By Erin Cechal
Montreal's Kuno Wittmer earned his third win of the season in Round Seven of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
RealTime Racing teammate Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., finished second followed by rookie Jim Daniels, of Germantown, Tenn.
Teammates Wittmer and Cunningham filled the front row of the SPEED Touring Car grid, with Cunningham's No. 42 Acura TSX on the pole. When the start lights went out, Wittmer's No. 44 Acura TSX pulled alongside Cunningham in Turn One and finished off the job in Turn Two to take the lead.
Wittmer and Cunningham defended their position from the Tri-Point Mazdas of Jason Saini and Daniels on the lap-five restart and the top four quickly spaced out as they pulled away from the rest of the pack.
The distances between the top four ebbed and flowed as the race continued its 27-lap, 60.966 mile distance, but there was no stopping Wittmer who crossed the line 0.868-second ahead of Cunningham.
"I had my mirrors full with Peter [Cunningham]. He had the pressure on. I'd gap him a little bit but then he'd catch me a little bit in certain areas. At one point, in Madness, I got caught out on some dirt and [Cunningham] caught me a lot and I lost my gap."
It was the third win of the season for Wittmer who now has 705 points in the Drivers' Championship and takes over the lead from previous leader Kleinubing.
Cunningham also moves up in the standings past Kleinubing and now lies second in the Drivers' Championship, with 682 points, to Kleinubing's 648.
With only four laps remaining in the race, third-place Saini ran a little wide through Turn One, handing the final podium spot to his teammate Daniels, of Germantown, Tenn., in the No. 75 MAZDA 6. It's the first World Challenge podium finish for the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion, who also recorded the fastest lap of the race, a 1:34.152 (86.337 mph).
Acura continues to lead Mazda in the SCCA SPEED Touring Car Manufacturers' Championship Presented by RACER Magazine, 61 points to 41.
Round Eight will take place at Road America August 8 - 10.
Race Results :
Position (StartingPosition) Driver Hometown Car OutLaps/Reason(if any)
1. (2), Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, Quebec, Acura TSX, 27.
2. (1), Peter Cunningham, Milwaukee, Wis., Acura TSX, 27, -0.868.
3. (7), Jim Daniels(R), Germantown, Tenn., MAZDA6, 27, -1.726.
4. (3), Jason Saini(R), Fort Worth, Texas, MAZDA6, 27, -5.106.
5. (8), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, MAZDA6, 27, -11.063.
6. (15), Seth Thomas, Cumming, Ga., BMW 325i, 27, -18.322.
7. (4), Chip Herr, Lititz, Pa., MAZDA6, 27, -19.602.
8. (13), Glenn Bocchino, Delray Beach, Fla., Acura RSX, 27, -23.129.
9. (5), Dino Crescentini, Mahattan Beach, Calif., Acura TSX, 27, -23.527.
10. (12), Robb Holland, Denver, Colo., Dodge SRT-4, 27, -42.947.
11. (10), James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i, 27, -53.291.
12. (16), Charlie Putman, Mills, Wyo., MAZDA6, 27, -1:00.023.
13. (19), Branden Peterson, Breckenridge, Colo., Acura TSX, 27, -1:35.178.
14. (11), Jason Martinelli, Roxbury, Conn., BMW 325i, 26, -1 lap.
15. (14), Nick Esayian, San Diego, Calif., BMW 325i, 26, -1 lap.
16. (18), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 26, -1 lap.
17. (17), Patrick Lindsey(R), Santa Barbara, Calif., MAZDA6, 8, Mech.
18. (6), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., MAZDA6, 0, Crash.
19. (9), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, 0, Crash.
Montreal's Kuno Wittmer earned his third win of the season in Round Seven of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
RealTime Racing teammate Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., finished second followed by rookie Jim Daniels, of Germantown, Tenn.
Teammates Wittmer and Cunningham filled the front row of the SPEED Touring Car grid, with Cunningham's No. 42 Acura TSX on the pole. When the start lights went out, Wittmer's No. 44 Acura TSX pulled alongside Cunningham in Turn One and finished off the job in Turn Two to take the lead.
Wittmer and Cunningham defended their position from the Tri-Point Mazdas of Jason Saini and Daniels on the lap-five restart and the top four quickly spaced out as they pulled away from the rest of the pack.
The distances between the top four ebbed and flowed as the race continued its 27-lap, 60.966 mile distance, but there was no stopping Wittmer who crossed the line 0.868-second ahead of Cunningham.
"I had my mirrors full with Peter [Cunningham]. He had the pressure on. I'd gap him a little bit but then he'd catch me a little bit in certain areas. At one point, in Madness, I got caught out on some dirt and [Cunningham] caught me a lot and I lost my gap."
It was the third win of the season for Wittmer who now has 705 points in the Drivers' Championship and takes over the lead from previous leader Kleinubing.
Cunningham also moves up in the standings past Kleinubing and now lies second in the Drivers' Championship, with 682 points, to Kleinubing's 648.
With only four laps remaining in the race, third-place Saini ran a little wide through Turn One, handing the final podium spot to his teammate Daniels, of Germantown, Tenn., in the No. 75 MAZDA 6. It's the first World Challenge podium finish for the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion, who also recorded the fastest lap of the race, a 1:34.152 (86.337 mph).
Acura continues to lead Mazda in the SCCA SPEED Touring Car Manufacturers' Championship Presented by RACER Magazine, 61 points to 41.
Round Eight will take place at Road America August 8 - 10.
Race Results :
Position (StartingPosition) Driver Hometown Car OutLaps/Reason(if any)
1. (2), Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, Quebec, Acura TSX, 27.
2. (1), Peter Cunningham, Milwaukee, Wis., Acura TSX, 27, -0.868.
3. (7), Jim Daniels(R), Germantown, Tenn., MAZDA6, 27, -1.726.
4. (3), Jason Saini(R), Fort Worth, Texas, MAZDA6, 27, -5.106.
5. (8), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, MAZDA6, 27, -11.063.
6. (15), Seth Thomas, Cumming, Ga., BMW 325i, 27, -18.322.
7. (4), Chip Herr, Lititz, Pa., MAZDA6, 27, -19.602.
8. (13), Glenn Bocchino, Delray Beach, Fla., Acura RSX, 27, -23.129.
9. (5), Dino Crescentini, Mahattan Beach, Calif., Acura TSX, 27, -23.527.
10. (12), Robb Holland, Denver, Colo., Dodge SRT-4, 27, -42.947.
11. (10), James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i, 27, -53.291.
12. (16), Charlie Putman, Mills, Wyo., MAZDA6, 27, -1:00.023.
13. (19), Branden Peterson, Breckenridge, Colo., Acura TSX, 27, -1:35.178.
14. (11), Jason Martinelli, Roxbury, Conn., BMW 325i, 26, -1 lap.
15. (14), Nick Esayian, San Diego, Calif., BMW 325i, 26, -1 lap.
16. (18), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 26, -1 lap.
17. (17), Patrick Lindsey(R), Santa Barbara, Calif., MAZDA6, 8, Mech.
18. (6), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., MAZDA6, 0, Crash.
19. (9), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, 0, Crash.