T
HE PITS TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP 1997 BANQUET
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Welcome to the Banquet for the inaugural The Pits Touring Car Championship. We invite everyone to relax, grab a drink and a bite to eat (don't spill on your keyboard, as all know that can be detrimental to your evening's enjoyment). Without further adieu, let's present the 1997 TPTCC Banquet... |
Words from the League Organizer, Mr. Jan Kohl - "Folks, I gotta say I'm really pleased to present the 1997 TPTCC Banquet, in honor of all the drivers who competed. You all really put on a show, and I'm proud of each and every one of you. You all showed that road-racing is not dead, and can flourish in the midst of more NASCAR racing leagues than you can count on your memory chips. You all proved that a new league can prosper, and that drivers still know how to have fun! I'm real pleased with the guys who started out wondering why you had all that movement on the right side of your wheel, and persevered and learned alot about racing this way. I'm also pleased with the front runners who put up the hard competitive effort to strive for greater lengths to always cut that faster lap time, and get the level of competition to an ever higher plane. A toast to the drivers!
Folks, before we go any further let me announce the winner of the carpaint contest, Peter Walker's Cartoon Network Audi! It beat out the next car by one point, that car being the Oregon Train Audi of Cliff Cayer and Tim Kellebrew. Nice job everyone, and congrats to Peter Walker!
I also am really proud of Sean Staples, Jerry Liudahl, and Gregory Alferov, who took their time to make this a great series. Without their help in doing stats, sorting race results, creating and updating web pages, we wouldn't have had a thing. Sean, I know, had no idea when I suckered him into this that it would take off like this (grin), but he fielded questions, calmed angry drivers, and basically took this league to be his own baby. Everyone, toast to the league officials!
And last, but not least, I want to toast the team who made this all possible, The Pits TPTCC design team, David Noonan, who started off the whole thing with his great converter, Nigel Clark, who was instrumental in getting realistic info, paint schemes, and driver/car ratings, Gilles Benoit, who masterminded the 3d car shapes that define a touring car, Dave Bowers, who's touring car carsets and paint jobs have been legendary since NASCAR 1, Larry Richt, who made sure that Nigel's driver ratings were fair (especially to Swedish cars!)
Anyhow, I won't stand up here long, as I know you all want to get to the meat of this banquet, the drivers and the races! So sit back in your seat, and here they are!"
THE RACES
The Glen - Aug 24, 1997 This was the kicker, the one that would define the season. Test times soon became a goal, as messages flew back and forth about testing times, each driver went back to the drawing board to get his car even faster. However, persistence paid off, and Tom Peluso took the pole. But he wasn't destined to finish there. Twenty five laps, and 30 minutes later, it was Carl Rimmel crossing the finish line first, 3 seconds ahead of the second place car, Skotty Flynn. Tom's teammate Pat Dotson, who would soon be making his presence known, came in 3rd. The second round went off good again for Tom, who took the pole again. But this time he was robbed by his teammate Pat, who was first under the checkers with Tom 2 seconds behind. Brian Karwan, a privateer, took 3rd. Team Eurosport was on top, with 2 poles and a win under their belt...looked like some definite hard chargers for a championship. Tom is the current record holder at The Glen, with a 1:10.445 lap there.
Sears Point - Sep 7, 1997 Sears Point was difficult for the people who couldn't qualify up front, as they started behind a few cars, or even from the back if the times were not up there. However, that didn't stop Ryan Foss, who took the pole in the first round. However, it fell to Team Eurosport's Pat Dotson again, who capitalized and took the checkered flag forty-two minutes later. Ryan didn't let that stop him too bad, as he came up second, 3 seconds behind Pat. Skotty Flynn let his presence be known with a 3rd. The 2nd round was a Pat Dotson benefit, as he took the pole, the win, and the fastest lap back home with him. Skotty was second, and Pat's teammate Tom raked in 3rd, for a second double-podium finish for Team Eurosport. Pat is the current record holder at Sears Point, with a 1:36.921.
Long Beach - Sep 21, 1997 Long Beach was even harder on the slower people...only a few cars were able to start at the front of the pack...most of the rest were at the rear. However, a newcomer to the TPTCC was about to make his entrance in grand fashion. Stuart Brown, who missed the first 4 races of the year, showed up to put Lip Service Racing on the map...and the pole. Not only did he do that, but he then proceeded to take the checkered flag 27 minutes later, 7 seconds in the lead. Following hard on his tail was Carl, with Skotty coming up third. On the second round, Stuart made it a complete LSR day, with another pole, another win, and the track record at 1:04.912! Eric Foss came in second, and Tom couldn't let it ride without getting Eurosport a podium finish.
The Glen - Oct 5, 1997 The second visit to Watkins Glen was marked by rain...LOTS of rain! However, it didn't dampen the spirits of the fans, or Eric Foss, who took the pole on round one. However, his first win wasn't to be, as Carl Rimmel stole the show and put the Pitsteelers Dodge in the winner's circle. Pat and Tom weren't to be outdone, and completed the podium ensemble, in that order. The rain definitely slowed the pace, as Carl came in 36:28.624 later, six minutes off the previous race speeds. In the second round, again Eric took the pole, and again he was outdone, this time by Skotty, who was getting tired of podium finishes, with him as the 2nd or 3rd runner-up. Pat and Tom again took the 2nd and 3rd place finishes, but at least Eric didn't leave without anything...he had the fastlap (during the rain) with a 1:24.597.
Portland - Oct 19, 1997 The final 2 rounds turned out to be the Pat Dotson Show, he took both poles, both wins, and had the track record with a 1:15.145. Strangely enough, the 2nd place finisher was the same for both rounds, Stuart bringing in the LSR Volvo right behind Pat's 32 minute race times. However, the 3rd place changed, as in the first round it went to Skotty, second round finally went to Eric. And of course, the rest is history....
THE MANUFACTURER'S CUP
THE TEAMS 10th place - Aussie Racing Aussie Racing with Shane Wooden, Greg Colgan and Keith Roscharl pulled in to the tenth place when Greg gave them a single top 10 finish in the final round. Team manager, Shane, had this to say about the 1997 and 1998 season; "Aussie Racing is proud to have been part of the success of BMW winning the
Manufacturers Championship. In 1997 Aussie Racing signed a one year deal with BMW Australia. Our first
season saw several driver changes with the season finishing on a high with
the signing of privateer Greg Colgan. Aussie Racing has entered 2 teams in
the Bullrun and is committed to the 1998 season with a further one year
deal with BMW Australia. Aussie Racing congratulates all winners for the 1997 season. We also wish
to congratulate Sean Staples and his team on the organisation of the TPTCC
inaugural season. Goodluck to those driving in the Bullrun and we look forward to seeing you
all in 1998. 9th place - Lip Service Racing The first of LSR's 2 teams grabs up 9th position in the team points with Kevin Nunn, Gene Pelham and Jerry Liudahl. LSR1 didn't make any top 10 finishes in 1997, but kept in the hunt with consistent runs towards the front of the pack. Team manager, Jerry Liudahl, had this to say; "Lip Service Racing is proud to have come from out of the pack and finish
third in the final team standings of the inaugural TPTCC season. Behind the
fine driving talent of Lars-Goran (LG) Eriksson and Stu Brown who finished
7th and 8th in the drivers championship respectively, the team also helped
Volvo achieve a second place finish in the championship for makes. LSR is
poised to bring home a championship in the up-coming season. Looking forward to 1998, LSR is pleased to make some early announcements on
the next TPTCC season. First and foremost, all drivers will be back for
1998. LSR will be running two teams, one in each Group. Stu and LG will be
two thirds of our team in Group A. Negotiations are currently under way for
a third driver to round out the team. We are extremely fortunate to have
had LG from the start of the 1997 season, and to have been able to offer Stu
a place when he joined the series in mid-season. With a third talent to
compliment these two on the team, all other teams and now on notice that
their team points are in jeopardy! Kevin Nunn, Gene Pelham and Jerry
Liudahl will fill out the LSR2 team in Group B. Martini and Rolex, our two primary racing partners will be back next season,
as will our partners Castrol and Michelin. Impressed with our overall team
performance in the 1997 season, our partners were enthused about the
prospect of a six car entry in TPTCC. We do not intend to let down the
confidence our partners have shown in our team prospects for next season. At this juncture, we have not formalized an agreement with any make for the
coming season. Volvo was very good to us last season and we are grateful
for their race engineering assistance. However, we have also received some
very attractive offers from other makes looking to increase their visibility
and/or success in the TPTCC series. The team is currently evaluating
various chassis at Laguna Seca, which is our winter testing facility. We
expect to make an official announcement soon after the first of the year. On behalf of all the drivers and crew at LSR, I would like to thank all
participants for making the 1997 season a great joy to be involved with. 8th place - Arctic Racing The Scandinavian teammates of Jo Haavard Slangsvold and Goy Larsen put a good showing in the TPTCC in 1997, with one top 5 and 2 top 10 finishes. They set out to prove that the drivers of Northern Europe are still amongst the best in the world, and they certainly did that with their 8th place showing in the team stats. 7th place - Kaiowas Motorsports Sean Staples and Greg Alferov put in only one top 10 finish in 1997, but with several placings right outside of the top 10, secured their 7th place finish. Sean and Greg had to juggle being drivers and administrating the TPTCC, so this shows considerable accomplishment. 6th place - Chapaz Racing Franck Murger and Christian Chataignier, both from France, put their team in 6th place with no top 10 finishes, but capitalized on a strong showing in the top 20, including three eleventh place finishes. Again, the European drivers showing they definitely know how to drive a road course! The Pits Performance Team Jan Kohl and Jim Getzen had what they considered an excellent year in the TPTCC, coming in with four top 5 finishes, and eleven top 10s. Team manager, Jan Kohl, had this to say about the team; "This has been a great year for TPPT, we've pretty much done what we came to do, although we wanted some wins, and a few more top 5s, we did put Saab up in the manufacturer's standings, and put our team and drivers up in the standings as well. With this solid run, it bodes well for 1998, I see some wins and a championship here. Thanks to all the excellent drivers, and thanks to our team sponsor, MotorsportNet, who will be staying on for the 1998 season." 4th place - Dodge Pitsteelers Carl Rimmel and Gary Kleinfelter - two wins, six top 5s and eleven top 10s. That's a record not to sniff at in anyone's book, and Carl and Gary definitely showed their places in the team standings. They put Dodge on the map in TPTCC racing, and proved that American cars can run with the best of the European and Japanese sedans. 3rd place - Lip Service Racing2 Lars-Goran Erikkson and Stuart Brown took to the record books with 2 wins, five top 5s, and eleven top 10s. This is even more remarkable considering that Stuart came on board after missing the first two meets in the TPTCC. By putting the Volvos up front, they proved that the underdog CAN come back and get the cake. 2nd place - Blind Faith Sammy Marks, Paul Hamilton, and Skotty Flynn came in as the runner's up on the team championship with one win, but nine top 5s and fourteen top 10s. This is exactly how to do it, and they did the job by getting the Renaults to the front of the field. You can't shake a stick at this kind of racing, except by adding a few more wins...right guys? ;]
BMW The three teamates of Team Eurosport, Pat Dotson, Eric Foss, and Tom Peluso, were pretty much single-handedly the drivers who put BMW on top, although Bruce Kennewell and Greg Colgan had some good runs. The combined totals of these drivers put BMW sixty-six points ahead of Volvo, and sixty-nine points ahead of Renault. The fight between the next several manufacturers was a bit more distant, with Dodge coming in forth, and Saab a distant fifth. However, Saab was rather notable that they beat out some cars with 3 times more drivers, with only 4 Saabs competing, they beat out Volvo, Mercedes and Honda with 12 drivers each.
1st place - Eurosport Racing Tom Peluso, Eric Foss, and Pat Dotson...what can't be said about these guys. They took their BMWs and were a factor in every race, coming up with a grand total of five wins, nineteen top 5s, and 21 top 10s. That means that out of every top ten finish they made, only 3 were out of the top 5. And they proved that they could get their drivers and team up to the front, every time. With records at three tracks, these guys were the ones that everyone else was gunning for. But they kept their cool, and their fast BMWs, and made their way to the winner's circle, time and time again. Congrats to the 1997 Team Champions, Team Eurosport!
THE DRIVERS
1997 Privateer Championship goes to Tom Peterson. Tom's accomplishments of being the 1997 Privateer are remarkable. He had no top 10 finishes, no team for help, and with Jay Maxwell and Bruce Kennewell right on his tail, he stringed together a series of top 20 finishes to bring himself to the top. Tom was one of the only other drivers driving a Saab, and he made sure he finished the races. That's what counts, and that's what got Tom his justly deserved rewards! Congrats to the 1997 Privateer Champion!
10th place- Jan Kohl, The Pits Performance Team Jan put together an excellent effort to come in the top 10 this year, with four top 10 finishes this year, and quite a few in the top 20. He only missed 9th place in the points by one point, so with a final charge to the finish, he got the job done.
9th place- Paul Hamilton, Blind Faith Paul also put together four top 10 finishes, to put another Blind Faith car into the top 10 in points. Paul ran hard all year, and was always right there for the finish, the key to getting the points towards the championship.
8th place- Stuart Brown, Lip Service Racing 2 Stuart pulled into 8th place with three wins, four top 5s, and five top 10s, which was even more remarkable in that he missed the first four rounds. He'll be in for the full season next year, and with this record in only six starts, look for him to be at the top.
7th place- Lars-Goran Erikkson, Lip Service Racing 2 Lars is the quiet one, with one top 5 and five top 10s, he's always a factor at the finish, slipping in when no one knows he's there. This excellent strategy brought him in at 7th place in the points, and a strong contender for next year.
6th place- Jim Getzen, The Pits Performance Team Jim really pulled out the stops for the inaugural TPTCC, he ran four top 5s, and eight top 10s, a definite strong contender for the next season. Jim always put in a hard run, and pulled his Saab out on top. When the going got tough, Jim got tougher!
5th place- Eric Foss, Team Eurosport Eric ran for B-n-F Racing for most of the year, but joined with Team Eurosport for the final race of the season. Eric ran up an impressive bunch of stats, with three top 5s, and seven top 10s, including a second and a third place finish! Eric should do well with Eurosport, who always puts together fast cars.
4th place- Carl Rimmel, Dodge Pitsteelers Carl put Dodge on the map with two wins, six top 5s, and eight top 10s. With the Dodge horsepower, he motored to the front time and time again. He actually had more finishes in the top five than out of the top five...that's a championship contender, with those stats.
3rd place- Tom Peluso, Team Eurosport Tom had an exceptional season, even more so in that he didn't win a race. However, he never finished out of the top five the entire season!! That's what gets the points, being there at the end, but even more so, being at the front at the end! Good job Tom, for raking in 3rd place in the points.
2nd place- Skotty Flynn, Blind Faith Skotty put Blind Faith in the winners circle once this year, and finished out of the top 5 only once, with a sixth place. That's the way to do it, Skotty! He consistently had his red Renault up front, and was always a factor at the finish. Congrats to Skotty for taking 2nd place.
1st place- Pat Dotson, Team Eurosport
Congratulations to the 1997 The Pits Touring Car Champion! Pat had an exceptional season, with five wins, eight top 5s, and nine top 10s! Yes, unbelievably, Pat finished 13th once. But thirteen wasn't unlucky for him, because he came home with the title, and the most wins! Pat is a great racer, as he very rarely makes mistakes, and if he does, he still manages to get the Team Eurosport BMW up to the front of the pack. What an exceptional year for an extraordinary driver, we all salute with a toast to the 1997 Champion, Pat Dotson!
I want to thank you all for coming to the 1997 TPTCC Championship Banquet, I hope you enjoyed it. I've made available to anyone who would like it the 1997 races and stats in .txt files...you can get it by clicking here. We've had a great (short) season, and I'll be glad to see you all back here next year for the run for the 1998 TPTCC!
And let me invite you to join us in the post banquet chat, which you can get to by clicking here.
Cheers!
Jan
