2014 Toronto - World Challenge GT

The 2014 World Challenge season was the twenty-fifth consecutive year for the series. There were eleven race weekends – the series kicked-off in March at St. Petersburg, Florida and ended at Miller Motorsports Park in September.

Two new classes were introduced in 2014 – GTA and TCA. There were now three categories for Grand Touring and Touring Car divisions:

Grand Touring (GT) – This is the series quickest group. Examples of vehicles racing in this class include: Porsche 911 GT3 R, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, McLaren 12C GT3, Cadillac CTS-V R, Lamborghini Gallardo FL2, Audi R8 and Ferrari 458 GT3.
Grand Touring Sportsman (GTA) – This class includes the same vehicles as Grand Touring. However, the drivers are not considered professionals. Competitors in this category are evaluated after each event and based on their performance, may be elevated to the Grand Touring group.
Grand Touring Sport (GTS) – The cars in this category are similar to the Grand Touring vehicles, but have more preparation restrictions. This class includes the Ford Mustang Boss 302, Chevrolet Camaro, Aston Martin GT4 and Porsche Cayman S.
Touring Car (TC) – This division is for smaller sedans and sports cars, which are permitted some performance modifications. Examples of vehicles competing in this category include: Honda Accord, Kia Forte, Mazda MX-5 and Porsche Boxster.
Touring Car A (TCA) – Many of the makes and models eligible for this category are the same as those found in the Touring Car division. What sets them apart are the minimum amount of modifications that can be made – most changes are to improve the safety of the vehicles.
Touring Car B (TCB) - The slowest of all the World Challenge categories is based on the Sports Car Club of America’s B-Spec class. Examples of vehicles competing in this group include: Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, Mazda 2 and Mini Cooper.

During the 2014 season, the Grand Touring cars would compete in sixteen fifty-minute races. The Touring Car division had fourteen forty-minute events. Results from these races would determine the Driver and Manufacturer Champions in the six classes.

Rounds nine and ten of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge series for Grand Touring, Grand Touring A and Grand Touring Sport competitors was held at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Drivers raced in two fifty-minute events around the eleven-turn 1.755-mile temporary street circuit.

Kuno Wittmer, driving the No. 92 Dodge Viper SRT GT3.R, qualified second for the weekend’s first event. During the race, he chased Nick Tandy and held off Johnny O’Connell for a runner-up result. On Sunday, Wittmer started second but was in the lead before the end of the first lap. He was challenged by Tandy, but contact between the two caused Tandy to spin, while Wittmer was able to continue. He collected the victory by 1.260-seconds.

Grand Touring Sport competitor, Dean Martin qualified seventh in class for round nine. Martin moved to first place on the opening lap, which earned him the Best Standing Start, Clean Pass of the Race and Hard Charger awards. Despite pressure from Lawson Aschenbach, the driver of the No. 50 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302S held on for his third victory of the year. On Sunday, Martin finished sixth.

Nick Tandy made his Pirelli World Challenge debut in Toronto, driving the No. 31 EFFORT Racing Porsche GT3R. Tandy put the Porsche on the pole and was able to control round nine - winning by a margin of 0.508-seconds. On Sunday, he started third and was in second place by lap-7. Tandy fought with the race leader, Kuno Wittmer, but contact between the two resulted in a spin for Tandy and a fifteenth-place finish.

A technical infraction following the post-qualifying technical inspection sent the Grand Touring Sport pole-sitter, Mark Wilkins, to the back of the grid for the start of Saturday’s contest. In a spectacular drive, the local competitor finished fourth. During round nine, Wilkins set the fastest race lap in his class and started on the pole. He would lead flag-to-flag in the No. 38 Kia Optima for his second victory of the season.

The Grand Touring podium for round nine of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge series in Toronto. In the center is the winner, Nick Tandy. This was the Porsche works driver’s World Challenge debut. On the left side is the runner-up, Kuno Wittmer, who made his first series start of the season. Completing the rostrum is the third-place finisher, Mike Skeen. Skeen was fined $1,000 and ten-points for passing under a yellow.

Anthony Lazzaro joined the R. Ferri Motorsports team in the No. 61 Ferrari 458 GT3. Lazzaro’s best result was a victory in round three at Barber Motorsports Park. He qualified third for the Saturday’s contest in Toronto but finished fifth after contact with Robert Thorne. Lazzaro started the finale in the fifth spot and passed Mike Skeen on lap-16 for third place. He inherited a runner-up result when Nick Tandy spun.

The defending Grand Touring Sport champion, Lawson Aschenbach, opened the season with a victory at St. Petersburg. In qualifying for the weekend’s first race at Toronto, Aschenbach was sixth in class. He moved the No. 1 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro to the front of the field and finished second to Dean Martin by a margin of 0.750-seconds. In the finale, Aschenbach started sixth in class and finished fifth.

The driver of the No. 2 Hawk Performance sponsored Audi R8 Ultra, Mike Skeen, won the previous event at Road America. In round nine at Toronto, Skeen qualified fourth fastest and challenged the Cadillac of Johnny O’Connell for third place, but finished fourth. During the contest, Skeen recorded the quickest race lap and started on the pole Sunday. Unable to hold off Kuno Wittmer and Anthony Lazzaro, he finished third.

Winning the round nine Grand Touring A category was Brazilian Marcelo Hahn. Hahn also had victories at Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit and Road America. He started race one in Toronto sixteenth and finished tenth, but secured the class win when Albert von Thurn und Taxis crashed. On Sunday, the driver of the No. 0 Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 finished thirteenth overall and fourth in class.

The 2014 round ten Pirelli World Challenge podium for the Grand Touring Sport competitors. Standing in the center for the second time this year is the winner, Mark Wilkins. On the left of the rostrum is the runner-up, Alec Udell. Udell finished 0.039-seconds behind Wilkins, which eclipsed the previous margin of 0.326-seconds, set by Paul Brown over Peter Cunningham at Mid-Ohio in 2011. In third-place is Jack Roush, Jr.

The No. 17 Watson Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302S was driven by Alec Udell. To date Udell’s best finish was a fifth-place at Road America, Detroit, Barber Motorsports Park and Long Beach. He began the weekend in Toronto by qualifying ninth in Grand Touring Sport and added another fifth to his total. On Sunday, Udell started second in class and chased the eventual winner, Mark Wilkins, to finish in the runner-up spot.

The reigning Grand Touring champion, Johnny O’Connell, notched up three victories by the time the series reached Toronto. The driver of the No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R qualified fifth for Saturday’s contest, but moved into third-place early and held the spot to the finish. O’Connell’s fast time left him gridded eighth for the finale. He was unable to improve on the position and finished where he started.

It was a good weekend for Grand Touring Sport competitor, Jack Roush, Jr. Roush’s season already included a pair of runner-up finishes in the No. 60 Ford Mustang Boss 302R. He qualified fifth fastest in class for round nine. Roush had to fend off a hard-charging Mark Wilkins to finish third. His fastest lap on Saturday gave him the third starting position for the finale. He would earn his second third-place finish of the event.

Grand Touring A competitor, Michael Mills, drove the No. 41 EFFORT Racing Porsche GT3R. Mills was victorious in round two at Long Beach. In race one at Toronto, he qualified fourteenth. During the contest Mills, was a beneficiary of Albert von Thurn und Taxis accident and passed Henrik Hedman to finish second in class. Mills led the category flag-to-flag the following day and won by a margin of 5.230-seconds.

The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge series round ten podium for the Grand Touring A category. In the center is the winner from EFFORT Racing, Michael Mills. This was Mills’ second victory of the season. Standing on the left is the runner-up, Dan Knox. Knox claimed his only win to date at Detroit’s Belle Isle. The final position on the rostrum belongs to the third-place finisher, Henrik Hedman.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	GT	Nick Tandy	Porsche GT3R	30	-
2	GT	Kuno Wittmer	Dodge Viper SRT GT3.R	30	-
3	GT	Johnny O'Connell	Cadillac CTS-V.R	30	-
4	GT	Mike Skeen	Audi R8 Ultra	30	-
5	GT	Anthony Lazzaro	Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia	30	-
6	GT	Andy Pilgrim	Cadillac CTS-V.R	30	-
7	GT	James Sofronas	Audi R8 Ultra	30	-
8	GT	Nick Mancuso	Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia	30	-
9	GT	Andrew Palmer	Audi R8 Ultra	30	-
10	GTA	Marcelo Hahn	Lamborghini Gallardo FL2	30	-
11	GTA	Michael Mills	Porsche GT3R	30	-
12	GTA	Henrik Hedman	Ferrari 458 GT3	30	-
13	GTA	Bret Curtis	Audi R8 Ultra	30	-
14	GTA	Bill Ziegler	Audi R8 Ultra	29	-
15	GT	Robert Thorne	McLaren 12C GT3	29	-
16	GTA	Walt Bowlin	Audi R8 Ultra	28	-
17	GTA	Dan Knox	Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R	26	-
18	GTA	Albert von Thurn und Taxis	Lamborghini Gallardo FL2	19	Accident
19	GT	Butch Leitzinger	Bentley Continental GT3	19	Accident
20	GT	Tim Pappas	Mercedes AMG SLS GT3	11	Mechanical
21	GTA	Brent Holden	Audi R8 Ultra	0	Accident
22	GT	Fred Roberts	Dodge Viper Coupe	0	Accident
1	GTS	Dean Martin	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	29	-
2	GTS	Lawson Aschenbach	Chevrolet Camaro	29	-
3	GTS	Jack Roush Jr.	Ford Mustang Boss 302R	29	-
4	GTS	Mark Wilkins	Kia Optima	29	-
5	GTS	Alec Udell	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	29	-
6	GTS	Mitch Landry	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	29	-
7	GTS	Tony Gaples	Chevrolet Camaro	29	-
8	GTS	Ric Bushey	Nissan 370Z	29	-
9	GTS	Buzz McCall	Porsche Cayman S	29	-
10	GTS	Chris Outzen	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	27	-
11	GTS	Jorge De La Torre	Aston Martin GT4	26	-
12	GTS	Jack Baldwin	Porsche Cayman S	22	Mechanical
13	GTS	Geoff Reeves	Chevrolet Camaro	11	Mechanical
14	GTS	Nick Esayian	Aston Martin GT4	2	Mechanical
15	GTS	Nic Jonsson	Kia Optima	0	Accident
16	GTS	Drew Regitz	Aston Martin GT4	0	Accident
17	GTS	Andy Lee	Chevrolet Camaro	0	Accident
18	GTS	Brad Adams	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	0	Accident
19	GTS	Ray Mason	Subaru WRX-STi	0	Accident

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	GT	Kuno Wittmer	Dodge Viper SRT GT3.R	29	-
2	GT	Anthony Lazzaro	Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia	29	-
3	GT	Mike Skeen	Audi R8 Ultra	29	-
4	GT	Robert Thorne	McLaren 12C GT3	29	-
5	GT	Andy Pilgrim	Cadillac CTS-V.R	29	-
6	GT	Andrew Palmer	Audi R8 Ultra	29	-
7	GT	James Sofronas	Audi R8 Ultra	29	-
8	GT	Johnny O'Connell	Cadillac CTS-V.R	29	-
9	GT	Butch Leitzinger	Bentley Continental GT3	29	-
10	GTA	Michael Mills	Porsche GT3R	29	-
11	GTA	Dan Knox	Dodge Viper SRT GT3.R	29	-
12	GTA	Henrik Hedman	Ferrari 458 GT3	29	-
13	GTA	Marcelo Hahn	Lamborghini Gallardo FL2	29	-
14	GTA	Bill Ziegler	Audi R8 Ultra	29	-
15	GT	Nick Tandy	Porsche GT3R	22	-
16	GT	Nick Mancuso	Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia	22	-
17	GTA	Bret Curtis	Audi R8 Ultra	11	-
18	GTA	Walt Bowlin	Audi R8 Ultra	11	-
19	GTA	Brent Holden	Audi R8 Ultra	2	-
-	GTA	Albert von Thurn und Taxis	Lamborghini Gallardo FL2	0	Did Not Start
-	GT	Tim Pappas	Mercedes AMG SLS GT3	0	Did Not Start
-	GT	Fred Roberts	Dodge Viper Coupe	0	Did Not Start
1	GTS	Mark Wilkins	Kia Optima	28	-
2	GTS	Alec Udell	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	28	-
3	GTS	Jack Roush Jr.	Ford Mustang Boss 302R	28	-
4	GTS	Jack Baldwin	Porsche Cayman S	28	-
5	GTS	Lawson Aschenbach	Chevrolet Camaro	28	-
6	GTS	Dean Martin	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	27	-
7	GTS	Mitch Landry	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	27	-
8	GTS	Drew Regitz	Aston Martin GT4	27	-
9	GTS	Tony Gaples	Chevrolet Camaro	27	-
10	GTS	Ric Bushey	Nissan 370Z	27	-
11	GTS	Nick Esayian	Aston Martin GT4	27	-
12	GTS	Nic Jonsson	Kia Optima	27	-
13	GTS	Andy Lee	Chevrolet Camaro	27	-
14	GTS	Brad Adams	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	27	-
15	GTS	Jorge De La Torre	Aston Martin GT4	27	-
16	GTS	Buzz McCall	Porsche Cayman S	26	-
17	GTS	Ray Mason	Subaru WRX-STi	26	-
18	GTS	Geoff Reeves	Chevrolet Camaro	26	-
19	GTS	Chris Outzen	Ford Mustang Boss 302S	25	-

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