The World Challenge series was divided into two separate classes – World Challenge GT and World Challenge Touring. The series featured production based cars modified for racing. The races for both classes were 50-minutes in length.

In 2000, World Challenge series organizers decided to make a number of changes to the series in an effort to attract car enthusiasts and to copy the success of European Touring Car series:

  • Aligning with trends in the automotive aftermarket competitors were allowed to use larger wheels and tires (up to 18-inches in GT and up to 17-inches in Touring), spec rear wings and more aerodynamic bodywork.

  • Also introduced for 2000 was standing starts.

    The series also boasted larger purses and a great television package as the result of sponsorship from Speedvision. All these factors attracted bigger fields - at some events as many as 80-cars were entered for the two classes.

    The Touring Car Championship was dubbed 'The Official Racing Series of the Sports Compact Revolution.' It featured the Acura Integra Type R, Audi A4, BMW 328, Ford Focus and Contour, Honda Accord, Civic Si and Prelude Si, Mazda Protege and 626, Mercury Cougar, Mercedes-Benz 230, Nissan 240 SX, Pontiac Sunfire, Saturn SC, Toyota Celica GT and Volkswagen GTI and Jetta.

    • The seven-week break between the opener at Charlotte and Mosport allowed competitors that missed the first event to complete their cars. The grid increased from thirty-five entries at Charlotte to forty-one at Mosport. After qualifying the front row was the same as Charlotte – Pierre Kleinubing was on the pole with his teammate, Hugh Plumb beside him. At the start, the two entered turn one first and second.
    TC Kline Racing did not have their BMW 328ci’s completed for the opening round at Charlotte but by Mosport, there were cars for Neil Sapp, Mike Fitzgerald and Shauna Marinus. Sapp qualified the No. 2 car in fourth and moved up to second by lap-7 which is where he would finish.
    Taz Harvey started fifth in his Acura Integra Type R. Harvey found himself in the thick of the battle for third the entire race and captured the final position on the podium. His efforts netted him the Borla Performance Award for the best drive of the race.
    Ken Dobson had to be the big surprise of the weekend. Dobson, driving the only Pontiac in the field, moved his Sunfire GT from the very last position on the starting grid, thirty-ninth, to an eighth place finish. In the process, he set the fastest lap of the race.
    It was another great race weekend for Pierre Kleinubing as he began the season two-for-two. Kleinubing started from the pole and never looked back during the 50-minute - 28-lap race. The RealTime Acura Integra Type R was 8.251-seconds clear of second place Neil Sapp at the checkered flag.
    Drew Hagestad, son of legendary Porsche racer Bob Hagestad, drove this Volkswagen Jetta. The car appeared at round one in Charlotte with the senior Hagestad behind the wheel, unfortunately, the car retired after 19-laps with mechanical problems. At Mosport, the car fared better as Drew started twenty-fifth and finished eighteenth.
    With the TC Kline BMWs completed for Mosport, Mike Fitzgerald and his teammates had their regular rides for the season. Fitzgerald endured a weekend of brake problems but still managed to qualify third. The issues persisted through the race and he retired after a spin on lap-19.
    It was another good qualifying effort for Hugh Plumb. He started second and held the position until he was passed by Neil Sapp on lap-7. Unfortunately, his race ended on lap-21 with mechanical issues.
    Will Turner driving a BMW 328is started ninth and finished fourth. Combined with his fourth place at the season opener at Charlotte he left Mosport second in the Touring Car point standings. But he also left Mosport with a three-race probation for contact with Hugh Plumb.

    FINISHSTARTDRIVERCARLAPSRETIREMENTS
    11Pierre KleinubingAcura Type R28-
    24Neal SappBMW 328ci28-
    35Taz HarveyAcura Type R28-
    49Will TurnerBMW 328is28-
    58Alfred DupontBMW 328is28-
    610Kevin SchrantzAcura Type R28-
    77Steve PfefferBMW 328is28-
    839Ken DobsonPontiac Sunfire28-
    96Don SalamaBMW 328is28-
    1014Shauna MarinusBMW 328ci28-
    1116Peter SchwartzottAcura Type R28-
    1215Jason PotterHonda Accord28-
    1311Bob NagelAcura Type R28-
    1438Paul AldermanBMW 328is28-
    1520Mark ReedAcura Type R28-
    1617Ed SchairbaumNissan 240SX27Mechanical
    1723Walter Markes JrBMW 328is27-
    1821Terry McCarthyBMW 328is27-
    1924Raymond GenaoBMW 328is27-
    2040Grant LockwoodHonda Prelude27-
    2127Graeme PepplerVW Golf VR627-
    2234John SherkHonda Civic Si27-
    2333Jacques BelangerHonda Civic Si27-
    2426Peter AckroydBMW 328is26Mechanical
    2518Drew HagestadVW Jetta26-
    2635Tony SalloumBMW 328ci26-
    2731Hugh StewartVW Jetta GLX26-
    2830Tom BakerBMW 328is26-
    2936Fred MeyerAcura Type R26-
    3029Michael SturmHonda Prelude24-
    3132Rick EllingerMercedes-Benz 190E24-
    3222Leo CapaldiMercury Cougar22Mechanical
    332Hugh PlumbAcura Type R21Mechanical
    343Mike FitzgeraldBMW 328ci19Mechanical
    3513Steve LisaMazda 62616Mechanical
    3625Fred PignataroBMW 328is14Suspension
    3728Stephane TrahanVW Jetta GLX9Mechanical
    3812James SofronasBMW 328is2Mechanical
    3919David RosemblumMazda 6261Mechanical
    DNS37Mark CrellinNissan 200SR0-
    DNS41David SchardtToyota Celica0-

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