Most liked posts in thread: Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) 2015

Eric@Helix · Mar 18, 2015

Check out Holton's first lap in-car at COTA. This is dive-bombing direct from vintage BTCC racing. He gets the brass stones award for the two car pass in the left-hander.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRPzkjb-5OU"]Paul Holton Pirelli World Challenge COTA 2015 Race 2 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Apr 8, 2015

PWC rounds 3 & 4.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cMuB_sDF64"]PWC15 StPete OffAir - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Apr 6, 2015

Pirelli World Challenge gains momentum in sports-car racing (autoweek.com)

April 1, 2015

Series becoming a major player in sports-car racing

The Pirelli World Challenge is on the move. Oftentimes, the same goes for its president/CEO.

â€œWeâ€™re not here by accident,â€ Scott Bove, himself a former racer, says while driving through Florida prior to the Twelve Hours of Sebring. â€œEverything weâ€™ve done with Pirelli World Challenge has been calculated and thought-out.â€

It appears the planning is paying off.

In 2008, Bove, along with four other like-minded businessmen (and racers), formed WC Vision LLC to license and eventually purchase the Pro Racing World Challenge from the Sports Car Club of America. Until that point, the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge had enjoyed 18 consecutive seasons of racing but still struggled to keep its finances in order.

â€œIt was a financial mess,â€ Bove says. â€œWe were just trying to get things straightened out.â€

And thus began the rise of what is now the Pirelli World Challenge from a money-troubled series that wasnâ€™t quite sure what it wanted to be to an American sports-car outfit on the verge of becoming a spectator-friendly powerhouse.

The ascension has been relatively quick. Bove, with the blessing of his partners, took over as president and CEO in 2009, charged with the day-to-day running of the business. (Heâ€™s quick to remind that itâ€™s a business before a racing series.)

The plan was simple: Stop the bleeding and break even in three years. They did it in two.

By 2011, the series had inked a five-year title sponsorship deal with Pirelli and, according to Bove, had made a â€œsignificant profit while building cash reserves.â€

Now, Bove says the series is in a good financial spot. And thatâ€™s not the only place itâ€™s sitting pretty.

With a viewer-friendly format, a new TV deal, a field full of manufacturers and a system that makes racing somewhat affordable, the Pirelli World Challenge is poised to compete with the IMSA-governed Tudor United SportsCar Championship as Americaâ€™s premier sports-car series.

Ironically, the merging of the ALMS and Grand-Am, which was done to streamline the sports-car racing landscape, actually made room for the Pirelli World Challenge to emerge.

â€œThe timing for Pirelli World Challenge was perfect,â€ says driver Ryan Dalziel, who competed in GT races at the Circuit of the Americas in March. â€œSince the middle of 2013, itâ€™s just grown massively. When ALMS and Grand-Am merged into one, all of a sudden there was room for an alternate series. The racingâ€™s great; the budgets are low, which is why I think you see so many people out here doing this.â€

Like with most PWC races, the grid was packed at COTA. With more than 100 cars competing in seven different classes, some teams were forced to set up on an auxiliary paddock.

The abundance of cars is a double-edged knife for the series, because when it pairs with a more prominent outfit like IndyCar, it can only bring its best classes.

â€œWe canâ€™t bring 100 cars to an IndyCar event,â€ Bove says. â€œThere just isnâ€™t room.â€

Which brings Pirelli World Challenge to the next step in its plan: holding standalone events.

The COTA event was the first-ever standalone race weekend for the series and another goal it can mark off on its checklist.

â€œThis is exactly what we envisioned when we started,â€ says Rafael Navarro, Pirelliâ€™s vice president of communications. â€œThis was part of our plan.â€

With seven classes and dozens of cars, itâ€™s not hard to find action on the track, but how does the series keep viewers
entertained?

Simple. The sprint format, which sets Pirelli World Challenge apart from its competitors. Rather than banking on the tradition and nuance of endurance races that can take anywhere from four to 24 hours, PWC showcases several relatively short contests.

â€œI love the format,â€ Touring Car driver Shea Holbrook says. â€œFans get to see cars on the track that they drive on the road. Every car here is one that you could see in a showroom. And the races are quick enough that fans get to see lots and lots of cars. This is a true car loverâ€™s series.â€

Short races (normally around 45 minutes) force drivers to make bold moves, which usually equals great TV.

â€œIâ€™m a professional driver, and I still like to watch this series on television,â€ says Dalziel.

As a result of the seriesâ€™ plan for maximum reach, fans, along with Dalziel, will be able to get more Pirelli World Challenge on their screens this season, whether it be on a TV or on a computer screen.

After the brilliant move of leaving Speed Network and signing with Versus, which later became NBC Sports Network (which also carries IndyCar), Pirelli World Challenge left NBCSN this season when the network started putting more of its resources into NASCAR programming.

â€œWe left NBC Sports for almost the same reason as we left Speed,â€ Bove says. â€œItâ€™s tough to compete for airtime with NASCAR.â€

Instead, Pirelli World Challenge signed with CBS Sports Network and continues to do a live Internet broadcast from the seriesâ€™ website (world-challenge.com).

â€œThatâ€™s the future for us right now,â€ Bove says. â€œWe hope to get more and more people watching.â€

Despite the momentum, Navarr says the series isnâ€™t completely content.

â€œYou can never be happy. If youâ€™re happy where youâ€™re at, youâ€™re not thinking ahead to see what you can do.â€
Click to expand...

Steve · May 10, 2015

GTS from last weekend at Barber.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAJELiG-GAU"]PWC15 Barber AirCut GTS Copy - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 30, 2015

The 2015 TC/TCA/TCB at CTMP:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UozaesIzZ8"]TC CTMP CBS V1 - YouTube[/ame]

mrntd · Mar 18, 2015

I have to say watching 50 GT3 cars have at it in the rain was great. This is going to be a great year for the PWC.

CHKMINI · Mar 20, 2015

Love the helmet cam view!

minirab · Apr 22, 2015

This is why I hate all street races, well with the exception of Monaco.:biggrin5:

Steve · May 8, 2015

After watching that race...

1) I feel sorry for everyone who bought a ticket.

2) I completely understand Dalziel's disgust. He's the guy penalized for walking off the podium and skipping the champagne celebration (see article linked at post #13, above). He said "I wasn't just mad for my own race. I was mad for all drivers/teams and fans."

Good for him.

Steve · May 10, 2015

And here's the GT/GTA/GT Cup.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJuj8kWnXko"]PWC15 Barber AirCut GT - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Aug 7, 2015

What the heck, didn't see this coming. This could be very good or very bad time will tell. :fingerscrossed:

ScottinBend · Aug 7, 2015

He was a very poor announcer IMHO........hope he makes a better administrator.

Steve · Aug 9, 2015

For those who get the CBS Sports Network, the broadcast from last week's GT/GTA, GT Cup race at Mid-Ohio starts in about 15 min.

Steve · Mar 17, 2015

PWC Confirms CBS Sports, Torque TV Partnership and Air Times (sportscar365.com)

February 20, 2015

WC Vision has announced a new TV broadcast partnership with CBS Sports Network and Torque TV. The three-year partnership runs through the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge season.

CBS Sports Network and Torque TV will broadcast more than 60 hours of Pirelli World Challenge action with dedicated 120- or 90-minute programs for GT/GTA, the GT Cup presented by MOMO and GTS classes.

The GT classes and GTS class will have dedicated segments within the broadcast shows. TC classes will have 60-minute programs. Broadcasts will be shown one-week tape delayed in prime time slots either on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesday evenings.

Highlights of the partnership with CBS Sports and Torque TV include a 90-minute live broadcast of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix race on Sunday, May 31st and a magazine style show entitled Inside the Pirelli World Challenge that will take an indepth, behind-the-scenes look at the series.

Series announcers Greg Creamer, Calvin Fish and Jeff Lepper will return to call the action again for 2015.

â€œWith the steady growth of the series, we needed to expand our TV broadcast footprint as well as finding a partner that would work with us on live TV production,â€ said Scott Bove, President and CEO of WC Vision/Pirelli World Challenge.

â€œAdditionally we needed a TV broadcast partner that brought enhanced streaming/online capabilities and the partnership with Torque TV gives us that.â€

2015 Pirelli World Challenge Broadcast Schedule on CBS Sports Network:

Saturday, March 14, 11 AM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX
Wednesday, March 18, 8 PM: TC, TCA, TCB. Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX
Sunday, April 5, 5 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, FL
Sunday, April 26, 3:30 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO. Grand Prix of Long Beach, CA
Sunday, May 3, 2 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL
Sunday, May 24, 5 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Bowmanville, ONT
Wednesday, May 27, 7 PM: TC, TCA, TCB Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Bowmanville, ONT
(Live) Sunday, May 31, 11 AM: GT/GTA. Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Detroit, MI
Wednesday, July 1, 10 PM: Inside Pirelli World Challenge â€“ Part I
Sunday, July 5, 4 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
Wednesday, July 8, 7 PM: TC, TCA, TCB. Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
Sunday, August 2, 4 PM: Inside Pirelli World Challenge â€“ Part II
Sunday, August 9, 4 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH
Sunday, August 30, 4 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, UT
Wednesday, September 2, 8 PM: TC, TCA, TCB. Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, UT
Sunday, September 6, 5 PM: GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, CA
Sunday, September 20, 3 PM: ET GT/GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, CA
Wednesday, September 23, 10 PM: TC, TCA, TCB Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, CA
Sunday, October 4, 4 PM: ET Inside Pirelli World Challenge â€“ Part III
Click to expand...

mrntd · Mar 18, 2015

I was thinking the same thing. I just finished watching the race.

For those, like me, that don't have CBS sports you can watch the entire season of races, without commercials, here. World Challenge TV

ScottinBend · Apr 7, 2015

Great series with lots of cars.....too bad the TV coverage still sucks.

mrntd · Apr 9, 2015

With racing this good if nbc sports or fox gave them real air time I think they would be surprised at the ratings.

Unfortunately in St. Pete the first race was end capped by cautions and the second was "started late" by an early caution. After that the racing was great. There doesn't seem to be any dominant team.

Steve · Apr 20, 2015

What the heck happened in Long Beach? I just read this from SportsCar365:

PWC Update: Incidents for Car# 6, 9, 10, 11,13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 30, 31, 32, 41, 42, 44, 54, 61,65, 99, 01, 02, 05, 07 & 08 under review
Click to expand...

Holy crap! And all under review post-race? Need to do some more searching.....

Steve · Apr 20, 2015

Beretta Wins Caution-Filled PWC Long Beach Round (sportscar365.com)

Tony DiZinno | April 19, 2015

Olivier Beretta has won the fifth round of the Pirelli World Challenge season at Long Beach, but like at St. Petersburg, yellow flags, incidents and poor driving standards ruled the day in the 50-minute race.

Most of the race was run under yellow, following a series of incidents, track blockages and questionable moves.

Even Berettaâ€™s race wasnâ€™t entirely clean, with the climactic moment of the race occurring on one of the rare green flag laps.

Off a restart, Johnny Oâ€™Connell made a pass on Beretta for the lead entering Turn 6, and completed the move to the inside.

On the run from Turn 6 through to Turn 8, however, Oâ€™Connell, Kevin Estre and Beretta were split three-wide going into the corner.

In an accordion effect accident, Berettaâ€™s No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 collected Estreâ€™s No. 9 K-PAX Racing with Flying Lizard Motorsports McLaren 650S GT3, which then collected Oâ€™Connellâ€™s No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R.

â€œIt was difficult because each time you went under yellow, you had to restart everything,â€ Beretta said. â€œEach time on the restart, it is a challenge.

â€œIâ€™m happy with the result, I just feel sorry for Johnny (Oâ€™Connell) â€” we went three-wide into the corner and there was contact. I am sorry for him â€” I donâ€™t think it was my mistake, it was just that on a street race right there, we could not be three-wide.â€

Beretta was not issued a penalty during the race; however, all results are provisional and subject to potential post-race penalties. It remains to be seen whether one is issued post-race.

The Monegasque driver made it home to the win, his third of the season, ahead of Chris Dyson and Ryan Dalziel.

Dyson posted a season-best result both for him and the Bentley Team Dyson Racing Bentley Continental GT3, with Dalziel on the podium for the fourth time in five races in his No. 31 EFFORT Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Michael Lewis, in the No. 41 EFFORT Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, finished fourth overall and top GTA classified driver. James Davison was fifth in the No. 33 AE Nissan GT Academy Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 with Ryan Eversley sixth in the No. 43 RealTime Racing Acura TLX-GT.

A rule exists in the Pirelli World Challenge rulebook that can affect GTA driver classification status if a driver achieves two overall top-five finishes, which Lewis now has after finishing fifth overall at Round 1 at Circuit of the Americas.

Per Rule 2.1.3.1.A of the Pirelli World Challenge rulebook, a driver who achieves an overall first, second or third position, or two overall fourth and fifth positions will automatically be moved to the GT class.

Colin Thompson, in the No. 11 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, won the GT Cup presented by MOMO class.

Both Lewis and Thompson won their fourth race in five attempts this year.

There were other incidents affecting cars in the 38-car field â€“ at one point, the entire Turn 11 hairpin was blocked â€“ in a race primarily run behind the safety car.

The next round of the Pirelli World Challenge season occurs at Barber Motorsports Park next week, with a doubleheader race for the GT, GTA, GT Cup and GTS classes.

World Challenge issued a notice to competitors late Sunday, confirming the following cars under review for incidents:

Cars No. 6, 9, 10, 11,13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 30, 31, 32, 41, 42, 44, 54, 61, 65, 99, 01, 02, 05, 07, 08.

Rulings are expected to be made in the next few days.

RESULTS: Round 5 (Provisional)
Click to expand...

Steve · Apr 21, 2015

Just a snip, link to the rest below.

Driver So Mad At Race That He Refused To Do The Champagne Spray (jalopnik.com)

Stef Schrader | 4/20/15 2:43am

Twenty-five cars are currently under investigation for various incidents during the Long Beach Grand Prix round of the Pirelli World Challenge, including that of Ryan Dalziel. Dalziel was so frustrated with how this race went that he just walked off the podium during the celebration afterwards.

Only the GT, GTA and GT Cup classes raced at the Pirelli World Challengeâ€™s â€œRoar by the Shoreâ€ this weekend, and over half the field is under investigation for what quickly became a massive yellow-flag fest. The narrow street course combined with some questionable driving moves left no one happy with the outcome. The (provisionally) winning GT driver, Olivier Beretta, was blamed by many for causing a major incident that damaged Kevin Estre and Johnny Oâ€™Connellâ€™s cars, plus it looks like his Ferrari jumped the start.
Click to expand...

Full article here.

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