Pobst has started his Champion
Racing Audi RS 6 Competition from the front row and has finished on the rostrum
in each of this season’s five races.
The SCCA organizers will
acknowledge Randy’s tremendous run of top, point-scoring results with 110lbs of
“rewards” ballast for the 50-minute Speed race on Sunday which means his
all-wheel-drive RS 6 quattro will tip the scales at a “beefy”
3380lbs - not an
ideal scenario when circulating the undulating, 12-turn, 2.52-mile Infineon
Raceway.
Reigning Speed GT World
Challenge champion Michael Galati reverts to his regular Audi
RS 6 Competition – Michael
having been forced to return to his championship-winning Audi S4 Competition for
the last race in Atlanta.
The Speed GT World Challenge
did not visit the Infineon Raceway last year while the best result the Audi
Sport North America supported Champion team has achieved was a second place in
2000 (Galati).
Michael Galati:
Speed World Challenge
stats: 74 starts, 16 wins, 37 top-3s, 52 top-5s, 63 top-10s.
“I’ll be back in my regular RS
6 which has now been repaired following my crash in testing at Moroso prior to
last race in Atlanta. That is the good news, especially in that the RS 6 felt
real good with its various improvements the last time I drove it. The bad news
is that Sears is unlikely to do us any favors. You need a ‘light’ car there and
although we have a powerful and reliable car, it’s heavy - even without the
ballast Randy is carrying.”
Randy Pobst:
Speed World Challenge stats: 19 starts, 6
wins, 16 top-3s, 17 top-5s, 17 top-10s.
“I've
always loved Sears - and I arrive in the points lead. It features
‘roller-coaster’ like hills and a wide variety of fast and slow corners. Our
Audis should be very good coming off of the tricky, slippery last corner, turn
eleven but there's not much in the way of straightaways. For this reason, and
the fact that it's not likely to rain this time of year in the Sonoma region, I
have to say it is the least favorable of the circuits on the World Challenge
tour for our big Audis. My goal is to ‘survive’ with a healthy point haul.”
Louis Milone -
Champion Racing RS 6 Team
Leader:
“Minimal damage was incurred
in Michael’s accident in testing prior to Road Atlanta - we only needed to
replace the rear trunk floor and left side inner and outer fender panels. Our
development program continues and since Atlanta we’ve been refining the braking
system with Alcon. Sears Point has not always been a great quattro race track
but we will do our best to stay afloat.”
Infineon Raceway (Sears Point) Timetable – Speed
GT World Challenge
Thursday:
0800-1700 (General Testing)
Friday:
0940-1000 / 1650-1710 (both Practice sessions)
Saturday:
1140-1200 Qualifying.
Sunday:
0850-0940 Race
2003 Speed GT World Challenge – Driver’s
Standings (after 5 races)
1 Randy Pobst, Audi RS 6 Competition.
141-points
2 Phil McClure, Corvette Z06. 129
3 Bill Auberlen, BMW M3. 128
4 Hans Stuck, BMW M3. 98
5 Mike Fitzgerald, Porsche 911. 84
6 Justin Marks, BMW M3. 83
14 Michael Galati, Audi RS 6 Competition. 47
2003 Speed GT World Challenge –
Manufacturers’ Standings (after 5 races)
1 BMW, 31
2 Audi, 27
3 Chevrolet, 24
4 Porsche, 19
Champion Racing 2003
SPEED GT Formguide (Audi RS 6 “Competition”)
Rd 1:
Sebring (14 March) 18-laps – 66.6 miles
Galati - Qualified: 5th
(2:14.021). Race: 25th (not running at finish), -9 laps
Pobst - Qualified: 2nd
(2:12.887).
Race: 3rd
Rd 2:
Mosport (18 May) 30-laps – 73.77 miles
Galati - Qualified: 4th
(1:25.894). Race: 16th, -1 lap
Pobst - Qualified: 2nd
(1:25.338). Race: 3rd
Rd 3: Lime
Rock (24 May) 42-laps – 64.26 miles
Galati - Qualified: 2nd
(1:09.967).
Race: 10th, - 1 lap
Pobst - Qualified: 1st
(1:09.307).
Race: 3rd
Rd 4: Lime
Rock (26 May) 40-laps – 61.2 miles
Galati - Qualified: 1st
(1:09.652). Race: Retired
Pobst - Qualified: 2nd
(1:09.864). Race: 2nd
Rd 5: Atlanta (28 Jun) 27-laps – 68.58 miles
Galati - Qualified: 4th
(1:32.737). Race: 13th
Pobst - Qualified: 2nd
(1:31.653). Race: 3rd
