1999 Mosport International Raceway - World Challenge Touring

In 1999, the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) World Challenge Championship was in its tenth season. An agreement was signed that saw the Speedvision television cable network become the primary series sponsor. As a result, the series was renamed the Speedvision World Challenge Championship.

Race weekends included two standing start races (limited to fifty-minutes) – one for the Grand Touring class and another for the Touring Cars.

Grand Touring (GT) – The GT class rules accommodate an extensive range of vehicles from different manufacturers. There is no limit to the engine displacement in this category and cars may use a forced induction system. To stop the cars, alternative materials may be utilized for the brake pads and shoes. Rules also allow the use of four-piston calipers, but rotors are limited to 14-inches in diameter. The maximum diameter of the wheels is 18-inches and any changes to the bodywork must be approved.

Touring Car (TC) – The Touring Cars are limited to an engine displacement of 2.8-liters. T he motors must be naturally aspirated (turbochargers or superchargers are not permitted). The Touring Cars are also allowed four-piston calipers and alternative materials for the brake pads and shoes, but the maximum rotor diameter is 12-inches. Wheels in this group are limited to 17-inches. Cars can be fitted with a spec rear wing and approved aftermarket bodywork.

To prevent any driver/car combination from dominating the class and ensuring tight competition, the R.E.W.A.R.D.S. System was implemented. Introduced in 1995, R.E.W.A.R.D.S. is the acronym for ‘Rewarding of Equalizing Weight Assigned to Reduce Driver Sensitivity.' This weight equalization rule adds or removes ballast from a car based on the finishing position of a driver.

There were nine-race weekends during the 1999 season.

Mosport International Raceway
Lime Rock Park
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Road Atlanta
Circuit Trois-Rivières
Grand Rapids street circuit
Vancouver street circuit
Pikes Peak International Raceway
Laguna Seca Raceway

Round one of the 1999 Speedvision World Challenge series was held at Mosport International Raceway. Twenty-six Touring Car drivers participated in the twenty-eight lap race around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.

The start of round one for the 1999 Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car division. Leading the field of twenty-six drivers into Mosport International Raceway’s corner one is the pole-sitter, Pierre Kleinubing, driving the No. 42 Realtime Racing prepared Acura Integra Type R. Behind Kleinubing are four other Type R piloted Michael Galati, Taz Harvey, Kristian Skavnes and Hugh Plumb.

Last year’s World Challenge Touring 2 champion, Michael Galati, left Realtime Racing to form his own team. At Mosport International Raceway, he drove the No. 19 Acura Integra Type R and qualified second fastest. Galati followed the pole-sitter, Pierre Kleinubing, for the first nineteen laps of the race. After a caution period ended, he saw an opportunity to pass Kleinubing and proceeded to go unchallenged for the win.

Realtime Racing teammates Hugh Plumb and Pierre Kleinubing ran ‘nose to tail’ for much of the race. Kleinubing qualified on the pole and led until he was passed by Michael Galati. While running second, Kleinubing battled with Taz Harvey. There was contact between the two, which allowed Plumb, who started fifth, to move past the pair and finish second. Kleinubing would cross the finish line in third.

World Challenge Touring Car rookie Bill Bielharz entered round one at Mosport International Raceway driving the No. 83 Paladin Development Company sponsored Mazda 626. During the qualifying session, Bielharz recorded the sixth fastest time. The retirement of the fourth-fastest qualifier, Kristian Skavnes, and Taz Harvey’s incident during the race allowed Bielharz to finish in the fourth position.

Another rookie in this year’s Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car category was Alfred DuPont. DuPont piloted the No. 51 European Racing Technologies prepared BMW 328i. He started the twenty-eight lap contest in the eighth position. DuPont was the beneficiary of the caution-filled race and advanced three spots to capture a fifth-place result.

In the off-season, Dublin/Tracy Honda acquired the DC Sports Acura Integra Type R campaigned last year by Lance Stewart and Brad Creger. At Mosport International Raceway, the No. 8 Integra was driven by Taz Harvey, who raced a Honda Prelude in 1998. Harvey qualified third fastest. On the lap-19 restart, he challenged Pierre Kleinubing for second place. The two made contact with Harvey coming out as the loser.

The second DC Sports Acura Integra Type R was driven by successful SCCA National racer Kristian Skavnes. Skavnes was gridded behind his teammate, Taz Harvey, in the No. 88 Integra. Unfortunately, his race only lasted three laps and he was classified as finishing last. The only ‘bright spot’ was that Skavnes recorded the fastest race lap.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	2	Michael Galati	Acura Integra Type R	28	-
2	5	Hugh Plumb	Acura Integra Type R	28	-
3	1	Pierre Kleinubing	Acura Integra Type R	28	-
4	6	Bill Beilharz	Mazda 626	28	-
5	8	Alfred Dupont	BMW 328is	28	-
6	13	Jason Potter	Honda Accord	28	-
7	11	Kevin Schrantz	Acura Integra Type R	28	-
8	10	Stephane Trahan	VW Golf VR6	28	-
9	19	Chris Reinke	Ford Contour SVT	28	-
10	18	Brian Wade	BMW 328is	28	-
11	17	Alain Chebeir	BMW 328is	28	-
12	15	Mike Richards	Mercedes-Benz 190E	28	-
13	22	Gary Davis	BMW 328is	28	-
14	23	Rick Ellinger	Mercedes-Benz 190E	28	-
15	25	Jeff Tarr	BMW 328is	28	-
16	24	Fred Meyer	Acura Integra Type R	28	-
17	20	Ken Payson	Mazda Miata	27	-
18	9	Fred Pignataro	Ford Contour SVT	23	Mechanical
19	21	Joel Solly	Honda Accord	23	-
20	3	Taz Harvey	Acura Integra Type R	22	-
21	16	Mark Reed	Oldsmobile Achieva	19	Mechanical
22	14	Steve Lisa	Mazda 626	12	Mechanical
23	26	David Rosemblum	BMW 328is	12	Accident
24	12	Joe Nonnamaker	Mazda MX-6	11	Accident
25	7	Kurt Buchwald	BMW 328is	11	Accident
26	4	Kristian Skavnes	Acura Integra Type R	3	Mechanical
-	28	Grant Lockwood	Honda Prelude	-	Did Not Start
-	27	Paul Gargiulo	BMW 328ci	-	Did Not Start
-	29	Will Turner	BMW 328is	-	Did Not Start

Copyright Notice:

All content (photographs and text) appearing on this website are the exclusive property of © www.zoompics.com and are protected under International copyright laws. The subject matter on this website may not be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated.