Pirelli World Challenge GT Rounds 18 & 19: Sonoma Raceway

Mechanic Z · 9 Sep 2016, 00:48 (Ref:3671136)

Starting this thread just a little earlier than usual, but the on track action begins in just over a week, so I thought I'd start it now anyway.

Pirelli World Challenge will roll into Sonoma Raceway with championship battles tightening up. In the driver's standings, new championship leader Patrick Long leads K-Pax Racing's Alvaro Parente by only 21 points, after early Race 1 misfortune at Utah for the McLaren driver.

On the bright side for Parente, Sonoma is the home track for Flying Lizard, who run the K-Pax program and have plenty of testing miles at the track, as well as a win with Kevin Estre and the 650s GT3 last year.

Long, however, has plenty of experience at the track, and a previous generation 911 GT3-R took the other 2015 race at Sonoma for Long's former team EFFORT Racing. The 991 GT3-R is a very different car to it's predecessor, but it's almost always a contender.

The third driver in the championship hunt is Cadillac Racing's Michael Cooper, a further 44 points back. Cooper is, perhaps, the wild card in the championship this year, but he took the Sonoma GTS Race 1 win last year en route to the championship, and has been nothing but fast all year. He should not be overlooked.

Reigning champion Johnny O'Connell comes in fourth, 97 points behind his teammate, and Acura's Ryan Eversley is currently fifth.

In the hotly-contested teams championship, K-Pax Racing leads Cadillac Racing by 49 points and Always Evolving by 92.

Porsche leads McLaren by 6 points and Cadillac by 24 in the manufacturers standings.

Sonoma sees the return of James Davison to the #33 Always Evolving Nissan GT-R.

Also returning, following his GTA debut at Road America, is Andy Wilzoch in his #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R, in classic Lizards livery.

Ten-Tenth's own Mike Hedlund is back at Sonoma, this time in his GT Cup Porsche, which is also run by Flying Lizard Motorsports.

Drew Regitz and his GTA Audi return to the entry list for the first time since the car was damaged by fire at Road America.

Alex Job Racing is set for their PWC debut with a GT class Porsche 911 GT3-R for Sports Car veteran Gunnar Jeanette, and a GTA 911 GT3-R for Cooper MacNeil.

Alex Welch and Preston Calvert will also be competing in GT Cup alongside the class regulars.

It remains to be seen who will be piloting the second Acura, as Spencer Pumpelly has prior commitments in Texas, and Peter Cunningham is believed to have testing commitments with the NSX GT3.

GTS lists 21 cars, mostly regulars. Lawson Aschenbach will be pulling double duty between Sonoma and his Audi ride at COTA.

Ron Ballard's Maserati and George Kurtz's Aston Martin are back on the GTS entry, along with an extra TRG Aston for Greg Milzcik.

Last year's GT races at Sonoma were two of the best of the year, featuring fierce, clean battles between Estre and Van Der Zande driving a McLaren and a Porsche, the very two brands piloted by the leading championship protagonists. GTS, likewise, provided great racing. Hopefully 2016's races provide more of the same!

Schedule

Entry List

Live Stream

Live Timing and Scoring

Track Map

Weather (racecastweather.com)

Weather (National Weather Service)

Series Twitter Account

Further note for anyone attending, Sonoma Raceway is giving away a hot lap in a PWC race car. You can register here.

Mechanic Z · 9 Sep 2016, 17:28 (Ref:3671277)

Additional note, Sonoma is a Class D track, like St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Laguna Seca.

Mechanic Z · 12 Sep 2016, 17:02 (Ref:3671914)

Via World Challenge, Peter Kox will drive the #34 Acura TLX GT at Sonoma:
http://world-challenge.com/latest/se...nted-cadillac/

nasportscar · 12 Sep 2016, 18:23 (Ref:3671934)

Pick 'Em is live as well http://nasportscar.com/pwc-pick-em/

Mechanic Z · 13 Sep 2016, 17:25 (Ref:3672167)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nasportscar

Pick 'Em is live as well http://nasportscar.com/pwc-pick-em/

And I have a 3 point lead to protect!

Mechanic Z · 13 Sep 2016, 17:36 (Ref:3672173)

The entry list has been updated with a GTA Bentley for Andrew Kim from Bentley Team Absolute:

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

rich07 · 13 Sep 2016, 19:11 (Ref:3672195)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanic Z

Via World Challenge, Peter Kox will drive the #34 Acura TLX GT at Sonoma:
http://world-challenge.com/latest/se...nted-cadillac/

Cool. Go Super Peter!

Mechanic Z · 14 Sep 2016, 23:36 (Ref:3672434)

From Flying Lizard's Twitter, a reminder that the Lizard Porsche is back at Sonoma:

Quote:

Flying Lizard ‏@FlyingLizard_MS 2h2 hours ago Retweet if you're ready to see Andy Wilzoch's Lizard liveried Porsche on track this weekend at @WCRacing @RaceSonoma

TRspitfirefan · 15 Sep 2016, 02:46 (Ref:3672469)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanic Z

GTS lists 21 cars, mostly regulars. Lawson Aschenbach will be pulling double duty between Sonoma and his Audi ride at COTA.

In other GTS news; It looks like Plumb is back in the #12 ANSA X-Bow for the Sonoma rounds.
http://world-challenge.com/latest/te...onoma-raceway/

Quote:

Further note for anyone attending, Sonoma Raceway is giving away a hot lap in a PWC race car. You can register here.

So jealous!

TRspitfirefan · 15 Sep 2016, 02:57 (Ref:3672471)

https://twitter.com/mike_hedlund/sta...36637682700288
Great video Mike!
Love how noticeable the elevation changes are from that camera view, but the best part is the soundtrack. Simply Glorious!

nasportscar · 15 Sep 2016, 14:37 (Ref:3672573)

Michael Cooper did a great write up of a lap of Sonoma http://nasportscar.com/a-virtual-lap...ichael-cooper/

BullMan · 15 Sep 2016, 18:53 (Ref:3672622)

I haven't been paying attention, but Black Swan is entered in the PWC race this weekend.

Mechanic Z · 16 Sep 2016, 00:53 (Ref:3672671)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullMan

I haven't been paying attention, but Black Swan is entered in the PWC race this weekend.

Yep, neglected to put that in the first post.

Mechanic Z · 16 Sep 2016, 00:54 (Ref:3672672)

Porsche gets a 25 kilo weight break. Make of that what you will.
http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/201...eak-at-sonoma/

TRspitfirefan · 16 Sep 2016, 03:09 (Ref:3672717)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanic Z

Porsche gets a 25 kilo weight break. Make of that what you will.
http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/201...eak-at-sonoma/

Sportscar 365 has a Thursday notebook up. They are reporting the Porsche weight break at -15 Kilos below what it was set to be for class D tracks such as Sonoma.

Quote:

***PWC released updated Balance of Performance for Sonoma, and the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, confirming a weight break for the Porsche. The 911 GT3 R is now 15kg lighter since the last Category D race at Long Beach, while 25kg lighter than it ran at the most recent round at Utah, which is Category C.

Lots of other race notes as well.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-cha...sday-notebook/

Mechanic Z · 16 Sep 2016, 04:04 (Ref:3672723)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRspitfirefan

Sportscar 365 has a Thursday notebook up. They are reporting the Porsche weight break at -15 Kilos below what it was set to be for class D tracks such as Sonoma.

Lots of other race notes as well.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-cha...sday-notebook/

That's a bit better.

Edit: Actually, looking at the BOP tables on PWC's site, looks like the NBC MST report was correct.
http://files.world-challenge.com/veh...ixA-GT-v98.pdf
http://files.world-challenge.com/veh...-v103_rev9.pdf

Mechanic Z · 16 Sep 2016, 04:12 (Ref:3672724)

Change to the entry list, Jonathan Summerton is now shown in Frank Montecalvo's usual ride (the #66 Mercedes) and the car has been moved to the GT class.
http://files.world-challenge.com/eve...-EntryList.pdf

Mechanic Z · 16 Sep 2016, 17:27 (Ref:3672817)

Seems the GTA Porsches are actually still running at 1260 kgs under the new BoP.

https://twitter.com/MechanicKyleZ/st...31979383730177

Mechanic Z · 16 Sep 2016, 17:39 (Ref:3672821)

Cindric led GT Practice 1, followed by O'Connell, Davison, Parente, Marcelli, Cooper, Long, Eversley & Jeanette.

Schein led GTA, followed by Fuentes and Macneil.

Mike Hedlund set the pace in GT Cup over Udell & Urry.

Marshall led GTS: http://world-challenge.com/latest/se...-gts-practice/

TRspitfirefan · 17 Sep 2016, 00:10 (Ref:3672918)

Pretty cool Sonoma photo gallery from motorsports.com featuring pics of the #78 Bentley, the Alex Job and Black Swan Porsches and others.
http://www.motorsport.com/pwc/photos...llery/?r=82391

TRspitfirefan · 17 Sep 2016, 18:07 (Ref:3673130)

K-Pax Mclarens 1-2 in qualy! Followed closely by the Cadillac dynamic duo.

Top 13 GT cars within a second.
http://livetiming.net/pwc/

Championship points leader Pat Long back in 9th.

TRspitfirefan · 17 Sep 2016, 18:10 (Ref:3673133)

Quote:

Originally Posted by World Challenge

World Challenge ‏@WCRacing

Fun fact: The top-12 GT drivers broke the existing @RaceSonoma track record (1:33.095)

TRspitfirefan · 17 Sep 2016, 18:17 (Ref:3673135)

http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-cha...oma-front-row/

Mechanic Z · 17 Sep 2016, 19:32 (Ref:3673166)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRspitfirefan

K-Pax Mclarens 1-2 in qualy! Followed closely by the Cadillac dynamic duo.

Top 13 GT cars within a second.
http://livetiming.net/pwc/

Championship points leader Pat Long back in 9th.

Great run for the KPAX Lizard cars! McLaren and Cadillac are looking really strong.
Michael Lewis leads the Porsche brigade with sixth place, almost three tenths quicker than Pat Long!

Good run for Mike Hedlund, too, third in class and not far adrift of Udell and Urry.

Mechanic Z · 17 Sep 2016, 20:24 (Ref:3673179)

Quote:

K-PAX Racing ‏@KPAXracing 1m1 minute ago Starting 1-2 with @AustinCindric and @alvaroparente

GT Race 1 Broadcast should be starting within the next 15 minutes:

PWC site stream: http://world-challenge.com/streamvideo/
Motortrend stream: https://www.motortrendondemand.com/

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