PWC 2015 Season - Camaro Wins race#2 at COTA

[Mikamaro]

The first race was won in the dry by the Aston-Martin Vantage GT4 of Wilson.
(No Camaro where to be seen on the Top five)

The second race was in the Wet and the Camaro won easy! Michael Cooper with the Blackdog speed shop!
Congrats

http://www.world-challenge.com/news/...-americas.html

[Mikamaro]

Austin, TX - Michael Cooper, of Syosset, NY, the 2012 Touring Car Champion, scored his first career GTS series race win in Round 2 at the Circuit of the Americas, at the Nissan Grand Prix of Texas brought to you by Motul. Ben Clucas, of Northhampton, England, in the No. 36 Kia Motors America / Kinetic Motorsports/Kia Racing, Kia Optima finished second, while Andrew Aquilante, of Chester Springs, PA, in the No. 32 Calvert Dynamics/Phoenix Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302 finished third.


With rain falling for the start of the race and a wet track, Pirelli World Challenge Race Control set a double file rolling start in place of the traditional series standing start. Pole sitter Kris Wilson, of Monument, CO, in the No. 07 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and second on the grid Aquilante, picked up the battle from where they left it in Saturday's Round 1 race, with Wilson and Aquilante going side by side for most of turns 1, 2 and 3. Third on the grid, Dean Martin, of Westland, MI, in the No. 50 Rehagen Racing/Picture Cars East Ford Boss 302 following on the bumpers of both Aquilante and Wilson.
In a display of wet driving prowess, big mover on lap 1 was Cooper in the No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Z28 who rocketed up from ninth on the grid to challenge Martin for third mid-way through lap 1. By the end of lap 1, Cooper had passed both Martin and Aquilante and set his sights on Wilson. By turn 19, Cooper passed Wilson for the lead.

As Cooper opened up a gap of more three seconds by lap two the race was on for second with Wilson, Aquilante, and Martin now nose to tail. Aquilante got past Wilson for second with Wilson now hounded by Martin followed by the No. 36 driven by Clucas.

Lap three saw the battle for third go three wide across the stripe with Martin getting the advantage out of turn 1 and Clucas getting by Wilson for fourth. Jack Roush Jr., of Lavonia, MI. in the No. 60 Roush Performance Capaldi Racing Ford Boss302 also passed Wilson who lost three positions in a lap dropping from third to sixth.

By lap 5, Cooper stretched his lead to 10 seconds followed by Aquilante, Martin, Clucas, and Roush Jr. Aquilante then started to solidify his second position as Roush Jr. put pressure on Clucas for fourth. Cooper continued to set fast laps establishing a gap of more than 12 seconds ahead of Aquilante.

On Lap 9, Cooper remained out front by over 12 seconds followed by Aquilante who held a gap of over three seconds over Martin, with Clucas now starting to close the gap. The race was now on for third between Martin’s V8 rear-wheel drive Mustang and Clucas’s turbocharged inline 4-cylinder front-wheel drive Kia. Clucas passed Martin at turn 11 but the No. 50 car driver re-passed retaking the position. On lap 11, Clucas passed Martin for good and set a charge to catch Aquilante for second. On lap 12, Clucas had closed the gap to 2.5 seconds on Aquilante and on lap 13 cut another second off the distance to Aquilante. Now hot on the heals of Aquilante, Clucas passed Aquilante at turn 11 only for Aquilante to retake his position. Nose to tail up the front straight Clucas makes the move in turn one taking second.

With four to go, Clucas was behind Cooper by over 11 seconds but was running more than a second faster than the leader. Behind them a three-way battle for third continued with Aquilante, leading Martin and Roush Jr. With two to go Clucas has cut the distance to Cooper in half but the clock was not in his favor and he settled for a second, and his first career podium in the series. Aquilante finished third, ahead of Martin in fourth, followed by Roush Jr. in fifth.

Cooper won a number of awards including the Optima Batteries Best Start for gaining six positions on the first lap as well as the VP Racing Fuels Hard Charger Award for gaining eight positions during the race.

“I was planning on biding my time being pretty patient not knowing how quickly I may be able to pass people, but once everyone went inside around the corners I just took the outside line as there was so much more grip out there,” said Cooper. “I think those guys figured it out towards the end of the race and started to catch me.”

“The Kia was fantastic, said Clucas. “In this morning’s warm-up we struggled a bit. So I didn’t really know how we were going to fair. Kinetic did a fantastic job making changes to the car and we were worried a little bit that we wouldn’t make pre-grid. We were changing a lot. When we got out there it was like night and day and I was able to maintain a really good pace and I managed to pick my way up to second.”

“It was a little bit nerve racking looking at the weather radar because we are new to the Pirelli tire, never been on the rain tires,” said Aquilante. “We went out in warm up and pretty much did the same thing as the Kias, we were scrambling to make some changes and they were pretty good early on and we were suffering towards the end of the race. Have to thank Dean Martin for racing me clean, I was trying everything I could to keep him behind me.”

Of note, Roush Jr. was awarded the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race Award for passing Mark Wilkins, of Toronto, ON in the No. 38 Kia Motors America / Kinetic Motorsports/Kia Racing, Kia Optima. The Cadillac Move of the Race was awarded to Clucas for his pass on Aquilante for second place on lap 10.

GTS teams now head to St. Petersburg for Round 3 of the Championship. Watch GTS Rounds 1 and 2 on CBS Sports Network, Saturday, March 14 at 11am eastern.

AUSTIN, TX - Results from Sunday's 20-lap 68 mile Pirelli World Challenge Championship GTS Round 2 race, part of the Nisssan Grand Prix of Texas at Circuit of the Americas brought to you by Motul, with finishing position, class, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out (if any).

1. GTS, (9), Michael Cooper, Syosset, N.Y., Chevrolet Z28, 20.
2. GTS, (8), Ben Clucas, Northhampton, England, Kia Optima, 20, -3.643.
3. GTS, (2), Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, Pa., Ford Mustang Boss302, 20, -9.506.
4. GTS, (3), Dean Martin, Westland, Mich., Ford Mustang Boss302, 20, -9.862.
5. GTS, (10), Jack Roush Jr, Livonia, Mich., Ford Mustang Boss302, 20, -10.198.
6. GTS, (6), Mark Wilkins, Toronto, Ontario, KIA Optima, 20, -25.759.
7. GTS, (7), Derek DeBoer, Ashland, Ore., Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 20, -38.953.
8. GTS, (4), Kurt Rezzetano, Phoenixville, Pa., Ford Mustang, 20, -42.206.
9. GTS, (1), Kris Wilson, Monument, Colo., Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 20, -1:00.893.
10. GTS, (5), Andy Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo., Chevrolet Camaro, 20, -1:13.606.
11. GTS, (14), Mark Klenin, Lone Tree, Colo., Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 20, -2:20.898.
12. GTS, (18), Nick Esayian, San Diego, Calif., Ford Mustang Boss302, 20, -2:22.381.
13. GTS, (16), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Chevrolet Z28, 19, -1 lap.
14. GTS, (19), Geoff Reeves, Cleveland, Ohio, Chevrolet Camaro, 19, -1 lap.
15. GTS, (17), Buz McCall, Boca Raton, Fla., Porsche Cayman, 19, -1 lap.
16. GTS, (11), Jack Baldwin, Marietta, Ga., Porsche Cayman, 19, -1 lap.
17. GTS, (15), Dan Martinson(R), Medina, Minn., Ford Mustang Boss302, 17, -3 lap.
18. GTS, (12), Lou Gigliotti, Plano, Texas, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 9, -11 laps.
19. GTS, (13), Preston Calvert(R), Potomac, Md., Ford Mustang Boss302, 2, -18 laps.
20. GTS, (20), Vesko Kozarov, Salt Lake City, Utah, Nissan 370Z, 0, -20 laps.

Time of race: 51 minutes, 39.439 seconds.
Average speed: 78.982 mph
Margin of victory: 3.643 Seconds
Lap leaders: Laps 1-1, #07 Kris Wilson; laps 2-20, #10 Michael Cooper
Fastest race lap: #36 Ben Clucas, 2:32.256 (80.391 mph)

Fastest qualifier: #07 Kris Wilson, 2:18.130 (88.612 mph)

[Doubleblank]

We had 2 P3's in the GT3Cup class running with the GT cars. You should have heard everyone complaining about the Camaro in the second race. "That damn sophisticated TC system really helped them in the rain". The Boss302 we sold to buy the 991 Porsche finished 2nd and 3rd. The McClaren ran well on day 2.

[Mikamaro]

Originally Posted by Doubleblank

We had 2 P3's in the GT3Cup class running with the GT cars. You should have heard everyone complaining about the Camaro in the second race. "That damn sophisticated TC system really helped them in the rain". The Boss302 we sold to buy the 991 Porsche finished 2nd and 3rd. The McClaren ran well on day 2.

Congrats! good start of the year, good driving by Alec too: GTC Fastest Race Lap: Car # 17 Alec Udell 02:36.316 - 78.303 MPH
, last year the McLaren haven't do so well, what change?
lol...wow never thought I've heard one day some bashing against the traction Control Out of a Camaro!
I was thinking that the wider track of the Camaro help a lot in the rain. It's not it's top end speed that made him win, that's for sure!

[Doubleblank]

Not sure what KPAX is doing different, but they are a top notch race team and did well with Volvo and Randy Pobst a few years ago. The fields for the WC events just keep getting bigger and that makes it more fun to see so many different cars racing. We are optimistic that as Alec and GMG "learn" the 991's dynamics, we might get a P1 somewhere. Perhaps at the street tracks like St Pete and Long Beach where Alec has experience.

[BMR Sales]

Congratulations Black Dog Racing!

Black Dog is running quite a few BMR parts on the car - we were even overnighting some Spares to COTA the middle of last week.

Can't wait for St Pete!

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by Doubleblank

Not sure what KPAX is doing different, but they are a top notch race team and did well with Volvo and Randy Pobst a few years ago. The fields for the WC events just keep getting bigger and that makes it more fun to see so many different cars racing. We are optimistic that as Alec and GMG "learn" the 991's dynamics, we might get a P1 somewhere. Perhaps at the street tracks like St Pete and Long Beach where Alec has experience.

Do you work for Sofronas & GMG?

[Doubleblank]

No. I own the Porsche. My company, Panther Pipeline, is on the hood and tail as a sponsor. Used to own race teams, but took too much time so now we own cars and sub out race prep/hauling/repairs/etc to GMG.

Cadillac debuted their new ATS race cars but didn't fare too well. Probably still working out the kinks.

[Doubleblank]

I did teach Alec Udell his best racing move. "Hold the trophy with one hand.....and put the other hand right.....there!"

[Mikamaro]

Mouaahah!! Love it. You're a good teacher!

[Mgizzle]

Originally Posted by Doubleblank

No. I own the Porsche. My company, Panther Pipeline, is on the hood and tail as a sponsor. Used to own race teams, but took too much time so now we own cars and sub out race prep/hauling/repairs/etc to GMG.

Cadillac debuted their new ATS race cars but didn't fare too well. Probably still working out the kinks.

Didnt fare too well? Podium first race and 7th or better second race.....on their debut. Thats not bad, you have to admit. Car also had fastest laptime in first race saturday. Congrats to the camaro guys I heard they ran the CCM brakes....where is the Pill now..

[Doubleblank]

I'm used to seeing Johnny and Andy running top 5 all the time. I bet they will be there by mid season. This is where GM makes their big bets in racing.

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by Doubleblank

No. I own the Porsche. My company, Panther Pipeline, is on the hood and tail as a sponsor. Used to own race teams, but took too much time so now we own cars and sub out race prep/hauling/repairs/etc to GMG.

Cadillac debuted their new ATS race cars but didn't fare too well. Probably still working out the kinks.

Cool, Will you be at St Pete?

[Doubleblank]

The car and Alec will be at St Pete, not sure about myself. My wife, myself and friends have made that event the last 3 years and enjoy it. We always make a stop at Taco Bus on Central! But this year it looks like our other activities will get in the way. It will be a game time decision for me. I see that the GTS class races Friday and Saturday this year.