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The inaugural Women’s Global GT Series (WGGTS) was held on April 18, 1999, at Road Atlanta.
The championship was the first professional women’s auto racing series in North America.
The series ran its course and ended with the 2000 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In 2001, the Panoz Racing Series replaced the WGGTS, which allowed both genders to participate.
In 2002, there were two racing schedules, the GT and GT Pro series. Depending on an individual’s interests and skill level, it was possible to compete in either or both series. The 2002 Panoz GT Pro / GTS Pro Race Series was an official support race for the American Le Mans Series. The Pro division participates at three events – Sebring, Mosport and Road Atlanta. The Pro GT class cars are "spec" vehicles fielded by the Panoz Motor Sports Group. All are equally-prepared Panoz Esperantes. The Pro GTS category is for privately entered cars. They are also built by Panoz Auto Development. The Pro GTS and Pro GT cars race together at three Panoz Racing Series events but are scored separately. The competitors drive the Panoz Esperante sports cars. The race version of the Esperante, the Panoz GT-RA, is a tube-frame chassis powered by a Ford DOHC 4.6-liter engine, which produces 320-horsepower. Fitted to the motor is a five-speed Tremec T-45 transmission. Stopping the 2,680-pound cars are four-piston AP calipers with 13-inch vented rotors on the front and 12-inch on the rear. Round two of the 2002 Panoz GT Pro / GTS Pro Race Series was held at Mosport International Raceway as a support event for the American Le Mans Series. Drivers would compete on the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course for twenty-nine laps.
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Eleven Panoz GT Pro / GTS Pro competitors prepare to enter the final corner at Mosport International Raceway in anticipation of the Starter’s flag. On the pole is the No. 1 GTS Pro class Panoz of Eddie Mady. Beside Mady is the fastest qualifier in the GT Pro category, Gavin Riches. Row two is occupied by a pair of drivers competing in the GT Pro division – the No. 19 Panoz of David Thorndyke and Audrey Zavodsky driving No. 9. |
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Eddie Mady entered round two second in the GTS Pro standings. The first race of the championship was won by South African Johan Fourie, with Mady finishing second by a margin of 22.943-seconds. However, Fourie was not entered in the Mosport event, which allowed Mady to gain additional points and lead the title chase. Driving the No. 1 GTS Pro category, he went flag-to-flag for the victory. |
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After round two, the new points leader in the GT Pro division was Audrey Zavodsky. Zavodsky finished second to Gavin Riches in the opening round at Sebring International Raceway. Riches qualified on the class pole at Mosport International Raceway, but he retired on lap-22. Zavodsky, driving the No. 9 GT Pro Panoz, with backing from Visteon, passed local driver David Thorndyke and grabbed the category victory. |
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Finishing fourth overall and third in the GT Pro category at Mosport International Raceway was Brad Nyberg. Nyberg opened the season at Sebring with an eighteenth place finish and ninth in his class. At round two, he qualified sixth overall in the No. 22 BCN sponsored Panoz GT. Nyberg benefitted from Gavin Riches’ retirement and Jim Osborn’s failure to start the contest in capturing the final position on the podium. |
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The No. 99 NST GTS Pro Panoz was piloted by Joe Graziano. After a fourth-place finish at Sebring International Raceway, Graziano entered round two fourth in the GTS Pro standings. At Mosport International Raceway, he was gridded tenth overall and second in class for the twenty-nine lap contest. Graziano finished a distant second to the class winner Eddie Mady but moved into the runner-up position in the points chase. |
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| POS. | START | CLASS | DRIVER | ENTRANT/CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | GTS | Eddie Mady | Panoz Auto Development / Panoz GTS | 29 | - |
| 2 | 4 | GT | Audrey Zavodsky | Visteon / Panoz GT | 29 | - |
| 3 | 3 | GT | David Thorndyke | Thorsons EVT / Panoz GT | 29 | - |
| 4 | 6 | GT | Brad Nyberg | BCN / Panoz GT | 29 | - |
| 5 | 7 | GT | Rick Skelton | Panoz Racing Series / Panoz GT | 29 | - |
| 6 | 8 | GT | Dave Colledge | Panoz Racing Series / Panoz GT | 29 | - |
| 7 | 9 | GT | Randy Wars | Panoz Racing Series / Panoz GT | 29 | - |
| 8 | 10 | GTS | Joe Graziano | NST Racing / Panoz GTS | 29 | - |
| 9 | 11 | GTS | Wes Ramsdale | Worst Offender / Panoz GTS | 29 | - |
| 10 | 12 | GTS | Bob Frost | Frost Racing / Panoz GTS | 28 | - |
| 11 | 2 | GT | Gavin Riches | Panoz Racing Series / Panoz GT | 22 | - |
| - | 5 | GT | Jim Osborn | Panoz Racing Series / Panoz GT | - | Did Not Start |
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