“Hats off to the Stevenson guys,” Edwards said. “They really got us in the lead and I think you could see by the pressure I was getting at the end that if I had gone out in second place we probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you as winners. Those guys have done a fantastic job to give us three in a row.”

Johnny O’Connell notches a win at Belle Isle.
(Weber Image)
O’Connell, in the No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R, is half way to defending his Belle Isle sweep in 2012. He led from the pole, never relenting the lead in the 25-lap race that averaged 69.083 mph around the 2.35-mile, 14-turn street course.

The race was slowed by two cautions lasting a total of 10 laps. The first of those cautions was brought out on lap one when the No. 36 Kia Motors America Kia Optima GTS car of Nic Jonsson, of Sweden, made heavy contact with the right-side retaining wall less than 100 yards past the green flag.

The second caution was thrown for two separate incidents involving lead-pack cars in each class. The first incident occurred when Alex Figge, running in fifth at the time, collided with the wall on the exit of Turn 13 in the No. 9 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60.

The second collision, which happened almost simultaneously, involved the No. 42 Acura/HPD/RealTime Racing Acura TSX of Peter Cunningham. Running third in GTS at the time, Cunningham’s machine came to a rest up against the tire barrier in Turn 11, with the left front wheel completely disconnected from the car.

“The two caution periods help me out,” O’Connell said. “I was having some issues with the tires, so the yellows allowed me to cool them down and manage them to the end. We don’t have a lot of tuning in the car to change the handling. I was working with my brake bias knob to improve the handling, but a long run under green worked against me. I think my advantage to the Volvo was the ability to dig deep in the opening laps of the race and on the restarts to get a gap. Then they had to worry about everyone behind them.

“You want to do well when you race in your own back yard. The front five cars were nose to tail around here. We have some work to do to make the car better for tomorrow. Everyone will be a little faster on Sunday.”

Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., made up for a trying Detroit race weekend in 2012 where he finished last in Race One as a result of a collision on the start, and ninth in Race Two. Saturday, he finished second in the No. 6 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60, only 1.188 seconds behind the winner.

“I really enjoy being in Detroit,” Pobst said. “I’m a car guy. I want to thank my K-PAX Volvo Racing team for putting together a great car today. A lot of things about that car are so different from the competitor’s we race against. Makes for an interesting race, I think we over achieved a little bit in qualifying then think we missed it a little bit in the race.

“I looked at the forecast and figured it was going to be wet. There was a giant storm headed straight for Detroit. I don’t know what kind of deal Cadillac has with the weather gods, but the track dried right up. It was a tough race with Andy [Pilgrim] giving me hell the entire time with James Sofronas right behind him. I’m happy with second place and will look for that first place finish tomorrow.”

Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., backed up the performance of his teammate finishing third in the No. 8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R. He captured the position, and the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race, by getting around James Sofronas on the first restart.

“The setup on my Cadillac was really good,” Pilgrim said. “At the end, James [Sofronas] in the Audi was all over me. I think I have some white paint on the back of my car, but it was a good, competitive race. I couldn’t get close enough to Randy [Pobst] in the Volvo to make a move on him. There was less rubber down on the track from the rain washing it off last night. The track will get faster with the more rubber that gets put down. The job that the Penske organization has done with the track is just great. There are several passing zones, which makes things more exciting for the fans and us drivers.”

GT Drivers’ Championship leader James Sofronas, of Villa Park, Calif., finished off the podium for the first time this year, crossing the line fourth in the No. 14 GMG/Mobil 1 Audi R8.

Tim Pappas, of Boston, was the benefactor of Figge’s late-race retirement. Finishing fifth, Pappas scored his fourth-career top-five in the No. 54 Black Swan Mercedes AMG SLS.

In GTS, Wilkins also led flag-to-flag in his No. 38 Kia Motors America Kia Optima, finishing 1.078 seconds ahead of Jack Baldwin.

“We were flat out,” Wilkins said. “Lawson [Aschenbach] and Jack [Baldwin] did a great job. Lawson was coming on strong after some adversity throughout the weekend. And Jack’s always strong.

“We had to push. Thanks to Kia Racing and Kinetic Motorsports for a great race car today. The track changes are awesome. We really appreciate those. They really help. We had a good run and a strong car. We are looking forward to it all again tomorrow.”

Baldwin, of Marietta, Ga., crossed the line second, adding valuable points to his GTS Driver’s Championship lead. The finish is Baldwin’s sixth-consecutive podium in 2013, behind the wheel of the No. 73 Motul/StopTech/Foametix Porsche Cayman S.

“It feels good to have nice little podium streak going on,” Baldwin said. “The competition is tough, my hats off to Lawson [Aschenbach] and Mark [Wilkins]. Both of them did a great job in the car. Today’s performance, and even at COTA, goes to show what a nice job Mark’s doing in managing that car. Those long straightaways favor his car, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I gave Mark everything I had, trying to keep him as honest as possible. Lawson came up after the caution, poking around. I don’t think either one of us had anything for Mark. It was Mark’s day, and we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Lawson Aschenbach, of Jupiter, Fla., finished third in the No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro. The finish is the fourth podium for Aschenbach this year, and he earned the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race getting around Dean Martin for what would end up being the third position.

“It’s tough,” Aschenbach said. “Street courses are the toughest places to pass. Unfortunately, our car is slowest in the straights, we don’t have that advantage. Our advantage is braking. It’s hard to close on someone enough where you don’t dive bomb them trying to pass. Fortunately, we were able to stay up there and make a couple of good passes. But, once I got up to Jack and Mark there was just nothing I could do.

“Hats off to the Black Dog guys, they’ve been working hard all weekend. We’ve had transmission issues since we showed up. We didn’t even get out for the first practice session, and qualified with just fourth gear, ending up ninth. Fortunately we got it sorted out. We’ve got a good car, but have to work on it to catch these guys.”

Martin, of Westland, Mich., led all Michigan drivers in Race One, finishing fourth in the No. 50 Picture Cars East/Grand Sanitation Ford Mustang Boss 302S.

The most recent GTS winner, Andy Lee, of Colorado Springs, Colo., completed the top five in the No. 20 Best IT/Bondurant/Crown Seven Chevrolet Camaro.

Roger Miller, of Salt Lake City, Utah, captured the Sunoco Hard Charger Award and the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start, en route to finishing 13th in class, passing 13 cars.

Sofronas holds onto his GT Drivers’ Championship lead with 746 points. However, O’Connell has started to make hay in the points, 133 markers behind Sofronas, followed by Pilgrim, with 576.

Baldwin also continues to sit atop the GTS drivers’ leaderboard, having scored 689 points. Wilkins jumped to second, 116 markers behind, with Lee in tow, collecting 488 points.

Qualifying for Round Seven of the doubleheader event is scheduled for Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (EDT), with the race scheduled for 12:00 p.m.(EDT). The race will be streamed live at www.world-challengetv.com and then aired on the NBC Sports Network June 16 at 5 p.m. (EDT).

More information on the series can be found at www.world-challenge.com or on Twitter @WCRacing.

Johnny O’Connell takes the win in Saturday’s Round Four at COTA.
(Weber/SCCA)
O’Connell started from the Motul Pole Position in his No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R and got to Turn One first off the standing start. From there, the defending series Champion led all the way, weathering a pair of restarts and temperatures in the mid-90s to take his first win of 2013. O’Connell finished 1.107-seconds ahead of point leader James Sofronas, averaging 75.788 mph around the 2.3-mile, 20-turn road course.

“I had a really good start,” O’Connell said. “We usually lose out to the Volvos on the starts with their four-wheel drive. My objective was to just keep him behind me or to the outside going into Turn One. When I got that launch, and I saw that the Volvo was not going to be able to get me into Turn One, that was the defining moment to the race.

“After the start I had to just hit my marks. I wanted to push hard early. I brought my front tires in early and wanted to get a gap in the first couple of laps. When the Audi got by the Volvo I had to push because he was coming fast.”

The win comes one month after O’Connell and the Team Cadillac crew watched victory slip away in Long Beach. On the final lap, while leading under caution, the Cadillac’s engine expired due to a radiator punctured by debris.

“I had a good race car from the Team Cadillac guys. They’ve worked hard to get these cars to handle in this heat. It was good to get the victory after my near win at Long Beach a couple of weeks ago. It is also special to get the first World Challenge Series GT win at a new track. I am looking forward to the second race tomorrow.”

Sofronas benefitted from O’Connell’s retirement at Long Beach to score his second win of the season. Saturday, he started second in his No. 14 GMG/Mobil 1 Audi R8, but fell to third on the start, behind Randy Pobst’s No. 6 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60. Sofronas spent 14 of the race’s 25 laps trying to find a way around Pobst, and finally made the move stick, setting his sights on O’Connell.

Despite closing the gap considerably, Sofronas ran out of time, and had to settle for the runner-up finish, his second of 2013 to go with a pair of wins.

“The heat affected our strategy, much like everyone else,” Sofronas said. “We had to manage the tires, brakes and engine temps. We had a strong car for the first half of the race. We got held up by Randy Pobst. I was all over him. The car was fast in the high speed turns, but I just couldn’t get around him, and that was enough for Johnny [O’Connell] to get away. When I was able to get by Randy, I was able to get some clean air and run hard, but at the end, with eight laps to go, I began to lose the front tires and just drove through it.”

O’Connell’s teammate Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., started fourth in his No. 8 Team Cadillac Cadillac CTS-V.R but fell to 13th after bogging down at the start. He worked back up to eighth by the second caution to remove the stricken No. 85 Racing for Our Heroes Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Craig Stanton. Following the lap-11, restart to he gained two positions to sixth and was fourth three laps later. With three laps remaining, he was able to move around Pobst’s Volvo for the final position on the podium, earning the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race in the process.

“I didn’t get a good start,” Pilgrim said. “The clutch was dragging and stalled the engine. I had to switch the power back on, the car fired up, by then the field was gone.

“This is a tough place to pass. I had to wait for people to make a mistake. I made some good moves, while trying to be patient. Randy was really fast on the straight, but he seemed to be having trouble through the Esses. I just bided my time and was able to get him. It was good to get a double podium finish for Cadillac. We will get it right for the race tomorrow.”

Pobst held on for fourth, followed by a charging Tim Pappas, of Boston, Mass. Pappas started 11th in the No. 54 Black Swan Racing Mercedes-Benz SLR but steadily moved up to score the best finish for a Mercedes-Benz in Pirelli World Challenge GT competition. It was Pappas’ second-career top-five finish and first since his return to the series following a 10-year hiatus.

O’Connell’s fastest lap of 1:34.126 (87.967 mph) will place him on the pole for Sunday’s Round Five race. Sofronas will again start second.

In GTS, Aschenbach started from the Motul Pole and gained an early advantage in his No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro. Unlike O’Connell, the restarts did not go as smoothly for the two-time series Champion. On the lap-11 restart, Aschenbach watched the pair of Kia Motors America Kia Optimas of Nic Jonsson and Mark Wilkins drive by heading up the hill into Turn One.

It took Aschenbach four laps to move around Wilkins, and then another two to move past Jonsson and back into the lead. In the closing laps, Andy Lee, of Colorado Springs, Colo., began to close on the leader. On the final lap, Lee turned the fastest lap of the race in his No. 20 Best IT Chevrolet Camaro, but came up 0.348-second short at the finish.

It was Aschenbach’s second-straight win, and moved him to within one point of Championship leader Jack Baldwin. Aschenbach’s resurgent run earned him the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race.

“This win is a big deal,” Aschenbach said. “With only 14 races, you really need to be up front as often as you can. Fortunately, today, it worked for us.

“It was quite hot. Something happened about halfway through, so I had to back it off a little bit. But Andy [Lee] drove a hell of a race out there, too. He was right there. Two Camaros up front for GM is always good.

“This is only our third race and we’re winning races. It’s quite a testament to our sponsors and the work the guys at the shop have done. We’ll take it, but I think we still do have some work to do for tomorrow, to help get this thing a little quicker.”

Lee’s runner-up finish equaled his best on the season. The fast lap of 1:41.032 (81.954 mph) means Lee will start Sunday’s Round Five race from the Motul Pole.

“This has been one of the most grueling races heat wise, in the car,” Lee said. “I opted to go without the cool suit just to stay as light as I could. I was saving everything, the motor, the brakes, the tires. I was just driving it 90 percent most of the race. I thought if I went for it on the last lap I might catch him at the right time. I closed, but I probably should have started a lap earlier. But, it was a great battle and he [Aschenbach] drove flawlessly. It’s good to be a Chevy Camaro one-two.”

Baldwin, of Marietta, Ga., started sixth, but worked his way around the front-wheel drive Kias and the Acura TSX of defending series Champion Peter Cunningham to take the final spot on the podium in his No. 73 Motul/StopTech/Foametix Porsche Cayman.

“I didn’t get a great start at all, ending up eighth,” Baldwin said. “I just ran hard all day and did the best to manage everything. I think third is pretty good. I’ve got nothing for the Camaros, so that’s what we’ve got. Third is third. I’m good.”

Jonsson, of Sweden, and Toronto’s Wilkins completed the top five.

Jim Taggart, of Raleigh, N.C., earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award for advancing the most positions in the race in his No. 61 Lotus USA/Taggart Autosport/LRR Lotus Exige. Brad Adams, of New Orleans, La., earned the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start for advancing nine positions on the first lap in his No. 96 Voodoo/Dat Dog/Yo MTV Raps! Ford Mustang Boss 302.

Sofronas continues to lead the GT Championship standings, with 517 points, followed now by O’Connell (411) and Pilgrim (370). Audi leads the Manufacturers’ Championship, with 34, followed by Cadillac (27), Volvo (20), Chevrolet (10), AMG Customer Sports (3) and Porsche (1).

Baldwin leads GTS, with 484 points, followed by Aschenbach (483) and Cunningham (369). Chevrolet enjoys an 18-point lead in the Manufacturers Championship, 35 to 17 over Acura, followed by Kia (8) and Ford (1).

Saturday’s race will be part of the June 16 broadcast on NBC Sports at 5 p.m. (EDT).

Round Five of the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge GT and GTS Championship will make its standing start Sunday at 1:15 p.m. (CDT), with coverage beginning on www.world-challengetv.com at 12:20 p.m. (CDT).

ROBIN LIDDELL AND JOHN EDWARDS, NO. 57 STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS, STEVENSON AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO GT.R – GT CLASS RACE WINNERS:

THIS CAR STARTED ON THE POLE WITH JOHN EDWARDS AND YOU BROUGHT IT HOME TO VICTORY LANE TODAY, BUT IT WASN’T EASY. YOU HAD YOUR HANDS FULL OUT THERE IN THE CLOSING LAPS:

ROBIN LIDDELL:

“Yeah, we were under quite a lot of pressure. Alessandro (Balzan) was doing a good job in the No. 63 Ferrari was doing a good job. He’s not been in the series very long and we’ve already had a good few races with him and with those guys. Obviously the car was out front with John starting on the pole and that helped a lot. It takes the pressure off as the second driver. It’s not an easy track to pass around here and although the car was very good, it was key for us getting track position and trying to stay there rather than trying to fight out way through the field. The second pit stop was very key. We just managed to sneak out ahead of those guys. Great job by the team and the crew to do that and I had a pretty risky move in the pit lane just to stay ahead of him going down past their box. So, I figured that was going to be the key to the race. We obviously managed to come out ahead. We were certainly good on new tires and I think we were even better in the traffic. Overall, they were very strong and they were closing the gap pretty tight and pretty quickly at the end there. So, hat’s off to all our crew and thanks to everybody on our side: Stevenson, Chevrolet, John, Mike Johnson, and everybody did a super job today.

“I think I gained a little bit from some track experience here. Obviously Alessandro has not been at some of these tracks and I think I just knew where to position the car and when the tires started to go off, I think I could cope with that a little bit better. He was a wee bit quicker in the end and obviously we were under quite a bit of pressure. But generally speaking, I seemed to get the breaks; and where I was able to stop a DP going by to get a run out of the corner and keep him between us, I was able to do that. We were looking very strong in the last section into the last couple of turns and I full expected him to have a lunge being made at me in the last lap, but he wasn’t close enough to me. So, all credit to the guys. The team did a wonderful job. In the end the guys did a super job in the pits and it was very, very tight on the way out because the No. 63 car came out of the box and I really thought we were going to make contact. I just my foot in because I figured that would be the key to the race, which I think in the end, it was. So a great job by everybody.”

YOU WON THE POLE AND YOU STARTED FROM THE FRONT WHERE YOU WANTED TO. AND YOU GUYS MADE IT WORK:

JOHN EDWARDS:

“Yeah, I had a pretty intense stint there because we chose to take tires and other people didn’t. So we were a bit faster but the tires were starting to go off as I was catching Jeff Westphal who hadn’t taken tires. And I didn’t think I was going to get by him without a mistake or some traffic, so I saw an opportunity with traffic and took it; and ended-up going sailing off the road, so I hope I didn’t give the team a heart attack doing that. But we ended up pitting behind Jeff and came out ahead. So full credit to the Stevenson crew and the tire change. We weren’t waiting on fuel for that stop. So the guys with the tires and Robin and Mike with the driver change, really deserve a lot of credit for taking that spot because if we had come up behind Alessandro, I don’t think we would have had a shot getting by him.”

TeamMarketingTransAm

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GRAND-AM Cooldown Lap: Lime Rock Park (Rolex)

Notes And Quotes

9/29/2012

The Recap

Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli scored their third consecutive Daytona Prototype victory at Lime Rock Park, while Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas took their third straight DP championship with a seventh-place finish.

Taylor held off Antonio Garcia to win by .334 seconds, giving the No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP its third victory of the season. Garcia and Richard Westbrook also ended the season as three-time winners in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP. Alex Gurney and Alex Gurney rounded out the podium in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP, followed by the two Action Express entries (the No. 5 of David Donohue and Brian Frisselle, and the No. 9 of Darren Law and Joao Barbosa), giving the Corvette DP a sweep of the top five places to cap its first year of competition.

Needing a ninth-place finish, Pruett and Rojas iced their fourth DP title in five years by finishing seventh in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley. Ryan Dalziel entered the race with a mathematical shot at the championship, but finished sixth in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley started by Alex Popow.

Robin Liddell and John Edwards took their third GT victory of the season in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro. Liddell passed Andy Lally with three laps remaining, denying the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 started by John Potter its third triumph of 2012. Lally then had to pit for fuel, promoting the No. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 of Dion von Moltke and Jim Norman to a second-place finish.

While 2012 GT champions Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal had problems early in the race that resulted in an eighth-place finish for the No. 69 AIM Autosport/Team FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia, a third-place finish by the late-entered No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia of Allesandro Balzan and Johannes van Overbeek gave Ferrari the GT manufacturers championship.

The Stats

• DP 1st: Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor, No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP

• DP 2nd: Richard Westbrook and Antonio Garcia, No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP

• DP 3rd: Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney, No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP

• GT 1st: John Edwards andRobin Liddell, No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro

• GT 2nd: Jim Norman and Dion von Moltke, No. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8

• GT 3rd: Johannes van Overbeek and Allesandro Balzan, No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari

• Margin of Victory: .334 seconds (DP); 3.677 seconds (GT)

• Average Speed: 92.873 mph (DP); 88.389 mph (GT)

• Cautions: Five for 29 laps

Final Points (Unofficial)

Rolex Series

• DP: Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas, 379; Ryan Dalziel, 367; Darren Law, 355; David Donohue, 348; Alex Popow, 346.

• GT: Jeff Segal/Emil Assentato, 387; Robin Liddell, 360; Paul Dalla Lana, 339; Sylvain Tremblay/Jonathan Bomarito, 336; Leh Keen/Andrew Davis, 329.

Noteworthy

• In a change of strategy, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates opted to have Scott Pruett qualify the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley. Pruett qualified second. The team had some drama when Memo Rojas had damaged bodywork during his stint, but the team held on to finish seventh – good enough to win the title.

• In addition to being the third straight DP title for Pruett and Rojas, it was their fourth in five years counting the 2008 crown. Pruett also won the 2004 title for the team, co-driving with Max Papis, while Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates won in 2006, giving the team a total of six championships.

• Richard Westbrook won his third TOTAL Performance Pole Award on Saturday morning in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP. Jon Fogarty – quickest early in the 15-minute session – led the series with four poles in 2012.

• The second-place finish by Dion von Moltke and Dr. Jim Norman was the best for the new Audi R8 GRAND-AM. The only prior top-10 finish for the No. 51 APR Motorsports Audi was ninth at Montreal.

• Scuderia Corsa took the final GT podium position in its second Rolex Series race. Alessandro Balzan was coming off a pole-winning effort at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He was joined on the late entry by Johannes van Overbeek – on loan from Team Patron – who led 24 laps early in the race.

The Numbers:

• 3 – GT laps led by Robin Liddell – the final three laps of the race

• 9 – Number of DP chassis manufacturers championships by Riley Technologies

• 10 – GT laps led by Patrick Lindsey in the No. 73 Horton Autosport Porsche GT3

• 15 – Number of championships for Chip Ganassi Racing teams in GRAND-AM and Indy cars.

• 89 – race-high GT laps led by Andy Lally in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3

The Quotes:

• “This morning, I was just hoping for a podium. We made a lot of changes after qualifying, and when I saw Max (Angelelli) on the first restart, I saw we had a car that could win the race.” Ricky Taylor, race winner in the No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP

• “This has been an incredibly difficult and challenging season. We had to dig deep. We didn’t have the fastest car, so we had to right for every point in the championship. We made a strategy change today. We thought we’d be better off going with two driver changes, rather than two long stints.” Scott Pruett, No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley

• “We’re making progress at Lime Rock. We were finally able to win here – finally able to finish on the lead lap. We were able to do the right things and finish the championship.” Memo Rojas, No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley

• “I knew the No. 44 car was going to be close on fuel, so I tried to keep the pressure on him, and that’s what happened at the end.” Robin Liddell, No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro

• “Every time Ricky (Taylor) was able to open a gap, I was able to get back to him. But this track is not an easy place to overtake, and Ricky defending his position very well. I really think that last safety car gave him a little bit of a breather. After that, he was really fast. We’ve always had the pace this year – we could have won five or six races this year. We’re getting to where we take races like today as bad results.” Antonio Garcia, No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP

• “(Not winning a race in 2012) was not for lack of effort. We had good pace and won a few pole positions, but we weren’t able to put everything together. You have to be perfect to win in this series.” Jon Fogarty, No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP

• “APR did an amazing job developing this car. It seemed we never had the same car twice. The teamwork on the pit stop got me close to the front, and I was able to keep it there. I would have liked to have given Dr. Jim a victory, but a podium is the next best thing.” Dion von Moltke, No. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM

Coming Up:

The 2012 champs will be feted Monday evening at New York City’s Gotham Hall in the Rolex Champions Awards presented by SunTrust. The next scheduled Rolex Series test will be Oct. 27-28 at Kansas Speedway. The 2013 schedule will open with the 51st Rolex 24 At Daytona, Jan. 26-27 at Daytona International Speedway.

Recap courtesy of:  www.grand-am.com

Katech 2012 Track Attack Video Compilation

Katech Track Attack 2012 video link

We put together this compilation video of Track Attack 2012.  For complete in-car videos visit http://www.youtube.com/katechperformance or search “Katech Track Attack 2012″ on YouTube.

New Katech Valve Cover Inserts

These new Katech valve cover inserts are manufactured with a different method to reduce cost and provide a broader range of styles for customers to choose from. Rather than CNC machining and filling with paint, these inserts are brushed, printed, and then clear coated.

KAT-3231AR

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Katech Street Attack Z06 at Summit Point

Check out this video of a Katech Street Attack Z06 customer showing all the Porsches who’s boss at a PCA event at Summit Point. This is not a radical racecar. It’s a Katech Street Attack Z06 vehicle package.

Here’s how it works:

Purchase a Street Attack Z06 vehicle package between now and September 30th, 2012 and you get the following:

-Katech carbon fiber or fiberglass splitter with undertray and brake ducts – 40% off

-Katech front fascia reinforcement – 40% off

-Katech carbon fiber or fiberglass side skirts – 40% off

-Katech carbon fiber rear spoiler – 40% off

-$500 credit towards your enclosed vehicle transportation costs to Katech through Gadget Works Transport

Purchase a Track Attack Z06 vehicle package between now and September 30th, 2012 and you get the following:

-Katech carbon fiber or fiberglass splitter with undertray and brake ducts – 40% off

-Katech front fascia reinforcement – 40% off

-Katech carbon fiber or fiberglass side skirts – 40% off

-Katech carbon fiber rear spoiler – 40% off

-Katech carbon fiber decklid with lexan window (any finish) – 40% off

-$500 credit towards your enclosed vehicle transportation costs to Katech through Gadget Works Transport

Name: Guy Burkhart

From: Richmond, Texas

Car: 2005 C6 Corvette

Guy Burkhart said he was the most peculiar guy on the track at this year’s Track Attack. While we didn’t find him that peculiar, we did find him to be very unique and at the event for a very personal reason: to honor the memory of his childhood friend.

When Guy was eight years old growing up in Texas, he lived on the same block with Jim Wey, who was 10 years his senior. Jim, as a teenager, was interested in drag racing, and when Guy would hear Jim fire up his drag racecar, he would run next door to see what Jim and his friends were doing.

“I blame him for sucking me into horsepower!” said Guy. “We were friends from the time I was eight until he passed away two years ago when I was 58. We were just buds.”

Over the years, he and Guy shared a love of performance vehicles and performance driving, and their friendship grew. Guy became Jim’s tow truck driver and mechanic, while Jim drove in events. Eventually, Jim bought a 2005 C6 Corvette to which Katech made modifications, as well as to an SS Trailblazer. A short time after taking delivery of his Corvette, however, Jim became ill to the point that he could no longer drive his C6.

“He liked to go to events – he could navigate,” said Guy, “but I became his driver, and the car lived at my house. Basically, Jim was the ‘daddy’ watching his car perform. He would sit out here and watch and listen while I would blast around the track.”

When Jim passed away two years ago, his children came to Guy and said they knew that the car was at its proper home (his), exactly where it should be, exactly as their father wanted, and gave ownership of the Corvette to him.

He said he feels compelled to keep the tradition going, so he returned to Track Attack this year to honor the memory of his lifelong friend.

“I’ve just always been a horsepower fanatic,” Guy said. “[I’ve] never really been able to race – I also promised that I wouldn’t – so I just like to come to track events and throw the car around. I’m not racing, so I’m not breaking my promise, and my wife understands that.”

-10% off all in-stock parts

-$1000 off Street Attack and Track Attack engine packages

-*Free transportation back to Katech for any standard vehicle package

*Space is limited. First come – first serve.

Also make sure to check out all of our Katech apparel. We have T-shirts starting at only $8!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Katech Inc., the leader in performance engines for driving enthusiasts and race teams, has just waved the checkered flag, completing its Track Attack 2012 enthusiast driving experience.  This is the fourth Track Attack event that the company has put together for driving enthusiasts, which was held this year at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill.

Track Attack 2012 featured 43 participant drivers and their guests who brought vehicles that included a broad range of Corvettes, Camaros, Porsches, and Cadillacs.  Their mission: drive their cars fast, learn from current and past racing drivers and build relationships in the performance driving community – all within the two-day timeframe of the non-competitive event. Participants came from 19 states, including California, Washington, Florida and Texas, as well as two provinces in Canada.

“We’re thrilled at both the level of participation at this year’s event and the amount of performance driving that our participants have been able to enjoy,” said Warren Frieze, General Manager of Katech Inc.  “It means that our customers and friends have had a safe, controlled outlet for their performance driving interests.”

Frieze said that, although driving skills vary among our attendees from beginner to expert, everyone is a winner at Track Attack because they come away with improved driving skills, better knowledge of the performance ability of their vehicles and a broader network of drivers and technical experts to answer their questions.

Track Attack 2012 began with a vehicle technical inspection for each participant that certified their vehicle’s performance and safety readiness.  Then, track officials took all participants through a detailed explanation of the track, its safety personnel and procedures for a safe driving experience.  In addition to classroom instruction, participants in the event’s beginner and intermediate groups were assigned a Katech instructor, who rode with them, suggested techniques and strategies to improve their performance and mentored them throughout the two-day event.  Track time was divided into three experience groups, including advanced drivers.

Katech’s staff for the event also included professional drivers Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O’Connell, both of whom drive the Cadillac CTS-V for General Motors in the Pirelli World Challenge series.

To ensure that each driver has the best track experience, Katech also provided a team of technical experts and technicians who helped them keep their cars in top performance condition.  The Katech team freely discussed performance adjustments and enhancements with car owners and helped bleed brakes, replace brake pads, adjust engine performance specs and make other tweaks and adjustments that helped tune the car to the driver.

“Track Attack is a unique opportunity for our customers to experience and safely test the performance vehicles and packages that we offer,” said Jason Harding, Director of Aftermarket Operations and the head technical expert for Track Attack 2012.  “We’re here also to ensure that they get the best performance from their vehicles at the event, and we bend over backwards to help them wring out every bit of horsepower, as well as helping them improve their vehicle’s cornering capability.”

Harding said that Katech invited a number of performance partners to participate in Track Attack 2012, including suspension and ride experts from Pfadt Race Engineering, exhaust specialists from Corsa Performance, a brake guru from Brembo and intake engineering experts from Halltech Systems.

Attendees appreciated Katech’s can-do approach to the event also.  Alexander Stemer of Chesterton, Ind., who brought a Ward Kurtis 500S to the event, said he heard about Track Attack from a friend who has a similar passion for driving:

“This company epitomizes what everybody wishes every company did, in that they really treat each of their clients here as though they are personal friends of the company,” said Alexander Stemer, a physician from northern Indiana who attended the event with a Ward Kurtis 500S.  “They don’t stop asking what they can do for you, and they don’t stop asking how they can help you – and they treat every person here like they’re a valuable person and they’re interested in you and they’d like you to come back.”

Based on the success of this year’s event, Katech’s Performance group is looking forward to sponsoring Track Attack in 2013.

]]> http://www.katechengines.com/katechs-track-attack-2012-for-performance-driving-enthusiasts/feed/ 0 http://www.katechengines.com/katech-headed-to-vir-for-the-ncm-vir-hpde/ http://www.katechengines.com/katech-headed-to-vir-for-the-ncm-vir-hpde/#comments Fri, 22 Jun 2012 15:57:28 +0000 Jason Harding http://www.katechengines.com/?p=3168 We will be at the National Corvette Museum’s Virginia International Raceway High Performance Driving Event Monday 6/25 and Tuesday 6/26 so make sure to stop by our hauler to see our products and latest vehicles or grab a refreshment. We’re bringing plenty of water and Gatorade because it will be HOT! Look for the Katech banners and Katech flag. We will have about a dozen Katech-powered cars on track. We look forward to seeing everybody there!

This high-quality, lightweight micro-mesh, 3-button polo is worn by Katech Performance team members at shows and events. It features partner logos of Mobil 1, Moton, Brembo, HRE, CORSA, RPM, ARE, Pfadt, Caravaggio and Halltech on the sleeves and Katech Performance logo on the front and back. It is available in black with orange or white with blue. Sizes S-3XL
100% polyester
MADE IN THE USA!

ORDER ONLINE!

Trans-Am TA2

 
Miller Racing and their Katech-powered Camaro’s had a strong performance this weekend; however, driver of the #12 car, Pete Halmser, withdrew from the race citing back problems from a preexsting condition. Mike Miller finished second in his #11 Katech-powered Camaro, and was able to gain some valuable points for Miller Racing. Bob Stretch, driver of the #98 Camaro stated, “As much as I enjoy winning,” said Bob, “I really missed racing against Pete. He’s such a great competitor and it would have been nice having him back there pushing me. You always want to race and win against the best, and I hope Pete’s back in the car soon. I was glad to see Pete’s teammate Mike Miller finish second and have that team enjoy a strong showing. They’re good competitors and great for the Series.”
 

Grand-Am GT Class

 
The Katech-powered #57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R driven by Robbin Liddell and John Edwards scored their fourth consecutive finish, crossing the finish line in third place in-class after starting on the pole. Jim Lutz, Chevy Racing program manager stated, “We are proud of the #57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R team and drivers John Edwards and Robin Liddell on their podium finish in GT’. Autohaus Motorsports #88 Camaro GT.R finished ninth in-class, and finished on the lead lap.
 

 

ADAC GT Masters

 

 
Driver’s quotes following the race at Sachsenring:
 
Charlie Geipel: “The Camaro does not fit naturally  on the Sachsenring. In the race on Sunday we stalled during a pit stop, the engine immediatly fired up, but we still lost around 30 seconds and several postions. We are still at an early stage of development and have managed to finish Sunday with both cars. While our rankings are certainly not outstanding, it was ok under the circumstances.”
 
Max Sandritter: “With the many curves of the Sachsenring, it was an especially difficult course for us, as the Camaro does not like tight corners. I felt good in the car, buth the competition was fierce. However, we are making good progress. In Oschersleben and Zandvoort we were still about three seconds behind the leader, here we were able to reduce the gap to 2 seconds.”

 
The next stop for Autohaus and Stevenson Motorsports  is the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio sports car course. The race will take place on June 9th and will be shown live at 4:30 PM on the Speed channel. Fresh off a podium finish for both teams in Detroit, they will be contending for valuable points in the driver, team and manufacturer standings. Currently Chevrolet holds second place in the Manufacturer championship, and the teams hope to close a six-point deficit behind Ferrari. In the team championship standings Stevenson Motorsports is in second place and Autohaus holds the fifth spot. Robin Liddell, driver of the Stevenson #57 Katech-powered Camaro holds second place in the driver’s championship.
 

Trans-Am TA2 Class

 
With a 25-race history dating back to 1967, the Trans-Am series returns to Mid-Ohio sports car course for round three of the championship in Lexington, Ohio, June 8th-10th. Miller Racing will be fielding two cars, as Mike Miller’s Katech-powered Camaro is back in the hunt and is ready to race. Pete Halmser finished in second place at the last race at Lime Rock, and also holds second place in the points standings.
 

ADAC GT Masters

 
Reiter Engineering has developed a 5th generation Camaro racecar, powered by a thundering Katech 7.9 liter engine and built to take on the exotic European competition. The combination of the chassis technology that Reiter Engineering is known for and the remarkably powerful, yet durable Katech Motorsports engine creates a menacing track warrior that is ready to take on all challengers. With it’s muscular build, a potent 7.9 liter engine and charcteristic American V8 rumble, this contender is a crowd pleaser in the ADAC GT Masters. YACO Racing will be fielding two Camaro GT’s this weekend at Saschenring; a 2.3 mile, 11-turn road course that stretches over a scenic area of Eastern Germany.
 

 
Rainy friday(teams did not have have a lot of time to get used to the track)
 

 World Challenge

The #3 Katech-powered Cadillac CTSV.R, driven by Johnny O’Connell finished 1st in both Pirelli World Challenge races this past weekend on the 14 turn, 2.1 mile temporary street circuit on Belle Isle in Detroit. A competitors’ mechanical issue at the start led to a full course caution, allowing O’Connell to move to first place. He maintained his position until the 50 minute race expired and he took the checkered flag.

 
“When you’re racing in front of your world headquarters, you want to do  well,” O’Connell said. “This was a race that was, in many aspects, won in  qualifying. We really put in one of my better laps this morning, and that  allowed us to get on the front row. When that start happened, I saw Randy Pobst out of my peripheral vision not go, I  knew that bad things were likely to happen. When I got into Turn Two, that’s  really the first time I took a look at what was around me and Lawson was the  only one there, so I realized it was probably pretty big. I’m grateful that  nobody got hurt.” Andy Pilgrim in his Katech-powered #8 Cadillac CTS-V.R was also on the podium.
 

 
Johnny also won the second WCC race on Sunday, Andy Pilgrim finished 4th. We’re excited,” O’Connell said. “This street race is the only place in the world where you’re guaranteed that your boss is watching you. You’re on the race track and you can see the RenCen [the GM Renaissance Center] in the background.” O’Connell and Pilgrim have had an awesome season so far, which is really the result of everyone at Cadillac Racing and Katech Engines doing their homework in the off-season.
 

Grand-Am

 
Autohaus Motorsports took the win home in their #88 Katech-Powered Camaro GT.R. Jordan Taylor and Paul Edwards had to drive hard and push their Camaro on the narrow course at Belle Isle. Camaro GT.R program manager Jim Lutz stated, “What a tremendous win for Autohaus Motorsports, too, with Jordan Taylor and Paul Edwards in the No. 88 Camaro GT.R.. This Belle Isle course is very tight, and Taylor and Edwards had to race their way to the front under very competitive conditions. What an impressive effort.” The No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R led a class-best 35 laps, ran a clean race and grabbed the checkered flag in the shadows of the GM headquarters.
 

 
Stevenson Motorsports was also on the GT podium, Robin Liddell and John Edwards drove an excellent race. Their Katech-powered #57 Cheverolet Camaro GT.R ran flawlessly and was at the front of the pack all day. Driver John Edwards stated,  “I really enjoyed this track. My stint was far less eventful than Robin’s, although when we caught a slower DP and I was behind the Ferrari, that was the only chance I knew I had to get by him because the Ferrari was obviously very quick. Tried to take advantage of it and kind of cut down on a corner when Guy (Cosmo) got held up. Got along side of him a couple of times, but couldn’t make it happen. Then we just watched him drive away. Fortunately we were ahead of all the people that mattered as far as the championship is concerned. So, it felt like we were in a pretty good spot. On the first pit stop, we lost a couple of spots, and Robin drove hard and made up a little bit of that. Once he got close to the No. 70 car and Jordan (Taylor), being so similar on times, it was going to be pretty hard to make a move on the tight streets.”
 

Superstars Series

The Super Stars series was at Mugello circuit this past weekend.  (Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello) is a race course in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is 5.245 km (3.259 mi), with 15 turns and a long straight. Francesco Sini started on the front row with his Katech-powered Chevrolet Lumina CR8. He pushed hard, and was able to get his maiden win in the exciting Super Stars series.

Driver Francesco Sini, can be seen here kissing the Katech Motorsports logo after it powered him to his initial victory.

Podium at Mugello

 Mike Kasatkin, Marketing Dept.

Grand-Am

Stevenson Motorsports #57: Robin Liddell, John Edwards

Autohaus Motorsports #88: Jordan Taylor, Paul Edwards

MBR #46: Michael Baughman, Jeff Nowicki

World Challenge Championship

Cadillac Racing: #3 Johnny O’Connell, #8 Andy Pilgrim

Trans Am 2

 
The iconic Trans Am Series is America’s road-racing series, dating back to its first season in 1966. This past weekend marked the inaugural race of the 2012 season for Trans Am. The race was held at the 2.549 mile, 10 turn Mosport International Speedway located on the outskirts of Toronto, Canada.  Katech Motorsports is proud to be the engine supplier for Miller Racing and the duo of their TA2 Camaro race cars. Pete Halsmer drives the # 12 Katech-powered 5th generation Camaro followed by his teammate/owner, Mike Miller in the # 11 Chevrolet Camaro.
 

 
 On lap 3, the # 65 Camaro of Tom Sheehan got side-by-side with the # 11 car of Mike Miller, the two bumped doors leaving Miller sliding  into the tire wall. Sheehan spun and stalled. Miller was uninjured but the car sustained serious damage and was forced to retire. Sheehan made an effort to continue, but retired later in the race with a broken drive shaft. By midway through the shortened race, Halsmer began pressuring Bob Stretch in his # 98 and eventually wore him down, making the pass before the race went yellow. This was Halmser’s first race marking his return to Trans Am and his first race and first win in the Trans Am 2 class. “We’re really pleased,” said Halmser. “This is the first race for both of these cars and Mike Miller’s racing operation.” The win was really just a matter who managed their tires the best,” added Pete. “I could see his (Stretch’s) tires were going off quicker than mine. I think that was always one of my strengths in Trans Am in the past.” Trans Am returns to American soil to celebrate Memorial Day in the most traditional of ways – at Lime Rock Park. In a new twist the race will be held Saturday, May 26.
 

Super Stars

 
The #12 Katech-powered Chevrolet Lumina CR8, driven by Francesco Sini raced at Donnington Park in England this past weekend. Donnigton is a 2.459 mile, 12 turn circuit that was opened in 1931 and features a long front straight, allowing drivers to achieve extremely high rates of speed. There were two races held this weekend, during the first race Sini had a bad start and had a great amount of wheel spin which allowed the AWD Audis to claim the lead. Francesco fought his way and rounded out the top ten with a 10th place finish. During the second race Sini had a strong start and battled his way to a 4th place finish.
 

 
Photography credit to Thawley

 
A Katech-powered trophy truck driven by the duo of Eric Vigouroux – Alex Winocq just won the 24 hours of Morocco. During this grueling event the team covered a record-breaking 1,973 km and pocketed 3 out of 4 stages of the race. For this feat, Katech Motorsports prepared a 7.0 liter LS1 which produced over 500 ft/lbs of tq. The engine performed flawlessly in the scorching 130 degree heat and sandy conditions.
 

 
The victory did not come easy, it was a very exhausting race, shared the driver and co-driver while taping their hands together. Vigouroux stated, “I could feel the heat! I have four reasons to feel very satisfied: First, this is our come back to the racing world after one and a half year away; second, we have shown that the Trophy Truck maintains its reliability and high performance level; third, Alex and I, we have done this race together as we were never apart; and last but not least, we started up again with a victory for both of us after the FIA World Cup in 2WD in 2010.”