2011 Daytona International Speedway - Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

There were ten race weekends during the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season. The schedule kicked off in January at Daytona International Speedway, which was followed by a second event in Florida at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In April, the series would visit Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama and then move on to Virginia International Raceway. Round five would be conducted at Lime Rock Park on Memorial Day weekend. At Lime Rock, the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes competed separately. The teams traveled Watkins Glen International in June. After this event, race weekends took place at the Road America and, the series on west coast swing, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The penultimate round was conducted in late July at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The finale was held on September 16-17 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The cars in the series are relatively unchanged from their road-going counterparts – modifications are mandated mainly for safety – roll cages, window nets, etc. They also used spec DOT-approved tires produced by Continental. Based on performance potential, the cars were divided into one of two groups:

Grand Sport (GS): The quicker of the two classes - the group features the larger displacement engines as well as smaller four-cylinder motors with forced induction systems. The power-plants produce between 350 and 405-horsepower. Minimum weights range between 2,900 – 3,300-pounds, which is dependent on the motor configuration and displacement. This class includes cars such as the BMW M3, Ford Mustang Boss 302 R, Chevrolet Camaro GS.R, Porsche 997 and Porsche Cayman.
Street Tuner (ST): The smaller displacement cars compete in this class in which engines typically produce between 170 and 240-horsepower. Popular vehicles found in this group are the Volkswagen GTI, Acura TSX, Mazda Speed 3, Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si, BMW 328i, Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Mini Cooper S.

Round one of the 2011, Gran-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge was held at Daytona International Speedway during the Rolex 24 weekend. Competitors would race around the twelve-turn 3.56-mile roval for two-hours and thirty-minutes in the Grand-Am 200.

The Grand Sport podium for the 2011 Gran-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Championship at Daytona. In the center are the winners of the Grand-Am 200, Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb. This was Rum Bum Racing’s second consecutive victory at Daytona. On the right side of the rostrum are the second-place finishers, Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster. Completing the podium are Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen.

Nick Longhi joined Rum Bum Racing and Matt Plumb in the penultimate round of 2010. The combination was proving to be unbeatable. They won the final two races last season in the No. 13 BMW M3 and did the same at this year’s opening event. The team changed drivers during the first round of pit-stops. The final lap finished under caution, which prevented Plumb from being challenged for the victory.

The No. 171 APR Motorsport Volkswagen GTI started on the Street Tuner pole compliments of Ryan Ellis. Ellis led the first twenty-seven-laps before handing the driving duties over to Ian Baas. Baas took the class lead, and what would become the victory, with six-laps remaining in the event. It was the first series win for Ellis and the second for Baas at Daytona. He won the GT category at the 2006 Rolex 24.

Joe Foster qualified on the outside of the front row for the Grand-Am 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Before handing the driving duties over to Scott Maxwell, Foster led laps-10-26. Maxwell drove the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302 R to the front of the field. Unfortunately, for him, a full course yellow prevented Maxwell from challenging Matt Plumb for the victory.

Kinetic Motorsports entered two Kia Forte Koup in last season’s Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series. As expected, the cars had to be developed and experienced teething issues. At Daytona International Speedway, the team’s year of development paid off. The No. 10 Kia was shared by Andy Lally and the team principal, Nic Jonsson. They started eighteenth in Street Tuner but finished second.

In 2011, BimmerWorld joined the Grand Sport ranks with two BMW M3. But they continued their Street Tuner program with a pair of BMW 328i. Driving the No. 81 BimmerWorld Racing prepared 328i were John Capestro-Dubets and Greg Liefooghe. Liefooghe had some success last season with the Compass360 team. Capestro-Dubets qualified and started seven in class. Liefooghe drove the final stint and finished third.

Co-driving the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 were sportscars veteran, Bill Auberlen and former Canadian Touring car competitor, Paul Dalla Lana. The pair teamed up last year, but they had a difficult season, their best result was a fifth place in round three at Barber. At Daytona, Dalla Lana qualified seventh overall. During his stint, Auberlen caught the leaders and captured the final spot on the Grand Sport podium.

A record that included one victory, four podiums and no finishes outside the top-ten was enough for Charlie Putman and Charles Espenlaub to earn last year’s Grand Sport championship. In 2011, they returned to defend their title in a Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3. During the qualifying session, Putman was the third fastest. The driver change took place on lap-24 and Espenlaub moved up the order to finish fourth.

Last season’s Street Tuner champions, Lawson Aschenbach and David Thilenius went their separate ways in 2011. Aschenbach moved to the Grand Sport division, driving a Chevrolet Camaro GS.R for CKS Autosport. Thilenius returned to the No. 74 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si. His co-driver would be Jay Lutz. Thilenius qualified third in the Street Tuner class and Lutz was in seventeenth place at the checkered flag.

The Street Tuner podium for the 2011 Gran-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Championship at Daytona. In the center are the winners from APR Motorsport, Ian Baas and Ryan Ellis. Standing on the left side of the rostrum are the runner-ups, Andy Lally and Nic Jonsson. Their result gave Kia their first series podium. Occupying the final position are BimmerWorld Racing’s, Greg Liefooghe and John Capestro-Dubets.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	LAPS
1	GS	Plumb / Longhi	Rum Bum Racing / BMW M3	62
2	GS	Maxwell / Foster	Multimatic Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	62
3	GS	Dalla Lana / Auberlen	Turner Motorsport / BMW M3	62
4	GS	Espenlaub / Putman	Fall-Line Motorsports / BMW M3	62
5	GS	Plumb / Carter	Fall-Line Motorsports / BMW M3	62
6	GS	Wilden / Michaelian	BimmerWorld / BMW M3	62
7	GS	Atterbury / Aschenbach	Mitchum Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	62
8	GS	Cosmo / Tetreault	BGB Motorsports / Porsche Cayman	62
9	GS	Boden / Kasemets	Fall-Line Motorsports / BMW M3	62
10	GS	Stout / Bucknum	Mitchum Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	62
11	GS	Marsal / Hand	Turner Motorsport / BMW M3	62
12	GS	Finlay / Cameron	Finlay Motorsports / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	62
13	GS	Spaude / Aquilante	Subaru Road Racing Team / Subaru WRX-STI	62
14	GS	McCalmont / Curran	CKS Autosport / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	62
15	GS	Miller / Strelzoff	BGB Motorsports / Porsche Cayman	62
16	GS	Clay / Thomas	BimmerWorld / BMW M3	62
17	GS	Buffomante / Gimple	Capaldi / Ford Mustang GT	62
18	GS	Blackstock / Falgueras	Roush Performance / Ford Mustang GT	62
19	GS	Ecklin, Jr. / Waddell	Automatic Racing / BMW M3	61
20	GS	Rivera / Mundy	CKS Autosport / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	61
21	GS	Abello / Ellis	Ranger Sports Racing / Porsche 997	61
22	GS	Lassally / Conway	Automatic Racing / BMW M3	61
23	ST	Baas / Ellis	APR Motorsport / Volkswagen GTI	61
24	ST	Lally / Jonsson	Kinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup	61
25	ST	Liefooghe / Capestro-Dubets	BimmerWorld / BMW 328i	61
26	ST	Novich / Theetge	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	61
27	ST	Tallman / Kozarov	CA Sport / Honda Civic Si	61
28	ST	Cattaneo / Trinkler	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	61
29	ST	Farmer / Hart	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	61
30	ST	Cooper / Rampelberg	Freedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 3	61
31	ST	Miller / Armengol	DeMan Motorsport / Porsche Boxster	60
32	ST	Goldman / Schultz	Track Manage Racing / Porsche Boxster	60
33	ST	Theetge / Eversley	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	60
34	ST	White / Heumann	BimmerWorld / BMW 328i	60
35	ST	Ledoux / Igdalsky	Freedom Autosport / Mazda Speed 3	60
36	ST	Hebert / Vincent	89 Racing Team / Honda Civic Si	59
37	ST	Picut / London	Next Generation Motorsports / BMW 330i	59
38	GS	Martin / Seafuse	Rehagen Racing / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	59
39	GS	Hurley / Gibson	APR Motorsport / Audi S4	59
40	ST	Bell / Zacharias	Doran Racing / BMW 128i	59
41	ST	Lutz / Thilenius	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	59
42	ST	Ferguson / DeMan	DeMan Motorsport / Porsche Boxster	58
43	ST	Gilsinger / Eich	HART / Honda Civic Si	58
44	GS	Miller / Pumpelly	The Racer's Group / Porsche 997	58
45	ST	Burrows / Hopwood	Kinetic Motorsports / Kia Forte Koup	57
46	ST	Quinlan / Watkins	3D Racing / BMW 330i	57
47	ST	Combs / Mosing	RACE EPIC / Murillo Racing / BMW 328i	56
48	ST	Hanson / Workman	Autosport Promotions / BMW 330i	56
49	ST	Brown / Kent	RACE EPIC / Murillo Racing / BMW 328i	56
50	ST	Mason / Pecorari	V-Pack Motorsport / BMW 330i	55
51	ST	Freeman, Jr. / Schmidt	FRESCH / Mercedes C300	55
52	GS	Kennedy / Collyer	Gary Yeomans Ford / Ford Mustang	54
53	GS	Toussaint / Beede	Marren Motor Sports / Porsche 997	52
54	GS	Edwards / Bell	Sevenson Motorsports / Chevrolet Camaro GS.R	51
55	ST	Riley / Riley	Riley Racing / Mazda RX-8	45
56	GS	Sellers / Buford	Kinetic Motorsports / BMW M3	41
57	ST	Pintaric / Milarcik	Pirate Motorsports / Mazda RX-8	37
58	ST	Kleinubing / Hacquard	i-Moto / Mazda Speed 3	37
59	GS	Panzer / Snyder	Frederick Motorsports / Ford Mustang GT	32
60	ST	Leroux / Cabrera	LRT Racing / Acura TSX	31
61	ST	McHaffie / Gorriaran	Flatout Motorsports / Mazda MX-5	30
62	ST	Rogers / Tesler-Mabe	Compass360 Racing / Honda Civic Si	25
63	ST	Mirzayan / Sarian	RSR Motorsports / Mini Cooper S	24
64	ST	McQuarrie / Rondet	Insight Racing / BMW 328i	21
65	ST	Jensen / Gerrard	Insight Racing / BMW M3	20
66	ST	Long / Whitis	Freedom Autosport / Mazda MX-5	8
67	ST	Galati / Schmitt	HART / Honda Civic Si	8
68	ST	Weisberg / Mitten	Berg Racing / Mazda RX-8	7
69	ST	Leroux / Leroux	LRT Racing / Honda Civic Si	7
70	ST	Straus / Masessa / Sandberg	Doran Racing / BMW 128i	7
71	GS	Johnson / Roush	Roush Performance / Ford Mustang Boss 302 R	2
72	GS	James / Nastasi	Blackforest Motorsports / Dodge Challenger	1

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