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Speedvision World Challenge: Kleinubing wins wild race at Ste. Croix

21 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
STE. CROIX, QUEBEC--Brazilian Pierre Kleinubing took his third Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car win of the season, leading all 40 laps from the pole in a wild race which featured damp, dry and deluge conditions. Neal Sapp, of Elicott City, Md., and Don Salama, of Avon, Conn., completed the top-three.

Driving the No. 42 BuySellorHold.com/RealTime Racing Acura Integra R, Kleinubing started from the pole, but watched TC Kline Racing teammates Mike Fitzgerald and Neal Sapp make it three-wide on the back stretch before letting the two past. First Sapp led, then Fitzgerald as the group headed for the tight hairpin on the 1.1-mile circuit. Kleinubing's front-wheel drive allowed him to get the jump out of the corner in damp conditions.

After pulling out to a comfortable margin, Kleinubing fell into the grasp of Sapp, who used traffic to close the margin from four seconds to less than one on lap 28. A multi-car accident which eliminated frontrunners Alfred duPont and Hugh Plumb brought out a full course yellow on lap 30, just as the rain started to fall.

A lengthy cleanup was met with heavy rain. The field circulated the remainder of the 40-lap race behind the pace car to the checkered flag. Kleinubing averaged 67.965 mph en-route to the 1.936-second win under caution.

"I got a big break with the rain because we would have had nothing for the BMWs in the dry," said Kleinubing, who leads Sapp in the points 133-115. "It was dicy that first lap. The BMWs were on either side of me..I felt like a sandwich. They couldn't get the power down. The front-wheel drive really helped."

"It was drying and that helped me out, but Pierre [Kleinubing] is a tough driver," said Sapp. "I was luckier in the traffic than him and I was able to catch up; then the yellow and the rain came."

Driving the No. 94 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 328is, Salama came out on top of a race-long battle with Kevin Schrantz's Acura. The third-place finish was Salama's second-straight. Following Schrantz, of Boulder, Colo., was Taz Harvey, of Danville, Calif.

Local hero Jacques Belanger, of Quebec, earned the Borla Performance Award for his drive from 19th to 11th.

Plumb was transported to the hospital, experiencing neck and back soreness, but was alert and in good spirits after his Acura rolled in the incident.

STE. CROIX, QUEBEC -- Results from Sunday's 40-lap, 44.4-mile Speedvision Touring Car Round Five race, part of Le Grand Prix de Ste. Croix, with finishing position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car, laps complete and reason out, if any.

1. (1), Pierre Kleinubing, Erexim, Brazil, Acura Integra R, 40.
2. (3), Neal Sapp(R), Elicott City, Md., BMW 328ci, 40.
3. (6), Don Salama(R), Avon, Conn., BMW 328is, 40.
4. (7), Kevin Schrantz, Boulder, Colo., Acura Integra R, 40.
5. (8), Taz Harvey, Danville, Calif., Acura Integra R, 40.
6. (2), Mike Fitzgerald(R), Phoenix, Ariz., BMW 328ci, 40.
7. (5), Steve Pfeffer(R), Etna, N.H., BMW 328, 40.
8. (13), David Rosenblum, Langhorne, Pa., Mazda 626, 40.
9. (12), Walter Markes_Jr., Bronx, N.Y., BMW 328is, 40.
10. (16), Bob Nagel(R), Tampa, Fla., Acura Integra R, 40.
11. (19), Jacques Belanger(R), Quebec, Canada, Honda Civic Si, 40.
12. (20), Fred Pignataro, E. Northport, N.Y., BMW 328, 40.
13. (15), Mark C. Reed, London, England, Acura Integra R, 39.
14. (14), Steve Lisa, Scottsdale, Ariz., Mazda 626, 39.
15. (17), Jason Potter, Deltona, Fla., Acura Integra R, 39.
16. (22), Carl Wener(R), Montreal, QB, VW Golf, 39.
17. (26), Hugh Stewart, Massapequa, N.Y., VW Jetta, 39.
18. (25), Laurence Oliva(R), Dover, N.H., BMW 325is, 39.
19. (18), Tom Baker(R), Wilmington, Del., BMW 328is, 39.
20. (23), Stephane Trahan(R), Laval, QB, VW Jetta, 39.
21. (28), Dave Rodziewicz, Atlanta, Ga., BMW 328is, 38.
22. (29), Fred Meyer, Dallas, Texas, Acura Integra R, 38.
23. (27), John Sherk(R), Pickering, Ontario, Honda Civic Si, 38.
24. (11), Will Turner, Newburyport, Mass., BMW 328is, 38.
25. (24), Jeff Tarr, New York, N.Y., BMW 328is, 37.
26. (21), Kim Wolfkill(R), Laguna Beach, Calif., Toyota Celica, 36.
27. (10), Paul Alderman(R), Newark, Del., BMW 328is, 35.
28. (9), Hugh Plumb, Chadds Ford, Pa., Acura Integra R, 28, Crash.
29. (4), Alfred duPont, Kennett Square, Pa., BMW 328is, 28, Crash.
30. (30), Grant Lockwood, Cumming, Ga., Honda Prelude, 0, Mech.
31. (31), David Schardt, Dayton, Ohio, Toyota Celica, 0, DNS.
Time of race: 38 minutes, 50.583 seconds.
Average speed: 67.965 mph
Margin of victory: 1.9359 seconds
Lap leaders: Pierre Kleinubing, laps 1-40.
Fastest race lap: Will Turner, 0:45.668 (86.712 mph)
Cautions: One for 10 laps.

Top-Five Championship Points
1. Kleinubing, 133
2. Sapp, 115
3. Schrantz, 100
4. Salama, 89
5. Turner, 78

Text Provided By Eric Prill

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