2017 Utah Motorsports Campus - World Challenge

The 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season is the twenty-eighth consecutive year for the championship. There are eleven race weekends. The Touring Car category title chase kicks-off in April at Virginia International Raceway. This event is followed by races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock Park and the Utah Motorsport Complex. The penultimate rounds are held a Circuit of the Americas with the finale taking place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in mid-October.

As in the previous year, there were three Touring categories:

Touring Car (TC) – This class is for smaller sedans and sports cars which are allowed some performance modifications. These front or rear-wheel-drive vehicles may be powered by turbocharged or normally aspirated engines. Examples of vehicles competing in this category include: Honda Accord, Mazda MX-5, Porsche Boxster, BMW235iR and Audi RS 3 LMS.

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. Using turbocharged or normally aspirated powerplants, these cars produce between 160 and 185-horsepower.

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 category include: Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Mazda 2 and Mini Cooper. The horsepower range is 100 to 110.

Rounds seven and eight of the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car season took at the Utah Motorsports Campus. Forty-three drivers were scheduled to compete in the two forty-minute races around the fifteen-turn 3.048-mile ‘Outer Course’. The event, titled, The Grand Prix of Utah was presented by Security National Mortgage.

The first lap of round seven for the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Cars. Leading the way through ‘The Attitudes’ is the third fastest qualifier and eventual winner, Greg Liefooghe driving the No. 20 BMW235iR. Behind Liefooghe is the Nissan 370Z of the second place starter, Tony Rivera. Trailing Rivera is the reigning Touring Car Champion, Toby Grahovec in the Classic BMW sponsored BMW M235iR.

There were nineteen of the new BMW M235iR models entered at Utah but the quickest was the Stephen Cameron Racing entry driven by Greg Liefooghe. Liefooghe qualified third for round seven but when the pole-sitter, Paul Holton went wide in turn one on the first lap he took the lead and stayed out front for all sixteen laps. In the second race of the day, Liefooghe led flag-to-flag for his third win of the season.

Returning to the TCA category after a three- year absence was Shea Holbrook. Holbrook was competing in a 2017 Honda Civic Si. She started the weekend by putting the Shea Racing Honda on the class pole. In the Saturday’s first contest, Holbrook came out on top after having a spirited battle with the reigning TCA champion, Elivan Goulart. A problem in race two forced her to retire on lap-15 – she was classified ninth in class.

In round eight, series newcomer, Kenny Murillo driving the Murillo Racing Mazda Global MX-5 Cup Car started twenty-ninth overall but on the Touring Car A pole. During the forty-minute race, Murillo was passed by Eric Powell but was given the victory when Powell’s Scion was disqualified for a technical infraction. Earlier in the day, Murillo qualified third and finished fourth in the Touring Car A category.

It was evident from the beginning of the weekend that the top honours in the TCB class would be decided between the Tech Sport Racing teammates, P.J. Groenke and Canaan O’Connell. Groenke qualified the No. 25 Chevrolet Sonic second to O’Connell in round seven but was the leader after sixteen laps of racing and scored his first series victory. He started the final contest on the pole but finished behind O’Connell in second.

Despite a bad crash in race two at Virginia International Raceway, where he did not score any points, Canadian Nick Wittmer was second in the Touring Car standings. In the weekend’s first race, Wittmer qualified fourth but slid down the lap chart and was ninth at the checkered flag. Later that day, he was gridded seventh but the first corner incident allowed him to improve his position and capture the runner-spot on the podium.

The weekend’s first race started with an incident in corner one which eliminated five cars. History repeated itself in round eight when the Nissan 370Z of Tony Rivera, Jason Clunie in a BMW M235iR and the point’s leader, Paul Holton driving an Audi made contact. Rivera and Clunie spun – Rivera was hit by the Audi of Travis Washay and Samantha Tan in a BMW M235iR tagged Clunie. Rivera, Washay and Tan retired from the race.

It was a difficult weekend for the Touring Car point’s leader, Paul Holton. Holton driving the Compass 360 Racing prepared Audi RS 3 LMS Club Sport qualified on the pole for round seven but went wide at corner one on the first lap and lost a number of positions. He worked his way through the field and finished tenth. In race two, Holton took an eleventh place after he sustained damage in the turn one incident.

The 2017 Touring Car B podium for round eight at the Utah Motorsports Campus. On the top step is Canaan O’Connell – this was O’Connell’s fourth class win of the season. Taking the runner-up spot was his teammate and round seven victor, P.J. Groenke. The final position on the rostrum belonged to Honda Fit driver, Jasper Drengler who scored his best finish of the season.

The No. 74 S.A.C. Racing Mazda MX-5 was driven by Matthew Fassnacht. Fassnacht took the Touring Car A honours in the first two rounds at Virginia International Raceway. Entering the Utah weekend, he trailed his teammate and championship leader, Elivan Goulart by six points. Fassnacht scored second and fifth-place finishes in races seven and eight – which gave him the lead in the title chase.

Canaan O’Connell won round one and the two races held at Lime Rock Park in a Tech Sport Racing Chevrolet Sonic. In the weekends, first race at the Utah Motorsports Campus he qualified on the pole but was passed by his teammate, P.J. Groenke and settled for the runner-up spot. The teammates switched the qualifying and finishing order in round eight – O’Connell captured his fourth Touring Car B victory of the season.

Defending Touring Car A champion, Elivan Goulart was at the top of the points standings as teams entered rounds seven and eight at the Utah Motorsports Campus. Goulart’s first two wins of the season came at his home track – Lime Rock Park. In the first race, he shared the front row with the class pole-sitter, Shea Holbrook and finished second. Goulart started fourth for round eight but retired after just eight laps.

This TCA class Toyota TMG 86 Cup Car was originally on display at the SEMA show. It was constructed by the German division of Toyota to compete in a single make series. At Utah, it was driven by veteran sports car racer, Craig Stanton. The Toyota made a promising debut – qualifying fourth in round seven and captured the last position on the podium. In the next event, Stanton started sixth in TCA and finished fourth.

It was a good weekend for the defending Touring Car champion, Toby Grahovec. Racing the Classic BMW sponsored BMW M235iR, Grahovec qualified fifth for the weekend’s first event. At the conclusion of forty-minutes of racing, he had moved up the order and captured the runner-up position – his best result to date. In race two, Grahovec was gridded fifth again and earned the final spot on the podium.

The 2017 round eight Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car podium. In the center, scoring his second victory of the weekend and third of the season is Greg Liefooghe. On the left side of the rostrum is the runner-up Nick Wittmer. The final spot on the podium is occupied by the reigning class champion, Toby Grahovec.

FINISH	CLASS	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	3	TC	Greg Liefooghe	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M235iR	16
2	5	TC	Toby Grahovec	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	16
3	8	TC	Anthony Magagnoli	Rooster Hall Racing / BMW M235iR	16
4	6	TC	Jacob Ruud	Winding Road Team TFB / BMW M235iR	16
5	7	TC	Jayson Clunie	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	16
6	2	TC	Tony Rivera	Brass Monkey Racing / Nissan 370Z	16
7	15	TC	Karl Wittmer	Honda Ste-Rose Racing / Honda Accord	16
8	9	TC	Mason Filippi	Winding Road Team TFB / BMW M235iR	16
9	4	TC	Nick Wittmer	ST Racing / BMW M235iR	16
10	1	TC	Paul Holton	C360R / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	16
11	11	TC	Aristotle Balogh	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M235iR	16
12	17	TC	Stefan Sajic	Zima Motorsports / BMW M235iR	16
13	10	TC	Travis Washay	Indian Summer Racing / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	16
14	18	TC	Steve Burns	Ian Lacy Racing / Ford Mustang	16
15	21	TC	Chris Ohmacht	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	16
16	20	TC	Max Fedler	Max Fedler Racing / BMW M235iR	16
17	13	TC	Justin Raphael	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	16
18	23	TC	Jeff Kearl	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	16
19	26	TC	Chetan Puranik	Zima Motorsports / BMW M235iR	16
20	24	TC	Daren Jorgensen	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	16
21	27	TC	Greg Warnock	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	16
22	28	TC	Andrew McCubbins	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	16
23	25	TC	Samantha Tan	ST Racing / BMW M235iR	16
24	29	TCA	Shea Holbrook	Shea Racing / Honda Civic Si	16
25	30	TCA	Elivan Goulart	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5 Cup	16
26	32	TCA	Craig Stanton	DG-Spec Racing / Toyota TMG 86 Cup Car	16
27	31	TCA	Kenny Murillo	Murillo Racing / Mazda MX-5 Cup	16
28	33	TCA	Matthew Fassnacht	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5	16
29	34	TCA	Tom O'Gorman	Shea Racing / Honda Civic Si	16
30	35	TCA	Breton Williams	Tech Sport Racing / Scion FR-S	16
31	27	TCA	Daniel Williams	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5 Cup	16
32	39	TCA	Daniel Moen	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5	15
33	42	TCB	P.J. Groenke	Tech Sport Racing / Chevrolet Sonic	15
34	41	TCB	Canaan O'Connell	Tech Sport Racing / Chevrolet Sonic	15
35	44	TCB	Jasper Drengler	Drengler Racing / Honda Fit	15
36	43	TCB	Jake Pipal	Jake Pipal Racing / Honda Fit	15
37	16	TC	Anthony Geraci	S.A.C. Racing / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	11
NC	36	TCA	Jeff Sexton	Winding Road Team / Mazda MX-5 Cup	7
NC	38	TCA	Paul Whiting	Glory Racing / Honda Civic Si	1
NC	12	TC	Jason Coupal	BERG Racing / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	0
NC	14	TC	Robert Nimkoff	AutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR	0
NC	19	TC	Rodrigo Sales	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M235iR	0
NC	22	TC	Henry Schmitt	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M235iR	0

FINISH	CLASS	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	2	TC	Greg Liefooghe	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M235iR	18
2	7	TC	Nick Wittmer	ST Racing / BMW M235iR	18
3	5	TC	Toby Grahovec	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	18
4	3	TC	Aristotle Balogh	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M235iR	18
5	13	TC	Mason Filippi	Winding Road Team TFB / BMW M235iR	18
6	8	TC	Anthony Magagnoli	Rooster Hall Racing / BMW M235iR	18
7	10	TC	Karl Wittmer	Honda Ste-Rose Racing / Honda Accord	18
8	14	TC	Steve Burns	Ian Lacy Racing / Ford Mustang	18
9	20	TC	Jeff Kearl	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	18
10	11	TC	Justin Raphael	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	18
11	1	TC	Paul Holton	C360R / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	18
12	18	TC	Daren Jorgensen	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	18
13	26	TC	Jason Coupal	BERG Racing / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	18
14	16	TC	Max Fedler	Max Fedler Racing / BMW M235iR	18
15	8	TC	Anthony Geraci	S.A.C. Racing / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	18
16	12	TC	Stefan Sajic	Zima Motorsports / BMW M235iR	18
17	9	TC	Jacob Ruud	Winding Road Team TFB / BMW M235iR	18
18	23	TC	Andrew McCubbins	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	18
19	21	TC	Greg Warnock	Rearden Racing / BMW M235iR	18
20	15	TC	Chris Ohmacht	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	18
21	4	TC	Jayson Clunie	Classic BMW / BMW M235iR	18
22	29	TCA	Kenny Murillo	Murillo Racing / Mazda MX-5 Cup	18
23	30	TCA	Matthew Fassnacht	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5	17
24	34	TCA	Tom O'Gorman	Shea Racing / Honda Civic Si	17
25	33	TCA	Craig Stanton	DG-Spec Racing / Toyota TMG 86 Cup Car	17
26	37	TCA	Jeff Sexton	Winding Road Team / Mazda MX-5 Cup	17
27	36	TCA	Daniel Williams	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5 Cup	17
28	35	TCA	Breton Williams	Tech Sport Racing / Scion FR-S	17
29	38	TCA	Daniel Moen	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5	17
30	42	TCB	Canaan O'Connell	Tech Sport Racing / Chevrolet Sonic	16
31	41	TCB	P.J. Groenke	Tech Sport Racing / Chevrolet Sonic	16
32	45	TCB	Jasper Drengler	Drengler Racing / Honda Fit	16
33	44	TCB	Jake Pipal	Jake Pipal Racing / Honda Fit	16
34	31	TCA	Shea Holbrook	Shea Racing / Honda Civic Si	14
35	27	TC	Robert Nimkoff	AutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR	13
NC	32	TCA	Elivan Goulart	S.A.C. Racing / Mazda MX-5 Cup	8
NC	24	TC	Chetan Puranik	Zima Motorsports / BMW M235iR	4
NC	6	TC	Tony Rivera	Brass Monkey Racing / Nissan 370Z	1
NC	17	TC	Travis Washay	Indian Summer Racing / Audi RS 3 LMS Clubsport	0
NC	19	TC	Samantha Tan	ST Racing / BMW M235iR	0
EX	37	TCA	Eric Powell	Tech Sport Racing / Scion FR-S	0

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