There were ten race weekends during the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season. The schedule kicked off in January at Daytona International Speedway, which was followed by a second event in Florida at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In April, the series would visit Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama and then move on to Virginia International Raceway. Round five would be conducted at Lime Rock Park on Memorial Day weekend. At Lime Rock, the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes competed separately. The teams traveled Watkins Glen International in June. After this event, race weekends took place at the Road America and, the series on west coast swing, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The penultimate round was conducted in late July at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The finale was held on September 16-17 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The cars in the series are relatively unchanged from their road-going counterparts – modifications are mandated mainly for safety – roll cages, window nets, etc. They also used spec DOT-approved tires produced by Continental. Based on performance potential, the cars were divided into one of two groups:

  • Grand Sport (GS): The quicker of the two classes - the group features the larger displacement engines as well as smaller four-cylinder motors with forced induction systems. The power-plants produce between 350 and 405-horsepower. Minimum weights range between 2,900 – 3,300-pounds, which is dependent on the motor configuration and displacement. This class includes cars such as the BMW M3, Ford Mustang Boss 302 R, Chevrolet Camaro GS.R, Porsche 997 and Porsche Cayman.

  • Street Tuner (ST): The smaller displacement cars compete in this class in which engines typically produce between 170 and 240-horsepower. Popular vehicles found in this group are the Volkswagen GTI, Acura TSX, Mazda Speed 3, Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si, BMW 328i, Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Mini Cooper S.

Round six of the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season was held at Watkins Glen International. The two-hour, thirty-minute Continental Tire 150 at The Glen started Friday evening at 6:00 pm.

The start for round six of the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Watkins Glen International. Leading the field of sixty-one starters into the first turn is the pole-sitter, Joe Foster driving the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302 R. On the outside of Foster is the Mitchum Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GS.R of the second-fastest qualifier, Joey Atterbury.
Roush Performance’s, Billy Johnson and Jack Roush, Jr. failed to score points in the opening round at Daytona. But after that disappointment, they were on a roll. In the next four events, their worst finish was a third place. At Watkins Glen International, Roush qualified and started in the fourth position. While in the lead, Johnson was able to hold off a late-race challenge from John Edwards to give the pair the win.
The fastest driver in the Street Tuner qualifying session was Chris Gleason, Jr. in the No. 171 APR Motorsport Volkswagen GTI. Unfortunately, Gleason, along with two of the other top qualifiers, failed the technical inspection and would have to start at the rear of the field. A well-executed race strategy moved Gleason and his co-driver, brother, Kevin into the lead, allowing them to capture a victory.
Two other drivers that didn’t get their season off to a good start were John Edwards and Matt Bell. In the opening round at Daytona, they finished twenty-eighth. At Watkins Glen, Bell qualified the No. 9 Stephenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GS.R sixth fastest and remained in contention during his stint. Edwards drove the final leg but could not catch the leader, Billy Johnson, and finished second by a margin of 1.576-seconds.
Making it a one-two finish in Street Tuner category for APR Motorsport were Nathan Norenberg and Josh Hurley. Hurly and Norenberg shared the No. 161 Volkswagen GTI. Like their teammates, the Gleason brothers, the car failed the post-qualifying technical inspection and they started thirty-third in class. The pair were able to weave their way through the field and finished sixteenth overall and second in Street Tuner.
The overall and Grand Sport podium for round six of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Watkins Glen International. In the center and capturing their second victory of 2011 are Billy Johnson and Jack Roush, Jr. On the right side of the rostrum are the second-place finishers, Matt Bell and John Edwards. The final position on the podium is occupied by Mark Boden and Terry Borcheller.
Thirty-four Street Tuner competitors charge into Watkins Glen International’s turn one for round six of the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Leading the field are the front row starters. The pole-sitter, Jeff Westphal in the No. 18 Insight Racing BMW 328i, is challenged by the i-Moto Mazda Speed 3 driven by Taylor Hacquard. Immediately behind them is the Mazda Speed 3 of Brad Rampelberg.
At Watkins Glen International, sportscar veteran, Terry Borcheller and Fall-Line Motorsports team principal, Mark Boden, co-drove the No. 46 BMW M3. They shared the car for the first time in round four at Virginia International Raceway, where they finished third in Grand Sport. In a repeat performance, Boden qualified twelfth fastest and Borcheller brought the BMW home in third place.
Freedom Autosport had a fleet of four Mazdas (2 – MX-5 and 2 – Speed 3) at Watkins Glen International. Sharing the No 25 MX-5 were Derek Whitis and Tom Long. Heading into round six, they were third in the Street Tuner title chase. Whitis started the Continental Tire 150 at The Glen eighth in class and the pair finished third. They retained their position in the championship standings but closed in on Ryan Eversley and Nic Jonsson.
Starting on the overall and Grand Sport pole for the third time this season was Joe Foster. Foster was also the fastest qualifier at Barber Motorsport Park and Lime Rock Park. He and his driving partner, Scott Maxwell, entered round six second in standings. After his stint in the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302 R, Forster handed the car over to Maxwell, who finished fourth and reduced the points gap.
Jeff Westphal driving the No. 18 Capital / Alpha Group sponsored BMW 328i inherited the class pole position at Watkins Glen International when the top three Street Tuner entries failed the post-qualifying technical inspection. Sharing the BMW with Westphal was Nico Rondet. Unable to maintain the pace of the class leaders, they would finish twenty-first overall and seventh in their category.
The Street Tuner podium for the Continental Tire 150 at The Glen. In the center from APR Motorsport are the winners and brothers, Kevin and Chris Gleason. Standing on the right side and giving APR a one-two finish are the runner-ups, Nathan Norenberg and Josh Hurley. Completing the rostrum are Freedom Autosport’s, Tom Long and Derek Whitis.

FINISHCLASSDRIVERTEAM / CARLAPS
1GSJohnson / RoushRoush Performance / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R59
2GSEdwards / BellSevenson Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R59
3GSBoden / BorchellerFall-Line Motorsports / BMW M359
4GSMaxwell / FosterMultimatic Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R59
5GSRivera / DyerCKS Autosport / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R59
6GSAtterbury / AschenbachMitchum Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R59
7GSMartin / WeinbergRacers Edge Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R59
8GSStout / BucknumMitchum Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R59
9GSDalla Lana / AuberlenTurner Motorsport / BMW M359
10GSCosmo / MassariBGB Motorsports / Porsche Cayman59
11GSSellers / BufordKinetic Motorsports / BMW M359
12GSKent / FalguerasRoush Performance / Ford Mustang Boss 302 r59
13GSClay / ThomasBimmerWorld / BMW M359
14GSPhillips / AdamsRace with RP / Ford Mustang59
15STGleason / GleasonAPR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI59
16STHurley / NorenbergAPR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI59
17STLong / WhitisFreedom Autosport / Mazda MX-559
18STO'Doski / CarbonellFreedom Autosport / Mazda MX-559
19STCarroll / EversleyCompass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si60
20STBrown / PiscitellRACE EPIC / Murillo Racing / BMW 328i56
21STWestphal / RondetInsight Racing / BMW 328i59
22STMason / PecorariV-Pack Motorsport / BMW 330i59
23STCattaneo / TrinklerRSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S59
24STLiefooghe / Capestro-DubetsBimmerWorld / BMW 328i59
25STTallman / KozarovCA Sport / Honda Civic Si59
26STGalati / JonssonKinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup59
27STMirzayan / SarianRSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S59
28STBurrows / HopwoodKinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup59
29STRiley / RileyRiley Racing / Mazda RX-859
30STRogers / KuitwaardCompass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si59
31STFerguson / HamblinDeMan Motorsport / Porsche Boxster59
32STCombs / MosingRACE EPIC / Murillo Racing / BMW 328i59
33STConway / CarpentierDoran Racing / BMW 128i59
34STPicut / WatsonNext Generation Motorsports / BMW 330i59
35STWhite / HeumannBimmerWorld / BMW 328i59
36STKleinubing / Hacquardi-Moto / Mazda Speed 359
37STBocchino / Herri-Moto / Mazda Speed 359
38GSEspenlaub / PutmanFall-Line Motorsports / BMW M358
39GSWilden / MichaelianBimmerWorld / BMW M358
40GSClick / McGovernJim Click Racing / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R58
41STGiovanis / DeweyTGM / BMW 328i58
42STCostello / GrahovecMarren Motor Sports / Honda Civic Si58
43GSSpaude / HeinrichSubaru Road Racing Team / Subaru WRX-STI57
44STLutz / ThileniusCompass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si57
45GSPanzer / SnyderFrederick Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT56
46GSPlumb / LonghiRum Bum Racing / BMW M353
47STBell / ZachariasDoran Racing / BMW 128i49
48STPombo / Pomboi-Moto / Mazda Speed 349
49GSEcklin, Jr. / WaddellAutomatic Racing / BMW M345
50GSBuffomante / GimpleCapaldi Racing Inc. / Ford Mustang43
51GSMarsal / HandTurner Motorsport / BMW M341
52STBarnett / IgdalskyFreedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 341
53STFoss / RampelbergFreedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 335
54STBaas / EllisAPR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI29
55STFarmer / HartRSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S28
56STGilsinger / SchmittHART / Honda Civic Si25
57GSFinlay / CameronFinlay Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R21
58GSMcCalmont / CurranCKS Autosport / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R15
59GSPlumb / CarterFall-Line Motorsports / BMW M311
60GSJames / NastasiBlackforest Motorsports / Dodge Challenger9
61STNovich / TheetgeCompass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si6

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