Pirelli World Challenge GT Round 20: Laguna Seca

Mechanic Z · 2 Oct 2016, 06:18 (Ref:3676631)

Pirelli World Challenge returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the second year in a row for the final race of the season. Laguna Seca is, of course, one of the most historic and revered tracks in the USA, and has seen many memorable sports car battles throughout it's long history.

The GT Class championship battles are all three still wide open. A mere 9 points separate Alvaro Parente from Patrick Long in the GT Class Driver's Standings, while Johnny O'Connell and Michael Cooper both have an outside shot at 103 points back. A maximum of 117 points (110 for win, 7 for pole) are available at Laguna. Ten-Tenths user nasportscar has posted an excellent rundown on the GT driver's battle on his website; you can read it here: http://nasportscar.com/patrick-long-...ship-shootout/

The GT Teams Championship is also still for the claiming, as K-PAX Racing leads Cadillac Racing by only 25 points. Always Evolving sits third, mathematically out of the running. 110 Points are awarded at Laguna Seca.

In the Manufacturer's race, 1 point separates McLaren from Porsche. 11 Points are for the taking, 10 for the win, 1 for pole.

The Laguna Seca entry list sees numerous changes, and the return of a much more substantial Sprint-X grid.
Changes include:

-Spencer Pumpelly returns to the wheel of the #34 Acura TLX-GT.

-Fabian Hamprecht replaces Adderly Fong in the #88 Bentley Team Absolute Continental GT3. Hamprecht regularly drives one of Bentley Team Abt's cars in Blancpain.

-Jorge De La Torre makes his return to PWC competition for the first time since the accident at Lime Rock.

-The #45 Flying Lizard Porsche again will compete in the hands of Andy Wilzoch. Additionally, the car will race in the Sprint X rounds, where Wilzoch will be joined by Flying Lizard's Program manager, veteran racer Darren Law.

-Tim Pappas brings his Porsche again, which made it's series Debut at Sonoma. He too is doing Sprint X, for which he will be joined by former World Challenge champion Andy Pilgrim.

-Michael McCann returns with his Viper for both Sprint and Sprint X, joined by Jim McCann.

-Alex Job Racing will again be bringing their Porsches. Jeanette and Macneil will also compete in Sprint X in one of the cars.

-Chris Thompson takes the wheel of GT Cup Champion-elect Alec Udell's usual GMG GT Cup Porsche, while Udell will drive with Brent Holden in the team's Porsche GT3-R for the Sprint X races.

-James Sofronas, meanwhile, will be behind the wheel of GMG's Porsche Cayman GT4 in that car's North American debut in full GT4 spec.

-GTS features a larger than usual presence from Aston Martin, three cars from TRG and one from Stephen Cameron Racing (An additional TRG car is entered for Sprint X).

-Jason Wolfe moves up to GTS with ANSA, piloting their #12 XBow.

-Phoenix Performance/Calvert Dynamics has added a GTS Mustang for Andrew Aquilante, while Preston Calvert has scaled back his driving to just the Sprint X Porsche with Michael Lewis.

-BMW factory ace John Edwards makes his PWC debut, replacing Kuno Wittmer in Mills Racing's Z4 for Sprint X.

-DXDT returns to Sprint X, now with two Lamborghini Trofeo Huracans. Enrique Bernoldi and Jeff Burton (Not Nascar's Jeff Burton) will pilot the second car.

-De La Torre has lodged a Sprint X entry for Vilojoen and Bacarella.

-Dan Knox and Mike Skeen make their PWC returns with Lone Star's Viper for Sprint X.

-Jeff Courtney's Maserati is entered for Sprint X with Greg Palmer set to co-drive.

Or, you could just read the entry list and get the much shorter version!

Schedule

Entry List

Live Stream

Live Timing and Scoring

Track Map

Weather (racecastweather.com)

Weather (National Weather Service)

Series Twitter Account

Also adding a poll to see who we all think will become the GT driver's Champion.

cbbrit · 3 Oct 2016, 00:47 (Ref:3676889)

#66 DIME Racing driver Jonathan Summerton has been moved to the GT class from GTA.

Mechanic Z · 3 Oct 2016, 03:25 (Ref:3676911)

I think Summerton having been entered in GTA was just a list error, maybe from Frank Montecalvo having been in the car.

cbbrit · 3 Oct 2016, 04:26 (Ref:3676918)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanic Z

I think Summerton having been entered in GTA was just a list error, maybe from Frank Montecalvo having been in the car.

Correct! I should have checked on the GT Class Drivers Championship points table to see that he was scored as a GT, not GTA driver, at Sears Point!

jjvincent · 4 Oct 2016, 11:43 (Ref:3677192)

No love for Toby Grahovec? I'm disappointed in you guys.

Mike Hedlund · 4 Oct 2016, 16:04 (Ref:3677256)

Really wish they'd end with a double race weekend instead of the single. But either way, it's going to be a doozy!

-mike

schmidder · 5 Oct 2016, 01:19 (Ref:3677378)

Aren't they running a sprint x race before the GT final? Seems it will limit entries for sprintx?

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Mechanic Z · 5 Oct 2016, 03:21 (Ref:3677392)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

Really wish they'd end with a double race weekend instead of the single. But either way, it's going to be a doozy!

-mike

Agreed, it seems silly to only run one race, especially at Laguna since it's one of the truly classic tracks.
If they have to run only one race, I kinda wish they could run it to end at nightfall, like the ALMS season finales at Laguna used to. It'd be something to set it apart a bit (and besides, it'd look cool).

Mechanic Z · 5 Oct 2016, 03:24 (Ref:3677393)

Another Sprint X entry has been added, Drew Regitz's Cameron Audi, with Kyle Marcelli co-driving.

http://files.world-challenge.com/eve...-EntryList.pdf

Coach Ep · 5 Oct 2016, 13:38 (Ref:3677501)

Good to see they're finally reaching decent entry numbers (and let's hope all the entries make the races!), I especially like the multi class format.

Is a Pro-Am driving pair mandatory?

nasportscar · 5 Oct 2016, 15:01 (Ref:3677547)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Is a Pro-Am driving pair mandatory?

For this season yes. That could change for 2017

TRspitfirefan · 5 Oct 2016, 15:02 (Ref:3677548)

I wouldn't be too surprised if some of the Sprint-X entries only contest the second race. Still it's quite nice to see all these extra entries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Is a Pro-Am driving pair mandatory?

It is mandatory this year. But I have read somewhere that next seasons Sprint-X rounds will allow all pro teams and that there will not be any minimum pitstop time for the Pro-Pro class.

;Edit-NAsportscar beat me to the response.

TRspitfirefan · 5 Oct 2016, 15:05 (Ref:3677551)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nasportscar

For this season yes. That could change for 2017

Hopefully a more detailed vision for next season will be released this weekend.

jjvincent · 5 Oct 2016, 16:56 (Ref:3677567)

PWC explained this pretty well back on their official PR dated August 10, 2016.
http://world-challenge.com/latest/se...-ratings-plan/

Also, when is the PR announcement coming for the complete written in stone 2017 schedule?

David A Scott · 5 Oct 2016, 17:03 (Ref:3677568)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanic Z

-Jorge De La Torre makes his return to PWC competition for the first time since the accident at Lime Rock.

This is good news. Has anyone heard any news about Palmer?

Matt · 5 Oct 2016, 22:40 (Ref:3677646)

No.

jjvincent · 6 Oct 2016, 11:47 (Ref:3677808)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

Really wish they'd end with a double race weekend instead of the single. But either way, it's going to be a doozy!

-mike

It is if you are running in the TC classes. As we all know nobody cars about them. That's why I feel so bad for Toby. He's done a phenomenal job this year debuting a brand new M235iR and nobody noticed. Plus, this is the first time I can remember that a car with an automatic gearbox will win a championship here in the US. It's not a double clutch or anything like that. Just an 8 speed automatic from the street car.

schmidder · 6 Oct 2016, 17:55 (Ref:3677891)

Pretty substantial crash in sprint x practice this am in turn 10. One of the vipers and the weather tech porsche involved, and a gts Aston martin..viper had worst of it from my vantage point on grid

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nasportscar · 6 Oct 2016, 18:03 (Ref:3677894)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjvincent

It is if you are running in the TC classes. As we all know nobody cars about them. That's why I feel so bad for Toby. He's done a phenomenal job this year debuting a brand new M235iR and nobody noticed. Plus, this is the first time I can remember that a car with an automatic gearbox will win a championship here in the US. It's not a double clutch or anything like that. Just an 8 speed automatic from the street car.

I actually reached out to him to do an interview. I'm trying to get all Touring Car-class champs lined up

Mechanic Z · 7 Oct 2016, 01:03 (Ref:3677989)

Quote:

Originally Posted by schmidder

Pretty substantial crash in sprint x practice this am in turn 10. One of the vipers and the weather tech porsche involved, and a gts Aston martin..viper had worst of it from my vantage point on grid

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

That's a bummer. Per Sportscar365, the Viper sustained enough damage to be withdrawn.
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-cha...ay-notebook-3/

Have fun the rest of the weekend!

cbbrit · 7 Oct 2016, 01:36 (Ref:3677992)

DIME Racing haven't even turned up! Some rumour of the new car being stuck in customs somewhere! They've only had 6 months to get it here! LOL!

schmidder · 7 Oct 2016, 04:30 (Ref:3678019)

I watched viper go on transporter, real bummer. O'Connell had a big off in morning practice, but they got him repaired and back out mid practice in the afternoon.

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Matt · 7 Oct 2016, 11:27 (Ref:3678097)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbbrit

DIME Racing haven't even turned up! Some rumour of the new car being stuck in customs somewhere! They've only had 6 months to get it here! LOL!

It'll never show up.

jjvincent · 7 Oct 2016, 13:29 (Ref:3678125)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

It'll never show up.

I think it will. As long as it doesn't take more than 5 months from today to get it through customs, it'll be on the grid for 2017.

nasportscar · 7 Oct 2016, 14:26 (Ref:3678134)

I wouldn't trust DIME with a '95 Civic

View Poll Results: Who will be the 2016 PWC GT Drivers Champion?
Alvaro Parente (#9 K-Pax Racing/Flying Lizard Mclaren 650s GT3)	4	30.77%
Patrick Long (#58 Wright Motorsports/#31 EFFORT Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R)	6	46.15%
Johnny O'Connell (#3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R)	3	23.08%
Michael Cooper (#8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R)	0	0%
Voters: 13. You may not vote on this poll

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