2000 Mosport - World Challenge GT

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 organisers 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.

A seven-week break between Charlotte and Mosport provided many teams with the additional preparation time needed for their first appearance in 2000. At Mosport, there were thirty-six entries, thirty-three starters and twenty-three finishers.

The start of round two for the Sports Car Club of America’s World Challenge GT class and the cars funnel into Mosport’s corner one. Pole-sitter Peter Cunningham jumps into the lead but the silver Audis of Michael Galati (third fastest qualifier) and Derek Bell (eighth place starter) demonstrate the car’s four-wheel drive advantage.

Matt Drendel in the No. 54 Ferrari 355 spins at corner ten as Rael passes for position in his Lotus Esprit Turbo. While Drendel may have been disappointed to lose the place the outcome was not as serious the accident he had with David Schardt at Charlotte. Rael finished eighteenth and Drendel nineteenth.

Peter Cunningham qualified his RealTime BMW M3 on the pole. He led the first lap but by the second was passed by eventual race winner Bobby Archer in a Dodge Viper GTS. Cunningham set the fastest lap of the race but dropped to the fifth position at the checkered flag.

By round two Champion Racing had a second Audi S4 for Michael Galati the 1999 Touring Champion. The Audi was built by touring car specialist Richard Lloyd of Audi Sport UK. The Champion Audis were powered by a European S4 turbocharged, 5-valve, V-6 engine and fitted with a specially designed suspension. At Mosport Galati started third and finished second.

Round two and the front row of the World Challenge GT Championship at Mosport. One the pole was Peter Cunningham in a BMW M3. Next to Cunningham is Bobby Archer, who would grab the lead on lap two and never look back - winning by a margin of 1.650-seconds. This was redemption for Archer, who lost an engine in the opening round at Charlotte and finished thirtieth.

Round one winner, at Charlotte, Bill Cooper in the Pirate Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5 qualified ninth in the thirty-three car field. Cooper moved up the order to finish sixth – he left Mosport still leading the championship.

This beautiful Chevrolet Corvette C5 was built by Doug Rippie and driven by Scotty B. White. White qualified thirteen and made it into the top-ten - finishing eighth.

BMW M3 driver Jeff McMillin was the most consistent driver in the 2000 World Challenge GT class. At Mosport, he moved from tenth on the grid to a fourth place finish. In round one at Charlotte, he started twenty-third and finished eighth. During the 2000 season, McMillin never finished worse than ninth. This record allowed him to capture the series championship without a single win.

Veteran sports car racer Derek Bell had the most impressive resume of any driver in the field - winning the Le Mans 24 hours five-times, the Daytona 24 three-times and the World Sportscar Championship twice. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, Tecno, Surtees and McLaren. At Mosport Bell started eighth and finished seventh.

Reese Cox started the season in fine form - taking a second place at Lowes Motor Speedway. The driver of the MTI Chevrolet Corvette C5 qualified fourteenth at Mosport but he was the third retirement of the race - completing only 4-laps.

Number 94 driven by David Schardt gets his Porsche GT3 Cup sideways at Moss corner as No. 17 Adam Merzon in a similar model avoids him. Schardt would fare much better in round two of the series - qualifying sixth and finishing a close third. At Charlotte, he was involved in a late-race incident. Merzon finished fourteenth after starting twenty-third.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	2	Bobby Archer	Dodge Viper GTS	27	-
2	3	Michael Galati	Audi S4	27	-
3	6	David Schardt	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup	27	-
4	10	Jeff McMillin	BMW M3	27	-
5	1	Peter Cunningham	BMW M3	27	-
6	9	Bill Cooper	Chevrolet Corvette C5	27	-
7	8	Derek Bell	Audi S4	27	-
8	13	Scotty B. White	Chevrolet Corvette C5	27	-
9	18	Jimmy Adams	Dodge Viper GTS	27	-
10	19	Justin Jackson	Porsche 911 RSR	27	-
11	17	Jorge Trejos	Saleen Mustang SR	27	-
12	11	Phil McClure	Chevrolet Corvette C5	27	-
13	16	Scott Bove	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup	27	-
14	23	Adam Merzon	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup	27	-
15	20	Phil Lasco	Dodge Viper GTS	27	-
16	21	Daniel Eastman	Porsche 911 RSR	27	-
17	35	Walter Swick	BMW M3	27	-
18	31	Rael	Lotus Esprit Turbo	27	-
19	7	Matt Drendel	Ferrari F355 Challenge	27	-
20	29	David Shep	Chevrolet Corvette	27	-
21	15	Paul Brown	Saleen Mustang SR	26	-
22	27	Peter Kitchack	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup	23	-
23	28	Michael Giglio	Mustang Cobra	21	-
24	32	Dick Greiser	BMW M3	18	Mechanical
25	5	Frank Allers	Chevrolet Corvette C5	13	Suspension
26	24	Thomas Safar II	Saleen Mustang	13	Mechanical
27	4	John Heinricy	Chevrolet Corvette C5	8	Mechanical
28	22	Bob Taylor	Chevrolet Corvette C5	6	Accident
29	30	Walter Dethier	Saleen Mustang Cobra	5	Mechanical
30	12	Boris Said	Steeda Mustang	5	-
31	14	Reese Cox	Chevrolet Corvette C5	4	Mechanical
32	26	Terry Lackey	Chevrolet Corvette C5	3	Mechanical
33	25	Anthony DeMonte	Ford Mustang	2	Accident
34	33	Jim Oppenheimer	Porsche 911 RSR	0	DNS
35	34	Dennis Petersen	Chevrolet Corvette C5	0	DNS
36	36	Dan Kellermeyer	Chevrolet Corvette C5	0	DNS

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.