SPEED WC Media Advisory - Mid-Ohio This Weekend

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships

SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Car Round Four

SPEED World Challenge Weekend Presented by Trenton Forging Quality Formed Solutions ˇ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio

 

Contact: Eric Prill, SCCA Director of Communications

(785) 250-7920 cell; eprill@scca.com e-mail

 

Event/Circuit:      SPEED World Challenge Weekend Presented by Trenton Forging Quality Formed Solutions

                           Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio - 2.258-mile, 13-turn permanent road course

 

Qualifying:          SPEED Touring Car: Saturday, May 21, 8:40 a.m. (EDT)

                           SPEED GT: Saturday, May 21, 9:05 a.m. (EDT)

 

Green Light:       SPEED GT: Saturday, May 21, 5:35 p.m. (EDT)

(standing start)    SPEED Touring Car: Sunday, May 22, 9:20 a.m. (EDT)

            

Race Lengths:     SPEED GT: 29 laps or 50 minutes (whichever occurs first)

                           SPEED Touring Car: 27 laps or 50 minutes (whichever occurs first)

                           

Television:          SPEED Touring Car: Saturday, May 28 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED Channel

                           SPEED GT: Sunday, May 28 at 4:00 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED Channel

 

Media Notes:       Results are available on the AP SportsWire, via e-mail and on the Internet (www.world-challenge.com <http://www.world-challenge.com/> ).

 

Timing/Scoring:  Live Timing & Scoring is available for all sessions through www.world-challenge.com <http://www.world-challenge.com/> . 

 

WHAT TO WATCH:

 

Defending series Champ Tommy Archer won the opening two rounds of the 2005 SPEED GT Championship in his Dodge Viper and finished fourth at Road Atlanta to bring a 10-point lead into Mid-Ohio. Andy Pilgrim is second in SPEED GT, also with three top-four finishes led by a pair of seconds in his Cadillac CTS-V, including Road Atlanta, where Team Cadillac swept the top three positions led by teammate Max Papis, who is currently fifth in points, 31 out of the lead. Robin Liddell looks to rebound from his 15th-place finish at Road Atlanta, when he appeared to be on his way to victory in his Porsche 911 Cup before winding up in the wall on the last lap after a nudge from Papis. Phil McClure has quietly worked his way into fourth in points in his Viper with three top-eight finishes. Wolf Henzler (Porsche) and Lou Gigliotti (Corvette C6), like Liddell, look to rebound from DNFs at Atlanta to work their way back to the podium. REWARDS weights are mounting up, though, with Archer carrying 180lbs and Pilgrim an additional 150lbs for their early success. On the flip-side Liddell carries 45lbs and two-time 2005 top starter Henzler has none.

 

It's been three-time Champion Peter Cunningham's consistency that has placed him atop the SPEED Touring Car points in his Acura TSX. After taking a Sebring win when the competition faltered, Cunningham has followed with a pair of thirds to hold a 10-point lead over Jeff Altenburg and his Mazda 6. Pierre Kleinubing has been fast all year, but a mechanical problem at Sebring left him in 24th, and even a win at Road Atlanta can't help him get any higher than third in points-19 behind teammate Cunningham. Another driver who has been fast at each race, but has experienced mechanical difficulties is St. Petersburg winner Randy Pobst and his Mazda 6. Other drivers with strong seasons going include Matt Richmond (BMW 325i) and Eric Curran (Acura RSX), who sit fourth and fifth in points, respectively.

 

RealTime Racing has all five of its drivers (Peter Cunningham, Pierre Kleinubing, Eric Curran, rookie Brandon Davis and Nick Esayian) in the top eight of SPEED Touring Car points.

 

The only three-time SPEED World Challenge winner at Mid-Ohio is Olmsted's Michael Galati, who has won the last two SPEED GT races (2002 and 2004) in an Audi. With the factory Audi on hiatus in 2005, Galati has run select SPEED Touring Car races, and will pilot a Mazda Protégé this weekend for Tindol Motorsports.

 

General Motors engineer John Heinricy returns to the series in a one-off appearance in the SPEED GT No. 12 "guest" Cadillac CTS-V. Heinricy is considered a Mid-Ohio expert, and finished third in 2004, playing a similar role.

 

Several SPEED World Challenge drivers have won SCCA National Championships at Mid-Ohio during the Runoffs, which is held for the 42nd time this September. Jeff Altenburg (1997 Showroom Stock A and 1999 Touring 1), Freddy Baker (2000 Touring 1), Eric Curran (1999 American Sedan), Michael Galati (1997 Showroom Stock B), John Heinricy (2001-2004 Touring 1, 2003-2004 American Sedan), Tom Oates (2000 and 2002 Touring 2) and Randy Pobst (1995 Showrooms Stock A) have all stood atop the Runoffs podium at Mid-Ohio. Baker, Galati, Heinricy and Pobst all won Runoffs titles at Road Atlanta as well.

 

Ohio drivers: Four drivers this weekend call Ohio home; in SPEED Touring Car, Michael Galati (Olmsted) and Freddy Baker (Bedford). In SPEED GT, brothers Michael and Jim McCann hail from North Canton.

 

 

_______________________

Eric Prill

Director of Communications

Sports Car Club of America

SCCA Pro Racing/SPEED World Challenge

785-357-7222, 785-232-7228 fax

800-770-2055 toll free

785-250-7920 mobile

eprill@scca.com

www.scca.com <http://www.scca.com> , www.sccapro.com <http://www.sccapro.com> , www.world-challenge.com <http://www.world-challenge.com>