SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Car Round One

Mar 14, 2007

Show your support.
Buzz this article up.

Event/Circuit: Sebring International Raceway

3.7-mile, 17-turn permanent road course

Qualifying: SPEED Touring Car: Thursday, March 15, 11:25 a. m. (EDT)

SPEED GT: Thursday, March 15, 11:50 a. m. (EDT)

Green Light: SPEED Touring Car: Friday, March 16, 11:05 a. m. (EDT)

(standing start) SPEED GT: Friday, March 16, 4:45 p. m. (EDT)

Race Length: SPEED Touring Car: 18 laps, 66.6 miles or 50 minutes (whichever comes first)

SPEED GT: 20 laps, 74 miles or 50 minutes (whichever comes first)

Track Records:

Touring Car: Qualifying Lap: 2:19.040 (95.799 mph), Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i, 2006

Race Lap: 2:20.562 (94.762 mph), Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i, 2006

Average Speed: 93.606 mph, Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i, 2006

Closest Margin of Victory: 0.604-second, Pierre Kleinubing over Ken Dobson, 2002

GT: Qualifying Lap: 2:08.764 (103.445 mph), Leighton Reese, Chevrolet Corvette, 2006

Race Lap: 2:10.249 (102.265 mph), Andy Pilgrim, Cadillac CTS-V, 2004

Average Speed: 100.406 mph, Michael McCann, 2006

Closest Margin of Victory: 0.358-second, Max Angelelli over Andy Pilgrim, 2004

Previous Winners:

Touring Car: 2001: Pierre Kleinubing, Acura Integra R

2002: Pierre Kleinubing, Acura Integra R

2003: Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i

2004: Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i

2005: Peter Cunningham, Acura TSX

2006: Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i

GT: 2001: Peter Cunningham, Acura NSX SC

2002: Michael Galati: Audi S4

2003: Phil McClure: Chevrolet Corvette

2004: Max Angelelli, Cadillac CTS-V

2005: Tommy Archer, Dodge Viper

2006: Michael McCann, Dodge Viper

Storylines

The Most Relevant Road Racing In The World

Now in its 18th consecutive year, SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge has built its legacy around providing fans the most competitive road racing in the world, and the series has earned well-deserved praise the past few years from publications such as Car & Driver and RACER Magazine for doing just that. But what really sets SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring Car apart from all other series is the â€œeverydayâ€ element it brings each event. World-class drivers piloting production-based cars that come from more than 15 auto manufacturers â€“ itâ€™s a formula that has and will continue to serve the interests of manufacturers, drivers and, most importantly, automotive enthusiasts and race fans.

Drivers â€“ Start Your Engines

Just as a Sebring season opener has become a tradition in SPEED World Challenge, so has a week full of surprises. Itâ€™s that time of the year when all the teams show their cards and we get a first glimpse at the yearâ€™s potential Champions. The first race gives all the drivers a clean slate when they hit the track; with nothing to lose, expect some serious racing action. But quite possibly the best part of the season opener at Sebring is reminding yourself that thereâ€™s nine more races to go.

SPEED GT â€“ Taking on the Cadillac Kid

Possibly the biggest news from the off-season is the move of 2006 SPEED GT Champion Lawson Aschenbach from Porsche to Team Cadillac. The 2005 Manufacturersâ€™ Champions are dead-set on regaining the twin Manufacturersâ€™ and Driversâ€™ titles lost to Porsche in 2006, and what better way to do it than sign Aschenbach (No. 1 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V). Aschenbach, the reigning SPEED GT Driversâ€™ Champion and 2006 Piloti SPEED GT Rookie of the Year will team up with 2005 SPEED GT Driversâ€™ Champion Andy Pilgrim (No. 8 XM/Mobile 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V).

Porsche responded in kind, bringing in five-time World Challenge Champion Michael Galati (No. 23 K-PAX Racing Porsche 911 GT-3) and his former Champion Audi teammate and 2003 SPEED GT Champion Randy Pobst (No. 22 K-PAX Racing Porsche 911 GT-3) to take over the reins at the new K-PAX Racing outfit. Thatâ€™s six championships between the two of them, not to mention that Pobst won the 2006 season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in a Porsche 911. Pobst reset the SPEED GT record for closest finish in the process, when he finished 0.031-second ahead of fellow Porsche driver Ricardo Imery. The Porsche one-two sealed the Manufacturerâ€™s 2006 Championship. Galati was also a winner in 2006, giving Volvo their first SPEED World Challenge victory at a wet Mosport and nearly lapping the entire field in the process.

If the 2006 Driverâ€™s Championship had been decided by wins alone, Lou Gigliotti (No. 28 LG Pro Long Tube Headers Corvette C6) would have taken home the prize. Gigliotti was the only repeat winner of 2006, taking rounds at Mid-Ohio and Miller Motorsports Park. Although he did lead the points for a period of time, two finishes outside of the top ten, including a mechanical DNF at Sebring last year, held Gigliotti to six points shy of Aschenbach in the Championship. A better start at Sebring this year could signal a Championship season for Gigliotti. Joining the LG Motorsports crew full time in 2007 is former Trans-Am race winner Tomy Drissi (No. 15 LG Pro Long Tube Headers Chevrolet Corvette C6).

2004 SPEED GT Champion Tommy Archer (No. 5 Autohaus Motorsport Dodge Viper) also got off to a rocky start last year. Archer suffered DNFs in the first two rounds of 2006 and was forced to dig himself out of a hole the rest of the season. Barring a troublesome round at Miller Motorsports park, Archer did just that, finishing on the podium in five of the last eight races, including a runaway victory at Road America. Now settled in at Autohaus Motorsports, expect Archer to be in contention for his second SPEED GT title.

Last yearâ€™s Sebring winner, Michael McCann (No. 82 McCann Plastics/ K&N Filters Dodge Viper) will certainly be one to watch this week. After collecting his first SPEED GT win, McCann nearly grabbed win number two at Long Beach, but was out-foxed by the Cadillac of Ron Fellows on the final lap. On the strength of his Sebring win, Long Beach podium and three more top-five finishes, McCann finished 2006 sixth in the Championship.

Other drivers poised for a successful opening round include James Sofronas (No. 14 Porsche 911 GT-3), who just missed the Sebring podium last year and finished eighth in the Championship. Sofronas is one of three drivers pulling double duty this week and running in both the GT and Touring Car classes (Galati and Pobst will drive Mazdas in SPEED Touring Car). Sonny Whelen (No. 31 Chevrolet Corvette C6) also had a good run at Sebring last year, finishing a career-best seventh. 2006 SPEED Touring Car Piloti Rookie of the Year Jeff Courtney (No. 99 Dodge Viper) has made the jump to SPEED GT for 2007 and could surprise a few regulars. Fellow sophomore Rob Foster (No. 17 Dodge Viper) put in a top-ten performance as a rookie at last yearâ€™s Sebring race and could challenge for a podium in his second year with SPEED GT.

SPEED Touring Car â€“ Seeing Orange

The SPEED Touring Car season begins in a similar scenario to last year with RealTime Acura resuming the task of defending their Driversâ€™ and Manufacturersâ€™ Titles. This year however, itâ€™s Pierre Kleinubing (No. 1 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX) wearing the No. 1 and Team Owner Peter Cunningham (No. 42 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX) back in his trusty No. 42. Kleinubing and Cunningham will both seek their fifth Driversâ€™ Championship in 2007 and Acuraâ€™s seventh Manufacturersâ€™ Championship. At their sides will be 2006 Denver race winner Brandon Davis (No. 43 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX), Nick Essayian (No. 34 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX) and team newcomer Kuno Wittmer (No. 44 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura RSX).

Had it not been for a piece of curbing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Randy Pobst (No. 73 Tri-Point Mazda 6) might have been carrying the No. 1 plate on his Mazda this week, but a damaged wheel in the opening laps of the season finale robbed us of the on-track showdown that had been building all season. Expect more of the same from Pobst this year (except for the wheel damage) as he and teammate Jeff Altenburg (No. 72 Tri-Point Mazda 6) go toe-to-toe with RealTime Acura from Sebring to Laguna Seca. Pobst hit the ground running last season with a runner-up finish at Sebring followed by a win at St. Petersburg. With 2006 Sebring winner Bill Auberlen not entered this year, donâ€™t be surprised if Pobst claims the top spot.

The Tri-Point crew arenâ€™t the only Mazdas taking the fight to RealTime Acura, Tindol Motorsports has composed a stellar line-up for 2007. In addition to returning drivers Charles Espenlaub (No. 97 Mazdaspeed/Tindol/Oakely/Sparco Mazda 6), Mary Katharine (No. 20 Bravo! Brands/Tindol Motorsports Mazda 6) and Charlie Putman (No. 96 Tindol Motorsports/Pesco Inc. Mazda 6), Tindol secured the services of five-time World Challenge Champion Michael Galati (No. 95 Mazda North America/Tindol Mazda 6). Galati will also be driving a Porsche in SPEED GT competition this year with Pobst as a teammate.

Capturing the most SPEED Touring Car wins in 2006 was Chip Herr (No. 17 STaSIS/Clear Capital Audi A4), but a mid-season slump held him to a third-place finish in the 2006 Driversâ€™ Championship. Herr returns with STaSIS Audi this year ready to fight for more wins. Audi stands a strong chance of surprising both Mazda and Acura this year for the SPEED Touring Car Manufacturersâ€™ Title. The all-wheel drive Audi A4 has shown it is quick in both the wet and the dry, and with a solid driver line-up of Herr, Dino Crescentini (No. 19 STaSIS Audi A4) and Ian Baas (No. 18 STaSIS/Clear Capital Audi A4), STaSIS Audi will be a fierce competitor in 2007.

2007 was a tough year for the Bimmerworld team. The new BMW 325is didnâ€™t arrive until shortly before the season started and while most teams were dialing their cars in for track conditions, Bimmerworld was just learning the dynamics of their new chassis. Despite the setback both Seth Thomas (No. 38 Bimmerworld BMW 325i) and James Clay (No 36 Bimmerworld BMW 325i) performed well at Sebring last year, each earning top-ten finishes. Unfortunately, there werenâ€™t very more after that. With a full season of development under their belts the team has a bright outlook for the new season.

The wildcards of 2007 are the Dodge SRT-4s. Rob Holland got the marque their first SPEED Touring Car podium last year at Road America and will return with 3-R Racing. Sorted Performance will also campaign two Dodge SRT-4â€™s with rookies Hal Brown and Stan Wilson behind the wheel.

Stealing the show before he even makes it out on the track is Chili Pepper Racingâ€™s Jim Osborn. This week, Osborn will become the first driver to race a diesel car in SPEED World Challenge with his Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The occasion will also mark the first time a diesel-fueled production-based car has raced in a professional road racing series in the U. S.

Local Drivers

Several Drivers call Florida home, including SPEED GT: Lawson Aschenbach (West Palm Beach), Brett Pearson (Orlando), Andy Pilgrim (Boca Raton), Ed Braswell (Key West), Kimberly Ingravallo (Tampa), John Bourassa (Jupiter Island), Doug Peterson (Bonita Springs), and SPEED Touring Car: Pierre Kleinubing (Coconut Creek), Mary Katharine (Delray Beach, FL), Charles Espenlaub (Lutz, FL).

Event Entry lists

SCCA SPEED GT Championship

#, Driver, Hometown, Car

1, Lawson Aschenbach, W. Palm Beach, FL, XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose, Cadillac CTS-V

5, Tommy Archer, Duluth, MN, Autohaus Motorsport, Dodge Viper

6, Jeffrey Robbins (R), Southfield, MI, RSIG Security, Dodge Viper

7, Brett Pearson, Orlando, FL, Ventex/Pearson Motorsports, Dodge Viper

8, Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, FL, XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose, Cadillac CTS-V

12, Brian Kubinski (R), Plainfiled, IL, Diamond Construction/Blackdog, Chevrolet Corvette

13, Brian Smith, Simpsonville, NC, Kicker/Woodhouse Auto Family, Dodge Viper

14, James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA, Global Motorsports Group, Porsche 911 GT-3

15, Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, CA, LG Pro Long Tube Headers, Chevrolet Corvette

17, Rob Foster, Phoenix, AZ, LTI Contracting/Foster Motorsp, Dodge Viper

20, Dane Moxlow (R), Grosse Ile, MI, Deronda USA, Pontiac GTO

21, Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, CA, Trenton Forging, Pontiac GTO

22, Randy Pobst, Gainesville, GA, K-PAX Racing, LLC/Jim Haughey, Porsche 911 GT-3

23, Michael Galati, Olmsted, OH, K-PAX Racing LLC/Jim Haughey, Porsche 911 GT-3

28, Lou Gigliotti, Dallas, TX, LG Pro Long Tube Headers, Chevrolet Corvette

29, Eric Olberz (R), La Canada Flintridge, CA, 911 Design, Porsche 911 GT-3

30, Eric Curran, E. Hampton, MA, Whelen Engineering, Chevrolet Corvette

31, Sonny Whelen, Old Saybrook, CT, Whelen Engineering, Chevrolet Corvette

32, Ed Braswell (R), Key West, FL, EG Braswell Construction, Chevrolet Corvette

34, Tony Gaples, Libertyville, IL, Blackdog Racing/Kleinschmidt, Chevrolet Corvette

36, Kimberly Ingravallo (R), Tampa, FL, Bandit Racing, Chevrolet Corvette

51, Lenny Diller, Garden City, NY, King Cole Audio Visual, Dodge Viper

66, Tim McKenzie (R), Madison, WI, TR Racing, Porsche 911 GT-3

76, John Bourassa, Jupiter Island, FL, Team Hurricaine, Porsche 911 Turbo

82, Michael McCann, North Canton, OH, McCann Plastics/K&N Filters, Dodge Viper

87, Doug Peterson, Bonita Springs, FL, LG Pro Long Tube Headers, Chevrolet Corvette

99, Jeff Courtney, Slinger, WI, Kenda/MPI/Badger/Karavan, Dodge Viper

02, Adel Elsayed, Boonton Twp, NJ, Brisar Delvco, Dodge Viper

03, Al Wicht (R), Sebring, FL, Pool Designs Group, Chevrolet Camaro

05, Jason Daskalos (R), Albuquerque, NM, Daskalos Development & Investm, Dodge Viper

SCCA SPEED Touring Car Championship

#, Driver, Hometown, Car

1, Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, FL, Acura Certified Pre-Owned, Acura TSX

4, Hal Brown (R), Blacksburg, VA, Sorted Performance, Dodge SRT-4

8, Jason Martinelli, Roxbury, CT, Techmark Autosport Ltd., BMW 325Ci

11, Robb Holland, Denver, CO, 3R-Racing, Dodge SRT-4

16, Phil Parlato, Commack, NY, Worldwide Capital Mortgage, BMW 325i

17, Chip Herr, Lititz, PA, STaSIS/Clear Capital, Audi A4

18, Ian Baas, Noblesville, IN, STaSIS /Clear Capital, Audi A4

19, Dino Crescentini, Manhattan Beach, CA, STaSIS, Audi A4

20, Mary Katharine, Delray Beach, FL, Bravo! Brands/Tindol Mtspts, Mazda 6

24, Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, NJ, A Mother’s Arms/Austin Hatcher, Volkswagen Jetta TDI

29, James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA, Global Motorsports Group, BMW 325Ci

31, Jameson Riley, Wilton, CT, Stamford Volvo/Riley Mtspts, Volvo S40

34, Nick Esayian, Encinitas, CA, Acura Certified Pre-Owned, Acura TSX

36, James Clay, Blacksburg, VA, Bimmerworld, BMW 325i

38, Seth Thomas, Cumming, GA, Bimmerworld, BMW 325i

42, Peter Cunningham, Grafton, WI, Acura Certified Pre-Owned, Acura TSX

43, Brandon Davis, Denver, CO, Acura Certified Pre-Owned, Acura TSX

44, Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, QB, Acura Certified Pre-Owned, Acura RSX

52, Byron Smith (R), Salt Lake City, UT, Competition Associates/Smith W, Dodge SRT4

72, Jeff Altenburg, Ellicott City, MD, Mazdaspeed Mtspts Development, Mazda 6

73, Randy Pobst, Gainesville, GA, Mazdaspeed Mtspts Development, Mazda 6

92, Stan Wilson (R), Mount Juliet, TN, Sorted Performance, Dodge SRT-4

95, Michael Galati, Olmsted, OH, Mazda North America/Tindol, Mazda 6

96, Charlie Putman, Denver, CO, Tindol Motorsports/Pesco Inc., Mazda 6

97, Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, FL, Mazdaspeed/Tindol/Oakley/Sparco, Mazda 6