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SCCA: World Challenge kicks off at Lowe's Motor Speedway

29 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CONCORD, N.C.--The most exciting sprint-racing GT and Touring Car action in North America returns this weekend, with the 2000 World Challenge season-opening round at Lowes Motor Speedway, in Concord, N.C.

Split into two divisions, the World Challenge offers vehicle and aftermarket manufacturers a competitive arena for production-based race cars. The combination of closely-matched, modified street cars battling all-out for one short hour, and the addition of standing starts in 2000 makes the Speedvision World Challenge some of the most exciting racing for race fans at the event and on television.

GT Championship

Returning to defend his 1999 GT Championship is Bobby Archer (No. 32 Viper Speed Dodge Viper GTS). Archer nipped Peter Kitchak (No. 3 Keewaydin/Toad Hall Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) by one point for the title last year, and this year should be just as close. Entering the GT fray is three-time and defending Touring Car Champion Michael Galati (No. 9 Champion Audi S4 Competition), who will be joined in the Audi camp by five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell (No. 8 Legend of Motorsports/Champion Audi S4 Competition).

Other GT front runners will be World Challenge veterans Boris Said (No. 20 Steeda Autosports Steeda Mustang), John Heinricy (No. 39 Aristeo Construction Chevrolet Corvette C5), 1993 Champion Elliott Forbes-Robinson (No. 55 Move-It Motorsports Lotus Esprit Turbo), David Schardt (No. 94 Hikari Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup), Paul Brown (No. 96 HP Motorsports Saleen Mustang SR), Scotty B. White (No. 97 NayKid Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5), Reese Cox (No. 98 MTI Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5), Bill Cooper (No. 01 Les Stanford/Pirate Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5 and Tommy Safar (No. 03 Hidden Creek Racing Saleen Mustang SR).

This season will also feature the most talented cadre of rookies in SCCA GT history, including Adam Merzon (No. 17 Case-It/BMI Porsche 911 GT3 Cup), Daniel Eastman (No. 18 MG Intercontinental/Law Office of S.A. Gross Porsche 993 RSR), Scott Bove (No. 22 Technifab/Valvoline Porsche 911 GT3 Cup), Phil Lasco (No. 44 Lasco Auto Plaza Dodge Viper GTS) Jorge Trejos (No. 52 AASCO Performance Saleen Mustang SR), Matt Drendel (No. 54 Cable Trackers Ferrari 355 Challenge) and Jimmy Adams (No. 77 Viper Speed Dodge Viper GTS).

Touring Car Championship

RealTime Racing, which won the 1995-1998 Touring Car Championships, looks to regain supremacy in the class with a five-car BuySellorHold.com Acura Integra Type R effort led by 1997 Champion Pierre Kleinubing (No. 42), 1998 Rookie of the Year Hugh Plumb (No. 43) and 1999 Rookie of the Year Kevin Schrantz (No. 44). Other top returning Acura drivers include Taz Harvey (No. 8 Dublin Honda/Tracy Honda), Peter Schwartzott (No. 71) Jason Potter (No. 85 American Honda) and Mark C. Reed (No. 00), who purchased Galatis Championship-winning car for this season.

Acuras main threat in 2000 will again come from the BMW 328, which will include no less than 17 cars at Lowes Motor Speedway. Leading the charge will be five cars from Turner Motorsport and two-time 1999 winner Will Turner (No. 92 Turner Motorsports/H&R Springs). Other Turner cars will be driven by Brian Wade (No. 90 Hatic Tuning/TransformationArts), Dave Rodziewicz (No. 91 TransformationArts Racing), Jeff Tarr (No. 93 H&R Springs) and rookie Don Salama (No. 94 H&R Springs).

Other top BMW pilots will include Steve Pfeffer (No. 26 John Hancock/JJs Snacks), Paul Gargiulo (No. 34 Valvoline/V.A.C. Motorsports), Peter Cunningham (No. 41 Prototype Technology Group), Paul Alderman and Alfred DuPont in the No. 50 and 51 European Racing Technologies entries, and Charlie Downes, Walter Markes Jr. and Manny Matz in the No. 01, 02 and 03 Peppaseed Racing entries.

Challenging the Integras and BMWs will be veterans Grant Lockwood (No. 17 American Honda/Raceworks/Schroth Restraints Honda Prelude), Steve Lisa and David Rosenblum (No. 83 and 84 Patent It!/Amsoil Mazda 626s) and Kurt Buchwald (No. 99 Ariel Corp./TRD/Hikari Racing Toyota Celica GTS.

Other newcomers hoping to make an immediate impact include Leo Capaldi (No. 56 Yazaki N.A./Visteon/Road FX Mercury Cougar), Ken Dobson (No. 80 Carmel-Lahania Util./Read Pontiac/Westek Pontiac Sunfire), former Trans-Am and IMSA standout Bob Hagestad (No. 95 Hagestad Racing Volkswagen Jetta) and Kim Wolfkill (No. 98 Hikari Racing Toyota Celica GTS).

Text provided by Eric Prill

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.