The Dodge Viper ACR does it again. On Monday, April 11, Kuno Wittmer drove a production spec ACR to a new lap record at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah; in the process breaking the 2-minute mark for the very first time.

Running on Miller’s 3.048 mile outer course; Wittmer crossed the finish line in just 1 minute 59.995 seconds; pulverizing the previous lap record set by Jan Magnussen in a Corvette ZR1 (Magnussen’s best was 2.03.86 – almost a full four seconds slower!).

Although having already spent much time driving Viper ACRs; Montreal native Wittmer continues to be impressed by the car’s capability. After his record-setting escapade, he remarked, “the [Viper ACR] is such a blast to drive at the limit and I can honestly say I didn’t leave an inch out there on the track and was barely braking in the corners!”

Wittmer’s latest record, joins a growing list of accomplishments for the Viper ACR, which so far include track records at Laguna Seca and the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife (since surpassed), where Dutch driver Tom Coronel piloted one to a lap time of just 7 minutes 22 seconds!

After bringing you pictures of the Cadillac CTS-V Race Car tearing up Sebring Raceway in Florida, we finally have some video to show you. The images are cool, but what you’re really after is the noise from the LSA V8 engine at full blast, sans catalytic converters or mufflers.

In case the 60 second video isn’t enough small-block V8 for you, the car makes its race debut at the World Challenge GT opener on March 25th. We’ll be watching.

Hit the jump to see the video

Earlier this year, we heard word that RealTime Racing would be making the jump to the World Challenge GTS class. And just like that, in what was supposed to be a much more competitive class with even faster cars, RealTime driver and company owner Peter Cunningham has maneuvered his No. 43 RTR Acura TSX all the way to the top yet again. This is Cunningham’s sixth drivers’ championship making him the most decorated driver in World Challenge.

And yes, there is still one event left in the World Challenge Series for the year, but Cunningham and RealTime Racing have been so successful in the GTS class that they can now simply just have some fun in the finale and not have to worry about losing the championship. Cunningham also managed to turn in the fastest GTS lap of the day with a time of 2:09.907 and now has 40 career wins.

So what lies ahead for Cunningham and his RealTime Racing team? We’re not sure, but we’re hoping they find a way to make it even more challenging for the competition and showing off just how refined their racing program truly is.

PRESS RELEASE

Pilgrim, Cunningham and Buras Win World Challenge Race; Championships Clinched At VIR

ALTON, Va. (September 12, 2010) – In a thrilling day of World Challenge Championships action during the Race-Keeper VIR Grand Prix presented by MTM Special Ops Watch at VIRginia International Raceway, Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., shook a frustrating season with a GT win, Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., extended several series records in GTS including his sixth Drivers’ Championship and Todd Buras, of Melbourne, Fla., capped a four-for-four season in Touring Car. In addition to Cunningham’s title, Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., and Robert Stout, of Brownsburg, Ind., wrapped up the GT and Touring Car Championships, respectively, with runner-up finishes.

Pilgrim started on the pole in the No. 8 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60, pulled away from the field, and never looked back en route to his first win of the season. It capped a perfect day for Pilgrim, who led all 22 laps, turned the fastest race lap in a time of 1:58.410 (99.417 mph), and averaged 88.389 mph over the 71.94-mile race on his way to a 1.392-second margin of victory.

“It’s been a funny year and this weekend has been the funniest part of the year,” Pilgrim said. “Last night, we determined that there was something wrong with the car all year. The team worked so hard and they haven’t been able to fix it. It’s just been so frustrating for everyone. Yesterday, we overheated the gearbox to the point that they would have had to have changed the gearbox. That’s like a nine-hour job and they looked at the data and said, ‘you know what Andy, if you don’t mind, we’d like to put you in last year’s car.’ I said ‘okay, let’s do it.’ We’d set it up as a back-up car in case Randy or I had a problem with our main car, so we knew it wouldn’t be that far off if at all.

“It was like getting back in your favorite pair of slippers. It felt very good. It felt very similar to the other car, but it just ran better overall. My only fear was that we didn’t have a race setup on it but it held together.”

There were only two real moments of concern for Pilgrim throughout the race. The first came early in the race when Kuno Wittmer’s No. 13 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Viper, running in second, was charging hard and closing the gap to Pilgrim. The two raced into VIR’s famed Oak Tree Turn on lap 13, where Wittmer spun and allowed the Volvo to race away.

The second came on lap 17, when a full-course caution bunched the field behind the safety car for corner workers to retrieve a piece of metal on the racing surface. Pilgrim again pulled away from the field on the lap-20 restart and raced the remaining three laps to his 10^th career GT victory.

“Kuno would have gotten me for sure,” Pilgrim conceded. “He was coming. He was on me. Kuno got balked in some traffic in the lower esses. I just flew through as hard as I could and threw it into Oak Tree as late and as hard as I could. As I was exiting, I could just see him fly straight off going in. I think he was probably frustrated from getting balked because he knew how close he was to me and he just overdid it. It was slick. You had to be really careful. I was like ‘what a shame, and thank goodness!’ There’s no way he wasn’t going to get me.

“I dedicate this race to Jeremy [Smallwood], my crew chief. He has worked so hard all year long on that car and never gave up on it or on me. Always a great attitude. He was in tears after the race. This one is definitely for Jeremy.”

Pobst earned his fourth-career World Challenge GT Drivers’ Championship with his runner-up finish in the No. 6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60. Pobst started third, spent the early stages of the race chasing Wittmer, and then settled in several car lengths behind his teammate to the checkered flag.

The runner-up finish clinched the GT Drivers’ Championship for Pobst, who previously won the honor in 2003, 2007 and 2008. The sweep of the top two positions by K-PAX Volvos also clinched the Manufacturers’ Championship for Volvo with one race remaining.

“I feel relief,” Pobst said. “Winning the Manufacturers’ Championship for Volvo was our mission. Winning a Drivers’ Championship was a bonus. The role for Andy and I was to do our part of the job—to help K-PAX Racing win this Championship for Volvo. We got some breaks yesterday with the weather. We got some breaks today with our competitors making mistakes. This is really important for Jim Haughey, who is the principle of K-PAX Racing. It is important for Volvo. We feel like we climbed to the top of the mountain and today we got to the summit.”

James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., earned a third-place finish from his fourth position on the grid but certainly passed more than just one car to do it. Sofronas made a mistake entering Turn One for the first time in his No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 after the standing start, and began lap two in ninth place. As Sofronas worked his way through the field, he ran off the track several times, hindering his progress. Among his many passes, Sofronas slipped past Jason Daskalos in the No. 5 Daskalos Developments Dodge Viper for fifth position in Turn Two on lap 12 to earn the MTM Special Ops Watch Move of the Race.

He restarted with three laps to go behind teammate Jeff Altenburg in the No. 4 Centric Parts/Stoptech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3, and made his way into the final podium position on the race’s final lap.

“It was definitely not meant to be today,” Sofronas said. “On the start, I saw the inside clog up. I decided to take the outside line in one and went a little too deep and got two wheels off and fell to the back. I shook my head and said ‘this is gonna be a long day.’ I just needed to be patient and stay focused. I started picking off guys and then I’d make a mistake and fall back. I think I passed seven cars…twice. That’s not really how I like to drive. The car was more than capable but I was just not driving in my limits. I’m pretty lucky to finish third. It’s a testament to this GMG team and the Porsche.”

Altenburg, of Ellicott City, Md., the 2007 Touring Car Champion and four-time TC race winner, earned his career-best GT class finish in his first race weekend of the season in World Challenge.

Rob Morgan, of Conway, Ark., earned his second-consecutive fifth-place finish in the No. 46 TruSpeed Motorsports/Querencia Porsche 911 GT3. The top-five matched Saturday’s for his best career World Challenge finish. Morgan was penalized 10 driver points for his role in an incident with Jason Daskalos, which led to his Dodge Viper’s retirement.

In the GTS class, Cunningham led flag-to-flag in the No. 43 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX to extend his World Challenge record for career wins to 40 on a weekend where he also extended the career pole position mark to 41.

Cunningham turned the fastest GTS lap in a time of 2:09.907 (91.187 mph) on his way to clinching his sixth-career World Challenge Drivers’ Championship, another record for the most decorated driver in World Challenge history.

“It definitely feels good to finish up the weekend on a positive note after the heartbreak from yesterday,” Cunningham said of Saturday’s race that saw him fall out of the lead with one lap remaining due to a mechanical failure. “Based on how things shook out at the start, I was able to grab the lead and build upon that until the caution came out. The restart, of course, gave me a scare with all the GT guys trying to get by on either side of us. But we were able to hang on and take the win. It definitely feels good to clinch the Championship heading into Salt Lake. Now there’s no pressure of something like the ring gear falling off on the pace lap and not taking the start and losing the Championship! Now we can just go have fun at the finale. It’s a great day for Acura and RealTime Racing and Toyo Tires.”

Nick Esayian, of San Diego, Calif., gave chase on his teammate and Championship rival, needing a win and some help to keep his hopes alive entering the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park. Instead, the driver of the No. 34 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX gave chase one day after his maiden win but finished with his ninth podium in 11 races on the season.

Third place went to Ernie Jakubowski, of Oakville, Ont., in the No. 91 Fuchs/CDOC/Forgeline Porsche Cayman S. Jakubowski started from the rear of the GTS field after making mechanical changes following qualifying, and worked his way into the podium position over the 22 laps.

Kevin Helms (No. 04 DBA/Carbotech/AST/Exedy Acura RSX) finished fourth.

The Touring Car battle was wheel-to-wheel between Buras’ No. 50 Irish Mike’s Racing/Krispy Kreme Volkswagen Jetta GLI and Stout’s No. 18 DG-Spec/Scion/TRD/Lucas Oil Scion tC. At the checkered flag, Buras won the battle, but Stout won the war in taking his first World Challenge Touring Car Drivers’ Championship.

As the lights went out for the standing start, both Stout and Buras got away cleanly from their positions in the front row of the Touring Car field. A slow to accelerate No. 44 Motorsports Solutions Acura TSX GTS machine of Tommy Sadler bottled up the rest of the Touring Car field, making contact with Stout’s teammate Greg Shaffer in the No. 36 DG Spec/Scion/TRD Scion tC. Shaffer spun off course and ended his day with contact in the guard rail, and the ensuing bottle neck collected the No. 67 SaferTeenDrivers.com Honda Civic Si of Shea Holbrook and ended her day as well.

That activity provided a gap for Stout and Buras to get away and turn the race into a heads-up battle between the two. Buras led the first lap, but Stout moved to the inside in Turn 10 after a run through the uphill esses to slide into the Touring Car lead and earn the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race.

Buras reclaimed the lead on lap four and the two battled side-by-side and nose-to-tail for the middle portion of the race. Stout ran off track on lap 13 trying to make a pass for the lead and dropped back behind the Buras, but immediately began to close that gap while Buras continued to turn fast laps. Buras turned the fastest Touring Car lap in a time of 2:13.989 (87.858 mph), but the late-race caution put Stout right back on Buras’ bumper.

Stout took the lead on the restart, which came on lap 18 for the Touring Car drivers. Buras reclaimed the lead for good just one lap later, giving Buras four wins in as many tries in an Irish Mike’s Racing Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

Buras swept the season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, but was injured in a racing incident just a few weeks later. This weekend’s sweep at VIR was Buras’ return to racing.

“We went door-to-door, lap after lap,” Buras said. “He [Stout] led, I led. I was really getting out to a comfortable lead and then the yellow came out for what looked like a piece of a bumper cover on the track. On the restart, he got it again! But this time I was able to get a run and then out-brake him into the rollercoaster. It should make for great TV. What a competitive field.

“I have to thank Irish Mike’s Racing for letting me come back and do this. I have to thank Krispy Kreme and of course, my family for being understanding and letting me come back from the injuries and go racing this weekend.”

The runner-up finish was enough to clinch the Touring Car Drivers’ Championship for Stout, who at 18-years-old became the youngest World Challenge Champion in Series history. Scion clinched the Touring Car Manufacturers’ Championship on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s an honor to be a Champion here in my rookie season of World Challenge,” Stout said. “It’s been an awesome season. We’ve had a really competitive car all season long. I have to thank my crew and all my sponsors. I love everything about this racing and this series. The racing is so great. You have to really work for it every time. It’s just such an honor to be here as the Champion.”

Robb Holland, of Denver, Colo., earned his second podium finish of the season in the No. 22 3Zero3 Motorsports/Track Pro/Emich VW Volkswagen GTI. Holland avoided the incident at the start and pulled away in third place, remaining there for the entire race.

Michael Pettiford was the third Volkswagen in the top four, placing the No. 41 Go 4 It Racing Schools/Hawk Volkswagen Jetta GLI one position off the podium. Pettiford battled with Brett Sandberg in the No. 28 Whitehall Stable Acura TSX in the early laps of the race, then raced Branden Peterson to the finish after the restart. Peterson finished fifth in the No. 64 Competition Clutch/Supertech Performance Honda Civic Si.

Charlie Solomon earned the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for improving his position 10 spots overall in the No. 21 Dr. Natasha.com/DC Racing Mazda RX-8, finishing sixth in Touring Car. Sandberg finished seventh, while Don Istook finished eigth in the No. 01 Revo Technik/Carbotech Volkswagen GTI. Istook also earned the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start for improving eight positions on the opening lap.

With only race wins and bragging rights on the line, the World Challenge Championships GT, GTS and Touring Car classes return to action in two weeks for the Toyo Tires World Challenge Utah Grand Prix presented by Bondurant, October 1-3, at Miller Motorsports Park.

For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com. The race will be broadcast along with the season finale from Miller Motorsports Park Saturday, October 30 at 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Versus.

Follow World Challenge on Twitter @WCRacing.

ALTON, Virginia – Results from Sunday’s 22-lap, 71.94-mile World Challenge Championships Round 11 race, the Race-Keeper VIR Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway, with finishing position, class, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown,  car, laps and reason out (if any).

1. GT, (1), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Volvo S60, 22.

2. GT, (3), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Volvo S60, 22, -1.392.

3. GT, (4), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 22, -2.955.

4. GT, (8), Jeff Altenburg, Ellicott City, Md., Porsche 911 GT3, 22, -4.390.

5. GT, (7), Rob Morgan, Conway, Ark., Porsche 911 GT3, 22, -5.388.

6. GT, (10), Jeff Courtney, Milwaukee, Wis., Dodge Viper, 22, -10.508.

7. GT, (5), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 22, -11.019.

8. GT, (11), Fred Roberts(R), Toronto, Ontario, Dodge Viper, 22, -16.902.

9. GT, (12), William Ziegler, Jacksonville, Fla., Porsche 911 GT3, 22, -17.713.

10. GTS, (13), Peter Cunningham, Milwaukee, Wis., Acura TSX, 21, -1 lap.

11. GTS, (14), Nick Esayian, San Diego, Calif., Acura TSX, 21, -1 lap.

12. GTS, (15), Ernie Jakubowski, Oakville, Ontario, Porsche Cayman S, 21, -1 lap.

13. GTS, (16), Kevin Helms(R), Charlotte, N.C., Acura RSX, 21, -1 lap.

14. TC, (18), Todd Buras(R), Melbourne, Fla., Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 21, -1 lap.

15. TC, (20), Robert Stout(R), Brownsburg, Ind., Scion tC, 21, -1 lap.

16. TC, (21), Robb Holland, Denver, Colo., VW GTI, 21, -1 lap.

17. TC, (24), Michael Pettiford, Louisville, Colo., Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 21, -1 lap.

18. TC, (26), Branden Peterson, Breckenridge, Colo., Honda Civic Si, 21, -1 lap.

19. TC, (30), Charlie Solomon(R), Waxahachie, Texas, Mazda RX-8, 21, -1 lap.

20. TC, (22), Brett Sandberg(R), Allendale, N.J., Acura TSX, 21, -1 lap.

21. TC, (28), Don Istook, Fort Worth, Texas, Volkswagen GTI, 21, -1 lap.

22. TC, (27), David Tuaty, Miami, Fla., Honda Civic Si, 21, -1 lap.

23. TC, (32), Colin Cohen(R), Southlake, Texas, Volkswagen GTI, 20, -2 laps.

24. GTS, (17), Tommy Sadler, San Jose, Calif., Acura TSX, 20, -2 laps.

25. TC, (31), Carolyn Kujala(R), Tucson, Ariz., Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 20, -2 laps.

26. GT, (2), Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, Quebec, Dodge Viper, 19, Mech.

27. GT, (6), Jason Daskalos, Albuquerque, N.M., Dodge Viper, 12, Mech.

28. TC, (29), Alex Ratcliffe(R), Berryville, Va., Lexus IS300, 5, Mech.

29. TC, (23), Devin Cates(R), Broad Run, Va., Volkswagen GTI, 4, Mech.

30. TC, (19), Greg Shaffer(R), Harrisonburg, Va., Scion tC, 0, Crash.

31. TC, (25), Shea Holbrook(R), Groveland, Fla., Honda Civic Si, 0, Crash.

32. TC, (33), Eric Meyer(R), Indianapolis, Ind., Mazda RX-8, 0, Mech.

33. GT, (9), Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, Calif., Chevrolet Corvette, 0, DNS.

Time of race: 48 minutes, 50.025 seconds.

Average speed: 88.389 mph

Margin of victory: 1.392 Seconds

Lap leaders: Laps 1-22, #8 Andy Pilgrim

Fastest race lap: #8 Andy Pilgrim, 1:58.410 (99.417 mph)

Fastest qualifier: #8 Andy Pilgrim, 1:56.086 (101.407 mph)

Cautions: 1, for 3 laps

Optima Batteries Best Standing Start: #01 Don Istook

Sunoco Hard Charger: # 21 Charlie Solomon

Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race: #14 James Sofronas in Turn 2

MTM Special Ops Watch Best Move of the Race: #18 Robert Stout pass for the lead

After a consistent season with five trips to the podium in six races, Huntington Beach, California native Brandon Davis finally took the checked flag this past weekend at Mid-Ohio in his Applied Computer Solutions/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra.

Davis started from pole and had excellent competition from the K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 driven by Andy Pilgrim, until lap 17 when Pilgrim’s car suffered mechanical issues.

“I think Andy [Pilgrim] would have been tough, had he stayed around,” said Davis. “Getting out front, I was able to breathe a little bit and just run laps. When I saw that Andy dropped out, I was able to conserve tires a little bit.”

“After being so close for so long, it feels great to finally win this year. We’ve been on the pole but in the races, we just didn’t have the pace to win. So it feels pretty good.”

Rounding out the podium was Tony Rivera, of Missouri City, Texas, and James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif, both driving Porsche 911 GT3s.

The win for Davis further solidifies his lead in the Drivers’ Championship with 733 points, leading Safronas with 656.

Full race results after the jump:

LEXINGTON, Ohio – Results from Sunday’s 29-lap, 65.481-mile SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Round Seven race, the Toyo Tires Mid-Ohio Grand Prix Presented by Dish Network at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown,  car, laps and reason out (if any).

1. (1), Brandon Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 29.

2. (4), Tony Rivera, Missouri City, Texas, Porsche 911 GT3, 29, -1.396.

3. (3), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 29, -9.592.

4. (16), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Volvo S60, 29, -21.311.

5. (5), Dino Crescentini, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 29, -31.220.

6. (10), Jeff Courtney, Slinger, Wis., Dodge Viper, 29, -41.740.

7. (8), Charles Putman, Mills, Wyo., Dodge Viper, 29, -47.810.

8. (11), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 29, -49.340.

9. (12), Gunter Schaldach, Aspen, Colo., Dodge Viper, 29, -49.849.

10. (14), Sonny Whelen, Old Saybrook, Conn., Chevrolet Corvette, 29, -1:05.453.

11. (9), William Ziegler(R), Jacksonville, Fla., Porsche 911 GT3, 29, -1:05.649.

12. (7), Ritch Marziale, Tempe, Ariz., Dodge Viper, 28, -1 lap.

13. (15), Mike Hartley, Williamstown, N.J., Dodge Viper, 28, -1 lap.

14. (13), Mike Borkowski, Miami Beach, Fla., Dodge Viper, 26, -3 laps.

15. (2), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Volvo S60, 17, Trans.

16. (6), Eric Curran, Easthampton, Mass., Chevrolet Corvette, 2, Susp.

SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Drivers’ Championship

After Seven of 10 Rounds

Pos., Driver, Car, Points (wins)

1, Brandon Davis, Ford Mustang Cobra, 733 (1)

2, James Sofronas, Porsche 911 GT3, 656 (1)

3, Tony Rivera, Porsche 911 GT3, 643 (1)

4, Andy Pilgrim, Volvo S60, 596 (1)

5, Randy Pobst, Volvo S60, 568 (1)

6, Eric Curran, Chevrolet Corvette, 510

7, Sonny Whelen, Chevrolet Corvette, 405

8, William Ziegler(R), Porsche 911 GT3, 404

9, Dino Crescentini, Porsche 911 GT3, 384 (1)

10, Tony Gaples, Chevrolet Corvette, 380

Pos., Manufacturer, Points (wins)

1, Porsche, 45 (3)

2, Ford, 41 (1)

3, Volvo, 30 (2)

4, Chevrolet, 26

5, Dodge, 16 (1)

The Corvettes, Porsches and Vipers that compete in the SPEED World Challenge GT series are about to get some serious competition from a serious car – the Mercedes McLaren SLR 722 GT. The car was homolgated to World Challenge specs by The Racers Group (TRG) and our sources at the series tell us it will first see competition at the Autobahn County Club outside Chicago on July 24-26th.

Designed specifically to run it a spec series in Europe, the 722 GT is powered by a modified version of the supercharged 5.5-liter V8 and makes 680hp and 612 ft-lbs of torque. It also only weighs 3,200 lbs, meaning it can accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. Thanks to some serious aerodynamics and a significantly lowered ride height, the 722 GT is also capable of hitting 2 Gs in the corners.

No doubt the SCCA (the governing body for World Challenge) will level the playing field, forcing the SLR to either add weight or reduce horsepower… or probably both.

TRG Motorsports should still put on quite a show with the SLR as the team has plenty of racing experience, running cars in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge as well as in the Grand-Am Rolex Series. In 2005 and 2006 TRG competed with a Pontiac GTO.R team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT class, and has since been involved with a two-car Porsche effort in the GT Class.

See the Speed World Challenge series website for more info:

http://www.world-challenge.com/

Follow the jump for all the specs on the McLaren SLR 722 GT

[Source: TheRacersGroup]

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT Information

The Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722 GT raises the bar for high-class motorsports. The idea of developing a racing version of the SLR came from motoring enthusiasts of the Mercedes Benz brand. Renowned British race car manufacturer Ray Mallock Limited Group (RML) in England modified +400 components of the production Coupe SLR to create this racing car version. Among the most significant modifications is a higher-output supercharged 5.5-litre V8 MB (AMG) engine producing 500 kW or 680 HP and a maximum torque of 830 Newton meters.

New body components such as the front apron with splitter, wider rear fenders, and a large rear diffusor, including the wing, reflect the extensive aerodynamic development work. New suspension and brakes allowing wider wheels, resulting in higher cornering speed. The interior of the SLR 722 GT is characterized by the functional atmosphere of a thoroughbred racing machine.

TRG Motorsports, in collaboration with RML, has further developed the car to to meet the sporting regulations to race professionally here in North America.

A limited number of cars can be delivered in the Spring / Summer 2009, from the TRG Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Technical Specification

-Engine power: 680hp/500kW
-Maximum torque: 830Nm @ 6200 rpm
-Gear box: Newly (2009) fitted 6 gear sequential
-0 to 100kph: 3.3 seconds
-Top speed: 320 km/h
-Maximum lateral G: 2.0g
-Fuel tank capacity: 95 litres
-Ride height adjustability: +/- 20mm from static
-Ground clearance: 70 – 50mm
-Dry weight: 1450kg
-Overall dimensions: L = 4660mm, W = 1995mm, H =1210mm
-Disc brakes: F Brembo six pot, 380 DIA. X35mm, R Brembo four pot,355 DIA. X28mm
-Suspension: Fully adjustable double wishbone front and rear suspension
-Rim size front and rear: 18” x 12” , 18” x 13”
-Tire size front and rear: 30/65 – 18 S8D, 30/65 – 18 Comp A slicks
-Wheelbase: 2700mm
-Track width front and rear: 1660mm/1620mm

Jason Saini raced to the top of the podium in his Mazda6 this weekend, during the SCCA’s SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series event at New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt Raceway. Saini placed third in qualifying but quickly made it to second place off the standing start, and spent much of the rest of the race fender to fender with defending series champion Peter Cunningham in his RealTime Racing TSX.

Saini passed Cunningham on the third lap but only secured some distance when Cunningham got tied up defending his position from Andrew Aquilante in the Phoenix Performance Inc. Subaru WRX.

When the checkered flag flew, however, Saini had secured an almost three second advantage after Cunningham, giving him not only the race victory but also the lead in the points race.

“I raced with Peter a couple of times last year. We had some side-by-side battles. He came out on top last year. This time, I came out on top. It is a dream come true to race with a guy like Peter,” said Saini. “I looked at where his strengths and weaknesses were and tried to push him. I tried to stick the nose in every once and a while to see. I just had a bit of a stronger car at that point and I was able to get down on the inside. I tried one time. I didn’t make it stick. I tried again and it did.”

As for the third-place Aquilante, he managed the last podium spot in just his third World Challenge race. Initially much of the credit can be handed to Subaru’s all-wheel drive system, which allowed Aquilante to race from a standing-start grid position of 8th to 3rd overall in just one lap.

“The start was good,” Aquilante said. “It was kind of wild the first couple of laps, with Jason and P.D. going back and forth. Jason got around him and things settled in single file. Then, about halfway through the race, I started to try to pick it up and the tires started to go away.”

“I finally caught up to them. I had a few runs at Peter down the front straightaway. We went side-by-side. He knew what I was going to do, so he protected the inside well. There were a couple of times he let me on the inside, but I couldn’t quite make it stick. I tried not to run him off the road. It was a good race.”

Finishing out the top five were Cunningham’s teammates Kuno Wittmer in 4th and Pierre Kleinubing in 5th.

As for the points race, as mentioned, with the win Saini takes the lead, with Kleinubing in 2nd and Seth Thomas in 3rd with his BMW 328i.

The race will be broadcast on SPEED Chanel Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m.. The next race is scheduled for Mosport International Raceway on May 16th and 17th

[Photo Credit: Mark Weber/SCCA]

Complete race results after the jump:

MILLVILLE, NJ – Results from Saturday’s 27-lap, 60.75-mile SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship Round Two race, part of the Verizon 250 Weekend at Thunderbolt Raceway, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps complete, distance behind winner and reason out (if any).

1. (3), Jason Saini, Ft. Worth, Texas, MAZDA6, 27.

2. (1), Peter Cunningham, Milwaukee, Wis., Acura TSX, 27, -2.967.

3. (8), Andrew Aquilante, Phoenixville, Pa., Subaru WRX, 27, -3.496.

4. (5), Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, Quebec, Acura TSX, 27, -5.895.

5. (6), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, 27, -6.210.

6. (10), Eric Foss(R), Fort Worth, Texas, MAZDA6, 27, -11.364.

7. (7), James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., BMW 328i, 27, -23.379.

8. (11), Toby Grahovec, Chicago, Ill., Acura TSX, 27, -34.052.

9. (9), Nick Esayian, San Diego, Calif., BMW 328i, 27, -1:17.608.

10. (15), Alex Ratcliffe(R), Berryville, Va., Lexus IS300, 26, -1 lap.

11. (2), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., MAZDA6, 26, -1 lap.

12. (13), Carl Hober, Cape May, N.J., Acura TSX, 26, -1 lap.

13. (12), Matt Lang(R), Bedminster, N.J., Dodge SRT 4, 13, Mech.

14. (4), Seth Thomas, Cumming, Ga., BMW 328i, 0, Mech.

SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Standings

Pos., Driver, Car, Points (Wins)

1, Jason Saini, MAZDA6, 224 (1)

2, Pierre Kleinubing, Acura TSX, 195

3, Seth Thomas, BMW 328i, 192 (1)

4, Peter Cunningham, Acura TSX, 172

5, Eric Foss(R), MAZDA6, 161

6, Andrew Aquilante, Subaru WRX, 160

7, Kuno Wittmer, Acura TSX, 160

8, James Clay, BMW 328i, 148

9, Nick Esayian, BMW 328i, 144

10, Toby Grahovec, Acura TSX, 125

World Challenge Touring Car Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER

Pos., Manufacturer, Points (wins)

1, Acura, 16

2, Mazda, 14 (1)

3, BMW, 9 (1)

[Credit: Mark Weber, World-Challenge]

DP7 Racing, the team behind the lone Lamborghini Gallardo in the SPEED World Challenge GT series has just hired on World Challenge veteran Chip Herr to pilot the exotic racer for the remainder of the season.

Former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini, who was scheduled to pilot the car for the season, will stay on as a part of the DP7 Racing team. The DP7 Gallardo did not compete in the first race of the season at Sebring, however, the team had intended to run the car but after a dismal showing during the practice sessions (with the slowest tie in the field) the Lambo never even made it to qualifying.

“After Sebring, I felt we needed someone with experience that can give the necessary information to the crew in order to maximize the performance of the DP7 Gallardo GTR,” said Pastorini. “I had a chance to visit with many drivers, but Chip is a special individual with all the ingredients to accomplish what team owner Betty Johnston and I wanted and that’s to make this program successful.”

Herr, being a big football fan was eager to accept. “NFL Football has been a huge part of my life,” Herr said. “But I weigh 135 pounds and I’m 5’5″. I was going to have to find another sport to try and become a professional.”

“To be asked to work with Dan Pastorini and the DP7 crew is a dream come true for me. Yes, DP7 is an excellent organization and the Lamborghini is a great car, but holy smoke, Dan Pastorini wants ME to drive HIS car!”

Last year Herr was featured as “One of the Dynamic Dozen in North America, by Grass Roots Motorsports magazine, which said he was a driver to watch in the coming years. He has 11 years of racing experience with a great deal of time in the World Challenge Touring Car series, having earned six poles and topping the podium six times.

Herr is also signed on this year to race in the Touring Car series in the Mazda6 of Tindol Motorsports.

The DP7 Racing team is hoping that with a marketable young driver with “rockstar good looks” the team can secure sponsorship. The car is already a great marketing platform as, “Nothing looks better on the track or generates more interest and excitement than our Gallardo GTR,” says Pastorini.

“There is one driving force behind any race team and that’s sponsorship, without it you simply cannot succeed,” said Pastorini. “The addition of Chip will allow me more time to focus on securing the necessary sponsorship for our program. We have all the ingredients of a winning team and the addition of Chip will only make our presence stronger when we come to Long Beach.

The second race of the World Challenge season takes place this Sunday, April 5th at Long Beach.

[Source: World-Challenge.com]

Seth Thomas, piloting the No. 38 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i, jumped into the lead off the standing start during the first race of the 2009 World Challenge Touring Car series and never looked back.

With a qualifying run that landed him in 2nd, Thomas used the BMW’s rear-drive advantage to get a quick lead on pole-sitter Pierre Kleinubing in the front-drive RealTime Acura TSX and after just three laps had put just over a second between the two cars.

“I didn’t expect that kind of advantage going into Turn One,” Thomas said. “The BMWs have rear-wheel drive and they launch really well off the start. Pierre [Kleinubing] has a lot of experience starting up there and I expected him to be tough and get a little better launch. The way it worked out, I went into the brake zone for Turn One and looked in the mirror and saw the gap. I just thought ‘just maintain that and see what we can do.’”

Kleinubing and RealTime teammate Kuno Wittmer attempted to chase Thomas down, but after Whitmer retired due to mechanical problems, the race belonged to the Bimmerworld team, taking the podium 2.563 seconds ahead of the RealTime Acura.

“I’ve been coming here for many years,” Thomas said. “I always had good success at Sebring in the BMW Club stuff I did. Then we came to World Challenge and things went a little haywire. After last year, it’s definitely redemption here. Last year, we should have started on the pole but a technical infraction got us in trouble and we had to start from the back. I felt like this year was going to be the year.

“I keep telling everybody, there’s no words that can describe winning. It’s the best feeling. We’ve worked so hard to get here and it’s finally happened.”

Kleinubing admitted he pretty much lost the race right at the beginning thanks to an overly eager right foot.

“Halfway through first gear I spun the tires pretty badly on the big painted stripe and lost a little bit there from first to second. [Thomas] pulled a huge gap at that point. Every time I’d get a little closer, he seemed to answer and pull it back out. I just did what I could and finished second.”

Kleinubing states that he was eager to get to the next race where he will pilot a brand new TSX. At Sebring, only RealTime owner/racer and defending series champ Peter Cunningham had one of the new TSXs on the track and finished in 9th place after loosing body work in an incedent.

Caption/Credit: Larry Miller Leans on a Ford Mustang at the Miller Motorsports Park (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News)

While Larry H. Miller might be better known as the owner of the Utah Jazz Basketball organization, auto aficionados know him for creating the Miller Motorsports Park. Miller died on Friday due to complications due to diabetes.

Miller was more than just a business owner, however; he was an active member of his community. He donated millions of dollars to build a 20 acre Salt Lake Community College campus, he taught several masters of business administration classes at Brigham Young University, and gave money to establish a police officer training center. Some estimates put his donations at well over $100 million.

Miller was a self-made man, who created the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies from his auto-parts business and one Toyota dealership which he opened in the late 1970s. Miller expanded his auto empire to include more than 40 dealerships. From there he ownered and operated several movie theaters as well as local radio and TV stations and even the Jordan Commons, a retail, entertainment and office complex.

As mentioned, he is best known for owning the Utah Jazz, although he also owned the Salt Lake Bees, a minor league baseball team.

The Miller Motorsport Park, located in Tooele, Utah, is a 23-turn 4.5-mile road course. Originally a $5 million project to be used as a playground by Miller, the project quickly became an enormous undertaking with a cost of $85 million. The track opened in 2005 and now plays host to the American Le  Mans Series, Grand Am Series, SPEED World Challenge Series and the AMA Superbike series. It also hosts certain NASCAR series races and is home to the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School. In 2006 it was named Motorsports Facility of the Year by the Professional Motorsport World Expo in Cologne, Germany.

The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies is one of the 150 largest privately held corporations in the United States with more than 7,000 employees in six states with an annual revenue of $3 billion.

“Larry was not only one of the finest auto dealers in the country, he was also one of the finest humanitarians,” said Iowan John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association. “In fact, it would be hard to find a finer human being. When it came to helping others, Larry set the standard.”

[Source: Salt Lake Tribute]

See a tour of the Miller Motorsprots Park Museum by our friends at Garage419 after the jump:

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