2015 Saint Petersburg - World Challenge

2015 was the twenty-sixth consecutive year for the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Pirelli World Challenge series. There were twelve race weekends – at some of these events, the series shared the venue with IndyCar and the United Sportscar Championship. On the other weekends the World Challenge championship served as the feature event.

For the first time, the season opened in early March at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The second event of the season, in support of the IndyCar series, was at Saint Petersburg - in previous years St. Pete marked the start of the championship. Following Saint Petersburg were races at Long Beach, Barber Motorsports Park, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Miller Motorsport Park, Sonoma Raceway and the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

In 2015, the series introduced two new classes – Grand Touring Sportsman (GTA) and GT Cup (GTC). Drivers and teams were now vying for titles in seven categories.

Grand Touring (GT) – This is the series quickest class and is predominantly cars that would compete in the FIA GT3 category. Examples of vehicles racing in this group include: Acura TLX-GT, Aston Martin Vantage V12, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Nissan GT-R GT3, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, McLaren 650S GT3, Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3, Bentley Continental GT3, BMW Z4 GT3, Audi R8 LMS, Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2 and Ferrari 458 Italia GT3.

Grand Touring Sportsman (GTA) – This class includes the same vehicles as GT. 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 GT class.

GT Cup (GTC) – This is a spec class for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.

Grand Touring Sport (GTS) – The cars in this group are similar to the GT vehicles but have additional preparation restrictions. This class is mainly comprised of Ford (Mustang Boss 302), Chevrolet (Camaro Z28) and Porsche (Cayman) products. In 2015, the GTS category witnessed an influx of new manufacturers: Maserati Gran Turismo, Lotus Evora GT4 and Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

Touring Car (TC) – This class is for smaller sedans and sports cars which are allowed some performance modifications. Examples of vehicles competing in this group include: Honda Accord, Mazda MX-5, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Jetta and Nissan 370Z. Touring Car A (TCA) – Many of the cars competing in this class are the same as those found in Touring Car. What sets them apart is 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 TCB include: Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Mazda 2 and Mini Cooper.

At the 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg, Grand Touring Sport drivers would compete in two fifty-minute races (Rounds 3 & 4 of the 2015 season) around the fourteen-turn 1.80-mile temporary street course.

Twenty Grand Touring Sport competitors sit on the grid before the start of round three. On the pole is four-time Pirelli World Challenge winner, Dean Martin in the No. 50 Rehagen Racing prepared Ford Mustang Boss 302. On the outside of the front row is sports car racing veteran, Spencer Pumpelly competing in the iTrackzone.com Ford Mustang Boss 302.

Qualifying on the pole for the weekend’s first event was Dean Martin driving a Ford Mustang Boss 302. Martin got a great start when the lights turned green and led the field into corner one. Late in the race, it appeared that he would be challenged by Kurt Rezzetano but Martin was able to hold on for the victory. He also turned the fastest gave lap which gave him the pole for round four. Passes by Spencer Pumpelly, Andrew Aquilante and Rezzetano left Martin fourth in the finale.

Sharing the front row in race one was Spencer Pumpelly driving a Ford Mustang Boss 302. At the start, Pumpelly was overtaken by the third fastest qualifier, Kurt Rezzetano. Pumpelly maintained his position and was third at the checkered flag. Based on his fastest lap in the first race he started fourth in Saturday’s event. Martin and Rezzetano went wide in turn four on the first lap and Pumpelly slipped past. He held onto first and won by 3.0-seconds.

Kurt Rezzetano, racing a Phoenix American Motorsports prepared Ford Mustang Boss 302 qualified sixth for race one but jumped into second before turn one. He charged late in the contest but finished 0.686-seconds behind the winner, Dean Martin. Starting second on Saturday, Rezzetano had a terrific battle with Andrew Aquilante and Spencer Pumpelly – he was in third place at the checkered flag.

Andrew Aquilante recorded a time in qualifying that put him in the fourth position on the grid. Unlike his teammate, Kurt Rezzetano, Aquilante made a poor start and spent the remainder of the race trying to catch up. He had moved into fourth place when he retired on lap-19 with a mechanical issue. With repairs made, Aquilante started third the following day. After some close racing with Spencer Pumpelly and Rezzetano he finished second.

Driving the No. 38 Put On The Brakes.Org Kia Optima was Canadian Mark Wilkins. Wilkins was gridded in the third position for round three. He lost a spot on the first lap and had a spirited battle with his teammate, Ben Clucas. As the contest progressed, he was passed by Jack Baldwin, Kris Wilson and Michael Cooper and finished eighth. Wilkins started seventh on Saturday but was overtaken by the Chevrolet Camaro of Cooper and finished eighth.

Grand Touring Sport point’s leader, Kris Wilson failed to set a time in qualifying and started nineteenth in the twenty car field. Wilson gained fourteen positions during Friday’s race and won the VP Racing Fuel Hard Charger Award. Wilson’s time in Friday’s contest gave him the fifth starting spot for Saturday’s event. He finished seventh driving the Royal Purple sponsored Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

Michael Cooper drove the No. 10 Camaro and won the season’s second race at Circuit of the Americas. At Saint Petersburg, the Z28s appeared to be no match for the competition. Cooper produced the best results for the Chevrolet teams – a seventh place finish in the weekend first race and a fifth the following day. He also won Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award for gaining six positions during the standing start in round four.

The round three Pirelli World Challenge Grand Touring Sport podium. In the center, is the victor, Dean Martin. This was World Challenge career win number five for Martin – all his victories were on temporary street courses. To his right, is sixth place starter and runner-up, Kurt Rezzetano. Completing a sweep of the podium for the Ford Mustang Boss 302 is Spencer Pumpelly.

FINISH	START	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	1	GTS	Dean Martin	Picture Cars East Ford Mustang Boss 302	36
2	6	GTS	Kurt Rezzetano	Calvert Dynamics/Phoenix Perf/Ford Mustang Boss 302	36
3	2	GTS	Spencer Pumpelly	iTrackzone.com Ford Mustang Boss 302	36
4	9	GTS	Jack Baldwin	RESET-MD Porsche Cayman	36
5	19	GTS	Kris Wilson	Orion/Royal Purple Aston Martin Vantage GT4	36
6	5	GTS	Ben Clucas	DonorsChoose.org Kia Optima	36
7	7	GTS	Michael Cooper	Blackdog Speed Shop/Chevrolet Z28	36
8	3	GTS	Mark Wilkins	PutOnTheBrakes.Org KIA Optima	36
9	8	GTS	Jack Roush Jr	ROUSH Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302	36
10	11	GTS	Lou Gigliotti	LG Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4	36
11	10	GTS	Dan Martinson	Gear Tie/Nite Ize Ford Mustang Boss 302	36
12	13	GTS	Nick Esayian	TravelCln/Derma 3/SpecOpsWarr Ford Mustang Boss 302	36
13	12	GTS	Derek DeBoer	BlackRiderRacing/LexTempus/BRM Aston Martin Vantage GT4	36
14	14	GTS	Tony Gaples	Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro Z28	36
15	18	GTS	Mark Klenin	SchompAuto/InvisGlass/PremCpr Aston Martin Vantage GT4	36
16	16	GTS	Buz McCall	RESET-MD Porsche Cayman	35
17	20	GTS	Andy Lee	Chevrolet Camaro Z28	35
18	15	GTS	Geoff Reeves	Shadow Works Chevrolet Camaro Z28	35
19	17	GTS	Preston Calvert	Calvert Dynamics/PhoenixPerf Ford Mustang Boss 302	35
20	4	GTS	Andrew Aquilante	Calvert Dynamics/PhoenixPerf Ford Mustang Boss 302	24

FINISH	START	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	2	GTS	Spencer Pumpelly	iTrackzone.com Ford Mustang Boss 302	33
2	4	GTS	Andrew Aquilante	Calvert Dynamics/Phoenix Perf Ford Mustang Boss 302	33
3	6	GTS	Kurt Rezzetano	Calvert Dynamics/PhoenixPerf/Ford Mustang Boss 302	33
4	1	GTS	Dean Martin	Picture Cars East Ford Mustang Boss 302	33
5	7	GTS	Michael Cooper	Blackdog Speed Shop/Chevrolet Camaro Z28	33
6	5	GTS	Ben Clucas	DonorsChoose.org Kia Optima	33
7	19	GTS	Kris Wilson	Orion/RoyalPurple Aston Martin Vantage GT4	33
8	3	GTS	Mark Wilkins	PutOnTheBrakes.Org KIA Optima	33
9	9	GTS	Jack Baldwin	RESET-MD Porsche Cayman	33
10	8	GTS	Jack Roush Jr	ROUSH Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302	33
11	12	GTS	Derek DeBoer	BlackRiderRacing/LexTempus/BRM Aston Martin Vantage GT4	33
12	20	GTS	Andy Lee	Chevrolet Camaro Z28	33
13	16	GTS	Buz McCall	RESET-MD Porsche Cayman	32
14	17	GTS	Preston Calvert	Calvert Dynamics/Phoenix Perf Ford Mustang Boss 302	32
15	18	GTS	Mark Klenin	SchompAuto/InvisGlass/PremCpr Aston Martin Vantage GT4	32
16	15	GTS	Geoff Reeves	Shadow Works Chevrolet Camaro Z28	32
17	11	GTS	Lou Gigliotti	LG Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4	21
18	13	GTS	Nick Esayian	TravelCln/Derma 3/SpecOpsWarr Ford Mustang Boss 302	14
19	14	GTS	Tony Gaples	Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro Z28	6
20	10	GTS	Dan Martinson	Gear Tie/Nite Ize Ford Mustang Boss 302	1

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