World Challenge: Kitchak, Kleinubing win Trois-Rivieres; Galati's bidfor perfection ends
1 August 1999
TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, Canada- Peter Kitchak, of Excelsior, Minn., took his second win of the 1999 Speedvision World Challenge season, taking the overall victory in the combined GT and Touring Car event at Le Grand Prix Player s de Trois-Rivieres. Pierre Kleinubing, of Brazil, took the Touring Car win, ending Michael Galatis bid for his fifth-straight win in as many 1999 races.Kitchak started second in the No. 3 Keewaydin/Toad Hall Racing Porsche 911 RSR, but moved past polesitter Bobby Archer, of Ft. Worth, Texas, as the duo encountered traffic on lap 10 of the 32-lap, 48.192-mile contest. The race was slowed in the late stages by two cautions, keeping it close as Kitchak raced to a 1.037-second victory over Archer, averaging 63.351 mph. Pete Halsmer, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., finished third.
The car ran really well, said Kitchak. This is only the second street circuit Ive run, but we won on Minneapolis as well. I was very fortunate to get lead. Coming on to the front straight in traffic, I chose one side and Bobby chose the other and it worked out for me. Purely luck of the draw. Archer retains the championship point lead over Kitchak, 153 to 135, in the No. 32 Viper Speed Viper.
I could catch up and make a move, but I wasnt going to risk the championship on a bad pass, said Archer. Traffic really killed me out there, but I have to hand it to Peter. He didnt make any mistakes and drove a good race.
Halsmer recovered from a qualifying crash in the No. 62 Honda of America Racing Team Acura NSX to finish thirdhis best finish of the season. Tommy Safar II, of Point Pleasant, N.J., and David Schardt, of Dayton, Ohio, completed the top-five.
Speedvision GT points had a major shakeup at Trois-Rivieres, with Kitchak jumping from fourth to second, followed by George Biskup (130 points), who did not finish due to damage from a lap-15 incident also involving Halsmer and Fred Meyer. Bill Cooper, who had been second, dropped to fourth, with 128 points, after losing a timing chain.
Kleinubing earned his first Touring Car win of the season, driving the No. 42 Real Time Racing Acura Integra R from second on the grid to a one minute, 4.416-second win over Hugh Plumb, of Chadds Ford, Pa. Michael Galati started from the pole and led the first five laps before Kleinubing outbraked him going into turn six. Two laps later, Galati, of Olmstead Township, Ohio, brushed the wall in turn two, dropping him back to third. He would later fall back to seventh in another incident before finishing fourth. Galati was going for the all-time World Challenge consecutive wins mark of five.
Kleinubing got a huge break on lap 18 as the caution came out while he had the overall leader closing fast. With Kleinubing the last car on the overall lead lap as the caution came out, it allowed him to open up nearly one lap on second place Plumb, allowing him to cruise to the victory, averaging 62.527 mph. We finally got a big break, said Kleinubing.Today was our big day. The team has been working hard all year and weve just had bad luck all year. The caution flag was just good luck for us. Im now looking forward at the big picture and the championship.
Kleinubings teammate, Plumb, took his third-straight runner-up finish in the No. 43 RealTime Racing Acura Integra R.
We just werent up to speed to my teammate all weekend and there was no catching him at the end, said Plumb. Im happy to be back on the podium though. I had a good car today, but absolutely no tires left at the end.
Charlie Downes, of Hawthorne, Calif., finished third for the second-straight race in the No. 64 Peppaseed BMW 328is. Galati and Jason Potter, of Oxford, Ohio, completed the top-five.
With his win, Kleinubing closed to within 15 points of Galati, 158 to 145. Plumb remains in third, with 137.
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