Speed World Challenge

Speed World Challenge
2009 Speed World Challenge season
Category	Sports car racing
Country or region	North America
Inaugural season	1972
Prototype Classes
GT Classes	Grand Touring Touring Car
Current Drivers' champion/s	GT: Brandon Davis TC: Pierre Kleinubing
Current Teams' champion	GT: ACS Express Racing TC: RealTime Racing
Current Makes' champion	GT: Porsche TC: Acura
Official website	World-Challenge.com

The Speed World Challenge is a North American auto racing series that is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). It consists of two classes: touring car and grand touring. A second touring car class was announced on June 9, 2009.

The series was founded in 1972, and was called "showroom stock".^[1] A revised version of the series came about in 1984. In 1985, the series acquired sponsorship from the magazine Playboy^[2]. Escort radar detectors also sponsored the series from 1986 — 1989^[3].

Each season usually consists of 10 rounds, with each class running a race at separate times. Each round uses a standing start, as opposed to a rolling start as seen in NASCAR or the American Le Mans Series.

The series is named for the network that broadcasts it: Speed Channel. Speed Channel commentator Leigh Diffey was the voice of the series until the end of 2004. Beginning in 2005, Diffey was replaced by Greg Creamer.

A rival series organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), the Firestone Firehawk Racing Series, also featured two similar classes of competition and existed in the 1980s and 90s.

Each race has a 50 minute time limit.

Classes

Grand Touring

Grand Touring (GT): Includes a variety of production displacements with no maximum. Forced induction is permitted, and is used to equalize individual models. Sedans, coupes, roadsters, and two-seaters are permitted. The cars can be rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Class horsepower range is 425 - 525 bhp.^[4]

Touring Car

Touring Car (TC): Cars up to 2.8 liters that are naturally aspirated are permitted. Production forced induction is allowed. The cars can be front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. The cars must be able to seat four adults, and roadsters are not allowed. Class horsepower range is 235 - 275 bhp.^[4] For 2010, the class has been altered to place more restrictions on engine, drivetrain, and aerodynamic modifications.^[5] Cars will still be allowed aftermarket racing shocks, swaybars and springs.

Older World Challenge Cars

Starting in 2009, older World Challenge cars became eligible (with minor modifications) for competition in SCCA racing. Under the SCCA's General Competition Rules (GCR), the Super Touring category allows World Challenge GTs to compete in STO and Touring cars to compete in STU.

Television

In recent years, the Speed World Challenge has been broadcast on weekdays as opposed to the traditional weekends. For 2009, the races were combined into an hour-long block.^[6]

Seasons

Source:[1] From 1986 to 1989 the series consisted of endurance races where co-drivers were used, often resulting in co-champions. From 1986 to 1996 a variety of prior classification systems were used. Class winners are placed under the heading (GT or TC) of the most similar modern class.

References

External links

• World-Challenge.com The Speed World Challenge's official website
• SCCA Pro Racing
• World Challenge Drivers Roster
• | Series History