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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 “everyday” element it brings each event. World-class drivers piloting production-based cars that come from more than 15 auto manufacturers – it’s a formula that has and will continue to serve the interests of manufacturers, drivers and, most importantly, automotive enthusiasts and race fans.
A Racing Oasis in the Utah desert
SCCA SPEED World Challenge engineers are thanking their lucky stars that this weekend came two months earlier on the schedule, after experiencing the 90-degree temperatures last year that sent temperature gauges fluttering and left several cars stationary on the grid. After a month-long break for the SCCA SPEED GT cars and a whole two-months away for the SCCA SPEED Touring Cars, drivers will have get back on their game quick; they have 24 corners to perfect this weekend and many drivers will admit, they were still learning the 4.5-mile course come race day last year.
Speed GT
In search of a three-peat this weekend is the No. 30 Whelen Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette of Eric Curran. Going two-for-two in the opening rounds at Sebring and Long Beach, Curran arrives in Utah leading the Championship by 38 points over Andy Pilgrim (No. 8 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V). Couple the performance of the Corvettes at Miller Motorsports Park last year with Curran’s third-place finish in the SCCA SPEED Touring Car race, and odds of a hat-trick here are in his favor, but then again, there’s no such thing as a safe bet in SCCA SPEED World Challenge.
Pilgrim also had a strong finish here last year, finishing third after qualifying fifth. The 2005 SCCA SPEED GT Champion is coming off a second-place finish at Long Beach. His teammate, defending SPEED GT Champion Lawson Aschenbach (No. 1 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V), currently sits fourth in the points and could have challenged for the win here last year had a penalty for jumping the start not set him back early in the race.
Michael Galati (No. 23 K-PAX Racing LLC/Jim Haughey Porsche 911 GT3) appears to have settled in nicely with his new car and team. The five-time World Challenge Champion lies third in the points following back-to-back fourth-place finishes. Galati’s race last year at Miller Motorsports Park ended before it began when the clutch on his Volvo gave way on the starting grid. As one of a handful of drivers competing in both the SCCA SPEED GT and Touring Car classes, he’ll have two opportunities for redemption this weekend.
K-PAX teammate Randy Pobst (No. 22 K-PAX Racing LLC/Jim Haughey Porsche 911 GT3) is another driver competing in both classes. Pobst, who finished second here in SCCA SPEED Touring Car last year, is currently sixth in the SPEED GT Championship with top-10 finishes at both Sebring and Long Beach.
A single point ahead of Pobst in the Championship is another Porsche, that of James Sofronas (No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3). In 71 starts, Sofronas is still chasing that elusive first win, but has proven himself to be a threat each weekend.
Last year’s SCCA SPEED GT polesitter and winner at Miller Motorsports Park, Lou Gigliotti (No 28 LG Pro Long Tube Headers Chevrolet Corvette), will be gunning for a repeat performance to gain some ground in the points. Gigliotti retired from the opening round at Sebring by way of a broken differential, but bounced back at Long Beach with a podium performance. A win this weekend could push him into the top-five. His teammate Tomy Drissi (No. 15 LG Pro Long Tube Headers Chevrolet Corvette) has had the reverse bit of fortune, taking a podium at Sebring, but exiting the race at Long Beach early following gearbox problems. With no seat-time at Miller Motorsports Park, Drisi will certainly be looking to Gigliotti for pointers this weekend.
Despite composing nearly half the field in SCCA SPEED GT, the Dodge Vipers have struggled in the opening two rounds of the season. Tommy Archer in the No 5 Mopar/Autohaus Dodge Viper is currently the highest placed Viper in the Championship in seventh. Rob Foster (No. 17 LTI Contracting/Foster Motorsport Dodge Viper) is the only other Viper to be found in the top ten.
The 2007 season is an even dozen for Dane Moxlow (No. 20 Deronda USA Pontiac GTO). After two 12th-place finishes, the rookie sits 12th in the Championship and leads the SPEED GT Piloti Rookie of the Year points by 10 over Eric Olberz (No. 29 911 Design Porsche 911 GT3).
Bob Woodhouse will come out of retirement this weekend to drive the No. 13 Kicker/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper. Woodhouse has stayed in the pits for the opening two rounds as a team owner, but will return to the driver’s seat again this weekend to take on a track he finished sixth at last year. Fellow Woodhouse Performance driver Jeff Courtney (No. 99 Kenda Tire/Pro MPI Dodge Viper) currently 11th in the points, is coming off a solid performance at Long Beach, where he earned the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for advancing 16 places, from 29th to 13th.
Other drivers preparing to jump start their season at Miller Motorsports Park include Curran’s teammate, Sonny Whelen (Chevrolet Corvette), Doug Peterson (Chevrolet Corvette), and the NayKid Racing Dodge Vipers of Cindi Lux and Scotty B. White.
SPEED Touring Car
After a one-two finish in the opening round at Sebring, the Tri-Point Mazda squad leads the SCCA SPEED Touring Car Drivers’ Championship. Jeff Altenburg (No. 72 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6) went lights-to-flag for the win and sits six points ahead of Randy Pobst (No. 73 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6). The duo also had a successful weekend here last year, with Pobst finishing second and Altenburg finishing fourth. This weekend, Tri-Point adds a third driver, rookie Roberto Santos (No. 74 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development/TPM Mazda 6) to the team.
Defending SCCA SPEED Touring Car Champion Pierre Kleinubing (No. 1 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX) finds himself third in the points. Kleinubing is the defending race winner here at Miller Motorsports Park, starting on pole and taking victory by more than a second over Pobst last year. His RealTime teammates Peter Cunningham (No. 42 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX) and Kuno Wittmer (No. Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura RSX) sit fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Championship.
The STaSIS Audi team have two drivers sitting in the top-ten. Chip Herr (No. 17 STaSIS/Clear Capital Audi A4) put in a stand-out performance at Sebring, starting tenth and finishing just shy of the podium in fourth, which earned him the Sunoco Hard Charger Award. After some contact early in the race set him back, Dino Crescentini (No. 19 STaSIS Audi A4) recovered to finish ninth at Sebring. The sprawling 24-turn course didn’t seem to appeal to the all-wheel drive Audis last year, but a full set of race data to digest over the off-season might be all it takes to set the red machines right, or better yet, some rain.
Charles Espenlaub had one of his best races of the season here last year, finishing fifth and setting the fastest lap of the race. Espenlaub currently lies seventh in the points, following a remarkable run at Sebring, where a blown motor in qualifying put him 23rd on the grid, but a fresh engine and tires helped him fight his way to a sixth-place finish.
BimmerWorld drivers Seth Thomas (No. 38 BimmerWorld BMW 325i) and James Clay (No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW 325i) got the season off to a good start at Sebring, qualifying fourth and sixth. Unfortunately, both drivers encountered some bad luck during the race, with Clay requiring a trip to the pits for a new tire following contact on the opening lap and Thomas experiencing electrical problems. Thomas brought his ailing BMW home in 10th, while Clay tried his best to catch up to the field, finishing 19th. The duo are hoping for a smoother weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, which was particularly unkind to Clay last year. The team owner was out of the race before it started when his car stalled on the grid and was hit from behind.
Also keep your eyes pealed on the Sorted Performance Dodge SRT-4s of Stan Wilson and Hal Brown as well as the Tecmark BMW 325is of Jason Marinelli and James Sofronas.
Event Entry lists
SCCA SPEED GT Championship
#, Driver/Hometown, Team, Car
1, Lawson Aschenbach/ W. Palm Beach, FL, Team Cadillac, Cadillac CTS-V, 6.0L V8
2, Cindi Lux/ Aloha, OR, Naykid Racing, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
3, Scotty B. White/ Puyallup, WA, Naykid Racing, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
5, Tommy Archer/ Duluth, MN, Autohaus Motorsport, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
6, Jeffrey Robbins (R)/ Southfield, MI, Autohaus Motorsports, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
8, Andy Pilgrim/ Boca Raton, FL, Team Cadillac, Cadillac CTS-V, 6.0L V8
12, Brian Kubinski (R)/ Plainfiled, IL, Blackdog Racing, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
13, Bob Woodhouse/ Blair, NE, Woodhouse Performance, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
14, James Sofronas/ Newport Beach, CA, Global Motorsports Group, Porsche 911 GT-3, 3.6L F6
15, Tomy Drissi/ Hollywood, CA, LG Motorsports, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
17, Rob Foster/ Phoenix, AZ, Foster Motorsports, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
20, Dane Moxlow (R)/ Grosse Ile, MI, Autosport Development, Pontiac GTO, 6.0L V8
22, Randy Pobst/ Gainesville, GA, K-PAX Racing, LLC / 3R, Porsche 911 GT-3, 3.6L F6
23, Michael Galati/ Olmsted, OH, K-PAX Racing, LLC / 3R, Porsche 911 GT-3, 3.6L F6
24, Robb Holland/ Denver, CO, Motorsports Gallery/K-Pax Racing/3R, Porsche 911 GT-3, 3.6L F6
28, Lou Gigliotti/ Dallas, TX, L.G. Motorsports, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
29, Eric Olberz (R)/ La Canada Flintridge, CA, 911 Design, Porsche 911 GT-3, 3.6L F6
30, Eric Curran/ East Hampton, Marsh Racing, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
31, Sonny Whelen/ Old Saybrook, CT, Marsh Racing, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
34, Tony Gaples/ Libertyville, IL, Blackdog Racing, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
55, Thomas Glenn (R)/ Phoenix, AZ, GP Motorsports, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
56, Ritch Marziale/ Tempe, AZ, Muzzy Racing, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
57, Stu Frederick/ Del Mar, CA, Landsystems Rcg / Horton Mtrspts, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
79, Joel Feinberg/ Ft. Lauderdale, Primetime Race Group, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
82, Michael McCann/ North Canton, OH, McCann Racing, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
87, Doug Peterson/ Bonita Springs, FL, L.G. Motorsports, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.0L V8
99, Jeff Courtney/ Slinger, WI, Woodhouse Performance, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
05, Jason Daskalos (R)/ Albuquerque, NM, Daskalos Motorsports, Dodge Viper, 8.3L V10
SCCA SPEED Touring Car Championship
#, Driver/Hometown, Team, Car
1, Pierre Kleinubing/ Coconut Creek, FL, RealTime Racing, Acura TSX, 2.4L I4
4, Hal Brown/ Blacksburg, VA, Sorted Performance, Dodge SRT-4, 2.4L I4 T
8, Jason Martinelli/ Roxbury, CT, Tecmark Autosport Ltd., BMW 325Ci, 2.5L I6
11, Robb Holland/ Denver, CO, 3-R Racing, Dodge SRT-4, 2.4L I4 T
17, Chip Herr/ Lititz, PA, STaSIS Motorsport, Audi A4, 1.8L I4 T
18, Ian Baas/ Noblesville, IN, STaSIS Motorsport, Audi A4, 1.8L I4 T
19, Dino Crescentini/ Manhattan Beach, CA, STaSIS Motorsport, Audi A4, 1.8L I4 T
20, Mary Katharine/ Delray Beach, FL, Tindol Motorsports, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
29, James Sofronas/ Newport Beach, CA, Tecmark Autosport Ltd., BMW 325Ci, 2.5L I6
34, Nick Esayian/ Encinitas, CA, RealTime Racing, Acura TSX, 2.4L I4
36, James Clay/ Blacksburg, VA, Bimmerworld, BMW 325i, 2.5L I6
38, Seth Thomas/ Cumming, GA, Bimmerworld, BMW 325i, 2.5L I6
42, Peter Cunningham/ Grafton, WI, RealTime Racing, Acura TSX, 2.4L I4
43, Brandon Davis/ Denver, CO, RealTime Racing, Acura TSX, 2.41 L
44, Kuno Wittmer/ Montreal, QB, RealTime Racing, Acura RSX, 2.4L I4
49, Branden Peterson/ Breckenridge, CO, Branden Peterson Racing, Acura TSX, 2.4L I4
52, Byron Smith (R)/ Salt Lake City, UT, Competition Associates, Dodge SRT4, 2.4L I4 T
72, Jeff Altenburg/ Ellicott City, MD, Tri-Point Motorsport, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
73, Randy Pobst/ Gainesville, GA, Tri-Point Motorsport, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
74, Roberto Santos/ Clearwater, FL, Tri-Point Motorsport, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
92, Stan Wilson/Mount Juliet, TN, Sorted Performance, Dodge SRT-4, 2.4L I4 T
95, Michael Galati/ Olmsted, OH, Tindol Motorsports, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
96, Charlie Putman/ Denver, CO, Tindol Motorsports, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
97, Charles Espenlaub/ Lutz, FL, Tindol Motorsports, Mazda 6, 2.3L I4
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