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2008 Review
SPEED Touring Car • Round One • Sebring Int’l Raceway
Kleinubing Goes Flag-To-Flag for Sebring SPEED TC Win
SEBRING, Fla. (March 14, 2008) – Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla., led the entire way
to capture his 27th-career SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car win at Sebring
International Raceway, to start the 2008 season at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Presented by
Fresh From Florida weekend. Teammates Kuno Wittmer, of Montreal, Quebec, and Peter
Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., completed
the podium.
Starting from his record 31st pole, Kleinubing
led the field away from the standing start under
sunny skies in his No. 43
Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX.
While his gap to second place never eclipsed
two seconds, Kleinubing was never seriously
challenged for the lead in the 18-lap, 66.6-mile
race that went caution free. He averaged
92.963 mph in beating Wittmer to the
checkered flag by 0.645-second.
“I think I had the same pace as these guys
[Cunningham and Wittmer], but they were
Kleinubing led RealTime to a podium sweep at Sebring.
SWC/Weber photo
fighting a little bit,” Kleinubing said. “They actually caught up to me for a little bit, but then I think
Kuno made a mistake in Turn 17 and then on the same lap into Turn One, so I opened up that gap
again and maintained it.”
Wittmer started second in his No. 44 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX and withstood
attempts by teammate Peter Cunningham’s No. 42 Acura to hold onto second—equaling his careerbest
finish.
“Pierre set a really good pace and I tried following him,” Wittmer said. “Peter was definitely putting
the pressure on me, but he’s my teammate, so I knew he wouldn’t do anything stupid. The last lap
was a concern, but when I saw him drop two wheels I was able to breathe.”
Cunningham completed the second-straight RealTime Racing podium sweep (dating back to the
2007 finale), but had to fend off challenges from Charles Espenlaub’s No. 73
Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6, while putting the pressure on teammate Wittmer for the
runner-up spot.
“I’d been trying to really ramp it up there in the last couple of laps,” Cunningham said. “I’d had
better opportunities and actually passed him [Wittmer] under braking into Turn 17, but then he had
a better run coming out. On the last lap, I thought I’d get a good run coming out of 16 like I had
before, but I got two wheels off and that didn’t give me the run I was looking for.”
Espenlaub, of Lutz, Fla., was the highest finishing Mazda in fourth after starting sixth. Defending
Series Champion Jeff Altenburg completed the top five after starting eighth in his No. 1
Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6.
Seth Thomas started from the back of the pack after his No. 38 BimmerWorld BMW 325i failed postqualifying
inspection, but battled back to a sixth-place finish despite a couple of trips off course. He
also set the race’s fast lap with a 2:22.018 (93.791 mph). Jason Martinelli (BMW 325Ci), Dino
Crescentini (Acura TSX), rookie Jason Saini (MAZDA6) and James Clay (BMW 325i) completed the
top 10.
Clay, who started 15th, captured two awards for his run—the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award for
advancing six positions on the opening lap in his No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW 325i and the Sunoco
Hard Charger Award for advancing five positions throughout the race.
72 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Media Guide
SPEED Touring Car • Round One • Sebring Int’l Raceway
Fn. St. Car Laps During Race
Ps. Ps. No. Driver/Hometown, State Sponsor/Car Pts. Purse Cmp Status Fast Lap Speed
1 1 43 Pierre Kleinubing/ Coconut Creek/FL Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX 122 16000 18 2:22.296 93.607
2 2 44 Kuno Wittmer/ Montreal/QU Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX 108 10200 18 -0.645 2:22.381 93.551
3 3 42 Peter Cunningham/ Milwaukee/WI Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX 98 7500 18 -0.969 2:22.443 93.511
4 6 73 Charles Espenlaub/ Lutz/FL Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6 85 5200 18 -3.373 2:22.232 93.649
5 8 1 Jeff Altenburg/ Ellicott City/MD Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6 80 4500 18 -3.895 2:22.314 93.595
6 17 38 Seth Thomas/ Cumming/GA BimmerWorld BMW 325i 76 1300 18 -22.163 2:22.018 93.791
7 16 8 Jason Martinelli/ Roxbury/CT Goodhill/Torrington Sply/Litco BMW 325i 72 1200 18 -24.456 2:22.911 93.204
8 7 46 Dino Crescentini/ Malibu/CA Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX 68 3100 18 -25.339 2:23.437 92.863
9 13 74 Jason Saini(R)/ Fort Worth/TX Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6 64 2750 18 -25.73 2:23.102 93.080
10 15 36 James Clay/ Blacksburg/VA BimmerWorld BMW 325i 60 1000 18 -26.319 2:22.640 93.382
11 9 95 Michael Galati/ Olmsted/OH Mazda North America/Tindol MAZDA6 57 1800 18 -28.896 2:22.864 93.235
12 12 57 Patrick Lindsey(R)/ Santa Barbara/CA Horton Mtspts/Sloan Securities MAZDA6 54 1700 18 -37.862 2:23.580 92.770
13 5 97 Chip Herr/ Lititz/PA Mazda North America/Tindol MAZDA6 53 1600 18 -40.814 2:23.042 93.119
14 11 96 Charlie Putman/ Mills/WY Mazda North America/Tindol MAZDA6 48 1550 18 -1:03.480 2:24.491 92.185
15 4 34 Nick Esayian/ San Diego/CA BimmerWorld BMW 325i 49 500 17 -1 lap 2:23.460 92.848
16 10 45 Glenn Bocchino/ Delray Beach/FL Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura RSX 43 450 16 Mech. 2:24.449 92.212
17 14 24 Jim Osborn/ Ooltewah/TN Chili Pepper Racing/AHFPC Volkswagen Jetta TDI 3 Mech. 2:29.796 88.921
** - Faster than previous record
Purse includes contingency awards
Notes:
James Clay fined 10 points for contact
Race Statistics
Length of Race: 18 laps for 66.6 miles
Time of race: 42 minutes, 59.083 seconds.
Average speed: 92.963
Margin of victory: 0.645-second
Lap leaders: Laps 1-18, #43 Pierre Kleinubing
Fastest race lap: #38 Seth Thomas, 2:22.018 (93.791 mph)
Fastest qualifier: #43 Pierre Kleinubing, 2:21.047 (94.436 mph)
Sunoco Hard Charger: #36 James Clay, +five in race
Racing Electronics Holeshot Award: #36 James Clay, +six on lap one
2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Media Guide 73