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SCCA: New World Challenge Teams, Partial 2013 Schedule Announced
The World Challenge series announces 7 of its 10 races for 2013, Ken Stout brings a Scion FR-S to the series and Rimicci Corse unveils a Fiat 500...
Rimicci's Fiat 500 Abath will make the marque's pro racing debut next season in the SCCA World Challenge series. (Photo: Rimicci Corse)
WC Vision today announced seven of the 10 venues that will make up the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge® Championships campaign. The 2013 season will mark the 24th-consecutive year of one of North America’s top professional series for production-based sports cars. Competitors will contend for Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Team Championships in the individual GT, GTS, Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec classes.
The Sports Car Wars 2013 season opener is scheduled for March 22-24 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. This is the fourth straight year the Pirelli World Challenge will begin its race season in the Sunshine State with a big doubleheader weekend as part of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IZOD IndyCar event. GT and GTS competitors will open the season with Round One scheduled for Saturday, March 23, and Round Two on Sunday, March 24.
GT and GTS teams then head off to compete in the Roar by The Shore and the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19-21. It’s the eighth-straight year the series will compete in Long Beach on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course.
The series travels back to the Motor City and the Streets of Belle Isle, Detroit, May 31-June 2. GT and GTS teams will run a big doubleheader weekend as part of the Detroit Chevrolet Belle Isle Grand Prix.
July 12–14, GT and GTS teams set their sights north of the border to compete at Exhibition Place on the Streets of Toronto as part of the Honda Indy Toronto. The series last competed on the 1.765 mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in 2010.
August 2–4, all four classes return to race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The series made its first appearance at Mid-O in 1994 and has had the track on its schedule consecutively since 2002. Teams then make the trek west to Sonoma, California to race at Sonoma Raceway, August 23–25.
The series finale weekend is scheduled for October 4–6 as part of the Grand Prix of Houston. It’s the first time the series will compete at the 1.7-mile temporary Reliant Park street circuit. Two more events completing the 2013 schedule will be announced shortly. The total number of GT, GTS, Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec class races will be announced shortly.
“Our 2013 season will feature a perfect mix of the best street and road racing circuits in North America, offering a great opportunity for our drivers and teams to deliver tremendous sports car racing action with thunderous standing starts in a 50-minute sprint race format,” said Scott Bove, President and CEO, WC Vision. “The Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series will partner with IndyCar at seven events throughout the 2013 season and will continue to develop commercial partnerships with all of the tracks on the schedule.”
Pirelli World Challenge races feature thrilling standing starts, adrenaline filled door-to-door action and world-class drivers. Pirelli World Challenge features cars from the world's most popular manufacturers – race-prepped versions of the cars driven on the streets. Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, Pirelli World Challenge races at North America's premier road and temporary street courses. For more information about the series, visit www.world-challenge.com.
2013 Pirelli World Challenge Schedule of Events
March 22–24, Streets of St. Petersburg (with IndyCar). St. Petersburg, Fla. (GT, GTS)
April 19–21, Streets of Long Beach (with IndyCar/ALMS). Long Beach, Calif. (GT, GTS)
May TBD, (GT, GTS, Touring Car, Touring Car B-Spec)
May 31–June 2, Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, (with IndyCar). Detroit, Mich. (GT, GTS)
June TBD, (TC, TCB)
July TBD, (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
July 12–14, Streets of Toronto, (with IndyCar). Toronto, Ont. Can. (GT/GTS)
August 2–4, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (with IndyCar). Lexington, Ohio (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
August 23–25, Sonoma Raceway (with IndyCar). Sonoma, Calif. (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
Oct. 4¬–6, Streets of Houston (with IndyCar). Houston, Texas (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
NEW GTS TEAM
Ken Stout Racing Inc. (KSR) today announced plans to race a Scion FR-S in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class in 2013. Robert Stout, the 2010 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Champion, has been retained as a Scion factory driver and will pilot the car in a factory-supported effort in partnership with Scion.
The KSR team organized under the leadership of Ken Stout, award-winning motorsports commentator and automotive enthusiast, has competed for seven years in various levels of motorsports and will make its sports car racing pro level debut in 2013 in Pirelli World Challenge. Since 2011, Robert Stout has been competing in GT, GS and ST classes in Grand Am. During his first year in Grand Am, Stout led numerous races and qualified as high as 2nd while earning five top 10's and one top five in 10 GS races.
“This is a great day for sure,” said Robert Stout. “This is what we have been working for over the past seven years. To get picked up by Scion is a very special honor. You can do everything right, put your time in, pay your dues, build relationships, win races and still never get an opportunity like this. It fits like a glove, the car is young and trendy not to mention the hottest release in years for the automotive industry. I fit right into their customer line, Scion is grass roots people and so is our team. There are only three of us, but now we have the needed support from Scion and TRD along with our good friends at Lucas Oil to go up against some of the best factory teams in the business. To be mentioned as part of the outstanding group of factory Scion drivers and join that unique fraternity is definitely one of my career highlights. We love the Pirelli World Challenge format, venues and the crowds they draw, we have a lot of friends there and I can’t wait to get the season started!”
NEW TC TEAM
Rimicci Corse, based in Northridge, Calif., has built a Fiat 500 Abarth to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships Touring Car Class in the 2013 season. The no. 57 Rimicci Corse Fiat 500 Abarth will be driven by Anthony Rimicci, and will be the first Fiat 500 Abarth to race in North America.
The car was shown for the first time to friends, family, and sponsors during the Rimicci Corse launch party at Los Angeles Brewing Company in Los Angeles, Calif.
If you've heard of Rimicci, you're probably thinking of someone else. Rimicci and his father run Santo's Italian Car Service in Northridge, California. Known for its service and preparation of Alfa Romeos and Fiats, SICS has built and prepared several of the fastest vintage racing Alfa Romeos in the country. Of course, with no new Alfa Romeos in the country since 1995, you can only race an Alfa Romeo in a vintage series. Naturally, SICS has worked on several Fiat products over its history - in fact, a family owned 1970 Fiat 500 appeared on SPEED Channel's 101 Cars You Must Drive, with Rimicci shouting in Italian at host Alonzo Bodden.
With the introduction of the Fiat 500 Abarth to America, Rimicci has partnered with SICS customer Deke Williams to build a pair of Abarths for the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. The driver of the second car, either a seasoned pro or someone with fistfuls of cash, will be named later and the team is probably already talking to them - so don't blow up their phones.
While Rimicci's racing resume includes several seasons of competition in the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, Vintage Auto Racing Association, Historic Motor Sports Association and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, this will be his first foray into professional competition.
"I'm going pro racing in a Fiat - what could go wrong?" said Rimicci. "We've built a brand-new car, a new team, for a series we've never done before, on tracks I've never driven. While most people look at us like we are crazy, the response we've gotten from the car has been pretty incredible. All the ladies say 'it's so cute!' We know we have a big job ahead of us to be competitive in Touring Car but it's going to be really fun to give it a shot."
As part of the development of the car, it will compete in this year's NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill on December 8-9 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif. Rimicci will partner with GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge driver and 25 Hour veteran Johnny Kanavas (whose wife is Sicilian), brother and Alfa Romeo racer Fabrizio Rimicci, and longtime vintage racing friend Efrain Olivares (who, in a strange coincidence, is the author of this press release) in hopes that the Abarth somehow survives the longest endurance race in the world.
"One great thing about being Italian is you have a huge family, which means, you have a lot of people you can ask for help," said Rimicci. "Also, it means we'll have an espresso machine in our trailer to keep the guys going through the night. The 25 Hour will be a big challenge but we also expect it to be a lot of fun. We can't think of a better scenario to test the Abarth under race conditions and really push its limits. There are a lot of parts that have been built specifically for the car and we really want to put them to the test to get ready for next season."
The Sports Car Wars 2013 season opener is scheduled for March 22-24 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. This is the fourth straight year the Pirelli World Challenge will begin its race season in the Sunshine State with a big doubleheader weekend as part of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IZOD IndyCar event. GT and GTS competitors will open the season with Round One scheduled for Saturday, March 23, and Round Two on Sunday, March 24.
GT and GTS teams then head off to compete in the Roar by The Shore and the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19-21. It’s the eighth-straight year the series will compete in Long Beach on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course.
The series travels back to the Motor City and the Streets of Belle Isle, Detroit, May 31-June 2. GT and GTS teams will run a big doubleheader weekend as part of the Detroit Chevrolet Belle Isle Grand Prix.
July 12–14, GT and GTS teams set their sights north of the border to compete at Exhibition Place on the Streets of Toronto as part of the Honda Indy Toronto. The series last competed on the 1.765 mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in 2010.
August 2–4, all four classes return to race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The series made its first appearance at Mid-O in 1994 and has had the track on its schedule consecutively since 2002. Teams then make the trek west to Sonoma, California to race at Sonoma Raceway, August 23–25.
The series finale weekend is scheduled for October 4–6 as part of the Grand Prix of Houston. It’s the first time the series will compete at the 1.7-mile temporary Reliant Park street circuit. Two more events completing the 2013 schedule will be announced shortly. The total number of GT, GTS, Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec class races will be announced shortly.
“Our 2013 season will feature a perfect mix of the best street and road racing circuits in North America, offering a great opportunity for our drivers and teams to deliver tremendous sports car racing action with thunderous standing starts in a 50-minute sprint race format,” said Scott Bove, President and CEO, WC Vision. “The Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series will partner with IndyCar at seven events throughout the 2013 season and will continue to develop commercial partnerships with all of the tracks on the schedule.”
Pirelli World Challenge races feature thrilling standing starts, adrenaline filled door-to-door action and world-class drivers. Pirelli World Challenge features cars from the world's most popular manufacturers – race-prepped versions of the cars driven on the streets. Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, Pirelli World Challenge races at North America's premier road and temporary street courses. For more information about the series, visit www.world-challenge.com.
2013 Pirelli World Challenge Schedule of Events
March 22–24, Streets of St. Petersburg (with IndyCar). St. Petersburg, Fla. (GT, GTS)
April 19–21, Streets of Long Beach (with IndyCar/ALMS). Long Beach, Calif. (GT, GTS)
May TBD, (GT, GTS, Touring Car, Touring Car B-Spec)
May 31–June 2, Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, (with IndyCar). Detroit, Mich. (GT, GTS)
June TBD, (TC, TCB)
July TBD, (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
July 12–14, Streets of Toronto, (with IndyCar). Toronto, Ont. Can. (GT/GTS)
August 2–4, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (with IndyCar). Lexington, Ohio (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
August 23–25, Sonoma Raceway (with IndyCar). Sonoma, Calif. (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
Oct. 4¬–6, Streets of Houston (with IndyCar). Houston, Texas (GT, GTS, TC, TCB)
NEW GTS TEAM
Ken Stout Racing Inc. (KSR) today announced plans to race a Scion FR-S in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class in 2013. Robert Stout, the 2010 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Champion, has been retained as a Scion factory driver and will pilot the car in a factory-supported effort in partnership with Scion.
The KSR team organized under the leadership of Ken Stout, award-winning motorsports commentator and automotive enthusiast, has competed for seven years in various levels of motorsports and will make its sports car racing pro level debut in 2013 in Pirelli World Challenge. Since 2011, Robert Stout has been competing in GT, GS and ST classes in Grand Am. During his first year in Grand Am, Stout led numerous races and qualified as high as 2nd while earning five top 10's and one top five in 10 GS races.
“This is a great day for sure,” said Robert Stout. “This is what we have been working for over the past seven years. To get picked up by Scion is a very special honor. You can do everything right, put your time in, pay your dues, build relationships, win races and still never get an opportunity like this. It fits like a glove, the car is young and trendy not to mention the hottest release in years for the automotive industry. I fit right into their customer line, Scion is grass roots people and so is our team. There are only three of us, but now we have the needed support from Scion and TRD along with our good friends at Lucas Oil to go up against some of the best factory teams in the business. To be mentioned as part of the outstanding group of factory Scion drivers and join that unique fraternity is definitely one of my career highlights. We love the Pirelli World Challenge format, venues and the crowds they draw, we have a lot of friends there and I can’t wait to get the season started!”
NEW TC TEAM
Rimicci Corse, based in Northridge, Calif., has built a Fiat 500 Abarth to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships Touring Car Class in the 2013 season. The no. 57 Rimicci Corse Fiat 500 Abarth will be driven by Anthony Rimicci, and will be the first Fiat 500 Abarth to race in North America.
The car was shown for the first time to friends, family, and sponsors during the Rimicci Corse launch party at Los Angeles Brewing Company in Los Angeles, Calif.
If you've heard of Rimicci, you're probably thinking of someone else. Rimicci and his father run Santo's Italian Car Service in Northridge, California. Known for its service and preparation of Alfa Romeos and Fiats, SICS has built and prepared several of the fastest vintage racing Alfa Romeos in the country. Of course, with no new Alfa Romeos in the country since 1995, you can only race an Alfa Romeo in a vintage series. Naturally, SICS has worked on several Fiat products over its history - in fact, a family owned 1970 Fiat 500 appeared on SPEED Channel's 101 Cars You Must Drive, with Rimicci shouting in Italian at host Alonzo Bodden.
With the introduction of the Fiat 500 Abarth to America, Rimicci has partnered with SICS customer Deke Williams to build a pair of Abarths for the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. The driver of the second car, either a seasoned pro or someone with fistfuls of cash, will be named later and the team is probably already talking to them - so don't blow up their phones.
While Rimicci's racing resume includes several seasons of competition in the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, Vintage Auto Racing Association, Historic Motor Sports Association and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, this will be his first foray into professional competition.
"I'm going pro racing in a Fiat - what could go wrong?" said Rimicci. "We've built a brand-new car, a new team, for a series we've never done before, on tracks I've never driven. While most people look at us like we are crazy, the response we've gotten from the car has been pretty incredible. All the ladies say 'it's so cute!' We know we have a big job ahead of us to be competitive in Touring Car but it's going to be really fun to give it a shot."
As part of the development of the car, it will compete in this year's NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill on December 8-9 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif. Rimicci will partner with GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge driver and 25 Hour veteran Johnny Kanavas (whose wife is Sicilian), brother and Alfa Romeo racer Fabrizio Rimicci, and longtime vintage racing friend Efrain Olivares (who, in a strange coincidence, is the author of this press release) in hopes that the Abarth somehow survives the longest endurance race in the world.
"One great thing about being Italian is you have a huge family, which means, you have a lot of people you can ask for help," said Rimicci. "Also, it means we'll have an espresso machine in our trailer to keep the guys going through the night. The 25 Hour will be a big challenge but we also expect it to be a lot of fun. We can't think of a better scenario to test the Abarth under race conditions and really push its limits. There are a lot of parts that have been built specifically for the car and we really want to put them to the test to get ready for next season."
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