Pirelli World Challenge Rounds 1 & 2: COTA

[TRspitfirefan]

Noticed a very exciting addition to the Cota entry list.
Ricardo Perez driving the #62 Ferrari in GT-A.
The team listed is Risi Competizione!

I wonder if this is a one/off entry for Texas, or if we will see this car at other rounds.

http://www.world-challenge.com/image...ry-List-v5.pdf

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by TRspitfirefan

Noticed a very exciting addition to the Cota entry list.
Ricardo Perez driving the #62 Ferrari in GT-A.
The team listed is Risi Competizione!

I wonder if this is a one/off entry for Texas, or if we will see this car at other rounds.

http://www.world-challenge.com/image...ry-List-v5.pdf

That's pretty cool!

[pach233]

The field just keeps getting better and better. It's gotten to the point where for most guys a top 10 in this field is a pretty big accomplishment.

Something to watch for: Last year at COTA at the IMSA Porsche Cup race, Colin Thompson and Sloan Urry had an amazing battle. They'll be buried in the third class but it'll be cool to see if they can replicate it.

[Mechanic Z]

So, I've been wondering about the three TBAs currently listed on the PWC COTA entry list.

http://www.world-challenge.com/image...ry-List-v5.pdf

The pro GT TBA is slotted between #20 and #28. This would very nicely fit the return of Reiter's #25 Lamborghini from last year.
One of the GTA TBAs is listed between #99 and #05, which would fit the #0 Reiter Lamborghini.

The difficult one to figure is the TBA car between #32 and #41.
Maybe a Lizard Audi? Their old #35 car has been being tested in what sure looks like GT3 spec.

Sonoma Raceway @RaceSonoma · Feb 24 Some killer cars going around our track today @FlyingLizard_MS #Testing #Racing





Since Brent Holden's GMG Audi has #44, running at as #35 would be possible, and it would fit the spot on the entry list.
Another possibility: Maybe the third TBA is the 3R Racing SaReNi Camaro GT3.

Fun to speculate, anyway!

[nasportscar]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

yeah, total number of entries up to 110 and there could be a couple more, mainly in GT(A), perhaps the second Ferri M'sport Ferrari and - like you said - 1 or 2 Lambos.

Looking at the numbers in the different divisions, it would make more sense to let the Cup Porsches run with the GTS class, the GT(A)/GT cup combo now has almost 50 cars while GTS sits on a much leaner 20.

numbers-wise, it makes sense.

But GTS want, and deserve, to be the main show and get overall wins. I think eventually we could see more Cup classes added (think Ferrari Challenge, Maserati Trofeo, Aston Martin GT4 Cup, etc) and create a true GT Cup class

[cmk]

Originally Posted by TRspitfirefan

Noticed a very exciting addition to the Cota entry list.
Ricardo Perez driving the #62 Ferrari in GT-A.
The team listed is Risi Competizione!

I wonder if this is a one/off entry for Texas, or if we will see this car at other rounds.

http://www.world-challenge.com/image...ry-List-v5.pdf

Interesting! I wonder if this is actually Ferri's second car entered by Risi? I didn't think Risi had a proper GT3 chassis.

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by cmk

Interesting! I wonder if this is actually Ferri's second car entered by Risi? I didn't think Risi had a proper GT3 chassis.

Wasn't there a rumor floated at some point over the off-season that they were going to run a GTD? I could have totally dreamt that but I thought I remember hearing that.

[daallo]

Very well deserved by Ricardo, he is a great, professional, hard-working driver that totally dominated touring cars in México and then last year the Ferrari Challenge North America, and particularly in Austin. With a Risi car don't be surprised if he pulls the victory in the opener.

Back in the day he used to compete with Mario DomÃ*nguez, Memo Rojas, Allen Berg (who made it to F1), David MartÃ*nez, Jorge & Patrick Goeters, Carlos Contreras, Homero Richards et al. All of them were very succesful internationally but Ricardo mostly stayed here.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by daallo

Very well deserved by Ricardo, he is a great, professional, hard-working driver that totally dominated touring cars in México and then last year the Ferrari Challenge North America, and particularly in Austin. With a Risi car don't be surprised if he pulls the victory in the opener.

Back in the day he used to compete with Mario DomÃ*nguez, Memo Rojas, Allen Berg (who made it to F1), David MartÃ*nez, Jorge & Patrick Goeters, Carlos Contreras, Homero Richards et al. All of them were very succesful internationally but Ricardo mostly stayed here.

I'm sure he'll find the competition in PWC this year much tougher though! But he might make a big impression in GT-A.

[jross427]

Hi guys,
Just wanted to post as I am a regular at Sonoma test days, the #35 lizard r8 has seen lots of work across the last two weeks. It caught me off guard seeing the car as I remembered the Mclaren announcement. I didn't get a chance to see who was supporting the car, but lizard did not have the rig down in pit road like the did last year when they tested.

TRG have been testing like crazy all over California, I have seen them at Sonoma, been on track with them at buttonwillow, seen them again at Willow springs, it's almost creepy haha. There v12 fleet has grown to 3 last time I saw them at Sonoma (matte black with blue highlights, light blue car, and a full white car) they did test a naked car at button Willow that had enduro lights in the grill and most the body work was of the gulf racing colors. They also have been supporting 2 or 3 v8's on test days.

Lastly, there has been a naked R8 testing at Sonoma. Full black with silver roof and pillars, yellow headlights. No names, sponsors, etc. I have seen it 3 times, driver looked competent, so any leads on that?

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by jross427

Hi guys,
Just wanted to post as I am a regular at Sonoma test days, the #35 lizard r8 has seen lots of work across the last two weeks. It caught me off guard seeing the car as I remembered the Mclaren announcement. I didn't get a chance to see who was supporting the car, but lizard did not have the rig down in pit road like the did last year when they tested.

Mentioned my GTA Audi theory on Twitter, and Lizards pretty much reaffirmed the program is still McLarens with KPax only.

Kind of surprised they haven't revealed the McLarens liveries yet, it's going to be hard for them to top last year's livery on the 12c.

[Nick Woodbury]

Could this be the silver and black Audi that you were talking about at Sonoma?



http://sportscar365.com/world-challe...ameron-racing/

[Rodger Davies]

One Lambo announced, good guess above: http://sportscar365.com/world-challe...ghini-for-pwc/

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

One Lambo announced, good guess above: http://sportscar365.com/world-challe...ghini-for-pwc/

Nick Catsburg, that's another great drver in World Challenge!

[Matt]

Should be a fun pair of races, as long as there isn't any yellows.

[Mechanic Z]

James Sofronas' GMG Audi #14 livery:

GMG Racing @GMGRacing · 6h 6 hours ago We have officially unveiled the new look for 2015! Huge Thanks to our partners @spyderantidote… https://instagram.com/p/zqDZPWyknQ/

And NGT's Ferrari (and GT-Cup Porsche) officially announced:

http://sportscar365.com/world-challe...e-pwc-program/

[Mechanic Z]

Also, Duncan Ende's Scuderia Corsa Ferrari:

Duncan Ende @DuncanEnde · 23h 23 hours ago One last test in the books and now on to Austin. @ Buttonwillow Raceway Park https://instagram.com/p/zoPUH-CKm_/

And Martin Fuentes' Ferrari:

Martin Fuentes @MFT07 · 6h 6 hours ago

Terminamos el ultimo dia de entrenamientos previo a Austin y el Caballo si trota y muy duro!!!… https://instagram.com/p/zqHTIygyzj/

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Matt

Should be a fun pair of races, as long as there isn't any yellows.

That's a big ask!

[Mechanic Z]

Updated PWC COTA entry list now lists Madison Snow in the #21 GMG Audi, and Guy Cosmo in the #23 M1 Audi!

http://www.world-challenge.com/image...ry-List-v6.pdf

[Nick Woodbury]

A new S365 article on the insanity that is PWC 2015 (in a good way).

http://sportscar365.com/world-challe...season-opener/

Man, this is going to be fantastic to watch!

[WMUCarGuy]

So we still have 2 TBAs on the entry list. One is the Reiter Lambo, right? Do we have any idea who the other one is?

This is fun, reminds me of the ALMS days when we'd get several publishings of the entry lists with lots of TBAs and we'd all speculate who we thought those TBAs would be.

[Coach Ep]

3 TBA's I believe, 1 of them being the announced (but not yet updated in the entry list) Lambo for Catsburg (#25?) with possibly a second Lambo in the wings, maybe there entry fees are not yet in PWC's bank account?!

Third TBA is a big guess, going by the numbers most likely to be another Audi or Ferrari or even Aston Martin (RSR???).

Then again, they might not materialize at all, we'll see, close to 50 cars in the fastest group gonna be a hoot anyway!

[ttdriver2009]

I'll be there and can't wait to see all of the rest of you at the track. With this series growing by the second, it's going to be bigger than Sebring. I can't wait.

[nasportscar]

The COTA pick 'em is live. Winner gets an autographed magazine from Mike Skeen http://nasportscar.com/2014-pwc-pick-em/

[Mechanic Z]

Looks like one of the Nissans will be in black & teal.

James Davison @JDDavison007 · 3h 3 hours ago GT-R life. Austin @nissanusa https://instagram.com/p/zuyWrwpkNx/

And this looks pretty similar to Nissan's Bathurst livery. Probably the other car?

AIM Autosport @AIMautosport · Feb 25 Just posted a photo https://instagram.com/p/zjBpLbHN1H/