2010 Daytona International Speedway - Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

Last season was the final year of the Grand-Am Road Racing’s contract with KONI. In 2010, Grand-Am partnered with Continental Tire. The series was renamed the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Obviously, this new arrangement also meant that after ten-years, teams would no longer be competing on Hoosier spec DOT-approved tires.

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, Porsche 997 and Porsche Carrera.
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 RX-8, Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si, BMW 328i, Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Mini Cooper S.

The 2010 season consisted of ten race weekends and started 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. This would be the first of two race weekends where the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes competed separately. The teams traveled Watkins Glen International in June and after this event, race weekends took place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and New Jersey Motorsports Park. In August, teams made the trip to Canada, where the action would take place on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. This would be the penultimate round and was the second weekend that the two classes had their own race. The finale was held at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park.

The 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season kicked off at Daytona International Speedway. The event titled, the ‘Fresh from Florida 200’, was a support race for the 48th Rolex at Daytona weekend. Teams would compete on the twelve-turn 3.56-mile roval for three-hours.

Forty Grand Sport competitors receive the green flag for round one of the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. On the pole is Andy Pilgrim in the Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3. On the outside of Pilgrim is the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302 R driven by Joe Foster. In row two are the Ford Mustang GTs of Rehagen Racing and Roush Performance.

Sharing the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3 were Matt Plumb and Gian Bacardi. Barcardi, who was in his first professional race, qualified the BMW in the nineteenth spot. When he stopped for the driver change, he was in second place. Plumb moved back up the race order and pitted during a late caution for two tires. With fresh rubber, he was able to chase down and pass Terry Borcheller and Charles Espenlaub for the win.

Lawson Aschenbach earned his second consecutive Street Tuner victory at Daytona. He shared the win with David Thilenius, who previously competed with Bill Fenton Motorsports. Thilenius qualified the No. 74 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si second fastest in Street Tuner. He was in contention when he handed the car over to Aschenbach. Aschenbach led the final seventeen laps for the victory.

Since 2003 BimmerWorld had competed in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge series, but in 2010, they joined the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship. The two-car effort included a BMW 328i for Seth Thomas and Bill Heumann. And, the second entry was shared by team principal, James Clay and David White. In their Continental debut, Thomas and Heumann finished second in Street Tuner.

In the off-season, series regulars, Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman left Automatic Racing and joined Fall-Line Motorsports. Putman qualified the No. 48 BMW M3 in the sixth position. After the final round of pit-stops, Espanlaub made his way to the front and was in the lead by the fifty-fourth circuit. With three laps to go, he was unable to hold off Matt Plumb and finished second by a margin of 0.107-seconds.

The Grand Sport podium for round one of the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Championship. In the center are the winners from Rum Bum Racing, Matt Plumb and Gian Bacardi. The was Plumb’s fifth series victory, but the first for Bacardi. Standing on the left side of the rostrum are the runner-ups, Charlie Putman and Charles Espenlaub. The final spot on the podium is occupied by Spencer Pumpelly and Steve Miller.

The Riley Racing Mazda RX-8 was gridded forty-sixth overall and fifth in the Street Tuner category for the start of the Fresh from Florida 200. Co-driving the Mazda was Jameson and AJ Riley. Jameson led laps-12 to 23 and was in first place on the forty-sixth-circuit when he lost the top spot to the eventual winner, Lawson Aschenbach. The duo would fall out of contention and finish twenty-first in class.

The Street Tuner competitors receive the green flag for the Fresh from Florida 200 at Daytona. Leading the field of thirty-six starters is the pole-winning Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 of Derek Whitis and Tom Long. Beside the Mazda is the second-fastest qualifier, David Thilenius, in the No. 74 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si. In the second row are entries from BimmerWorld and Irish Mike’s Racing.

Freedom Autosport entered four Mazdas in round one of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge event at Daytona International Speedway. Leading the way was the No. 25 MX-5 shared by Derek Whitis and Tom Long. During the Street Tuner qualifying session, Whitis was the fastest driver and would start forty-second. Early in the contest, Whitis led four-laps, but the duo would finish seventeenth in class.

Another driver competing in his first Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge event and finishing on the podium was Steve Miller. Miller shared the No. 41 The Racer’s Group prepared Porsche 997 with the series veteran, Spencer Pumpelly. Miller qualified the Coco Logistics sponsored Porsche in the thirteenth position. Pumpelly drove the final stint and maneuvered his way to the front and finished in third place.

Co-driving the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3 were Andy Pilgrim and the team owner, Mark Boden. Pilgrim put the BMW on the pole and led the first twenty-nine-laps of the Fresh from Florida 200 before pitting. He stopped in the wrong stall and was penalized. The pair fell down the race order and Boden was unable to make up the deficit. At the end of the contest, they were classified in the eleventh position.

The No. 26 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 was piloted by Andrew Carbonell and Rhett O’Doski. The MX-5 was gridded sixtieth overall for the start of the event and nineteenth in the Street Tuner category. The pair moved to the front of the class and were in third place at the checkered flag. However, they lost five-points when it was discovered that the car was underweight during the post-race technical inspection.

The Street Tuner podium for Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series. In the center are the winners, Lawson Aschenbach and David Thilenius. Standing on the right are the runner-ups, Seth Thomas and Bill Heumann. Their BMW was severely damaged during the test days earlier in the month but rebuilt in time for the Fresh from Florida 200. Completing the rostrum are Andrew Carbonell and Rhett O’Doski.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	GS	Plumb / Bacardi	Rum Bum Racing / BMW M3	66
2	GS	Espenlaub / Putman	Fall-Line Motorsports / BMW M3	66
3	GS	Miller / Pumpelly	The Racer's Group / Porsche 997	66
4	GS	Gue / Seafuse	JBS Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT	66
5	GS	Bucknum / Bell	Sevenson Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	66
6	GS	Borcheller / Hendricks	Fall-Line Motorsports / BMW M3	66
7	GS	Winchester / Mason	Rehagen Racing / Ford Mustang GT	66
8	GS	Plumb / Carter	Sevenson Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	66
9	GS	Caddell / Wilden	Rehagen Racing / Ford Mustang GT	66
10	GS	Musser / Orr	Momentum Race Group / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	66
11	GS	Boden / Pilgrim	Fall-Line Motorsports / BMW M3	66
12	GS	Ende / Carroll	BGB Motorsports / Porsche Cayman	66
13	GS	Marsal / Hand	Turner Motorsport / BMW M3	65
14	GS	Ellis / Wellon	Ranger Sports Racing / Porsche 997	65
15	GS	Spaude / Aquilante	Subaru Road Racing Team / Subaru WRX-STI	65
16	GS	Ackley / Di Pippo	CMA Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT	65
17	GS	Panzer / Snyder	CMA Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT	65
18	GS	Heath / Potter	Euro Motorworks Racing / Porsche 997	65
19	GS	Baas / White	APR Motorsport / Audi S4	64
20	GS	Findlay / Michaelin	Rehagen Racing / Ford Mustang GT	64
21	GS	Prusinski / Hall	Kinetic Motorsports / BMW M3	64
22	GS	Cosmo / Tetreault	BGB Motorsports / Porsche Carrera	64
23	GS	Abello / Armengol	Ranger Sports Racing / Porsche 997	64
24	ST	Aschenbach / Thilenius	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	63
25	ST	Thomas / Heumann	BimmerWorld / BMW 328i	63
26	ST	Carbonell / O'Doski	Freedom Autosport / Mazda MX-5	63
27	ST	Benoit Theetge	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	63
28	ST	Lutz / Everley	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	63
29	ST	Gilsinger / Schmitt	HART / Honda Civic Si	63
30	ST	Leroux / Leroux	LRT Racing / Honda Civic Si	63
31	ST	Dayton / Battle	RRT Racing / BMW 328	63
32	ST	Straus / Schultz	V-Pack Motorsport / BMW 330i	63
33	ST	Kleinubing / Hacquard	Freedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 3	63
34	ST	Pobst / Novich	Irish Mikes Racing / Volkswagen Jetta	63
35	ST	Schroeder / Smith	Maxwell Paper Racing / Porsche Boxster	63
36	ST	Nonnamaker / Sahlen	Team Sahlen / Mazda Speed 3	63
37	ST	Tallman / Becker	CA Sport / Honda Civic Si	63
38	ST	Stadlander / Hurley	APR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI	63
39	ST	Halpin / Sweeney	APR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI	63
40	ST	Long / Whitis	Freedom Autosport / Mazda MX-5	63
41	GS	Sellers / Willsey	Kinetic Motorsports / BMW M3	62
42	ST	Harding / Milarcik	Pirate Motorsports / Mazda RX-8	62
43	GS	James / Nastasi	Blackforest Motorsports / Dodge Challenger	62
44	ST	Burrows / Hopwood	Kinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup	62
45	ST	Lira / Hart	Irish Mikes Racing / Volkswagen Jetta	62
46	ST	Riley / Riley	Riley Racing / Mazda RX-8	61
47	ST	Dempsey / Edwards	Freedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 3	61
48	ST	Buras / Wilson / Corthell	Irish Mikes Racing / Volkswagen Jetta	61
49	GS	Jeannette / Montecalvo	Multimatic Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	59
50	GS	Empringham / Buford	Racers Edge Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	59
51	ST	Conway / Collyer	Next Generation Motorsports / BMW 330	59
52	ST	Lepper / Schmidt	GS Motorsports / Chevrolet Cobalt SS	57
53	GS	Kozarov / Ortiz	CA Sport / Ford Mustang	55
54	GS	Attenbury / Cates	TC Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro	54
55	ST	Cattaneo / Mirzayan	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	53
56	GS	Maxwell / Foster	Multimatic Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	52
57	GS	Edwards / Anthony, Jr.	TC Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro	51
58	ST	Clay / White	BimmerWorld / BMW 328i	50
59	ST	Liefooghe / Combs	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	50
60	GS	Jenkins / Stanton	BGB Motorsports / Porsche Cayman	49
61	GS	Hillestead / Waddell	Automatic Racing / BMW M3	48
62	ST	Brown / Olson	Next Generation Motorsports / BMW 330	40
63	GS	McGovern / Click	Jim Click Racing / Ford Mustang GT	39
64	GS	Gutierrez / Llano	Racers Edge Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT	38
65	GS	Longhi / Masessa	Rehagen Racing / Ford Mustang GT	27
66	GS	Johnson / Roush	Roush Performance / Ford Mustang GT	26
67	ST	Smalley / Trinkler	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	25
68	ST	Lally / Jonsson	Kinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup	25
69	ST	Prey / Sigal	Prey Racing / Porsche Boxster	24
70	ST	Holtom / Danyliw	GS Motorsports / Chevrolet Cobalt SS	21
71	ST	Lamb / Bocchino	i-Moto / Mazda RX-8	17
72	ST	Mosing / Saini	Team MER / Mazda RX-8	12
73	GS	Dalla Lana / Auberlen	Turner Motorsport / BMW M3	11
74	GS	Altenburg / Nowicki	Momentum Race Group / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	6
75	ST	Giovanis / Kennedy	Next Generation Motorsports / BMW 330	1
76	GS	DiLeo / Foss	Maxwell Paper Racing / Porsche 997	0

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