built to conquer the greatest battle of all. your ... - World Challenge

The Drivers
MICHAEL GALATI
MEYE-kul guh-LOT-e
Olmsted, Ohio
Age: 49
Career Highlights: Five-time World Challenge Drivers’ Champion. 1989
Valvoline Runoffs SSC Champion. 1990 Valvoline Runoffs SSC Champion.
1993 Valvoline Runoffs SSC Champion. 1994 Valvoline Runoffs SSC
Champion. 1996 World Challenge T2 Champion and Rookie of the Year. 1997
Valvoline Runoffs SSB Champion. 1998 World Challenge T2 Champion. 1999
Speedvision Touring Car Champion. 2001 Speedvision GT Champion. 2002
SPEED GT Champion.
2008: Continued to race in both classes, driving Porsche 911 GT3 for K-
PAX/3R Racing and MAZDA6 for Tindol Motorsports. Collected seven top-10 finishes in SPEED GT,
including podium finishes at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Mosport. Finished fifth in the SPEED GT
Drives’ Championship. Won two SPEED Touring Car races (Watkins Glen and Mosport) and finished
second at Road Atlanta en route to a sixth-place finish in the SPEED Touring Car Drivers’
Championship.
Previously: Began racing in 1987. Won the Showroom Stock C class of the June Sprints on four
occasions (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) and the national titles (again in SSC) four times (1989, 1990,
1993 and 1994). In 1996, finished second at the season-ending Sears Point race to wrap up his
first World Challenge T2 title by a two-point margin, earning T2 Red Line Oil Rookie of the Year honors
in the process. Had two wins and six top-five finishes. Set five track records, including two in
qualifying and three fastest race laps. In 1997, notched his third career World Challenge T2 win at
Watkins Glen, en route to a third-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship. Was the fastest qualifier
three times in-a-row and finished in the top-five for the first eight races of the season. Won the
SCCA Club Racing SSB National Championship. In 1998, recorded his second T2 Drivers’
Championship on the strength of five podium finishes, including a win at Trois-Rivieres, eight top-
10 finishes, five poles (four consecutive), two fastest race laps (Grand Rapids and Trois-Rivieres)
and five track records. In 1999, formed his own team with an Acura Integra R and won his secondconsecutive
(and third career) Speedvision Touring Car Drivers’ Championship on the strength of a
record four-straight wins to start the season (Mosport, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta), eight
top-fives and 10 top-10s in 10 races. Also earned two poles (Lime Rock, Trois-Rivieres) and scored
265 points, three more than second place . In 2000, ran the final nine Speedvision GT races in a
Champion Racing Audi S4 Competition, finishing runner-up in the Championship. Recorded six top-
10s, five top-fives and three podiums highlighted by Audi’s first-ever World Challenge win at Las
Vegas in the second-closest finish in series’ history. In 2001, Collected $132,200 and racked-up 283
points en route to his first-ever Speedvision GT Championship, becoming the first-ever four-time
World Challenge Champion. Driving for Champion Audi in an S4 Competition, recorded four wins,
an astounding nine top-fives and 10 top-10s. Held off Peter Cunningham at the season-finale doubleheader
at Road Atlanta to secure the title by 12 points. Also eaned Audi its first-ever
Manufacturers’ Championship by a single point over Acura, 61 to 60. In 2002, captured fifth World
Challenge title driving Audi S4 Competition for Champion Racing. Captured wins at Sebring, Mid-
Ohio and Road America, along with eight top fives and ten top-10 finishes during a ten-race season.
In 2003, captured three SPEEDGTpodiums, five top-10 finishes and one pole (Lime Rock) in
an Audi RS 6. Started from the front row three times. It was the first time Galati had not won a
World Challenge race in seven years. Helped Audi win its second SPEEDGT Manufacturers’
Championship. Competed in one SPEEDTouring Car race in an Audi A4 and finished ninth at Road
Atlanta. In 2004, returned to the winner’s circle last season after seven-year winning streak was
broken in 2003. In 10 events, recorded three wins, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes in an
Audi RS 6. Finished second in points in the SPEED GT point standings, six behind Tommy Archer.
Helped Audi capture the Manufacturers’ title for the third time in the last four years. Participated in
10 Touring Car events in 2005, finished a season-best tenth at Mosport, driving a Mercedes C230.
In three GT starts, took Volvo to its highest World Challenge finish yet with a fifth-place run at
Portland. Earned Volvo its first World Challenge victory at Mosport in 2006, where he nearly lapped
the entire field in the rain. Made a total of five starts in the At Speed Volvo S60R during the 2006
season. Pulled double duty in 2007, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 for K-PAX Racing/Jim Haughey LLC,
in SPEED GT and a MAZDA6 for Tindol Motorsports in SPEED Touring Car. Collected nine top-five finishes
in SPEED GT, plus a pole at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and fast race laps at Mid-Ohio and Road
108 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Media Guide
Atlanta. Finished the season fourth in the SPEED GT standings. Earned five top-ten finishes in
SPEED Touring Car, including a win from pole at Road Atlanta, which clinched the Manufacturers’
Championship for Mazda.
Personal: Born Sept. 29, 1959 in Italy where his first job was as an auto mechanic. Moved to the
United States in 1980 and now owns Galati’s Foreign Car Service. Is married to Antonietta and has
one child: Michaela. Racing heroes are Fangio, Lauda and Derek Bell. Road Atlanta is his favorite
track.
Year Class Starts Wins Top-5 Top-10 Pts. Fin. (T10)
1991 SP 1 0 0 1 -
1992 D 1 0 0 1 -
1996 T2 9 2 6 8 1
1997 T2 10 1 8 8 3
1998 T2 9 1 7 8 1
1999 TC 10 4 9 10 1
2000 GT 9 1 5 6 2
2001 GT 10 4 9 10 1
2002 GT 10 3 8 10 1
2003 GT 10 0 3 5 8
2003 TC 1 0 0 1 -
2004 GT 10 3 5 7 2
2005 TC 10 0 0 1 -
2005 GT 3 0 1 2 -
2006 GT 5 1 2 3 -
2007 GT 10 0 9 9 4
2007 TC 10 1 2 5 8
2008 TC 10 2 4 4 6
2008 GT 10 0 6 7 5
Totals WC 148 23 84 106 1
TONY GAPLES
TONY GA-puls
Lake Forest, Ill.
Age: 42
2008: Earned four top-10 results driving a Blackdog Racing Chevrolet
Corvette en route to finishing ninth in the SPEED GT Drivers’ Championship.
Previously: Ran Ferarri Challenge in 2001, finishing second at VIR and third
at Indianapolis events and finishing third in final points tandings. Won the
2002 SCCA Central Division Championship in T1. Ran two SPEED GT races
in a Corvette Z06, with a season-best finish of 16th at Road America in
2002. In 2003, ran his first full season of SPEEDGT and recorded one top-
10 finish in season fianale in Puerto Rico. Finished third in Rookie of the Year
points. In 2004, ran three SPEED GT events, with best finish (11th) coming at Mid-Ohio. Had a
career year in 2005, finishing a personal-best second at Infineoon behind Lou Gigliotti. Made 11
starts, had six top-10 finishes to finish eighth in the SPEED GT Drivers’ Championship - the first
time to finish in the top 10. Entered seven SPEED GT races in 2006 driving a Chevrolet Corvette,
earning two top-ten finishes. Best result was ninth at St. Petersburg. Collected three top-10 finishes
2007 driving a Blackdog Racing Corvette. Best finish was seventh at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Personal: Born May 11, 1966. Drives a 1999 Porsche Convertible on the street. Likes Filet Mignon,
the movie Kill Bill and all types of guitar music (blues, jazz, rock). His favorite track is Sebring and
considers Michael Schumacher his racing hero.
Year Class Starts Wins Top-5 Top-10 Pts. Fin. (T10)
2002 GT 2 0 0 0 -
2003 GT 10 0 0 1 -
2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Media Guide 109
The Drivers