2018 Saint Petersburg - World Challenge

The 2018 Pirelli World Challenge season is the twenty-ninth consecutive year for the championship. There are four race weekends (eight races). This is quite a contrast from 2017 when Grand Touring Sport competitors raced in eighteen events to determine the champion. The Grand Touring Sport category title chase kicks-off in March at Saint Petersburg. This event is followed by races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Road America. The finale takes place at Watkins Glen International on the Labour Day weekend.

An additional class was added to the Grand Touring Sport category in 2017:

Grand Touring Sport (GTS) – The cars in this group are similar to the Grand Touring vehicles but have more preparation restrictions. Drivetrain layouts include all-wheel-drive and front and rear-wheel drive. These cars may be powered by forced induction or normally aspirated motors. In previous years, the Grand Touring Sport class was mainly comprised of Ford, Chevrolet and Porsche products. In 2016, this category witnessed an influx of FIA GT4 vehicles which proved to be very competitive – Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, KTM Xbow GT4, Ginetta G55 GT4, Audi R8 LMS GT4, Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R, Ford Mustang GT4, BMW M4 GT4, McLaren 570S GT4, Panoz Avezzano GT4, Mercedes-AMG GT4, Maserati Gran Turismo MC GT4 and SIN R1 GT4.
Grand Touring Sport Amateur (GTSA) – This class was introduced in 2017 and is created to accommodate drivers that are not considered professionals. However, competitors in this group are evaluated after each event and based on their performance may be elevated to the Grand Touring Sport category.

Only GT4 homologated cars will be allowed to compete in the Grand Touring Sport category.

The opening rounds of the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge championship for the Grand Touring Sport cars were held at the Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg. Drivers would compete in two fifty-minute sprint races around the fourteen-turn 1.800-mile temporary street course.

The Grand Touring Sport grid enters the first turn at the Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg for round one of the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge championship. From left to right is the pole-sitter, Gabriele Piana in the No. 21 Porsche Cayman. Next to Piana is the Audi R8 of James Sofronas who qualified second. Up from fourth on the grid is the Camaro of Lawson Aschenbach and rounding the outside is the former Trans-Am competitor, Vinnie Allegretta.

Utah’s Drew Staveley qualified sixth overall and second in the GTSA category racing a Ginetta G55 prepared by Ian Lacy Racing. As the start of Saturday’s contest, Staveley lost places but some errors by other competitors allowed him to move up the lap chart and finish third overall and first in class. The following day he was gridded seventh and scored another class victory.

Italian driver, Gabriele Piana drove the No. 21 Porsche Cayman GT Clubsport MR. Piana set notice early on that he was going to be a contender – topping the timesheets in both practice sessions and qualifying. The pole-sitter was passed by Lawson Aschenbach on the opening lap and had to settle for a second place finish in race one. On Sunday, Piana was unable to mount a challenge and collected the runner-up spot.

2017 GTA and GT SprintX Pro-Am champion James Sofronas exchanged his Porsche in 2018 and joined the GTS category in an Audi R8 LMS GT4. The GMG driver qualified second for the season opener but contact with Jade Buford during the race dropped him down the order. Sofronas fought back and finished fourth in class. On Sunday, he fared much better – Sofronas was gridded third and captured the final spot on the podium.

No one spent more time on the podium at Saint Petersburg than Drew Staveley. Staveley won the GTSA category both days and finished third overall on Saturday. Standing on his left-side is the third place GTSA finisher, from the Blackdog Speed Shop, Tony Gaples. On the other side of Staveley is the runner-up, Toby Grahovec from Classic BMW.

Five-time Pirelli World Challenge champion, Lawson Aschenbach was back on form in the season opener. Aschenbach qualified fourth for race one but an aggressive start by the defending champion put him into first place on lap-1. He went on to win by a margin of 0.547-seconds. The following day, Aschenbach started on the pole and led flag-to-flag for his second consecutive victory.

Finishing second Saturday in the GTSA category was Mike Hedlund in the No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi R8 LMS GT4 – he started seventh overall and third in class. In round two, Hedlund was gridded eleventh overall and fourth in GTSA. At the checkered flag, he was fourth in class and twelfth overall.

Twenty-eight Grand Touring Sport competitors line-up as they exit the last corner (turn fourteen) in anticipation of the Starter’s green flag. On the pole for round two, as the result of his fastest race lap on Saturday is Lawson Aschenbach in the Blackdog Racing Camaro. Sharing the front row with Aschenbach is yesterday’s pole-sitter, Gabriele Piana in the Muehlner Motorsports Porsche Cayman.

Topping the time sheets in GTSA was the 2017 class champion, George Kurtz. For round one, Kurtz qualified fifth overall driving the No. 04 CrowdStrike/GMG Audi R8 LMS. He was in contention for the class victory until he suffered a flat tire and parked the car. On Sunday, Kurtz encounter more problems - damage during the opening lap caused him to go off-course at turn fourteen – he was the first to retire from the race.

2016 Touring Car champion, Toby Grahovec led a team that included three BMW M4 GT4 entered by Classic BMW of Dallas. In the weekend’s first event, Grahovec started fourth in GTSA and was gridded ninth overall. He dropped out of contention – finishing twelfth overall and fifth in class. On Sunday, Grahovec's performance was much better – at the checkered flag he captured the runner-up position in GTSA.

Tampa resident, Jason Bell scored a GTSA victory at VIR in 2017 driving a SIN R1 GT4. This season, Bell is competing in the pro category driving an Audi R8 LMS GT4 prepared by M1 GT Racing. He started tenth for the season’s first race but an incident between James Sofronas and Jade Buford and the retirement of George Kurtz allowed him to grab the final spot on the podium. On Sunday, Bell finished fourteenth overall.

The GTS podium for round two at the Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg. In the center, taking his second consecutive victory of the weekend is the driver of the Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4, Lawson Aschenbach. To Aschenbach’s right is the runner-up and newcomer to the Pirelli World Challenge series, Gabriele Piana. Completing the podium is the series veteran, James Sofronas.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	GTS	Lawson Aschenbach	Blackdog Speed Shop / Chevrolet Camaro GT4	33
2	GTS	Gabriele Piana	Muehlner Motorsports America / Porsche Cayman GT4 CS-MR	33
3	GTSA	Drew Staveley	Ian Lacy Racing / Ginetta G55	33
4	GTS	Jason Bell	M1 GT Racing / Audi R8 LMS GT4	33
5	GTS	James Sofronas	GMG Racing / Audi R8 LMS GT4	33
6	GTS	Shane Lewis	Robinson Racing / Mercedes Benz GT4	33
7	GTS	Vinnie Allegretta	PF Racing / Ford Mustang GT4	33
8	GTSA	Mike Hedlund	Flying Lizards / Audi R8 LMS GT4	33
9	GTS	Nate Stacy	Kohr Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT4	33
10	GTSA	Jeff Courtney	JCR Motorsports / Maserati Grand Turismo MC GT4	33
11	GTSA	Tony Gaples	Blackdog Speed Shop / Chevrolet Camaro GT4	33
12	GTSA	Toby Grahovec	Classic BMW / BMW M4 GT4	33
13	GTSA	Preston Calvert	Team Panoz Racing / Panoz Avezzano GT4	33
14	GTSA	Justin Raphael	Classic BMW / BMW M4 GT4	33
15	GTSA	Orey Fidani	Pfaff Motorsports / Porsche Cayman GT4 CS-MR	33
16	GTSA	Marko Radisic	Precision Driving / BMW M4 GT4	33
17	GTS	Harry Gottsacker	Racers Edge Motorsports / SIN R1 GT4	33
18	GTS	Gar Robinson	Robinson Racing / Mercedes Benz GT4	33
19	GTSA	Adam Merzon	Caseit Racing by Flying Lizards / Audi R8 LMS GT4	33
20	GTSA	Mark Klenin	KPR / McLaren 570S GT4	33
21	GTSA	Chris Ohmacht	Classic BMW / BMW M4 GT4	32
22	GTSA	Steve Burns	Ian Lacy Racing / Ginetta G55	32
23	GTSA	James Pesek	PF Racing / Ford Mustang GT4	32
24	GTSA	George Kurtz	GMG Racing / McLaren 570S GT4	31
25	GTS	Ian James	Team Panoz Racing / Panoz Avezzano GT4	20
NC	GTS	Jade Buford	PF Racing / Ford Mustang GT4	8
NC	GTSA	Frank Gannett	Ian Lacy Racing / Ginetta G55	7
DNS	GTSA	Fred Roberts	JCR Motorsports / Maserati Grand Turismo MC GT4	-

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	GTS	Lawson Aschenbach	Blackdog Speed Shop / Chevrolet Camaro GT4	30
2	GTS	Gabriele Piana	Muehlner Motorsports America / Porsche Cayman GT4 CS-MR	30
3	GTS	James Sofronas	GMG Racing / Audi R8 LMS GT4	30
4	GTS	Ian James	Team Panoz Racing / Panoz Avezzano GT4	30
5	GTS	Jade Buford	PF Racing / Ford Mustang GT4	30
6	GTS	Harry Gottsacker	Racers Edge Motorsports / SIN R1 GT4	30
7	GTS	Nate Stacy	Kohr Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT4	30
8	GTSA	Drew Staveley	Ian Lacy Racing / Ginetta G55	30
9	GTSA	Toby Grahovec	Classic BMW / BMW M4 GT4	30
10	GTS	Shane Lewis	Robinson Racing / Mercedes Benz GT4	30
11	GTSA	Tony Gaples	Blackdog Speed Shop / Chevrolet Camaro GT4	30
12	GTSA	Mike Hedlund	Flying Lizards / Audi R8 LMS GT4	30
13	GTS	Gar Robinson	Robinson Racing / Mercedes Benz GT4	30
14	GTS	Jason Bell	M1 GT Racing / Audi R8 LMS GT4	30
15	GTSA	Orey Fidani	Pfaff Motorsports / Porsche Cayman GT4 CS-MR	30
16	GTSA	Jeff Courtney	JCR Motorsports / Maserati Grand Turismo MC GT4	30
17	GTSA	James Pesek	PF Racing / Ford Mustang GT4	30
18	GTSA	Preston Calvert	Team Panoz Racing / Panoz Avezzano GT4	30
19	GTSA	Justin Raphael	Classic BMW / BMW M4 GT4	30
20	GTSA	Chris Ohmacht	Classic BMW / BMW M4 GT4	30
21	GTSA	Fred Roberts	JCR Motorsports / Maserati Grand Turismo MC GT4	20
22	GTSA	Frank Gannett	Ian Lacy Racing / Ginetta G55	29
23	GTSA	Adam Merzon	Caseit Racing by Flying Lizards / Audi R8 LMS GT4	28
24	GTSA	Vinnie Allegretta	PF Racing / Ford Mustang GT4	27
25	GTSA	Steve Burns	Ian Lacy Racing / Ginetta G55	26
26	GTSA	Mark Klenin	KPR / McLaren 570S GT4	20
NC	GTSA	Marko Radisic	Precision Driving / BMW M4 GT4	6
NC	GTSA	George Kurtz	GMG Racing / McLaren 570S GT4	2

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