SCCA Pro Racing has announced a new class that, starting in 2012, will run alongside the current GT, GTS and Touring Car designations in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. The Touring Car B-Spec class will feature cars including the Chevrolet Sonic, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Mazda2, and Nissan Versa.
The Touring Car B-Spec class will run at three of the planned eight 2012 Pirelli World Challenge events and teams and drivers will compete in a total of nine races contending for Drivers' and Team Championships. Touring Car B-Spec races are scheduled for Miller Motorsports Park, April 27-29, the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, June 1-3, and Mosport International Raceway, June 22-24.
“The Touring Car B-Spec class is designed as a way for club level racers to get exposure to professional racing and be involved in the Pirelli World Challenge,” said TC Kline, Pirelli World Challenge Competition Director. “These cars will compete in the exact configuration as they do in SCCA Club Racing, but will race in Pirelli World Challenge on Pirelli 15-inch racing slicks. B Spec cars have preparation limited to shocks, springs and the required safety equipment. We are looking forward to the additional excitement Touring Car B-Spec will bring to our races.”
The nine races will run as follows: Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec cars will run separate of the GT and GTS classes at Detroit, Miller and Mosport weekends. On the Saturday of each of the aforementioned event weekends, a 30-minute race will run, followed by a five-minute staging on pit road, followed by another 30-minute race. The grid for the first race on Saturday will be set by a qualifying session, while the grid for the second race will be set by the finishing position in race one. On Sunday, a 40-minute Touring Car/Touring Car B-Spec race will run. The grid for Sunday's race will be determined by the total points accumulated by each driver from the weekend's qualifying session and Saturday's races.
The Pirelli World Challenge Championships are one of North America's top production car-based racing series. Divided into four separate categories (Pirelli World Challenge GT, Pirelli World Challenge GTS, Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car, and Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B-Spec), races feature thrilling standing starts, adrenaline filled door-to-door action and world-class drivers. Pirelli World Challenge features cars from the world's most popular manufacturers – race-prepped versions of the cars driven on the streets. Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, Pirelli World Challenge races at North America's premier road and temporary street courses. For more information about Pirelli World Challenge, visit www.world-challenge.com.
2012 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B-Spec Schedule of Events
April 27–29, Miller Motorsports Park (co-headliner, NASCAR West)
Tooele, Utah (Rounds 1, 2 and 3 for Touring Car B-Spec)
June 1–3, Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, (with IndyCar)
Detroit, Mich. (Rounds 4, 5 and 6 Touring Car B-Spec)
June 22–24, Mosport International Raceway (Pirelli World Challenge Headliner)
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada? (Rounds 7, 8 and 9 Touring Car B-Spec)