The World Challenge series was divided into two separate classes – World Challenge GT and World Challenge Touring. The series featured production based cars modified for racing. The races for both classes were 50-minutes in length.

In 2000 World Challenge series organisers decided to make a number of changes to the series in an effort to attract car enthusiasts and to copy the success of European Touring Car series:

  • Aligning with trends in the automotive aftermarket competitors were allowed to use larger wheels and tires (up to 18-inches in GT and up to 17-inches in Touring), spec rear wings and more aerodynamic bodywork.

  • Also introduced for 2000 was standing starts.

    The series also boasted larger purses and a great television package as the result of sponsorship from Speedvision. All these factors attracted bigger fields - at some events as many as 80-cars were entered for the two classes.

    The Touring Car Championship was dubbed 'The Official Racing Series of the Sports Compact Revolution.' It featured the Acura Integra Type R, Audi A4, BMW 328, Ford Focus and Contour, Honda Accord, Civic Si and Prelude Si, Mazda Protege and 626, Mercury Cougar, Mercedes-Benz 230, Nissan 240 SX, Pontiac Sunfire, Saturn SC, Toyota Celica GT and Volkswagen GTI and Jetta.

    Round eight of the World Challenge series was held at the Laguna Seca road course. The eleven-turn 2.238-mile road course is located in Monterey, California.

    • Alfred duPont driving a BMW 328is captured his first career World Challenge Touring win at Laguna Seca. DuPont qualified on the pole and led every lap despite a challenge from Hugh Plumb driving one of the RealTime Acura Integra Type Rs. His margin of victory was 1.175-seconds over Pierre Kleinubing also in a RealTime Type R. In addition to his win duPont received a 10-point penalty for a driving infraction.
    Lap-1 of the World Challenge Touring race at Laguna Seca’s tight turn two. Taz Harvey makes good use of the superior braking system on the BMW to stop his Acura Integra Type R. The incident sent Mike Fitzgerald and one of the Turner Motorsport BMWs off course. Fitzgerald was able to work his way back to a fourth place finish.
    RealTime driver Hugh Plumb qualified fourth but quickly moved up to second in the race and was able to challenge for the lead. On lap-23 he attempted to pass race leader Alfred duPont at the 'Corkscrew', however, there was contact which sent Plumb off the track and into third place where he would stay for the remainder of the race.
    Don Salama drove this Turner Motorsport BMW 328is at Laguna Seca. Salama, who was in his first year of World Challenge Touring competition, qualified fifth and finished ninth in this race. Despite a number of good finishes, including a win at Texas Motor Speedway, Salama would finish second to Neil Sapp in the 'Rookie of the Year' standings.
    Walter Markes Jr. slides off the track at Laguna Seca’s final turn during practice. Markes qualified twentieth in the Peppaseed Racing BMW 328is and finished fourteenth in the race. He completed all rounds of the 2000 season with the exception of Sears Point and finished eleventh in the final Touring Car standings.
    One of the outstanding performances during the Laguna Seca event was provided by Terry McCarthy. McCarthy, a California native, used his local track knowledge and skill to move from his thirty-fourth starting position to a fifth place finish in his BMW 328is. Unfortunately, he received a $100 fine for an inappropriate gesture during the event.
    It is hard to believe that qualifying third would be considered a poor performance - but it was for Pierre Kleinubing who started from the pole five-times during the 2000 World Challenge Touring Car season. He trailed Alfred duPont and teammate Hugh Plumb for much of the race. When duPont and Plumb had contact at the 'Corkscrew', he settled for a second place finish.
    Mike Fitzgerald qualified the TC Kline entered BMW 328CI seventh but the first lap incident at corner-two knocked him down the running order. He was able to recover and worked his way back to a fourth place finish. In the previous event at Road Atlanta Fitzgerald scored his first Touring Car win.
    The third member of the TC Kline team was Shauna Marinus. Marinus was a very talented driver who had won many Sports Car Club of America National Solo Championships. At Laguna Seca, she started sixteenth and finished tenth.

    FINISHDRIVERCARENTRANTLAPS
    1Alfred DupontBMW 328isEuropean Racing Technologies25
    2Pierre KleinubingAcura Type RReal Time Racing25
    3Hugh PlumbAcura Type RReal Time Racing25
    4Mike FitzgeraldBMW 328ciT.C. Kline Racing25
    5Terry McCarthyBMW 328isLast Minute Racing25
    6Kevin SchrantzAcura Type RAcura/Real Time Racing25
    7Neal SappBMW 328ciT.C. Kline Racing25
    8Peter TonelliBMW 328ciV.A.C. Motorsports25
    9Don SalamaBMW 328isTurner Motorsports25
    10Shauna MarinusBMW 328ciT.C. Kline Racing25
    11Will TurnerBMW 328isTurner Motorsports25
    12Steve PfefferBMW 328isJJ'g Snacks25
    13Ken DobsonPontiac SunfireRead Pontiac25
    14Walter Markes JrBMW 328isPeppaseed Racing25
    15Grant LockwoodHonda PreludeRaceworks25
    16David RosemblumMazda 626Patent It25
    17Paul AldermanBMW 328isEuropean Racing Technologies25
    18Jeff LittleBMW 328isEuropean Racing Technologies25
    19Drew HagestadVW JettaHagestad Racing25
    20Mike BuzzettiOlds AchivaPatent It Motorsports25
    21Justin MarksBMW 328isLast Minute Racing25
    22Mark ReedAcura Type RPatent It Motorsports25
    23Peter BovenbergHonda CivicMBO24
    24Manny MatzBMW 328isPeppaseed Racing24
    25Steve LisaMazda 626Patent It Motorsports24
    26Raymond GenaoBMW 328isPeppaseed Racing24
    27Fred MeyerAcura Type RReal Time Racing24
    28Nick VitucciAcura Type RRacing for Children's Asthma24
    29Roger FooHonda CivicGAB Sports23
    30Peter AckroydBMW 328isTurner Motorsports23
    31Bob NagelAcura Type RReal Time Racing21
    32Taz HarveyAcura Type RDublin Honda19
    33Neil VanniHonda CivicVB Racing14
    34Albert MirkoMercury CougarRAM Commercial Ins. Service9

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