World Challenge GT to Race in Long Beach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2006 SPEED World Challenge Schedule Complete;
Touring Cars Return to Denver, GT to Debut at Long Beach

TOPEKA, Kan. (Dec. 20, 2005) – SCCA Pro Racing announced today the addition of two venues to its 2006 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge calendar, bringing the season total to 10 races each for SCCA SPEED GT and Touring Car.

For the first time in series history, SCCA SPEED GT will join the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the 32nd running of the historic event. It will be a quick turnaround for the series, which will race Saturday, April 2 in St. Petersburg, Fla. before hauling across country for the event in Long Beach, Calif. one week later.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the always exciting SPEED World Challenge GT on the streets of Long Beach ,” said Jim Michaelian, Grand Prix Association of Long Beach CEO. “The variety of cars and close competition will create tremendous interest for our fans and also provide us with a great concluding race on Sunday afternoon.”

SCCA SPEED Touring Car will also join the Champ Car World Series once during the 2006 season, but at Denver for its second-consecutive appearance at the CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver, Aug. 11-13.

"We are thrilled to have the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car join us again for the Fastest Three Days in Denver," CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver General Manager Jim Freudenberg said. "World Challenge brings a fresh format and approach to auto racing in North America that creates the excitement and competitiveness Denver fans have come to expect."

“We’re very excited to add two premiere events to complete our 2006 SCCA SPEED World Challenge schedules,” SCCA Pro Racing Acting President Garret Mudd said. “ Long Beach and Southern California represent a huge market for our brand of racing, which has proven to be the most popular and relevant form of production-based racing in North America . Similarly, Denver has demonstrated an innovative approach and set new standards for street racing and festivals in North America over the past few years. It is important that we continue to associate and showcase our series with industry leading events like Denver and Long Beach .

The two races bring the season total for each series to 10, completing the 2006 schedules.

For the complete schedules, click here: http://www.world-challenge.com/2006/schedules.html.

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World Challenge®, SCCA Pro Racing® and Trans-Am® are registered trademarks of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc.

All images by Mark Weber unless noted.

© 2005, SCCA Pro Racing, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

It will be interesting to see how many cars aren't able to be repaired in time for Long Beach. Running back-to-back street circuit races on opposite coasts is not a good idea.

It will be interesting to see how many cars aren't able to be repaired in time for Long Beach. Running back-to-back street circuit races on opposite coasts is not a good idea.

Some people have spare cars.

Some people have spare cars.

Some people also have home shop locations in the Southern California area making between race maintenance work a lot easier.

The overwhelming majority of SPEED World Challenge GT teams go not have spare cars or spare transporters. To my knowledge, the only team that has any spare cars is Team Cadillac.

Regardless of where the shop is, there is no time to repair the cars if there is major damage. Assuming that the cars leave immediately after the race on Saturday and drove straight through, they wouldn't get to long Beach until mid-day Wednesday, and I believe there would be testing at Long Beach on Thursday.They may be able to get the car ready for the race, but they would likely miss qualifying and start at the back of the pack.

Though it is a professional racing series, the budgets of the overwhelming majority of the teams are not enough to have a spare car, where the $$$ would be far better spent on testing and developing of the existing car.

We did say some of the teams have spare cars....not all of them.

Cars can be repaired at the track. This race gives very little time to do anything, but the Long Beach schedule can not be changed.

Its going to be a very serious haul from St Pete to Long Beach. For some of us Long Beach is our back yard. For me litterally.... I live walking distance from the street circuit.

I have worked on a couple of crews for SPEED World Challenge teams over the lsat 5 years, and have been at 30+ of the races in that time. Taking a detailed look at the GT teams, here is what I would expect people to have for used cars:

Cadillac: I believe have 2 spare cars. This includes their show car.
3R: Probably have 1 Viper and a Porsche that they could dig out if they really had to for 3 drivers
John Groom Racing: probably have 1 car for 2 drivers
Farnbacher: I would be surprised if they have a spare
Leighton Reese: No spare
Lou Gilotti Racing: No spare
Stu Hayner: No spare
Tim Weins: No spare
McCann Racing: No spare
Tom Oates: No spare
Woodhouse: Spare Viper GTS (Not the Competition Coupe)

With the exception of Cadillac, I would guess all of the spare cars would be older spec cars, and not competitive if they did show up (ie the 3R Porsche spare if it exists). With the cost to run in the series and build a car, unless you are factory funded, like Cadillac, there is no reason to not rent out every car you have for every race.

I've seen a lot of things repaired at the track, but if you damage both the front and rear frame, or wrinkle the tub in a Porsche, there is simply not enough time to fix it. I've been involved in a couple of major at track repairs. I've also seen damage bad enough that it couldn't be fixed in time for a race 2 weeks later.

I do think the race in Long Beach is a good idea, but the field will definitely not be the largest of the season.

We did say some of the teams have spare cars....not all of them.

Cars can be repaired at the track. This race gives very little time to do anything, but the Long Beach schedule can not be changed.

Its going to be a very serious haul from St Pete to Long Beach. For some of us Long Beach is our back yard. For me litterally.... I live walking distance from the street circuit.

I have worked on a couple of crews for SPEED World Challenge teams over the lsat 5 years, and have been at 30+ of the races in that time. Taking a detailed look at the GT teams, here is what I would expect people to have for used cars:

Cadillac: I believe have 2 spare cars. This includes their show car.
3R: Probably have 1 Viper and a Porsche that they could dig out if they really had to for 3 drivers
John Groom Racing: probably have 1 car for 2 drivers
Farnbacher: I would be surprised if they have a spare
Leighton Reese: No spare
Lou Gilotti Racing: No spare
Stu Hayner: No spare
Tim Weins: No spare
McCann Racing: No spare
Tom Oates: No spare
Woodhouse: Spare Viper GTS (Not the Competition Coupe)

I do think the race in Long Beach is a good idea, but the field will definitely not be the largest of the season.

I have not been involved with World Challenge for 5 years or gone to 30 races, however the last year we went to Sebring, Infineon, and Laguna Seca. Many of the teams have a "spare" that they offer paid rides in.

Some available cars and rides - http://bbs.sccaproracing.com/cgi-bin/sccaproracingubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=4

Cadillac - who knows how many spares they have...3 main cars plus like you said probably 2 more cars

Farnbacher - may not be there next year

Lou Gilotti -. "DINO IS IN the # 27 Corvette C6 again from LG Motorsports. Dino is going for a 2-fer-2 in GT.

THis should be a great race with every brand pulling out all the stops for the last race.

We finished our new C6 World Challenge race car and we are taking the "Twins" out to Laguna Seca this weekend for the Speed World Challenge race. "




GMG - "We will have a 2nd GT car for rent at Long Beach!! Time to save you pennies!!!James F. Sofronas GMG "

Stu had a spare car. They had 2 cars. Didnt see them at Laguna Seca though.


It still doesnt make the whole thing any easier. I expect the field to be a little light.

...

Lou Gilotti -. "DINO IS IN the # 27 Corvette C6 again from LG Motorsports. Dino is going for a 2-fer-2 in GT.
If you check the results, Gilotti did not drive in the race that Crescentini did, because he only has 1 car. Gilotti would not have done either of the west coast races if Crescentini hadn't rented the ride from him at Portland.


We finished our new C6 World Challenge race car and we are taking the "Twins" out to Laguna Seca this weekend for the Speed World Challenge race. "

GMG - "We will have a 2nd GT car for rent at Long Beach!! Time to save you pennies!!!James F. Sofronas GMG "

Stu had a spare car. They had 2 cars. Didnt see them at Laguna Seca though.

It still doesnt make the whole thing any easier. I expect the field to be a little light.
All of the above have 2 cars that they are running, not 2 cars plus a spare. If one gets wrecked at St. Pete, someone's out of a ride at Long Beach. Hayner did have 2 cars for the second half of last year (both raced at Sears Point), but I believe both are going to be run for the full season in 2006.

If you check the results, Gilotti did not drive in the race that Crescentini did, because he only has 1 car. Gilotti would not have done either of the west coast races if Crescentini hadn't rented the ride from him at Portland..


Yes at the last race - Laguna Seca Gilotti and Crescentini both drove. At the Portland race it was just Crescentini.

I guess the key would be - dont crash, dont blow up. It really leaves no time to maintain the car between rounds.

Wow, how cool is it to have relevant World Challenge discussions right here on AutomotiveForums.com?