WC Vision and SCCA Pro Racing has confirmed six of the eight venues and the first 10 races that will showcase Sports Car Wars and make up the planned 12-race 2011 World Challenge Championships campaign. In this, the 22nd consecutive year of North America’s top professional series for production-based sports cars, World Challenge competitors will once again contend for Driver, Manufacturer and Team Championships in the individual GT, GTS and Touring Car categories.
As it did in 2010, the 2011 World Challenge season begins in Florida with a big doubleheader race weekend on the streets of St. Petersburg as part of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IZOD IndyCar weekend. Round One is scheduled for Saturday, March 26, while Round Two is on Sunday, March 27.
For the sixth-straight year, the World Challenge series will race as part of the ‘Roar by the Shore’ and the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 15 – 17. All three World Challenge classes will battle on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course. Round Four will take place at Miller Motorsports Park, April 29 – May 1 as World Challenge will co-headline the weekend with the NASCAR K&N Pro West Series.
Teams and drivers then head north of the border, May 20 – 22, for the one Canadian event in 2011 and a doubleheader weekend as part of the annual Victoria Day SpeedFest at Mosport International Raceway, just east of Toronto.
On August 5 – 7, Sports Car Wars will head to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for two action-packed races along with the American Le Mans Series and IndyCar Series. Later in August, the series travels west with the IndyCar Series to Sonoma, Calif. returning to Infineon Raceway, August 26 – 28 for Rounds 9 and 10. The series last raced at Infineon in 2006.
Two more events completing the 2011 schedule will be announced soon.
“We are excited with how our 2011 calendar is coming together,” Scott Bove, Director of Operations, WC Vision said. “We’ve listened to what our fans, competitors and partners want. World Challenge presents Sports Car Wars at top courses and road racing events across the continent. Our skilled drivers get to test their mettle at the most challenging circuits and our fans get to see their favorites battle it out at these top venues in door-to-door, 50-minute sprints to the finish – a trademark of our series.”
World Challenge is North America's top production car-based racing championship. Divided into three separate categories (World Challenge GT, World Challenge GTS, and World Challenge Touring Car), each race features a thrilling standing start, adrenaline filled door-to-door action and world class drivers. 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, World Challenge races at North America's premier road and temporary street courses. For more information about World Challenge, visit www.world-challenge.com
2011 World Challenge Schedule of Events
March 25 – 27 - Streets of St. Petersburg (with IRL)*
April 15 – 17 - Streets of Long Beach (with IRL/ALMS)
April 29 – May 1- Miller Motorsports Park (co-headliner, NASCAR West)
May 20 – 22 - Mosport International Raceway (World Challenge Headliner)*
August 5 – 7 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (with IRL/ALMS)*
August 26 – 28 - Infineon Raceway (with IRL)*
September – dates TBA
October – dates TBA
* denotes doubleheader race event
