World Challenge: Turner Scores Second Speedvision Touring Win in Wild PPIR Race
3 October 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
FOUNTAIN, Colo.-- Will Turner, of Newbury Port, Mass.,
took his
second-career Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car Championship win at
the
PPIR Road Racing Classic at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Alfred
DuPont, of
Wilmington, Del., finished second, followed by Michael Galati, of Olmstead
Township, Ohio.
Turner, who started third in the No. 92 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 328is, took the lead when early leaders Charlie Downes and Pierre Kleinubing tangled in turn two on the eighth lap, slamming the wall. Neither driver was injured, and Turner took the point, battling with DuPont and teammate Brian Wade for the remainder of the 45-lap, 60.3-mile contest. Wade was involved in a single-car accident on lap-43 while running third, promoting Galati onto the podium.
"I held back a little at the start, and its a good thing because Charlie [Downes] and Pierre [Kleinubing] were driving really aggressive," said Turner of the lap-eight incident. "I didnt want to go back and forth too much with Alfred afterward, because that would give everyone behind us an advantage."
Driving the No. 51 European Racing Technologies, DuPont and Wade waged a fierce battle for much of the race, running side-by-side through the entire infield section at one point, trading paint, but never pushing one another off course. The second-place was DuPonts career-best.
"Brian [Wade] and I raced as clean as we couldthere wasnt much lifting," said DuPont. "All that really happened was I had a mirror knocked off. The BMWs worked really well todayWills team helped our team out a lot coming into the race."
Galati held down the Acura Integra R contingent in the No. 19 Duplicolor/RedLine/DC Sports entry, coming from eighth on the grid to finish third after missing much of the first practice session. Galati expanded his points lead to 15 (221 to 206) over Hugh Plumb, who finished seventh.
"I had an oil leak in practice, and then in qualifying, the differential locked up," said Galati. "My team put a new transmission in the car in an hour and we got one hardship lap and that was it. I could keep up with the BMWs in the draft, but not once they broke free."
Chuck Hemmingson, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Taz Harvey, of Danville, Calif., completed the top-five.
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