Pirelli World Challenge: Audi R8 Ultra Wins Sonoma
The Pirelli World Challenge teams descended on California for the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sonoma over the weekend. Although no class champions were crowned, the points battles in all classes got tighter as the series heads into their season finally at Miller Motorsports Park in September.
In GT Mike Skeen, driving the No. 2 Hawk Performance Audi R8 Ultra, took the round 13 win, followed by Ryan Dalziel in the No. 31 EFFORT Racing Porsche 911 GT3R, and Butch Leitzinger in the No. 08 Breitling/Mobil 1/Dyson Racing Team Bentley Continental GT3.
The battle for third was very impressive seeing the big, powerful Bentley fend off the nimble, hard-charging No. 61 Ferrari 458 GT3 of Anthony Lazzaro. Lazzaro would go on to take the win in Sunday’s round 14. Ryan Dalziel was second best again on Sunday and Robert Thorne put his No. 6 K-PAX Racing McLaren 12C GT3 on the podium for third.
The GT-A group had battles throughout the field in round 13. Michael Mills came out on top in his No. 41 EFFORT Racing Porsche GT3R with Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/RecStuff.com Audi R8 Ultra finishing second. Marcelo Hahn finished in third in the No. 0 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo FL2.
Round 14 for the GT-A class was also eventful. The Reiter Engineering team had things sorted out capturing finishing one-two. Albert von Thurn und Taxis claimed his first win in his No. 24 Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 followed by teammate Marcelo Hahn. Christina Neilsen drove her No. 00 Passtime USA/Magisto Aston Martin GT3 home for third.
In GTS racing veteran Jack Baldwin scored an emotional round 13 win in his No. 73 RESET-MD/ Racing4Kelsey Porsche Cayman S. Kelsey Flanigan, the young woman battling brain cancer, was there to see Baldwin take the victory. The No. 1 Black Dog Speed Shop Camaro of Lawson Aschenbach finished second, followed by the No. 33 Capaldi Racing Mustang Boss 302S of Joey Atterbury.
In the GTS round 14 Lawson Aschenbach climbed to the top spot in the No. 1 Camaro with Jack Baldwin again finishing on the podium, this time in second place in his No. 73 Porsche. Andy Lee fought hard to bring the Crown Seven/BestIT Racing Camaro home in third.
The final rounds of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season will be held in Tooele, Utah on September 12th and 13th for the Nissan Championship Finale at Miller Motorsports Park.