2003 and 2004 World Challenge - Touring Car

In 2003, Nissan and Team R.T.R. joined forces to compete in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge series for Touring Cars. Nissan selected series veteran and six-time SCCA Pro Racing champion Peter Cunningham to drive their Nissan Sentra SE-R.

The SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship was in its fourteenth season. Speed Channel was the primary sponsor for the fifth year and provided cable coverage of the events. There were ten races in 2003.

Each race was fifty minutes in length and began with a standing start. The R.E.W.A.R.D.S. system was implemented to prevent any driver/car combination from dominating the class and ensuring tight competition. 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.

Nissan partnered with Peter Cunningham to team principal of Team RTR Cunnigham began competing in the SCCA World Challenge in 1990. In 1993 and 1994, he finished second in the Driver's Championship. But in 1995, Cunningham earned his first World Challenge Drivers' Championship with a victory at Trois-Riveres and eight top-five finishes in as many races. 1997, Cunningham repeated, earning his second World Challenge Drivers' title with four wins.

In 2001, Cunningham finished runner-up in the Speedvision GT Championship while leading the statistical charts with seven poles, seven top-five finishes, nine top-tens, and five wins, including his World Challenge record-breaking 20th win at Sebring. That same year, Cunningham was recognized as the all-time winningest North American road racer. 2002, he captured the SPEED Touring Car title while earning a runner-up finish in the GT Championship. Most of Cunningham's success had been behind the wheel of an Acura or Honda.

The Nissan Sentra SE-R race car competes in the Touring Car class. Touring Cars are limited to an engine displacement of 2.8 liters. The motors must be naturally aspirated (turbochargers and superchargers are prohibited). The Touring Cars are allowed four-piston calipers and alternative materials for the brake pads and shoes; however, 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.

The opening round of the 2003 SCCA Pro Racing Speed World Challenge Touring Car Championship was held at Sebring International Raceway. The Nissan wasn't available for Peter Cunningham, so he drove a Real Time Racing-prepared Acura Integra Type R to collect points. He qualified twentieth and finished fifteenth. The No. 1 Nissan Motorsports Nissan SE-R would debut at Mosport International Raceway. Cunningham and the Nissan proved to be quick in their first outing. He qualified sixth in the forty-two-car field. However, the clutch failed before Cunningham could complete the opening lap.

The third race of the season took place at Lime Rock Park. Cunningham delivered another excellent qualifying effort. In a grid of fifty-one entries, he was seventh fastest. Cunningham ran as high as second during the race, but he spun late in the contest and had contact with the No. 7 Chilli Pepper Racing BMW 325Ci of Ken Dobson. Cunningham would be classified with a twenty-second-place finish. The next event was the first of two that would take place at Road Atlanta this year. For the second consecutive race, the No. 1 Nissan Motorsports Nissan SE-R was gridded in the seventh position. In the race, he was passed by Pierre Kleinubing but moved ahead of Nic Jonsson and James Clay to finish sixth.

Next up was Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Cunningham was joined by Eric Curran in the No. 2 NISMO Nissan Sentra SE-R. Curran was a successful amateur racer who had made some starts in the Grand Am Cup and World Challenge Series. He qualified twenty-second, and a mechanical issue resulted in a thirtieth-place finish. Cunningham was gridded tenth for the fifty-minute contest, and some problems with the faster qualifiers allowed him to finish fifth. Round six was held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Cunningham qualified fifteenth fastest but went off track in corner three on the opening lap. He charged through the field and crossed the finish line in fifth. Curran continued to have problems. After starting sixteenth, he retired on lap 1 with damage.

Road America is Cunningham's home track. It was a perfect location for several reasons. He qualified on the pole in the No. 4 Nissan Motorsports Nissan SE-R and went flag-to-flag for the victory despite pressure from Tim Pappas. The win represented a few firsts, Cunningham's first World Challenge Touring Car victory at Road America and Nissan's first series win. It was also an emotional weekend for Real-Time Racing as less than a month ago, the team's long-time crew chief, Jerry Zimmermann, died in a traffic accident. Eric Curran had one of his best events after starting tenth and finishing eighth.

Next on the schedule was Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This was a disappointing weekend after coming off the high of Road America. Cunningham qualified fourth fastest and held the position in the race until lap 19, when he retired with a suspension failure. Curran added to his list of poor results. He started in the twentieth, but his race ended in lap 7 with a transmission problem. Just two events remained as the World Challenge Touring Car teams headed for Road Atlanta. Cunningham was seeking some redemption, and it began in qualifying when he was second fastest. In the race, he grabbed the final position of the rostrum. Curran qualified and finished tenth.

The finale was held in Puerto Rico. It was an excellent weekend for the Nissans. Curran qualified sixth fastest and collected his first podium of the year with a third-place result. Cunningham started and finished in the fourth position. Bill Auberlen secured the Sports Car Club of America Speed Touring Car Championship with two events remaining in the season, driving the Turner Motorsports-prepared BMW 325i. Cunningham finished fourth in the points chase with a record of two podiums, one of which was a victory and a single pole position. Although he missed the first two rounds of the season and many issues, Curran finished eighteenth in the final standings.

Count	Date	Venue	Driver	Car	Start	Finish
1	March 14	Sebring International Raceway	-	-	-	-
2	May 17	Mosport International Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	6	42
3	May 26	Lime Rock Park	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	7	22
4	June 29	Road Atlanta	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	7	6
5	July 27	Infineon Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	10	5
5	July 27	Infineon Raceway	Eric Curran	Nissan SE-R	22	30
6	August 10	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	15	5
6	August 10	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Eric Curran	Nissan SE-R	16	38
7	August 23	Road America	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	1	1
7	August 23	Road America	Eric Curran	Nissan SE-R	10	8
8	September 6	Mazda Raceway Laguna SecA	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	4	30
8	September 6	Mazda Raceway Laguna SecA	Eric Curran	Nissan SE-R	20	34
9	October 17	Road Atlanta	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	2	3
9	October 17	Road Atlanta	Eric Curran	Nissan SE-R	10	10
10	October 26	Puerto Rico	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	4	4
10	October 26	Puerto Rico	Eric Curran	Nissan SE-R	6	3

It was a challenging season for the Touring Car Nissan SE-R effort. However, the year ended on a high, with Curran earning a podium and Cunningham collecting a win on the way to fourth place in the Sports Car Club of America Speed Touring Car Championship standings.

In 2004, the World Challenge series entered its fifteenth season. For the sixth consecutive year, Speed Channel was the primary sponsor. As evidenced by the series' growth, the Sports Car Club of America had developed a successful format that attracted competitors and fans. There were nine-race weekends during the 2004 season, with a doubleheader event at Infineon Raceway.

For the 2004 campaign there was just one entry from Nissan and it was driven by Cunningham.

The Sports Car Club of America Speed Touring Car Championship kicked off the 2004 season at Sebring International Raceway. Peter Cunningham was driving the No. 4 NISMO / TeamRTR / Nissan / Sentra SE-R and was fourth quickest after both practice sessions. In qualifying, he found additional speed and was seventh fastest. Unfortunately, Cunningham lost third gear during the race and finished thirteenth. Following Sebring, teams headed to Road Atlanta for the inaugural Drift Atlanta weekend. The event featured two non-point races. The Real Time Racing team participated with one Acura driven by Pierre Kleinubing but did not enter the Nissan.

The next point-scoring event was held at Lime Rock Park. Cunningham was the quickest driver during both practice sessions and the only Touring Car competitor under the one-minute mark. He went faster in qualifying, and so did the other six drivers ahead of him on the starting grid. Passes on Matt Plumb, Chip Herr and James Sofronas were rewarded with a third-place finish. Round three took place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Cunningham struggled in practice and only managed the twenty-first quickest time. With the Nissan sorted for qualifying, he was third fastest. During the race, Cunningham held his position and earned the rostrum's final position.

The series traveled to the West Coast for races four, five, and six. First up was Infineon Raceway, which would host a doubleheader weekend. Cunningham qualified fifth fastest for the weekend's first contest. He passed Justin Marks, and Pierre Kleinubing had a transmission, which resulted in a third-place result for Cunningham. In the second race, he was gridded fourth; however, an oil issue ended Cunningham's day on lap five. The second event on the West Coast swing was at Portland International Raceway. The No. 4 NISMO / TeamRTR / Nissan / Sentra SE-R driver struggled in practice and qualifying. Cunningham had worked his way up to a fourth-place finish at the checkered flag.

Next, the series would make its only stop north of the border at Mosport International Raceway. Cunningham qualified on the pole, but at the standing start, James Clay made contact with Kleinubing and Cunningham. Cunningham pitted for repairs, returned to the contest and finished twenty-third. Road America was the scene of Cunningham's first World Challenge Touring Car victory at the track and Nissan's first series win. Once again, he qualified on the pole. Cunningham dropped to third place on the opening lap. By the fifth circuit, he was in second place and crossed the finish line in that position. However, Cunningham was awarded the victory when Kleinubing's car failed the post-race technical inspection.

The penultimate round of the 2004 Sports Car Club of America Speed Touring Car Championship was held at Road Atlanta. Cunningham collected his third consecutive Touring Car pole. He lost the race lead to Bill Auberlen but retook the position on the third lap. He would lose it to Pierre Kleinubing on the ninth circuit. Eight laps later, Cunningham pitted but returned to the contest to finish twenty-second. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosted the finale. During the qualifying session, Cunningham recorded the third fastest time. He was in second on lap 2 of the race; however, on the thirteenth circuit, he hit the tires in turn six. Cunningham worked his way back to the front and finished second.

With the checkered flag at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Nissan SE-R program ended. Peter Cunningham received the Air Force Reserve Pole Award year-end bonus of $5,000 for recording the year's most SPEED Touring Car poles. He and Bill Auberlen tied with three poles each. The tiebreaker had to go all the way down to the most seventh-place starts, of which Cunningham had two to Auberlen's none. With his three poles and one victory, Cunningham finished fifth in the final standings.

Count	Date	Venue	Driver	Car	Start	Finish
1	March 19	Sebring International Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	7	13
2	May 31	Lime Rock Park	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	7	3
3	June 26	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	3	3
4	July 17	Infineon Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	5	3
5	July 18	Infineon Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	4	24
6	July 24	Portland International Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	11	4
7	August 8	Mosport International Raceway	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	1	23
7	August 8	Mosport International Raceway	Nick Majors	Nissan SE-R	30	DNS
8	August 22	Road America	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	1	1
9	September 24	Road Atlanta	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	1	22
10	October 17	Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca	Peter Cunningham	Nissan SE-R	3	2

Cunningham returned to the Sports Car Club of America Speed Touring Car Championship for the 2005 season. However, this year, he competed in a Real Time Racing prepared Acura TSX and won the opening round at Sebring International Raceway. He would capture the 2005 Touring Car championship.