning curve with the handling of the TSX, “I really have to hand it to those guys, it takes a lot of skill to maneuver a front-wheel drive car and get the speed that they do.” Woodhouse kept pace but was unable to gain on the leaders.

Wittmer returned to the track after his pit stop, but was also unable to make headway in the field. He did, however, make an appearance in the World Challenge GT race the following day. Things were looking up for Wittmer who qualified for the second place start on the grid in a Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper. Wittmer grabbed the lead from the standing start and was running strong when another mechanical issue forced him back to the pits, this time a broken wheel bearing prevented him from finishing the race. Wittmer refused to let things get him down, “There were highs and lows to this weekend; that’s racing.”

Although the pole went to Mazda, the win from Kleinubing closes the gap in the Manufacturers’ Points Race. Mazda retains the lead with 61, Acura is in second with 59, and BMW is in third with 27. In the Drivers’ Race, Jason Saini remains in first with 824, Kleinubing overtakes second place with 778 and Cunningham drops to third with 736. Wittmer’s misfortune bumps him down a spot to sixth with 663.

Catch Kleinubing’s exciting victory on the SPEED channel on September 11 at 2:00p EDT.

Having now completed three events in a four week period, the World Challenge teams now have five weeks to prepare for the penultimate round of the 10-race season. Round Nine will be a part of the Petit Le Mans week at Road Atlanta, on September 22-25. RealTime drivers have captured nine checkered flags at this challenging 2.5-mile rollercoaster, so the team looks forward to the opportunity to gain ground in both points championships.
 

RealTime Takes Trip on Autobahn
Acuras Return to Podium at New Venue
News and photos from RealTime Racing
AUTOBAHN COUNTRY CLUB, JOLIET IL (July 26, 2009) – The first professional race weekend held at the newly opened Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois was an improvement for the RealTime Acura team, which saw drivers Peter Cunningham and Pierre Kleinubing return to the podium in second and third respectively in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship.

The 18-turn, 3.56 mile road course was a challenging and technical course to which the Acura TSXs responded well. Cunningham ran well early in the weekend and set the bar for his team with the fastest lap on Friday’s practice. When it mattered, in qualifying, Kuno Wittmer led the way putting his car in third, with Cunningham alongside in fourth and Kleinubing directly behind in sixth.

After a great start, Wittmer and Cunningham fell cleanly into the third and fourth slots. Cunningham rode teammate Wittmer hard and looked for holes to make his move. After a couple of laps he was finally able to pull ahead of Wittmer.

Cunningham continued to clock fast laps, but couldn’t make much of an inroad on the leaders. After Seth Thomas’ disabled BMW was stuck on course in a dangerous location, the Touring Car drivers saw a full-course yellow. Cunningham was torn, “I wasn’t sure what to think; I was optimistic of my chances of pulling ahead, yet I knew there were a lot of angry guys behind me, gunning for my position.”

The yellow set up the field for the first-ever Touring Car double-file restart for lap 15. At the green light, the leaders barreled into turn one and under steered wide, which allowed Cunningham to take a tighter line and nab the position behind the leader, a move that earned him the AutoWeek Move of the Race.

As the drivers came down from the apex of the turn, jockeying for position, there was some contact between cars. Kleinubing stayed in third, but teammate Wittmer wasn’t so lucky. After getting caught up in the melee off-road, Wittmer soldiered on to an eighth place finish.

Cunningham was also awarded the Debaufre Fastest Race Lap award, taking home the trophy of a Debaufre Swiss watch.

Autobahn Country Club founding member Joel Weinberger joined the RealTime Acura squad this weekend for a guest drive. The team was impressed with Weinberger’s ability to quickly come up to speed at his first time in a front-wheel drive racing car. He seemed to have a blast as he raced his way to a ninth place finish.

In the Manufacturers’ Championship battle, Mazda’s checkered flag now erases Acura’s lead; they are now tied with 43. BMW remains in third with 24.

The fight for the Drivers’ Championship remains tight after Jason Saini’s win, he retains first with 613 points, Cunningham moves up to second with 561, Kleinubing is third at 557, Thomas drops to fourth with 529, and Wittmer rounds out the fifth place spot with 517.

Watch the race on the SPEED channel on Tuesday, August 18 at 2:00p EDT.

The next SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship race will be the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 7-9. The Acura Sports Car Challenge will likely be the largest collection of Acura and Honda powered vehicles at a single racing event.
 

Neil Hannemann Tabbed for World Challenge Post
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
JOLIET, Ill. (July 24, 2009) – SCCA Pro Racing introduced former series Champion Neil Hannemann as its new World Challenge Competition Director today.

The new position will advise in the technical specification process of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring Car Championships, working closely with SCCA Pro Racing Competition and Technical Director Ken Tripkos. Both Hannemann and Tripkos will report to SCCA Pro Racing President & CEO Robert Wildberger.

“We’re excited to have Neil on board in this capacity,” Wildberger said. “I’ve known Neil for more than 20 years, both as a competitor in the series and fellow Chrysler employee. He has tremendous experience that will enhance our already solid technical efforts for World Challenge.”

A General Motors Institute Graduate, Hannemann spent time at all three major domestic automotive manufacturers. His 18-year engineering career with Chrysler was highlighted by serving as the Viper GTS-R Program Manager that included both Le Mans and Daytona 24 Hour wins and the NASCAR Winston Cup Program Manager. Following his tenure with Chrysler, he worked with Saleen, Inc., serving as Chief Engineer for the Saleen S7 supercar; Ford Motor Company, serving as Chief Engineer on the Ford GT project; and McLaren Automotive, serving as Executive Director of Engineering from 2004 to 2007. Since then, Hannemann has served as a consultant, working on various projects including the Aptera three-wheeled electric vehicle.

Hannemann began his racing career with SCCA Club Racing in 1979. Over the next 20 years, he successfully competed in SCCA Pro Racing and IMSA competition, winning World Challenge Touring Drivers’ Championships in 1994 and 1995 driving an Archer Brothers Eagle Talon. In 1998, he founded ViperSpeed, a World Challenge GT team which won the 1999 Drivers’ Championship with Bobby Archer.

“After being involved with the World Challenge series, and its predecessor endurance series, from the mid-‘80s through the ‘90s, I’m excited to be returning to my ‘roots,’” Hannemann said. “I have watched World Challenge grow consistently and feel that it is poised to continue gaining recognition. I hope to be able to apply my experiences as a driver, engineer, team owner and experience at various auto companies to the series to help foster its growth and success.

“I helped out as a crew chief earlier this year in two World Challenge races and was very impressed by the level of organization and professionalism within the series. I am looking forward to being a part of it.”

Hannemann will work primarily from his Carlsbad, Calif., home, where he resides with his wife, Carla, and their four children.

 

World Challenge from Watkins Glen Airs Wednesday
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (July 20, 2009) – Before the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships head to Autobahn Country Club for Round Six, fans can catch up on the happenings from Round Five at Watkins Glen International. The Toyo Tires Watkins Glen Grand Prix Presented by Lala Motorsports airs on SPEED Wednesday, July 22, at 2 p.m, (EDT).

World Challenge GT leads things off, as Brandon Davis qualifies on pole, but for the second-straight race, loses his spot in the post-qualifying coin toss. With the top five qualifiers inverted, Mosport race winner Jason Daskalos takes over the top spot on the grid in the No. 5 Daskalos Developments Dodge Viper. When the start lights go out, third-starting James Sofronas in the No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3 launches into the lead, towing his teammate Dino Crescentini in the No. 4 Stoptech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3 with him around Daskalos. Sofronas can’t hold his teammate off for long, as Crescentini sails past the No. 14 on lap five. Eric Curran is charging hard in the No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette, though. Will the GMG teammates be able to hold him off? Tune into SPEED on July 22 to see if Crescentini gets the best birthday present a racer can ask for, or if Curran finally claims his first win of the 2009 season.

Next up is World Challenge Touring Car, where Sebring race winner Seth Thomas leads the field into Turn One from the pole. The driver of the No. 38 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i immediately has a mirror-full of Charles Espenlaub in the No. 73 MAZDASPEED/Stoptech/ProParts MAZDA6. After doing his best to hold off Espenlaub, Thomas finally gets some breathing room when the No. 35 Phoenix Performance Subaru WRX of Andrew Aquilante begins to challenge Espenlaub for the runner-up spot. The final laps are exactly how racing should be, World Challenge style, with three manufacturers’ going toe-to-toe to decide the podium.

Don’t miss the Toyo Tires Watkins Glen Grand Prix Presented by Lala Motorsports on SPEED, Wednesday, July 22, at 2 p.m. (EDT). A full World Challenge TV schedule is available on www.world-challenge.com
 

Blackdog Speed Shop to Sponsor World Challenge GT at Autobahn
TOPEKA, Kan. (July 10, 2009) – Veteran SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT competitor Blackdog Speed Shop has been announced as the presenting sponsor for Round Six of the Championship. The SPEED World Challenge GT Grand Prix at Autobahn Country Club Presented by Blackdog Speed Shop will be held July 24 – 26, as part of the Harrah’s Autobahn Grand Prix Presented by Mazda weekend.

Located in Lincolnshire, Ill., just an hour’s drive from Autobahn Country Club, in Joliet, Ill., Blackdog Speed Shop is pleased to have the opportunity to sponsor their home race.

“This is a great opportunity for us to get our name out in the community,” Blackdog Speed Shop owner and driver of the No. 34 Blackdog Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Tony Gaples said. “We take care of everything from street car upgrades to full-blown race cars. Having Autobahn so close to Chicago helps us build on our client base and this upcoming race weekend will give us a chance to showcase what Blackdog Speed Shop is capable of.”

The event marks the series first trip to the 21-turn, 3.56-mile Autobahn Country Club. The Harrah’s Autobahn Grand Prix Presented by Mazda is the first professional race weekend for the track, which opened in 2005.

“We’re very excited to have one of our own step up to sponsor the World Challenge GT race at Autobahn,” WC Vision VP of Partnership Relations Scott Bove said. “It will be a very important weekend, marketing-wise, for Blackdog Speed Shop, who’ll have the opportunity to entertain customers and attract prospective clients. We’re more than happy to help Blackdog promote their business.”

The SPEED World Challenge GT Grand Prix at Autobahn Country Club Presented by Blackdog Speed Shop will take place July 24 – 26. Live timing, lap notes, streaming audio, news, photos and more are available at www.world-challenge.com. More information about Blackdog Speed Shop can be found at www.blackdogspeedshop.com
 

World Challenge from Mosport Airs Tuesday on SPEED
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (July 6, 2009) – The SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships are back in one spot, as Round Four for both the GT and Touring Car classes take place at the daunting Mosport International Raceway. Both races are set to air on SPEED, Tuesday, July 7, at 2 p.m. (EDT).

First up is the second part of a World Challenge Touring Car Doubleheader. Though Eric Foss, in the No. 75 MAZDASPEED/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6, qualified on the pole, a wrong call in the post-race coin toss resulted in the top five being inverted, sending Foss to fifth and defending Champion Peter Cunningham in the No. 1 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX to the top spot. Foss still gets a rocket of a start and is already challenging Cunningham for the lead by Turn Eight. Contact will send one of the cars spinning. Tune into SPEED to see if Foss can take his first-career win, or if Cunningham extends his series win record.

Next is World Challenge GT, with yet another inverted grid. Brandon Davis in the No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra was the fastest qualifier at Mosport, but tails failed Davis in the coin toss, handing Randy Pobst in the No. 1 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 the sharp end of the grid. Second-starting Jason Daskalos in the No. 5 Daskalos Developments Dodge Viper gets the Holeshot on the standing start to take the lead from Pobst, but Davis makes a stellar start as well and is on Daskalos’ bumper in no time, with Tony Rivera, Andy Pilgrim, Eric Curran and Dino Crescentini in hot pursuit. Be sure to tune into SPEED to see if Daskalos can hold off a train of World Challenge race winners to take his very first win.

For a full World Challenge broadcast schedule, visit www.world-challenge.com
 

World Challenge Welcomes Special Operations Warriors to July 4 Races
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 29, 2009) – In the spirit of Independence Day, SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car driver Nick Esayian has invited members of the U.S. Special Forces and family members of fallen Special Operators that have fallen to the Toyo Tires Watkins Glen Grand Prix Presented by Lala Motorsports at Watkins Glen International Raceway. The race is part of the Camping World Grand Prix weekend, July 3 – 5.

For more than 29 years, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation has provided college educations to the surviving members of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps special operations personnel killed in combat or training. The Foundation also works to provide immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel.

A long-time supporter of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Esayian has extended an invite to several local servicemen and families of fallen soldiers to attend Round Five of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championship. The guests of honor will receive VIP treatment all weekend, getting a behind-the-scenes look at how World Challenge and its teams operate. With Independence Day falling on race day, it’s the ideal opportunity to show support for U.S. troops and raise awareness for a noble cause.

“We’ve brought in guys from the Special Forces and their families about half a dozen times before, but bringing them out to the track on Independence Day is going to be perfect,” Esayian, driver of the No. 34 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i said. “I’ve never had trouble drumming up support in the World Challenge paddock when I have SOWF guests, and this weekend will be no different. We’ll show them a good time and hopefully put a spotlight on the great things the SOWF is doing.

“The U.S Special Forces have truly been the tip of the spear since 9/11,” Esayian added. “These guys do amazing things in the darkest corners of the earth and the least we can do is make sure we are taking care of their kids. I’m very proud the World Challenge Community has supported me over the last five years in showing my friends from the Special Operations Warrior Foundation that the racing community truly appreciates and supports them.”

The servicemen and families in attendance on July 4 at Watkins Glen will be treated to a World Challenge GT race at 4:45 p.m. (EDT), shortly after IndyCar qualifying. The World Challenge Touring Car race follows at 6 p.m. Live timing and streaming audio will be available at www.world-challenge.com. Both races will be televised on SPEED, Wednesday, July 22, at 2 p.m. (EDT).

For more information on the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, visit www.specialops.org
 

Volvos Get Heavier, Vipers Breathe Easier with SPEED GT Adjustments
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 7, 2009) – SCCA Pro Racing announced today that the Volvo S60 and Dodge Viper have received a competition adjustment before the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship heads to Mosport International Raceway May 16-17.

After dominating last weekend’s event at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the Volvo’s new base weight has been raised from 3,000 to 3,350 lbs. The actual adjustment from New Jersey to Mosport will not be 350 lbs., as the Volvos had not been able to trim enough weight to achieve the 3,000-lb. figure.

“After evaluating the performance of the Volvo, which has been under development, it was clear that an adjustment was warranted,” SCCA Pro Racing Technical and Competition Director Ken Tripkos said. “The cars were not able to get down to the base weight of 3,000 lbs. at New Jersey, but the adjustment is still significant and should bring the vehicle better in line with others in the field.”

Additionally, the Dodge Viper received an air restrictor adjustment from 35 percent to 25 percent.

Round Four of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Championship is set for Sunday, May 17, as part of the Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend at Mosport International Raceway in Canada.
 

General Motors Joins World Challenge GT Manufacturers’ Championship
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (April 22, 2009) – WC Vision is pleased to announced that General Motors has joined the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine.

Thanks to support from its competitors fielding Chevrolet Corvettes and Pontiac GTOs, General Motors has been added to the 2009 World Challenge GT Manufacturers’ Championship in search of its seventh World Challenge title.

“General Motors has long supported the series and has many teams that will continue to support its brands,” Whelen Motorsports Team Owner Sonny Whelen said. “Everyone is familiar with the current situation with auto manufacturers in Detroit, and some of the GM faithful in the series have banded together to meet the series requirements for the Manufacturers Championship in 2009.”

Chevrolet currently leads the World Challenge record books for most manufacturer class wins, with 65, and the Corvette leads the ledger for model class victories, with 41. GM has collected six World Challenge Manufacturers’ Championships with three different marques (Chevrolet, Saturn and Cadillac) since the series began in 1990.

Though Chevrolet will earn points for the podium finishes of Eric Curran at Sebring and Long Beach, as a consequence of joining the Manufacturers’ Championship following Round Two of the 2009 season, the marque has been charged a points penalty agreed upon by the four other manufacturers: Ford, Porsche, Viper and Volvo. As a result, Chevrolet currently sits second in the 2009 World Challenge GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine with 12 points, seven points behind Porsche.

Round Three of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship is slated for May 1 – 3, at Thunderbolt Raceway in Millville, N.J. Log onto www.world-challenge.com to learn more.
 

Chip Herr to Drive DP7 Racing Lamborghini Gallardo in World Challenge GT
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
 

HOUSTON, Texas (April 2, 2009) — Dan Pastorini, former NFL star quarterback for the Houston Oilers and DP7 Racing announced today the addition of the youthful and appealing racecar driver Chip Herr to drive their Lamborghini Gallardo GTR.

“Chip brings a series of wins, rock star good looks and eleven years of experience – a perfect driver for our Lamborghini Gallardo GTR,” Pastorini said. “We already have a group of racing professionals from Formula 1 to Indy Cars and with Chip at the wheel; DP7 Racing is destined to make its mark this season.

After Sebring, I felt we needed someone with experience that can give the necessary information to the crew in order to maximize the performance of the DP7 Gallardo GTR. I had a chance to visit with many drivers, but Chip is a special individual with all the ingredients to accomplish what team owner Betty Johnston and I wanted and that’s to make this program successful.”

In 2008, Herr was featured in Grass Roots Magazine as “One of the Dynamic Dozen in North America,” as well as one of the “Young Guns to watch in coming years”. In addition, he was featured as an up-and-coming driver on SPEEDtv.com and National Speed Sport News and was host of the TV show Sports Car Revolution from 2005-2006 on the SPEED Channel. In 2004 he was Sports Car Revolution’s Co-Host / Test Driver.

Herr won his first-ever auto race at sixteen years of age, literally days after being awarded his driver's license. On hand for that first win was Todd Rucci a standout Patriot Offensive Lineman and the best man at Drew Bledsoe's wedding. "NFL Football has been a huge part of my life," Herr said. "But I weigh 135 pounds and I'm 5'5". I was going to have to find another sport to try and become a professional.”

He’s has earned six poles and six wins in the ultra-competitive SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Series and has been a Championship contender the last two years. "To be asked to work with Dan Pastorini and the DP7 crew is a dream come true for me. Yes, DP7 is an excellent organization and the Lamborghini is a great car, but holy smoke, Dan Pastorini wants ME to drive HIS car!"

The Lititz, Pa. driver was the Miata Cup Pacific Tour Champion in 2003, but in the past few years he’s driven for Ford Racing, STaSIS Audi and for the past two seasons with the sensational Tindol Motorsports, a Mazda Factory Team running MAZDA6s in the SPEED World Challenge Touring Championship. Both Todd Rucci and Drew Bledsoe are still avid supporters of Herr's racing career.

“Nothing looks better on the track or generates more interest and excitement than our Gallardo GTR, which was evidenced at Sebring” Pastorini said. “We have all the ingredients of a winning team and the addition of Chip will only make our presence stronger when we come to Long Beach.

“There is one driving force behind any race team and that’s sponsorship, without it you simply cannot succeed. We have no factory support from Lamborghini, but our privateer team has shown what vision, courage, dedication and talent can accomplish. The addition of Chip will allow me more time to focus on securing the necessary sponsorship for our program.”
 

Tindol Mazda6s make last minute run at Round One of World Challenge Touring Car
Galati finishes 7th while Herr is a DNF from the 4th spot at Sebring
News from Tindol Motorsport
SEBRING Florida (March 21st 2009) — When SCCA Pro Racing’s SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championships wound down the 2008 season Chip Herr and Michael Galati looked near invincible in their MazdaSpeed/Ohlin Shocks Tindol Mazda6s. Galati stormed to a convincing win in Round 9 at Mosport while Herr led Galati in a Tindol Mazda 1-2 finish in the season finale at Road Atlanta.

That momentum seemed to hit the brick wall of a slumping economy as SPEED Touring Car seemed destined to carry on without the green and white Tindol Mazdas in 2009. Fortunately, Tindol Motorsports worked out a last minute deal with Mazda and the Florida Bureau of Tourism allowing Chris Tindol the opportunity to assemble Chip Herr and Michael Galati and his crew for at least one more shot at the tough World Challenge Touring Car competition at Sebring.

Chip Herr, of Lititz PA., qualified 6th and after Round One of SPEED Touring Car took the traditional standing start Chip immediately blasted his Sun Drop Soda/MazdaSpeed/Ohlins/Tindol Mazda6 up to 5th and began closing on the leaders. All of this on only 7 laps of setup and practice.

Driving the same Tindol Motorsports Mazda6 he drove to a convincing win in the 2008 finale at Road Atlanta Herr was in 4th position when his motor expired ending his race on lap 5 with the lead pack just in front of him.

“We made some changes after qualifying with the guys from Ohlin’s setting up the shocks perfectly and my Tindol MazdaSpeed Mazda6 was on rails,” said Chip Herr. “I was passing one car after another and got by Saini when he bobbled just a little bit and was reeling in the leaders. I think I was gaining on the leaders by 2 or 3 tenths a lap but coming out of turn 16 the motor let go and that was it. The tuning looked good on the computer so something probably just let go.

“We showed up late but we were battling for a podium spot so we demonstrated what this Tindol team can do even starting the weekend late. We were carrying the banner for Mazda and looking to win another race at Sebring so hopefully we can put something together and be able to come back for more races this season. I think we proved that we can run with anyone here in SPEED World Challenge Touring Car.”

Michael Galati, of Olmstead Ohio, started the #97 MazdaSpeed/Tindol Mazda6 started 10th and moved up to a 7th place finish after spending the 2nd half of the race fending off a strong challenge from Andrew Aquilante in a Subaru WRX.

“It wasn’t bad,” said Michael Galati. “We only had 7 laps on the car going in and it was a different car that I usually drive. We missed the setup just a bit which made it tough, but considering the competition level in World Challenge Touring Car the Tindol guys did a great job getting my car as good as it was considering we had such a late start on the weekend.”

“I got to the end of the straight and hit some dirt and almost went off the track, so now I have this guy Aquilante right on my tail behind me and I had to put my head down and make sure that he didn’t get by me,” said Galati of his late race battle with Aquilante. “We had a heck of a battle. It was four-wheel drive against two-wheel drive, turbo against no turbo but it was good racing.”

“Chip was definitely coming on, but that is the way this racing game goes,” said Chris Tindol. “The crew worked extra hard this weekend and the great people from Ohlin’s helped us out a lot. Thanks to Mazda and special thanks to The Florida Bureau of Tourism because they put this deal together to get us here.

“We ran last year’s equipment and we didn’t have time to put fresh motors in the cars so unfortunately that hurt us but we sure made an impact on the race. I wish we could have stuck around longer because it probably would have been a bigger impact for sure. We only had about 15 total laps to learn the new formula but we got a lot of data from the race so we are even better now that when we first got here. Hopefully we can find the sponsorship we need to extend this program and put that knowledge to good use.”

“I really want to thank MAZDA, Tindol Motorsport, SAFERACER.COM, Sunbelt, Sun Drop sodas and the Tindol crew that made this past week at Sebring a possibility and for a great effort with so little time to prepare,” concluded Chip Herr.
 

Curran Sharpens Focus on 2009 World Challenge GT Title
Photos courtesy SCCA/ M. Weber 2008
EAST HAMPTION, Mass. (March 10, 2009) - It is with good reason that road racer Eric Curran smiles when he sees the green flag of his 2009 racing season through the windshield, and that he also smiles when he glances in the rear view mirror to savor 2008's results.

In little more than a week, the green flag will wave over the first official practice session of Curran’s season, the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship at Sebring, Fla., on March 20 at 4:55pm (EDT).

In that series, Eric starts his third season driving the Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette owned by Sonny Whelen, who will race an identical Corvette in the 10-race series.

"Going into the start of the 2009 season, I'm more excited than ever to be driving the Whelen Corvette," Curran said. "The crew at both Marsh Racing/Whelen Motorsports have been working very hard to resolve the mechanical issues we had last year. This has been a strong team over the past two seasons - winning five races and always qualifying at the sharp end of the grid. We want to get back there and stay there."

In the 2008 World Challenge GT season, Curran and the team recorded a dominant win at Mosport Park, Curran’s most successful track in terms of numbers of race wins there. They added a second-place finish at Road America, Wis., and had three additional top-five events.

"The 2008 season was a long one for me," he said. "It was good in many ways, and bad in others. Working with the Georgian Bay Motorsports team and their Chevrolet Cobalt in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge series, Jamie Holtom and I won four races, which was enough to win the ST class Driver Championship for Jamie, the Team Championship for GBM, and the Manufacturer Championship for Chevrolet."

One race that sticks in Curran’s craw, however, is his NASCAR debut at Lime Rock Park, where he raced the Whelen Engineering/Debt Cures Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Camping World series.

"Had it not been for a number of cautions, and starting from the back of the pack because qualifying was rained out and we didn't have any points, I potentially could have won my first NASCAR event. I led for a number of laps after getting pushed around on my way up through the pack, but the cautions hurt my chances. I guess I still can't complain about a sixth-place finish after starting last." Curran recalled, wistfully.

"We had a good car, I have thousands of racing miles on the Lime Rock track, and I know where the Winner's Circle is," he said.

"I had a lot of fun in 2008, though. I did 26 races in seven series, including a 'just for fun' 25-hour race to end the season with the Davis team. I also ran in both the GT and Touring classes of SCCA World Challenge, both the Rolex GT and KONI series in Grand-Am, plus the American Le Mans Series, NASCAR, Playboy MX-5 Cup and NASA.

"That was fun, but this year I've decided to cut down on the total number of races and focus on championships, hopefully, for the Whelen team in World Challenge GT. Last year was hard on my life outside of racing with all the traveling. This is a much more focused year."
 

World Challenge and SPEED Renew TV Agreement

Internal Combustion Group Slated to Produce Programming
TOPEKA, Kan. (March 5, 2009) – WC Vision announced today the continued partnership with SPEED to broadcast all 10 Rounds of the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships. Internal Combustion Group has been signed to produce the broadcasts.

Working with feedback from fans, teams, sponsors and industry leaders, the 2009 programming will deliver action-packed racing along with behind-the-scenes, personality-focused moments. This year’s SPEED World Challenge broadcasts will combine each SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Car Round into a single, fast-paced, one-hour program. Broadcasts will continue to air tape-delayed on SPEED.

To help create the exciting, up-close and personal programming that SPEED World Challenge fans are looking for, WC Vision has signed Internal Combustion Group, owned by long-time series announcer Tom Hnatiw (pronounced Nat-choo), to produce this season’s broadcasts. In business for 20 years, Internal Combustion Group has produced quality programming for The Export “A” Formula 2000 Championship, Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship and North American Super Touring Championship. Hnatiw and company are planning to invest a significant amount of time into post-race production to ensure a clean and concise one hour program, which captures the drama of each race.

“We welcome the addition of Tom Hnatiw to World Challenge,” said SPEED SVP of Production & Network Operations Rick Miner. “As a series insider, he will no doubt bring great knowledge to the production.”

“My mandate from WC Vision is to make the most electrifying racing show on TV and that's just what we're going to do,” Hnatiw said. "I've been a fan of World Challenge from the start and even competed in a few of the early rounds. It really is a dream come true to be chosen to bring this renewed version of the Championship to life on SPEED."

Hnatiw, who produces other SPEED programs, such as Dream Car Garage and Sports Car Revolution, will continue to be the voice of World Challenge for the new shows with his enthusiastic, no-holds barred style that fans love.

The new partnership with Internal Combustion Group will also give the series the opportunity to add more enhanced video and audio features to the SPEED World Challenge Web site, enabling those who can’t make it to the track to still be a part of the action.

“SPEED Channel reaches more than 70 million U.S. households and is the channel of choice for our fans, automotive and motorsports enthusiasts,” WC Vision Vice President of Marketing and Communications Dave Drimmie said. “They’ve been an integral partner in the growth and development of the World Challenge series. The Internal Combustion Group has a ton of experience producing top-notch automotive programs for SPEED and given Tom is so passionate about our series and motorsports, I am confident they will produce a high caliber, exhilarating program for our fans.”

A full broadcast schedule for the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships will be announced shortly.

The Toyo Tires SPEED World Challenge Season Opener at Sebring is rapidly approaching, March 18 – 20. More information can be found at www.world-challenge.com
 

SPEED World Challenge Announces Revised Schedule and Porsche GT3 Cup Shootout
TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 13, 2009) – Two major updates to the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships have been made, including a revised 10-race schedule and the addition of a Porsche GT3 Cup Shootout.

The 2009 SPEED World Challenge season now includes a trip to Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. Both classes will join the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, May 1 – 3.

“I’m happy we’re able to return to New Jersey Motorsports Park,” SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Bob Wildberger said. “Racing there last season, it was clear that a great deal of planning had gone into the facility and we knew there were still further improvements planned. It’s a great market for our teams and sponsors to be in and gives our schedule a good geographic balance.”

In 2008, SCCA Pro Racing received a number of requests from stock Porsche 911 GT3 Cup teams to provide a competitive environment for them in SPEED World Challenge GT. To address this, WC Vision and SCCA Pro Racing have created the GT3 Cup Shootout for stock Porsche GT3 Cup competitors running in the SPEED World Challenge GT Championship.

In the 2009 season, stock Porsche GT3 Cup cars (with the addition of a right-side driver’s net) will be eligible to compete in the SPEED GT series under the normal SCCA Pro Racing rulebook.

Similar to Rookie of the Year point standings, the GT3 Shootout Cup will be based on the regular point structure for SPEED GT Championship with only eligible drivers included in the separate Shootout point standings. Drivers may count their best five Shootout finishes toward the Cup.

Cars taking advantage of the additional SPEED GT rules allowances for the Porsche 911 GT3 are not eligible to compete for the Porsche GT3 Cup Shootout.

A full-season World Challenge television package and additional media components will be aired. Details are to be announced shortly
 

MLR Motorsports Enters SPEED Touring Car Season Opener
News from Team MLR
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Feb. 2, 2009) – Team MLR is excited to announce its SPEED Touring Car entry into the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Toyo Tires Season Opener at Sebring. Driver Matt Lang, of Bedminster, N.J., will pilot the No. 99 Skunk2/Olson Technologies Acura Integra Type R at Sebring International Raceway March 18 – 20.

After entering his first-ever SPEED Touring Car race last season at Lime Rock Park, Lang is eager to get back in the Acura Integra Type R for the 2009 World Challenge season opener in Sebring. The race will be a homecoming of sorts for Team MLR, who were previously based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., before moving to New Jersey.

“I think we have a unique situation in that we are able to run an older car in such a great series,” Lang said. “It’s definitely one of, if not the most popular, Acura model to ever race in SPEED World Challenge. We brought the car out on last minute notice for Lime Rock Park last year, but didn’t get the results we hoped for. The fan’s seemed happy to see the car, so I guess that makes the 19th-place finishing position a little easier to swallow. We are looking to be a bit more competitive at Sebring with a better motor package and better suspension components. It also doesn’t hurt that Sebring is my home track.

“We were fortunate to have some of our sponsors step up and get behind us for this race,” Lang added. “Olson Technologies Inc. is a new sponsor to our team but not a stranger to racing. VP Erik Olson competes regularly in regional club races. Skunk2 has been a long supporter of our team and efforts in motorsports.”

Skunk2 Racing products are designed for enthusiasts by enthusiasts. Drawing on nearly a decade of experience in the sport compact industry, Skunk2 Racing is able to create products that cater to the needs of the true enthusiast. As part of a commitment to continually build the best products, Skunk2 Racing is actively involved in various forms of motorsports.

A small team with a limited budget, Team MLR is grateful for the opportunity to race at the SPEED World Challenge Toyo Tires season opener and hopes to enter several additional races in 2009. In addition to the Integra, the team hopes to make some outings in the Motorsports Gallery Dodge SRT-4 and a K24-powered Acura RSX.

 

K-PAX/3R Racing Enters Two Champions, Two Volvos in 2009 SPEED GT
News from K-Pax Racing

Photos courtesy K-Pax Racing
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (Jan. 12, 2009) – K-PAX/3R Racing has announced they will enter the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship with two-time defending Champion Randy Pobst and 2005 Champion Andy Pilgrim driving a pair of Volvo S60s.

Though the team has won the SPEED GT Drivers’ Championship the past two years with Pobst behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 and helped the German marque earn its seventh World Challenge Manufacturers’ Championship in 2007, the team could not resist the challenge of a new car. K-PAX owner Jim Haughey has long been enthusiastic about the Volvo brand and 3R has proven to be especially adept at building a car from the frame up.

That’s exactly what the team has done with the all-wheel drive 2.5 liter turbo 2009 Volvo S60. The chassis arrived at the 3R shop straight off the assembly line. The crew got to work designing their own components, while working with Mahle USA on motors and Weismann on gearboxes.

“We here at 3R are very excited at the opportunity we have been given to engineer and build all-new cars and bring a new manufacturer back to the series,” 3R Racing owner Bob Raub said. “We know that this is not an easy task or one that will not be without its share of problems and failings, but through those problems and failings we will work hard to have success for Jim, Volvo, Randy and Andy.”

The change in cars goes hand-in-hand with a driver change. Three-time series Champion (2005, 2007-8) Pobst will be partnered with 2005 SPEED GT Champion Pilgrim in 2009. Pilgrim steps into the cockpit of the Volvo S60 after five seasons driving a Cadillac CTS-V. Pobst starts his third season with K-PAX, searching for his third-consecutive Drivers’ Title. Together, Pobst and Pilgrim have combined for 27 poles, 77 top-three finishes and 28 wins.

"Happy New Year, and what a new year it will be!” Pobst said. “Fabulous new 3R Racing-built Volvo S60R all-wheel drive turbo race cars, and a new teammate who is someone for whom I have great respect, Andy Pilgrim. The new Volvo will be a very interesting development project. I am excited about being part of a new challenge; the testing, the learning and being part of a new creation. I will miss Michael Galati's effervescent personality, and I wish him the best in his new endeavors."

“I’m very excited to be working with K-PAX,” Pilgrim said. “I have a ton of respect for them, having run against them in several cars, from the original Corvette they were running to the Porsches the last two years.

“At this point in my career I’m looking forward to having a big learning curve with an all-wheel drive race car. That’s something I’ve never driven before and it’s been a long time since I’ve driven a turbo. I’m always up for a challenge. I’m also looking forward to running with Randy. We’ve run as car-mates and competitors, but we’ve never run as teammates.”

With so much work to be done and parts to fit, the team doesn’t anticipate any testing before Sebring. Pobst and Pilgrim will be valuable assets in developing the car throughout the season.
 

10 Rounds Set for 2009 World Challenge; Watkins Glen Added
Photos courtesy SCCA/Weber 2008
TOPEKA, Kan. (Dec. 17, 2008) – WC Vision and SCCA Pro Racing have announced that the SPEED World Challenge Championships will join the Indy Racing League at Watkins Glen International, July 3 – 5, for the Fifth Annual Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen. The addition gives both the SPEED Touring Car and SPEED GT classes 10 rounds apiece for 2009.

Watkins Glen will serve as Round Five for the SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Car Championships, slotting into the schedule between Lime Rock Park and the Autobahn Country Club. It will be the series’ seventh trip to the renowned 3.4-mile road course near New York’s Finger Lakes. Last season, Randy Pobst took the GT win at The Glen, while Michael Galati collected the Touring Car victory.

For more information about World Challenge and the 2009 schedule, visit www.world-challenge.com

CRP Racing Fined For Mosport World Challenge Violation
TOPEKA, Kan. (July 1, 2010) – SCCA Pro Racing today assessed penalties on the No. 2 CRP Racing Chevrolet Corvette team as a result of a rules violation in the week prior to the World Challenge Championships event at Mosport International Raceway, May 21 – 23.

CRP Racing was fined $1500 and driver Ron Fellows was penalized 50 Drivers’ Championship points for violation of SCCA Pro Racing Article 1.3.5.3 prohibiting pre-race testing during the seven calendar days prior to the first day of official sessions.

The fine money will be split equally among three separate charities: the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a partnership charity of MTM Special Ops watches; Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, and Samaritan’s Feet.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is devoted to providing a college education to every child who has lost a parent while serving in Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations during an operational or training mission. Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy is a fight against muscular dystrophy, while Samaritan’s Feet provides shoes for children in need.

More information on the three charities is available at www.specialops.org  www.samaritansfeet.org  and www.parentprojectmd.org
 

Patrick Dempsey to Race World Challenge Mazda at Long Beach
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2010
IRVINE, Calif. (March 29, 2010) - MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development today confirmed that Patrick Dempsey will race a 2010 MAZDA3 prepared by Tri-Point Motorsports in the World Challenge Championships race during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend. Dempsey normally races a Mazda RX-8 in the Rolex Grand-Am GT series.

“I’m thrilled to be able to race near my Los Angeles home,” Dempsey said about the weekend and the difference in racecars. “With the Grand-Am series, I’ve been able to race at many of the great tracks in North America, but now I have a chance to race locally. The Tri-Point MAZDA3 really impressed me during testing. I’ve never driven a front-wheel drive racecar that handled that well before. I shouldn’t have been surprised though as my daily driver is a MAZDASPEED3. The weekend will also be personally rewarding to me as we’ll be carrying the colors of our Dempsey Challenge.”

The Dempsey Challenge presented by Amgen is a non-competitive fundraising event for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center. The 2010 event will take place October 2nd and 3rd in Lewiston, Maine. More information, including registration materials, can be found at www.dempseychallenge.org

Dempsey and the Tri-Point MAZDA3 will compete in the World Challenge GTS class.

The World Challenge race is a part of the multi-race Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, April 16-18. The World Challenge race will take place on Sunday, April 16th. More information can be found at www.gplb.com

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing and managed by WC Vision, the World Challenge Championships represent the best production-based racing in the world. Utilizing a single driver format and standing starts for the 50-minute races, the series offers non-stop action in each of its three categories—GT, GTS and Touring Car. The series features 12 races at eight different venues in 2010. For more information, visit www.world-challenge.com
 

TruSpeed to Campaign Three Porsches in 2010 SCCA World Challenge GT Series
Winning drivers Rob Morgan, Charles Morgan and Patrick Lindsey To suit up for 12-race season
Photos © Cheryl Taylor
COSTA MESA, Calif., (March 15, 2010) - The competition in the SCCA World Challenge GT series heated up dramatically today when TruSpeed Motorsports announced that it will field three Porsche GT3 Cup cars in all 12 races this year. Rob Morgan of Ladera Ranch, Calif. and Patrick Lindsey from Santa Barbara, Calif. will drive 2008 Porsches while Charles Morgan, who hails from Dallas, Texas will drive a 2010 model.

TruSpeed, the premier source for air-cooled Porsches in the United States, is the sponsor of Rob Morgan's car, while Charles Morgan's car will promote PrivacyStar, an application for Blackberries that provides users with a comprehensive privacy solution for unwanted calls. Patrick Lindsey's car will be sponsored by TruSpeed, Horton Autosport and Sloan Securities.

TruSpeed has been an important team in professional sports car racing for more than 30 years. The Morgans have owned two NASCAR teams and they each have class victories in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Rob Morgan's name is also familiar to SCCA Trans-Am and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series fans. In IMSA GT, Charles Morgan is ranked third in the all-time driver point standings, and he has two class victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring too. He and his son also won Grand-Am's AGT team championship in 2002.

Patrick Lindsey is moving into the World Challenge GT series from its sister division, Touring Car. He ran a full season in Touring Car in 2008 and had four Touring Car starts in 2009, recording two top-five finishes and two top 10s in a Mazda prepared by Horton Motorsports. He also ran in seven NASA American Iron series races in 2009, scoring two victories and four podium finishes.

TruSpeed competed in a handful of World Challenge races last year before making the decision to field a multi-car team in the series in 2010. "We liked the series and the format, and with some changes and adjustments, we're looking forward to the new season," said Rob Morgan. "Last year Toyo tires were new to us, so now we have learned how to adjust and make the most of them. We're also going with a new Penske shock package that we think will help us.
We will also benefit from data sharing by bringing Patrick into the mix.
Patrick and I are racing to win; our goal is to be in the top three in the point standings at the end of the year," Morgan added.

Lindsey was guardedly optimistic. "This will be my first time in a Porsche and my first time in GT so we have some obstacles to overcome, but we do expect to do very well. It's a very talented group, and I think we're going to work well together. The collaboration between Horton Autosport and TruSpeed will yield some good results," he said.

The series consists of 12 races at eight venues. The team is especially looking forward to the Long Beach Grand Prix April 16-18 since it's near its home base. "The TruSpeed transporter will be featured inside the Convention Center, and we'll have a big display," Morgan said.

Each event will be televised on VERSUS, beginning with the season-opening doubleheader March 26-28 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
 

K-Pax Racing to Return to World Challenge GT with Volvo S60s and Drivers Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
ENGLEWOOD, Colorado (March 9, 2010) – K-Pax Racing announced today that drivers Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim will both return in the Volvo S60 AWDs this year.

This marks the second year that K-Pax Racing will campaign the Volvo S60s in the World Challenge GT Championship. The Volvo debuted in 2009 and won three races with Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim behind the wheel.

Pobst is both optimistic and excited about his chances this year.

“I predict that 2010 will be the year of the K-Pax Racing Volvo S60,” Pobst said. “We will benefit from what we learned in our first season in the new Volvos, mostly from reliability, I predict. We had good speed from the beginning with a sound design on the solid Volvo chassis. I really enjoy driving something unusual and attention getting. The K-Pax Volvo S60 stands out, even in the World Challenge GT crowd. I also relish the chance to be part of developing something so new and different.”

The Volvo S60 uses a 2.5-liter motor with 26 pounds of boost to compete against the much larger V8s and V10s. Team owner Jim Haughey does not see this as a disadvantage, however.

“The World Challenge GT is a great racing series for us because of the diversity of cars: Volvos, Vipers, Corvettes, Mustangs, Porsches and many more,” Haughey said. “All these different types of cars with their individual advantages and disadvantages really make for a challenging race season. The SCCA technical staff does such a good job of equalizing the cars that the outcome of the races is usually determined by car preparation and driver skill.”

This year the World Challenge has three classes of cars within each GT race, the GT cars, the GTS cars and the TC cars. As a driver, Pilgrim is looking forward to this new format.

“I think running a three class field will be great,” Pilgrim said. “It will bring the traffic variable into play, which is something I’m used to, having run so much in endurance racing championships. Traffic can help you or hurt you; it really depends on skill, luck and chance. It’s going to be a blast!”

Joining K-Pax Racing for a second season is sponsor TiAL Sports Inc. USA. TiAL Sports designs the highest quality engineered turbo charging products for today's performance systems market.

“TiAL Sports solved our turbo charger and waste gate problems last year,” Haughey said. “We could not run these turbo pressures without TiAL Sports engineered solutions and we are proud to use their products on our Volvos.”

More information on K-Pax racing, drivers Pilgrim and Pobst, and the Volvo S60 AWD are available at www.kpaxracing.com
 

Brass Monkey Racing to Bring Nissan GT-R to World Challenge
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
ANGLETON, Texas (Feb. 22, 2010) – Brass Monkey Racing has announced plans to campaign a pair of Nissan GT-R cars in the 2010 World Challenge GT Championship with the support of Nissan North America, Inc.

The announcement signals a renewed interest for Nissan, which last participated in World Challenge with a Touring Car effort in 2005. The twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R racecars are currently under construction at Brass Monkey Racing’s Texas-based race shop and will make their North American debut March 26-28, in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the hands of two-time series race winner Tony Rivera, of Missouri City, Texas, and rookie Steve Ott, of Houston.

“We’re very excited to bring such an iconic car to the North American professional road racing scene,” Brass Monkey Racing Team Owner A.J. Brass said. “After such a successful season in 2009, finishing third in the Championship and winning in our very first race, we look forward to the challenge of bringing an entirely new platform to World Challenge. With Nissan’s assistance and great engineering and driving, we expect to contend for the 2010 Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships.”

“Nissan is very excited about the new Brass Monkey project,” Nissan North America Senior Manager - Motorsports, Wholesale and Collision Parts Growth Ron Stukenberg said. “This series aligns well with the performance of the GT-R and compliments the production attributes of the car. It’s great to have a Nissan compete in World Challenge after a brief hiatus. We look forward to having Tony and Steve at the front of the field in 2010.”

Brass noted that despite a compressed timeline to finish the new cars, they benefit from an already solid platform with the GT-R.

“Many of the cars in the series have serious modifications to the engines and drivelines from the stock vehicles,” Brass said. “The beauty of the GT-R is that it is an amazing platform to start with and we are able to utilize all of the stock internal components and drivetrain. With the exception of some of the approved series aerodynamic items and an effort to bring the car down to a competitive weight, the car will remain incredibly stock compared to most of our competition.”

Brass Monkey Racing was formed in 2009 with the support of Tax Masters. Its rookie season was a tremendous success, with Rivera, a relative unknown in professional racing, winning in the team’s very first attempt at Sebring in the team’s Porsche 911 GT3. He went on to win at Road America later in the season, finishing third in the Championship standings.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the 2010 season,” Rivera said. “I anticipate the Brass Monkey Nissans will become the most popular cars in the paddock because there is such an unbelievable following worldwide for the GT-R. My first racecar was a Showroom Stock B Nissan NX 2000, so it’s cool to be back in a Nissan - even though this one will be quite a bit different!”

Ott previously raced with Rivera with Brass Mitchell Racing, which later evolved into Brass Monkey Racing, in the 2008 Koni Challenge. Like Rivera, his roots are in SCCA Club Racing, where he finished on the podium at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Running a partial season in the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Championship, he scored good results with Newman Wachs Racing.

“I’ve always wanted to run World Challenge because of the single-driver format and amazing cars,” Ott said. “To have an opportunity to be a part of the Brass Monkey Nissan team is incredible and I can’t wait to begin testing for St. Petersburg.”

Brass Monkey Racing and its Nissan GT-R World Challenge effort will have support from Nissan, Tax Masters, Stoptech, Penske Shocks South Side Performance and Seibon Carbon. For more information about Brass Monkey Racing, please visit www.brassmonkey.com
 

Wittmer Joins Woodhouse Performance for 2010 World Challenge Effort
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
BLAIR, Neb. (Jan. 28, 2010) – Woodhouse Performance announced today that Montreal’s Kuno Wittmer will pilot the team’s No. 13 Dodge Viper Competition Coupe in the 2010 World Challenge GT Championship.

The team is entering its seventh year of competition in the World Challenge GT series, which begins its season with a double race weekend on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., March 26-28.

"We are thrilled to have Kuno in our Dodge Viper full time,” Woodhouse Performance owner Bob Woodhouse said. "His past experience in multiple levels of competition along with the solid foundation this team has established will produce a great combination for success. We're on track to deliver great results for the 2010 season.”

“It is a great feeling and a dream come true, to be part of this effort,” four-time World Challenge Touring Car race winner Wittmer said. “The team and I are really looking forward to a strong off season testing program in order to be as competitive as possible."

Officials of Dodge Motorsports and Woodhouse Performance are pleased to continue their alliance. Matt Bejnarowicz of Pure Dynamics will provide engineering support and Rick Maxwell will serve as Crew Chief. The team hopes to announce the driver of its second factory-built Dodge Viper Competition Coupe soon.

“We’re excited about working with Dodge Motorsports,” Team Director of Operations Susan Dunklau said. “They’ve built a very solid World Challenge Series program over the past several seasons. We’re looking forward to working with Kuno.”

Wittmer made one start with the team in 2009, earning a front row starting spot at Road America. For more information, please visit www.woodhouseperformance.com.
 

World Challenge Announces Revised Competition Classifications
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Dec. 7, 2009) – SCCA Pro Racing and WC Vision have announced competition classifications for the 2010 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships. The series will take a firm stance on cost control in 2010, with the Touring Car class adopting TC2 rules and the GT class using a new baseline of performance. Additionally, a new Grand Touring Sport class has been added.

Committed to reduced costs and an increase in actual racing for 2010, SCCA Pro Racing and WC Vision have announced that the Touring Car and Touring Car 2 categories will merge, with performance standards set to TC2 levels. The class will maintain the Touring Car name and share the same point system and purse amounts as the GT and GTS classes.

“We had numerous discussions with our Touring Car teams in the offseason before determining this to be the best course of action,” World Challenge Competition Director Neil Hannemann said. “The return to a more showroom stock-type preparation brings the class back to its roots and what it was designed to be. The feedback from competitors thus far has been positive.”

The World Challenge Touring Car class is designed for four-seat coupes, sedans, wagons and hatchbacks. Adoption of the TC2 rules for 2010 will put tighter limits on engine, drivetrain and aerodynamic modifications. Cars will still be afforded substantial handling upgrades, including aftermarket racing shocks, sway bars and springs.

Along similar lines of cost containment, the GT class will use a new performance baseline in 2010, for example, one similar to the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Existing cars, such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Ford Mustang, Volvo S60, 2009 Porsche GT3 Cup and Aston Martin DB9, will be adjusted to the new baseline by means of weight and air restriction to achieve parity.

“There’s no way to ignore the changing economic climate and the need for racing to be more affordable,” WC Vision Co-Chair Bob Woodhouse said. “In 2010, World Challenge will be one of the best deals in racing, as we have reduced the travel by 20 percent, with eight weekends, while increasing the number of races by 20 percent, to 12.”

Additionally, the series will add the Grand Touring Sport class. Eligible cars, including (but not limited to) the BMW M3 GT4, Ford Mustang GT, Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro and Ferrari F430 will be permitted with fewer modifications than their GT counterparts. SCCA Club Racing Touring 1 cars are a strong fit for the class as are cars previously classified in the World Challenge Touring Car category that do not convert to the class’ 2010 standards.

“The FIA GT3 and GT4 regulations are a good basis for GT and GTS,” explained Hannemann. “While we will not follow those rule sets explicitly, they serve as a solid platform moving into the future.

Current teams and prospective entrants are being assisted through the transition by the SCCA Pro Racing Technical Staff. Additional inquiries can be made by contacting the SCCA Pro Racing offices at 785-357-7223. Full specifications will be published in the 2010 SCCA Pro Racing Rulebook which will be available before the close of 2009.

“This transition provides what the competitors have asked for and therefore is the best direction for World Challenge,” SCCA Pro Racing President & CEO Robert Wildberger said. “Neil Hannemann, Ken Tripkos and the entire SCCA Pro Racing technical staff are prepared to help teams through this process step by step. We’ve consulted numerous teams regarding the plans for 2010 and we’ll be at the Performance Racing Industry show for further meetings. We want to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone.”

Seven of the planned eight race weekends for the 2010 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships have already been announced. The 2010 season starts in St. Petersburg, Fla., March 26 – 28. For more information visit www.world-challenge.com, or follow the series on Facebook and Twitter @SPEEDWC.
 

World Challenge Takes Positives from 2009 Season to Create a Vision for the Future
Photos © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (Sept. 3, 2009) – A year and change has passed since WC Vision acquired the commercial rights to SPEED World Challenge and entered into a partnership with SCCA Pro Racing to take the series to the next level. The revamped efforts to grow the series have come in the midst of a world-wide economic recession. Sponsorship dollars are few and far between, forcing race teams to pay their own way. But while such economic challenges exist, series leaders, buoyed by positive results in 2009, forge ahead with plans for 2010 and beyond.-->MORE

SPEED World Challenge:

Randy Pobst scores his first win of 2009 in K-PAX Volvo S60 at Illinois Autobahn
Andy Pilgrim survives wild restart melee to finish 4th
By Jim Bourne
Photos © Jim Bourne
JOLIET Illinois (July 26, 2009) — Two time defending World Challenge GT champion Randy Pobst finally scored his first win of the 2009 season as he drove his #1 K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60 to the win in Sunday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Grand Prix at Autobahn Presented by Blackdog Speed Shop.

Andy Pilgrim survived a poor start and an early race spin to finish the #8 K-PAX Volvo S60 in 4th position.

Randy Pobst, of Gainesville Georgia, got a slow start as the Porsches of pole sitter James Sofronas and Tony Rivera sailed through turn one in first and second place but turn two would be a critical moment for Pobst and his first 2009 win as he got a great launch with his #1 K-PAX Volvo S60 out of turn one and dove past both Rivera and Sofronas to take a lead he would virtually never relinquish.

“Our Volvos have a small engine with a big turbo and with all-wheel drive we have a tremendous amount of traction,” said Pobst. “On the starts we rev it up as high as we can and bang the clutch home and if the wheels spin, we take off and we are in great shape. If we get enough traction we bog down and I think both Andy [Pilgrim] and I both bogged.

“By the time I finally got going Tony Rivera had gotten by me and James [pole sitter Sofronas] was gone. We ran through the first corner and I got a good shot out of that first corner cold tires on an all-wheel drive car in a long acceleration zone is good and I had a shot at Rivera going into turn two. I figured ‘now or never, baby’ because I knew he would be difficult to pass. I just dive-bombed him on the inside into turn two and that worked.

“Meanwhile James Sofronas has gotten into turn two a little hot and he had a little wiggle. I dived down the inside of him, skimmed his mirrors and took the lead. I think that was the key moment of the race because if I hadn’t gotten the lead then I might not have won the race.”

Pobst controlled the race from the front as Rivera tried his best to chance him down. Pobst led all but one lap of the race as Rivera was credited with leading a lap after he edged out Pobst at the start finish line during the first race restart.

It was a great win for the K-PAX team and I am really happy,” said Pobst. “I ran here on Tuesday coaching my friend Cooper McNeil and that day of track time was a tremendous help to me. As soon as I pulled out on the track for practice I was ready and we were 2 and a half seconds faster than everybody else but we never went any faster but everyone else kept getting closer and closer. There is a lot of good competition in the World Challenge Series.

The first restart was all too exciting for Pobst so after the second race restart Pobst left nothing to chance and brought the #1 K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60 home for his first Volvo win and the second for the K-PAX Volvos in 2009.

“The first restart was tough and I got hit from behind but I was still on the brakes and I guess that saved me because that hit was solid, but since I was still breaking he didn’t spin me,” said Pobst of the crash filled first restart. “That restart was just like a Saturday night special, down the inside and over slow just a bit just in case and sure enough kaboom. But my Volvo held. Volvos are built strong!”

Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton Florida, brought his #8 K-PAX Volvo S60 home in the 4th position but he had to pass a lot of cars to do it as he bogged down at the start and found himself in 12th position by the time the field filed through the first few turns of the race.

“In the beginning I got a terrible start and dropped back to 12th because the car just died at the start, because we had one of those it just doesn’t want to start days,” said Andy Pilgrim of his slow start. “I worked my way back up to 7th behind Eric Curran.”

Pilgrim worked his way back up to 7th but spun trying to pass Curran’s Corvette for 6th dropping back to 16th and forcing him to start his drive to the front all over again.

“There was one corner where we were really good, coming out onto the straight-a-way, and I was trying to be aggressive in the turn 5 and I spun out,” said Pilgrim. “After qualifying we made a big change to the back of the car and we knew it was going to be loose but it was very loose on the way in [to the turns] and I knew it. I just couldn’t quite save it.

“That dropped be back to 16th. I managed to pass a couple of cars before the full course yellow.

I am sitting in my car in 14th, just miserable, thinking ‘Oh great’ because I can see Rivera in 2nd and I can see Brandon Davis [Series GT points’ leader] in 3rd or 4th and I am thinking ‘perfect, this just stinks’.”

But the course had gone yellow after Tony Gaples smacked the turn two tire wall and the cagy veteran driver slowed to avoid the carnage on the first restart and raced his #8 K-PAX Volvo S60 back up the charts to finish 4th, a scant second and a half from a podium finish.

“Then I remember the double file restart,” said Pilgrim with a wry smile. “I absolutely knew that if I had any chance at all I had to make it through that first turn because I just knew that it was going to be a mess on the restart. So basically I backed off. I gave myself room in front, one car passed me on the inside, another car was on my outside but bottom line I said ‘I don’t care; I have to have room to go.

“I saw Schaldach go down the inside in the grass and I thought, ‘OK, it is gonna happen, here we go’ and just all hell broke loose and cars were coming everywhere. I had room to go left and then I saw Rivera’s Porsche spun out backwards. I missed him and then another car came around me but somehow I got out of there!

“Then coming down into turn two there was Crescentini disabled going into the corner and I had to go around the outside of him and I wasn’t sure if he could make the turn because poor old Dino Crescentini who got hit in that mess as well. I get through all of that and where am I? In 7th!

“Unfortunately we had that next yellow because if we had more green flag laps or at least fewer yellow flag laps I think we could have finished 3rd or possibly second. I had already passed Kubinski earlier and his tires were going off on the long runs but we didn’t have enough laps at the end for his tires to go off.”

It was an exciting day for Pilgrim as he passed many cars and survived the huge wreck in turn one in the process as he took the #8 K-PAX Volvo S-60 to the finish line in pristine condition. All in all a great day everything considered.

“So we ended up 4th but considering how it happened it feels like a win based on how the race progressed and how many cars we passed, it sure felt like a win, because when you think about it, me spinning might have saved me because if I hadn’t I probably would have been right in the middle of that mess,” said Pilgrim with a big smile. “I am really happy. Happy for Randy for the win, he has been wanting to win since New Jersey. It means a lot to him. And I’m happy for the K-PAX team for getting another win. It is really fantastic!”

The fourth place finish for Andy Pilgrim moves him up to 3rd position in the Drivers’ Championship with 539 and Randy Pobst’s win moved him up to 5th in the drivers’ championship with 483. Brandon Davis still leads the championship with 598 points. The win by Randy Pobst moved Volvo up to 3rd position in the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by Racer Magazine with 27 points. Porsche leads with 38 points.

Next race for the K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60s of Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim will be Round Seven of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championships, the Mid-Ohio Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington Ohio on August 7th through the 9th 2009. For information about this race and to follow this race via live timing or via audio broadcast go to the World Challenge Web Site at www.World-Challenge.com
 

Mazda to Present World Challenge Touring Car Round Six
TOPEKA, Kan. (July 15, 2009) – WC Vision is pleased to announce that Mazda North American Operations has signed on as the presenting sponsor for Round Six of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship. The SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Grand Prix at Autobahn Country Club Presented by Mazda will take place July 24 – 26, as part of the Harrah’s Autobahn Grand Prix Presented by Mazda weekend in Joliet, Ill.

The SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Grand Prix at Autobahn Country Club Presented by Mazda marks the series’ first visit to Autobahn Country Club, a 21-turn, 3.56-mile road course. The manufacturer played a large role in the organization of the first professional race event at Autobahn Country Club, and is thrilled to have the adrenalin-filled sprint racing of World Challenge on the bill.

“Mazda has great dealers and fans in the Chicagoland area, thus we’re pleased to be the presenting sponsor for the inaugural World Challenge Touring Car race at the Autobahn,” said Robert Davis, Mazda North American Operations Senior Vice President, Product Development and Quality. “Over the past few years the World Challenge Touring Car series has been a great battle between Mazda, Acura and BMW. The battle this year is especially tight with MAZDA6 racer Jason Saini leading the drivers’ points, and Mazda now just three points out of the manufacturers points lead.”

Mazda is currently chasing Acura in the World Challenge Touring Car Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine, 36 to 33. BMW is third with 22 points.

“We’re excited to have Mazda’s support for the Round Six race at Autobahn,” WC Vision VP of Partnership Relations Scott Bove said. “Mazda has always been a formidable competitor in World Challenge and a long-time supporter of the series. I applaud them for their work putting the weekend at Autobahn together and everyone in World Challenge is looking forward to the event.”

The SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Grand Prix at Autobahn Country Club Presented by Mazda takes place July 24 – 26. Live timing, lap notes, streaming audio, news, photos and more will all be available at www.world-challenge.com
 

Pobst and Pilgrim finish 4th and 5th in Round 5 of SPEED GT at Watkins Glen
By Jim Bourne
Photos © Jim Bourne
WATKINS GLEN, New York (July 5, 2009) — Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim began Toyo Tires Watkins Glen Grand Prix Presented by Lala Motorsports, Round 5 of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championships, with a lot of questions and uncertainty but finished 4th and 5th as their K-PAX Volvo S60s performed well.

The K-PAX/3R Racing team and Pobst and Pilgrim both felt that finishing 4th and 5th in today’s race was a victory of sorts after all of the concerns surrounding transmission difficulties made even finishing the race a big question mark.

Pobst’s #1 K-PAX Volvo suffered a transmission problem during Thursday’s practice and Pilgrim’s #8 Volvo had transmission problems during qualifying on Friday afternoon. After burning the midnight oils to replace the transmission in the #1 Volvo the team had to repeat the chore on the #8 car. What made the situation worse was that the team had to cobble together a working transmission out of the two broken ones to get a working unit into Pilgrim’s car.

At one point there was some doubt that Andy Pilgrim would be able to start the race let alone finish it.

“I feel like I won,” said Andy Pilgrim who made three passes late in the race to finish his #8 K-PAX Volvo S60 in 5th position. “It feels like a win because we couldn’t do a proper start because we were worried about first gear. This was just another amazing job by the K-PAX 3R Racing guys. We started the race with the crew saying, ‘this is all we could do’ and we came away with a 5th.

“It was just fantastic! The transmission worked well for the entire race. I was being a little gentle with it and making sure I was all the way out of the gas before I shifted but I didn’t have any problems at all.”

“Will Moody, my car-chief, is one of the best suspension engineers there is and he is a darned good transmission engineer as well because he has had to become one,” said Pobst with a smile. “He spent about 20 hours building the transmissions for these two cars and he did it right. My Volvo shifted beautifully the entire race.”

Randy Pobst, of Gainesville Georgia, started his #1 K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60 6th and early on was able to pass Davis’ Mustang for 5th.

“I had a great time driving the K-PAX Volvo today,” said Randy Pobst. “The handling is just getting better and better. I really enjoyed the competition. At the start I got by Brandon Davis and then he went by me down the straight like I was tied to a tree. “

The race settled in and despite a visibility problem Pobst rallied back and applied constant pressure on Davis for the 4th position as Daskalos’ Viper faded back due to handling issues.

“Up to that point it was really enjoyable but we did pick up a water leak which lubricated my windshield and I couldn’t see a darned thing for the second half of the race,” said Pobst. “I was using the “Force” to drive. My K-PAX Volvo got better and better and towards the end of the race I was turning my best lap times and so enjoyable to drive I am really looking forward to the next race.”

Randy finally got past Davis on the closing lap to capture a well earned 4th place finish.

Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton Florida, started the #8 K-PAX Volvo 7th but was in 11th as the field streamed into turn 1. There was so much concern about the transmission and first gear Andy chose to make a less than aggressive start to save the equipment.

Andy moved back up and soon began a race long battle with Tony Rivera for 7th. Rivera and Pilgrim caught the fading Daskalos halfway through the race. Andy was able to pass not only Rivera and Daskalos on the final laps but Davis as well to finish 5th as Davis suffered a broken throttle only a few turns from the checkered flag.

“I think Tony [Rivera] and I had different problems, he had an over steer and a problem with the back end of his car and I had a problem with the front end of my car,” said Pilgrim of his race long duel with Rivera and his Porsche. “It was a see-saw battle the whole time. It was a good race but I couldn’t get out of the corners very well and I would lose just enough on the straight-a-ways that I couldn’t make a move at the end of the straights.

“Early on he was strong out of the corners but when his tires started to go away I got in a position where I could get close to the back end of his car. He was bad coming out of the last turn and I finally got by him going down into turn one. It wasn’t like he made a big mistake his back end was going out on him and it got worse.

“My car was pushing but it stayed consistent throughout the race. Jason [Daskalos] bobbled coming out of the toe of the boot and tried the inside of him but he went right. I moved left and got alongside of him on the outside going into the next corner and then I was on the inside through the left hander so I got by him there.”

The 5th place finish for Pilgrim kept him in 3rd position in the Drivers’ Championship with 448 points while Pobst’s 4th place finish moves the defending GT champ up to 6th with 351. Davis leads the championship with 464 with Tony Rivera in 4th with 443. Volvo is 4th in the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by Racer Magazine with 18 points. Porsche leads the chase with 35.

“Even after being adjusted earlier in the season I think these Volvos have the capability of winning again and 3R Racing has done such a great job for K-PAX so far this season making these cars run and work so well. This is a development year for us and we have both cars finish well and we ran at the leaders pace today so I think we are going to get another win this year, we are going to get a win!”

Next up for the K-PAX 3R Racing Volvo S60s of Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim is Round 6 at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet Illinois on July 24-26 2009.
 

The Toyo Tires Grand Prix at Watkins Glen Presented by Lala Motorsports will be broadcast on Tuesday, July 22 at 2 p.m. (EDT).
 

StopTech Named Presenting Sponsor of World Challenge Race at Road America
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (June 2, 2009) – WC Vision is pleased to announce that StopTech, a leading innovator of world-class brake components and systems, has been named the presenting sponsor for Round Eight of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships: the Road America Grand Prix Presented by StopTech.

StopTech engineers and manufactures high performance brake rotors, calipers, DOT compliant stainless steel lines and brake upgrade systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. The 10-year old company’s ongoing brake research and technologies have resulted in four U.S. patents. The company has a long and successful presence in World Challenge, with many drivers giving credit to their StopTech brakes on the podium, including James Sofronas after his recent win at Long Beach.

”StopTech’s focus is on providing the best braking technology and solutions to production based performance vehicles,” Centric Parts (StopTech’s parent company) President Dan Lelchuk said. “There is no better and more exciting proving ground for this than an SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge event. “

The Road America Grand Prix Presented by StopTech will be a part of the Road Race Showcase, Aug. 14 – 16, at the historic four-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The weekend will mark Round Eight of both the World Challenge GT and World Challenge Touring Car Championships.

“We’re very happy to have StopTech on board for the World Challenge races at Road America in August,” WC Vision VP of Partnership Relations Scott Bove said. “StopTech has always been a big supporter of the series and its quality brake products have developed a strong following among World Challenge competitors. It feels like a great fit to have a world-class product like StopTech as the presenting sponsor at a world-class circuit like Road America.”

The Road America Grand Prix Presented by StopTech will air on SPEED, Friday, September 11, at 2 p.m. (EDT). For more information on the event, visit www.world-challenge.com.

 

World Challenge Adds Live Streaming Audio to Race Weekends
Photos © SCCA/Mark Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (April 9, 2009) – Fans of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships will now be able to enjoy the sounds of World Challenge racing wherever they are with streaming audio available online, live from each race weekend.

Part of the series’ new partnership with Internal Combustion Group, fans can now log onto www.world-challenge.com to listen to Tom Hnatiw’s play-by-play of every race throughout the 2009 World Challenge season.

“If you can’t make it to the race itself or wait for it to air on SPEED, this is the perfect solution,” WC Vision VP of Marketing & Communications Dave Drimmie said. “Tom has the ability to make the fans feel like they’re right there in the stands and with live scoring already available online, a computer just became one of the best seats in the house.”

“This is a real treat for World Challenge fans,” Hnatiw said. “Not only will they be able to hear what’s unfolding on track at the moment it happens, but we often welcome special guests into the PA booth that offer incredible insight into the weekend. It’s compelling entertainment for any racing fan.”

Live audio can be accessed each weekend, by selecting the current event and clicking the goracetv.com link on the left side of the page.

The next opportunity to listen to live streaming audio will be the ACS World Challenge Grand Prix of Long Beach Presented by Lala Motorsports, April 17 – 19. Log onto www.world-challenge.com for full event coverage.
 

Welch and NumeriX achieve goals at Sebring World Challenge GT
News from Woodhouse Performance Racing
SEBRING, Florida (April 3, 2009) — At the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT season opener, part of the historic “Mobil 1, 12 Hours of Sebring” March 19, 20, 2009, David Welch from Kirkland, Wa. accomplished his goal of a top ten finish on his first outing with new sponsor “NumeriX”. David drives the #13 NumeriX/Viper Competition Coupe of Woodhouse Performance with intentions to achieve a Rookie of the Year Championship for “NumeriX in 2009.

David arrived in Sebring, Fl. with humble expectations. He was learning a new car, a new race track, and struggling with a mysterious handling issue. Help from the Woodhouse Performance Crew Chief Rick Maxwell and visiting driver celebrity Tommy Archer, got David an acceptable 15th qualifying position. At the standing start of the race, he got a great launch but misjudged the top of first gear and was immediately passed by teammate Jeff Courtney.

David quickly moved up to tenth place where an epic battle broke out with the Corvette of Andrew Aquilante for what seemed like an eternity with neither driver making a mistake or giving ground. In the first ever Speed World Challenge double file restart five laps from the finish, David drove the #13 NumeriX Viper up to 6th position heading into turn one but was punted from behind by Andrew who in turn was clobbered in the rear

“With two laps to go I could have made it challenging for teammate Jeff Courtney to pass me” said David “but that comes back to haunt you and I want Jeff to know I am a team player.” David finished in 8th position but the official results awarded him 7th due to his teammate’s 5th position car scaling 6#’s light on the front axle causing a disqualification.

“We came to Sebring seeking a top ten finish, top rookie, and to be the first Viper across the finish line. We are blessed to achieve those goals in our first outing." said Berle Smith, Promotional Director. “We hope to test prior to the Long Beach Grand Prix presented by ACS and LaLa Motorsports. I need time with the dynamics of the Viper before arriving at a street track with concrete walls” added David.

“Every time David gets in the car he goes faster; we need to keep raising the bar until he is in a position to podium consistently.” said Bob Woodhouse, team owner. Our new partner in these efforts is NumeriX, an analytical programming software design company that provides information systems for financial institutions to make decisions.

Kleinubing’s RTR Acura 2nd at SPEED WC Opener
Cunningham’s ‘09 TSX 9th
News from RealTime Racing
SEBRING, Florida (March 20, 2009) — Pierre Kleinubing, a four-time winner of the Drivers’ Championship in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series, started the 2009 season in strong fashion with a second place today at Sebring International Raceway.

RealTime Racing’s 12-year veteran Kleinubing qualified on the pole, but was passed at the standing start by eventual winner Seth Thomas. Kleinubing’s No. 42 Acura TSX kept the pressure on Thomas’ BMW throughout the 18-lap sprint, but was unable to re-gain the top spot.

RTR’s defending Touring Car Champion, Peter Cunningham, finished ninth in his brand new 2009 Acura TSX, built to the rules for a new generation of cars in the series. Cunningham hurt his chances after early contact cost him his front bumper, affecting the aerodynamics of the No. 1 machine. Still, with limited pre-season testing, the new car performed well.

Jeff Courtney of Slinger, Wisconsin, and rookie contender Toby Grahovec of Chicago, made their first starts with the RealTime team, finishing 10th and 11th.

The team’s only non-finisher was third quickest qualifier Kuno Wittmer, who had a clutch malfunction. Wittmer lost drive in his No. 44 Acura at the halfway point which ended his bid for a podium result.

“Pierre did a great job to get his record-extending 35th career pole position,” said Crew Chief Paul Truess. “I’m proud of the level of readiness showed by the team so we’re off on the right foot to defend our championship!”

Cunningham was pleased with his new car, built to new cost-reducing specs. “It never skipped a beat,” he said of the new Acura TSX. “What I was handed to drive was a tribute to RealTime and to Acura – it was ready for battle. We expect to have Pierre’s new ’09-spec car for the race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in May. The drivetrain hasn’t changed significantly, but we are encouraged by the improved handling of this new TSX.”

The SPEED TV broadcast of the Sebring race will air Wednesday, April 15 at noon EDT.
 

Tri-Point Heads to Sebring with Foss, Espenlaub, Saini
News from Tri-Point Motorsports

Photo courtesy James Jordan
CANOGA PARK, Calif. (March 17, 2009) - This week, the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship will descend on Sebring, Fla., for the traditional season-opener Friday, March 20th. Tri-Point Motorsports will be there when the green flag drops with three MAZDA6s, driven by series veterans Charles Espenlaub and Jason Saini, and newcomer Eric Foss.

Foss earned his ride in the No. 75 MAZDA6 the same way his teammate Saini did in 2008 – by winning the Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship. The MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder provides opportunities for young driving talent to move up through the motorsports ranks with Mazda, and the prize for winning the MX-5 Cup Championship is a season in a Mazda World Challenge Touring Car.

Foss was ecstatic about the first outing with his new team for 2009. “I’m really looking forward to this season,” Foss said. “It’s been a long-time dream of mine to drive in this series and to be able to jump right in with two of my best friends in motorsports is very special.”

Espenlaub and Saini won’t be the only familiar sights to Foss when he lands in central Florida. “For ten years, Sebring was my home away from home. I worked at the Panoz Racing School, so starting my first race in a MAZDA6 Touring Car at Sebring feels like a bit of a homecoming. I can’t thank Mazda enough for this opportunity and I’m hoping to give them a great start to the season.”

“Well it’s about time,” said Espenlaub, who will again be piloting the No. 73 MAZDASPEED/StopTech/Racing Hart MAZDA6. “I’ve been waiting the whole off-season to get back in the Tri-Point Motorsports MAZDA6 and have some fun.”

There are already signs of some great team chemistry forming, as Espenlaub echoed Foss’ sentiments. “I’m really pleased to be working with my good friends Jason and Eric to carry the MAZDASPEED banner at Sebring. Friday can’t come soon enough!”

Saini, returning to the No. 74 MAZDA6, pointed out how different the racing landscape will be in 2009. “It’s been a long off season, but it’s great to be heading back to Sebring with Tri-Point again and get back to racing,” Saini said. “Obviously, we’re in a tough economic climate to justify racing, but racing is part of Mazda's soul, so we've all worked extra hard to make sure we can be there.”

The Tri-Point squad is now uniquely home to the two previous MX-5 Cup Champions, which has shined a spotlight on Mazda’s commitment to creating a true motorsports ladder in the United States. “For me, this is a continuation of a dream come true that started in 2008,” Saini added. “I think that the three of us are going to make a very strong team. A whole bunch of people have pitched in to make this possible, so many thanks to them!”

The hallmark SPEED World Challenge standing start happens Friday, March 20th at 11:10 a.m. (EDT) in Sebring, Fla., where the Tri-Point Motorsports team will be battling Acura, BMW, and others for their first win in 2009. Live timing and race notes are available at www.world-challenge.com
 

BimmerWorld/GearWrench Racing Returns with Familiar Lineup and Faster Cars for 2009
Photos courtesy Jimmy Sykes
DUBLIN, Va. (March 9, 2009) — Building on the success of 2008 has been the focus of Dublin, Virginia's BimmerWorld / GearWrench Racing while preparing for the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship.

The BMW E90 team sees all three drivers returning for another attack on the Touring Car Championship, with team owner/driver James Clay joined again by series veterans Seth Thomas and Nick Esayian.

"Continuity is critical, especially when you have the right team in place," Clay said. “Seth has been a key factor in our advancement through the racing ranks for the last five years, and Nick's technical contributions last year, in addition to being a plenty capable driver, have been huge. We are able to pick up in 2009 right where we left off instead of working to build a new rapport. That pays dividends."

Esayian's Debt Cures-sponsored BMW will be on the move to the front of the pack if he has his say. "2008 was rough at times,” Esayian said. “I got knocked around a lot on track, but I'm confident in my crew, teammates, the cars and my abilities for the new season. I got back on track in the last few races of '08 and was zeroing in on a top-five finish, so I expect that momentum to carry through to 2009. We're going to get results."

Seth Thomas put on the fight of the season at VIR last year, nearly claiming his first win on the twisting track. After watching James Clay score his first win later in the year at Elkhart Lake, Thomas is more dedicated than ever to earn his place in victory lane.

"My focus hasn't changed for 2009,” Thomas said. “I'll be giving it everything I've got to bring home wins for me and my team. James is driving better than ever, Nick is like a caged animal waiting to be released and I can hardly wait to get the season underway. The hunger inside the team to succeed is just incredible. Between the three of us, I think the BimmerWorld / GearWrench team is ready to take that final step and earn a championship."

BimmerWorld can also boast a rarity in these economically-challenged times: the return of all their 2008 sponsors, and an increase in the partnership between the team and hand tool maker GearWrench. "It's tough for everyone this year, but we're incredibly thankful for the continued support from all of our partners. When other teams are seeing their sponsors stepping back, GearWrench is stepping up to take an expanded role with the team after coming on board last season. Our aim is to deliver the results they and the rest of our partners deserve."

Clay's dedicated crew of technicians have spent the past five months perfecting their trio of 4-door E90s, and knows the team stands their best chance at success in 2009. "Our crew chief Jason Marks and the boys have poured over every inch of this car looking for ways to make it even faster and with the support and components from our performance partners, I know we'll be ready to charge when the championship kicks off at Sebring."

After a brief hiatus, BMW of North America returns to the World Challenge series as an official supporter. Clay knows this commitment from BMW will only help the team's efforts to secure a manufacturers championship. "It is great that BMW is stepping up their involvement this year to support us in the manufacturers' championship. It is kind of a pat on the back for all the effort we have put in, and validation of our results. As we battle throughout the 2009 season, their support will help us tackle the non-BMW teams that receive factory support."

Stopping short of making any predictions, Clay is ready to stand on the hard work and potential the BimmerWorld / GearWrench team has to offer. "Racing is about the people and the work they do to deliver success. I'm confident that we have the drivers, crew, and sponsors to get the job done."

BimmerWorld is proudly supported by: GearWrench, aFe, Alpinestars, BBS, Bimmerforums.com, DiffsOnline, JB Racing, Moton, Performance Friction, Powerflex, Red Line Oil, Rogue Engineering, and BMW.
 

Schaldach and Lala Motorsports Return for 2009 SPEED GT Season
ASPEN, Colo. (Feb. 21, 2009) - After earning the 2008 SCCA SPEED GT Rookie of the Year, Gunter Schaldach returns with his No. 9 Lala Motorsports Dodge Viper for the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship.

When Schaldach’s daughter, Lala, was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2005, he had just started time trialing at club events in California. Once a treatment plan was established for Lala, Schaldach decided to join the Touring Car Racing Association. Realizing his passion for competitive racing, Schaldach quickly made the move to pro racing.

In 2007, with the overwhelming support of his wife and daughter, Schaldach started training for his first professional event, the SPEED GT finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The courage Lala continually demonstrated during her treatment inspired Schaldach to enter the full SPEED GT season in 2008.

Lala successfully completed two years of chemotherapy treatment in November 2007. Lala’s courage in her battle with cancer has been converted to Schaldach’s desire to help other children suffering from pediatric leukemia. Lala Motorsports is the avenue that the Schaldach family will use to bring exposure to the need for continued efforts to help fund research for pediatric leukemia. Gunter, his wife Holli and Lala are dedicated to the pursuit for the prevention of leukemia so others do not have to suffer as Lala has. Lala Motorsports was started with the intention to keep the Schaldach family focused on a common goal, but it has quickly turned into assisting all families who are dealing with this tragic disease. The Schaldachs match race winnings with personal funds and donate the money to fund leukemia research.

The new season will be a progressive one, with Lala Motorsports’ diligent pursuit to find a sponsor who is also committed to supporting pediatric leukemia research. Lala Motorsports is sponsoring two races this year: Long Beach and Watkins Glen, in the hopes of attracting sponsors who share their goals.

Since his first race, Schaldach’s wife and daughter have not missed a single event. The dedicated support of Holli and Lala is the foundation that will drive Lala Motorsports to the front of the pack in the coming 2009 SPEED GT season.

Lala Motorsports has hired Alchemy Motorsports Group to evaluate and optimize the two Dodge Vipers in the Lala Motorsports garage. The Alchemy crew is led by veteran racers Nathan McBride and Tyler Brower. The Alchemy Motorsports staff has a long history of winning in professional racing, including several World Challenge Championships on their resume. Lala Motorsports and Alchemy Motorsports Group share the same vision: consistently racing at the front of the pack, with the SPEED GT Championship as the ultimate goal.

Lala Motorsports’ quest for the 2009 SCCA SPEED GT Championship begins March 18 – 20, at the Toyo Tires SPEED World Challenge Season Opener at Sebring International Raceway, part of the 57th Annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida. For more information, visit www.world-challenge.com
 

Blackdog Racing Returns to SPEED GT in 09 with “Greater Good” Program
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. (Feb. 10, 2009) – SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT team Blackdog Racing is pleased to announce their return to the series in 2009 with a new Racing for the Greater Good program.

Beginning with the 2009 season, Blackdog will choose a charitable cause to represent at each of the 10 SCCA SPEED GT rounds. In addition to running the charitable organizations’ logo on the race car that weekend, promotional signage and literature will be on display in the Blackdog paddock, and representatives of the charity will be VIP guests of Blackdog for the event.

“We all spend so much time focused on the business side of racing, we forget that, in the grand scheme of things, we really are just providing entertainment,” Blackdog Racing Business Manager Toby Johnson said. “We also forget just how big our stage really is, and how easy it would be to get the word out for some great causes.”

“I have a pretty good life,” Blackdog Racing Team Owner and Driver Tony Gaples said. “I have a home, family, friends and my health. Not everyone can say that.”

Gaples will once again pilot the No. 34 Kleinschmit Inc/Blackdog Racing Chevrolet Corvette in his sixth full-season of SCCA SPEED GT. Gaples finished ninth in the 2008 SCCA SPEED GT Championship, collecting four top-10 finishes.

"We learned quite a bit last season, which should lead us to be even more competitive this year,” Gaples added. “This combined with some new cars in the series, and some big driver moves, has us really looking forward to 2009.”

The 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge season kicks off March 18 – 20, with The Toyo Tires SPEED World Challenge Season Opener at Sebring International Raceway, part of the 57th Annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida. For more information visit www.world-challenge.com.
 

CRP Racing to Run Brian Kubinski in the 2009 SPEED GT Season Opener at Sebring
News from CRP Racing
HARRISBURG, N.C. (January 29, 2009) – CRP Racing is pleased to announce they will be running Brian Kubinski in the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Toyo Tires season opener in Sebring, Fla., on March 20. Kubinski, of Shorewood, Ill., will drive the No. 12 C6 Chevrolet Corvette.

CRP Racing, owned by Nicholas Short and based in Harrisburg, N.C., rebuilt the Corvette after last year’s devastating trailer fire on the way back from the Sebring race. On their return to the track after the rebuild, CRP Racing and Kubinski had season-high qualifications of fourth and sixth at Road America and Detroit, respectively, with a season-high finish of fifth place at Road America.

CRP Racing will be back with help from sponsors Trim-Tex and Diamond Unlimited. Trim-Tex is the premier manufacturer and distributor of vinyl drywall beads and drywall finishing accessories for 40 years and is owned by Joe Koenig.

“We thank Trim-Tex and Diamond Unlimited for their assistance in getting to the SPEED World Challenge season opener and we continue to look for sponsorship to finish out the 2009 season,” Short said. “We would also like to express great appreciation to all of our product sponsors for their continued support.”

CRP Racing hopes to run a second car to compete as a teammate to Kubinski. Interested parties should contact Short at CRP.

CRP Racing is also happy to announce that they will once again be supporting their favorite charities, the St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the local Wings of Eagles Ranch in Concord, N.C., as well as U.S. Troops in 2009.
 

World Challenge Begins 2009 at Sebring, Ends at Mazda Raceway

News from Series Staff

Photos courtesy SCCA/Weber 2008
TOPEKA, Kan. (Oct. 31, 2008) - WC Vision and SCCA Pro Racing have released more than half of the planned 2009 SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships schedule. The 2009 season will return to many familiar fan favorites and is framed by a season opener at Sebring International Raceway and finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Since 2002, the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships have begun in Sebring, Fla., which is exactly where they will commence in 2009, as part of the American Le Mans Series' prestigious Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring event, March 18 – 21.

The SCCA SPEED GT teams will then head west to California for another world-famous race: the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. For the fourth-consecutive year, the SCCA SPEED GT Championship will race on the streets of Long Beach, joining the Indy Racing League along with the American Le Mans Series.

SCCA SPEED World Challenge will also return to the hills of Connecticut and Lime Rock Park to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, May 22 – 25, with Grand-Am. An SCCA SPEED Touring Car-only event in recent years, the SCCA SPEED GT field will come along for the ride in 2009.

In August, SPEED World Challenge will visit two classic Midwest road courses: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America. The series will once again take part in a full bill of racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Aug. 7 – 9, on the combined Indy Racing League/American Le Mans Series weekend. The SPEED World Challenge paddock will make a short trip north to Wisconsin with the American Le Mans Series the following weekend, Aug. 14 – 16, to pace the beautiful Road America circuit.

The shores of Northern California beckon, Oct. 9 -11, as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca returns to the 2009 SPEED World Challenge calendar to host the season finale. Both races will take place Sunday, following Saturday’s American Le Mans Series finale.

"We're quite proud of how the schedule is shaping up for 2009," said WC Vision Co-Chairman Bob Woodhouse along with Co-Chair Peter Cunningham, who added "We'd love to list more of the exciting venues we have planned for next year, but we respect the contract process and will wait until all details are in place."

SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Robert Wildberger agreed that the 2009 SPEED World Challenge schedule was exactly what the fans and teams are looking for.

"Both WC Vision and the SCCA Pro staff put in a tremendous effort to build the 2009 SPEED World Challenge schedule,” Wildberger said. “What I see coming together is a perfect mix of classic road racing venues and blockbuster weekends. This schedule will make for great racing for the fans and give tremendous exposure to sponsors.”

The remainder of the planned 10-round SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge schedule for 2009 will be released shortly. Keep checking www.world-challenge.com for the latest news.

Petit Le Mans: 3 days of Racing and One Great Event!
News from Chili Pepper Racing
Ooltewah TN. (September 17, 2008) – Continuing tradition when SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge heads to Road Atlanta Oct. 2-5, Chili Pepper Racing will host a variety of activities during the Petit Le Mans weekend in support of families coping with the effects of Pediatric Cancer.

The team will welcome roughly 300 guests to their VIP hospitality area, including families from the Atlanta Scottish Rite/AFLAC Cancer Treatment Center and Children’s Hospital, T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, the Light House Foundation and Austin Hatcher Foundation. The races will serve as a diversionary therapy for the children and families who will get a break from the day-to-day struggles that come with pediatric cancer and be able to enjoy the races from a chalet above pit lane with the perks of a 50-inch television and gourmet food. Families will also have the opportunity to participate in flag ceremonies and pace car rides.

Funds raised over during the weekend support the Austin Hatcher Foundation for a Care Free Childhood. The foundation was formed in 2006 and became the OFFICAL Charity of the American LeMans Series in 2008. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s goal is to build “Hatch’s House of Hope” near medical centers treating pediatric cancer centers nationwide. They provide tools and counseling necessary to help families and children achieve positive results in social support, reduce possible side effects of cancer treatment, and provide resources to help childhood cancer survivors reach their highest potential later in life.

Chili Pepper Racing campaigns the world’s first Bio-diesel Touring car in the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Series on Friday, Oct. 3. The #24, 1.9-liter Garrett compound turbo diesel VW Jetta is the only diesel sedan to be campaigned in a professional series in the United States.

The 10 hour 1000 mile American Lemans Series race is held on Saturday Oct 4, 2008.

Throughout the weekend, raffle tickets will be sold to win a 2008 Suzuki GSX-R750 and two-day Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School. Tickets cost $25.00 and can be purchased at the American LeMans Merchandise trailer or the Chili Pepper Racing support paddock. Only 1,000 will be sold.The winner of the raffle will be drawn just before the Fifth Annual Post Petit Le Mans Motorcycle Charity Ride on Sunday, October 5.

Support for the weekends activities is provided by Road Atlanta, The American Le Mans Series, Suzuki USA, Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School, A Mothers Arms, Chili Pepper Racing, Mid Florida Golf Carts, Food City and many others.

For more information and to register for the Post Petit Le Mans Motorcycle Charity Ride, visit www.chilipepperracing.org

Visit www.hatcherfoundation.org for more information about the Austin Hatcher Foundation.
 

SPEED GT from Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Airs Friday on SPEED
Photos courtesy SCCA/Weber 2008 and Neil Chapel
TOPEKA, Kan. (Sept. 10, 2008) – The SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship’s exciting return to the streets of Belle Isle airs Friday, Sept. 12, on SPEED.

Tune in or set your DVRs for noon (EDT) to see point leader Randy Pobst start from the pole and lead the field into Turn One at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. Through the tight confines of the temporary street circuit, the driver of the No. 1 K-PAX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 must defend his lead from Detroit’s finest machinery, including the No. 8 Cadillac CTS-V of Andy Pilgrim and the No. 10 ACS/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra of Brandon Davis. A stalled car on the standing start and the car-crunching concrete walls necessitate several full-course cautions, which only give Pilgrim and Davis more opportunities to pounce on Pobst’s Porsche. The final lap may provide the best opportunity to steal Pobst’s thunder. Tune into SPEED on Friday, Sept. 12, at noon to see how it all unfolds at the checkered flag.

Divided into two separate series and races (SCCA SPEED GT and SCCA SPEED Touring Car), the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships are America’s top production car-based series. Competing at 12 high-profile venues in 2008, the series is an important showcase for the world’s leading auto brands and makers of performance parts. SCCA SPEED World Challenge events are a maximum of 50 minutes in length, feature standing starts and the world’s most popular manufacturers racing head-to-head. For more information see www.world-challenge.com
 

SPEED World Challenge Races from Road America Air Wednesday
Photos courtesy SCCA/Weber 2008
TOPEKA, Kan. (Aug. 18, 2008) – Round Eight of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED Touring Car Championship and the Road America SPEED GT Presented by Remington are ready to wow race fans across the country when they air on SPEED, Wednesday, Aug. 20.

The Road America SPEED GT Presented by Remington kicks off programming at noon (EDT). Though he wasn’t originally scheduled to pilot the No. 13 Foametix/ Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper at Road America, Tommy Archer steps in on short notice and picks up where he left off at Mid-Ohio by putting the car on the pole. Andy Pilgrim gives chase in the No. 8 Remington Shaving Cadillac CTS-V, but little does he or the cars behind him know that all is not well beneath the hood of his Caddy. Could a late-race yellow help the rest of the pack catch Archer? Keep the channel on SPEED to find out. During the show, don’t miss a special segment where Team Remington Cadillac makes a young girl’s dream come true by giving Katie Hull, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, some hot laps around Road America with Pilgrim.

Next at 1 p.m., SPEED Touring Car veteran Pierre Kleinubing lines his No. 43 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX up at the front of the grid with rookie Jason Saini starting alongside. Chip Herr’s No. 97 Mazdaspeed/Tindol Motorsports MAZDA6 quickly passes Saini for second and the two are joined by Jim Daniels for a three-car Mazda attack on Kleinubing’s Acura. While Kleinubing may only see Mazdas in his mirrors, he should be more concerned about the No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW 325i of James Clay, who stealthily uses a lap-seven restart from caution to jump into third. One lap later, Clay has Kleinubing in his sights and a first-ever win on his mind. Tune into SPEED to see if Clay can find a way past the four-time World Challenge Champion and take his first win.

Divided into two separate series and races (SCCA SPEED GT and SCCA SPEED Touring Car), the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships are America’s top production car-based series. Competing at 12 high-profile venues in 2008, the series is an important showcase for the world’s leading auto brands and makers of performance parts. SCCA SPEED World Challenge events are a maximum of 50 minutes in length, feature standing starts and the world’s most popular manufacturers racing head-to-head. For more information see www.world-challenge.com