2002 Sebring International Raceway - World Challenge Touring

In 2002, the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) World Challenge Championship was in its thirteenth season. For the fourth year Speed Channel was the primary sponsor – (in the off-season the Speedvision channel was renamed Speed). SCCA had developed a successful format that attracted competitors and fans.

Race weekends included two standing start fifty-minute races – 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 vehicles 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. The series uses a spec tire and competitors race on Toyo Proxes RA-1s.
Touring Car (TC) – The Touring Cars are limited to an engine displacement of 2.8-liters. The 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. This category also uses a spec tire from Toyo – the Proxes T1-S.

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 eleven-race weekends during the 2002 season. The opening round was in March at Sebring International Raceway followed by back to back race weekends in May at Mosport Park and Lime Rock. The teams would take a break until the end of June when they would travel to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The series then moves to Road America followed by the inaugural National Grand Prix at Washington, D.C. After these weekends the championship returns to Canada with a stop at Trois-Rivieres and a second visit to Mosport – just for the Touring Car category. The teams will head west in September and compete at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The penultimate rounds will take place at Road Atlanta and the series finale will be held at a new venue, Virginia International Raceway.

Round one of the 2002 Speed World Challenge Series was held at Sebring International Raceway as a support event for the 12-Hours of Sebring. Forty-five Touring Car drivers would compete in a fifty-minute race around the seventeen-turn 3.74-mile road course.

Forty-five Speed World Challenge Touring Car competitors head for Sebring International Raceway’s very quick turn one. Leading the way is the pole-sitter, Pierre Kleinubing in the No. 1 Acura Integra Type R. Tucked in behind Kleinubing is the BMW of seventh place starter, Ken Dobson. Also jumping to the front is the Mazda of fourth fastest qualifier, Charles Espenlaub and Kevin Schrantz in a Volkswagen Jetta.

The reigning Speed TV Touring Car Champion and defending race winner, Pierre Kleinubing started the season with a similar performance to last year. RealTime’s new Acura RSX wasn’t ready but that seemed to be of little consequence as Kleinubing not only qualified on the pole with last year’s Type R but set a new lap record. In the race, he lost the lead to the BMW of Ken Dobson but took the position back on the last lap for the win.

In 2001, Ken Dobson made an impressive series debut at Mosport when he started thirty-ninth and finished eighth – recording the fastest lap in the process. This season, Dobson drove the No. 7 BMW 325Ci. He made steady progress in the practice sessions and in qualifying was seventh quickest. After the race’s second restart, Dobson moved into first place but lost the lead to Pierre Kleinubing on the final lap – settling for second place.

RealTime team principal, Peter Cunningham was pulling double duty this weekend, competing in both the TC and GT divisions. Like Kleinubing, he drove an Acura Integra Type R as the new RSX was not ready. Cunningham was third quickest in the qualifying session. By the middle of the contest, he had fallen to fourth place but on the penultimate lap, Cunningham caught and passed Kevin Schrantz for the final spot on the podium.

Kevin Schrantz topped the timesheet in the second practice session driving the Metro Volkswagen sponsored Volkswagen Jetta. In qualifying, Schrantz could not match the speed of Pierre Kleinubing and started on the outside of the front row. On the race’s second restart, he and Ken Dobson passed the race leader, Pierre Kleinubing. Schrantz’s second place was short lived and on lap-16, he lost third place to Peter Cunningham.

In 2001, Mike Fitzgerald drove a RealTime Racing prepared Acura Integra Type R. In the offseason, Fitzgerald joined Team FBR/Trans Sport in a new Lexus IS300. Despite being the first weekend for the Lexus, it proved to be quite successful. Fitzgerald was sixth quickest in the opening practice session but he fell to eleventh in qualifying. During the race, Fitzgerald made steady progress and was fifth at the checkered flag.

Turner Motorsport entered BMW 325is for team owner, Will Turner, Frank Selldorf and Bobby Sak. Sak, a former Spec Racer competitor, joined the team in 2002 and drove the No. 93 BMW. Unfortunately, he failed to record any time in practice and qualifying. Starting last on the forty-five car grid, Sak moved through the field and by the end on the contest he was in twelfth position.

Another driver, having a challenging open weekend was Shauna Marinus. After the two practice sessions, Marinus was sixteenth quickest in a field of fifty entries. Issues with TriPoint Mazda Protege ES prevented her from recording a time in qualifying. On the opening lap of the race, Marinus gained twenty-four positions which earned her the B&M Holeshot award. Unfortunately, she retired after just two laps.

The Speed World Challenge Touring Car podium for round one at Sebring International Raceway. In the center of the podium is the race winner and defending series champion, Pierre Kleinubing. To Kleinubing’s left is the runner-up from Dobson Motorsport, Ken Dobson. Completing the rostrum is Kleinubing’s teammate and RealTime Racing’s team principal, Peter Cunningham.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	1	Pierre Kleinubing	Acura Integra Type R	17	-
2	7	Ken Dobson	BMW 325Ci	17	-
3	3	Peter Cunningham	Acura Integra Type R	17	-
4	2	Kevin Schrantz	VW Jetta	17	-
5	11	Mike Fitzgerald	Lexus IS300	17	-
6	5	Mark Kirberg	BMW 325is	17	-
7	10	Chuck Hemmingson	Mazda Protege	17	-
8	8	Taz Harvey	Honda Civic Si	17	-
9	18	Will Turner	BMW 325i	17	-
10	6	Steve Pfeffer	BMW 325is	17	-
11	20	Rick Gilhart	BMW 325Ci	17	-
12	45	Bobby Sak	BMW 325i	17	-
13	4	Charles Espenlaub	Mazda Protege	17	-
14	16	Leo Capaidi	Mercury Cougar	17	-
15	24	Frank Selldorff	BMW 325i	17	-
16	9	Paul Bonaccorsi	Mazda Protege	17	-
17	17	Mark Mitchell	Honda Civic Si	17	-
18	23	Rudy Vajdak	Honda Prelude	17	-
19	14	Sean Murphy	Acura Integra Type R	17	-
20	13	Neal Sapp	BMW 325is	17	-
21	31	John Prall	BMW 328i	17	-
22	41	Phil Parlato	BMW 328i	17	-
23	38	Gary Davis	BMW 328is	17	-
24	35	Matthew Sklarz	BMW 328is	17	-
25	12	Bobby Carter	BMW 328is	17	-
26	26	Albert Mirko	Mazda 626	17	-
27	39	Raan Rodriguez	BMW 325i	17	-
28	40	Nick Woodhouse	BMW 325i	17	-
29	27	John Bosch	BMW 328i	17	-
30	42	Fred Meyer	Acura Integra Type R	17	-
31	15	Roger Foo	Mazda Protege	16	-
32	33	Hugh Stewart	VW Jetta	16	-
33	30	Jim Osborn	BMW 325Ci	15	-
34	47	Kyle Chura	Ford SVT Focus	12	-
35	32	Mark Hein	Acura Integra Type R	8	-
36	29	Mike Buzzetti	Acura Integra Type R	8	-
37	19	Chris Gleason	BMW 325i	8	-
38	22	Scott Bradley	Mazda Protege	6	Mechanical
39	21	Kevin German	Mazda 626	2	Mechanical
40	25	Andrew Monterrubio	Acura Integra Type R	2	Contact
41	44	Shauna Marinus	Mazda Protege	2	Mechanical
42	36	Grant Lockwood	Honda Prelude	1	Mechanical
43	43	Nick Vitucci	Acura Integra Type R	1	Mechanical
44	37	Terry McCarthy	BMW 328is	1	Mechanical
45	34	Robert Baxter	Mazda Protege	1	Mechanical
46	28	Robert Stretch	BMW 325	0	Did Not Start
47	46	Paul Gargiulo	BMW 325	0	Did Not Start
48	48	Kird Azemar	BMW 325	0	Did Not Start

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