Champion Racing
Encyclopedia
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
team based in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1994 by Dave Maraj as the motorsport wing of the Champion Motors car dealership
Car dealership
A car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling...
, the team has campaigned various Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
s and Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
s in North American road racing series. Champion Racing won the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in 2005
2005 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 2005.This race marked the record 7th victory for Tom Kristensen, including his 6th straight.-Race:...
, and the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
teams' championship in 2004
2004 American Le Mans Series season
The 2004 American Le Mans Series season was the 6th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTS, and GT...
, 2005
2005 American Le Mans Series season
The 2005 American Le Mans Series season was the 7th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
, and 2006
2006 American Le Mans Series season
The 2006 American Le Mans Series season was the 8th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
. The team currently runs a pair of factory supported Audi R10 TDIs in the ALMS, under the name Audi Sport North America.
Porsche years
Champion entered their first race at the 1993 12 Hours of Sebring12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
, finishing 21st overall and 7th in the Invitational GT
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
class with a Porsche 911 Carrera 2
Porsche 993
The Porsche 993 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between late 1993 and early 1998, replacing the 964...
driven by Justin Bell
Justin Bell
Justin Bell is a British racecar driver. He is the son of Derek Bell.-Career:Justin and his father raced together from the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans through the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. He tried to qualify for the 1996 Indianapolis 500 in a 4 year old Lola chassis...
, Mike Peters
Mike Peters
Michael Bartley Peters , better known as Mike Peters, is an American cartoonist.He draws the comic strip Mother Goose and Grimm, as well as syndicated editorial cartoons that appear in papers all over the United States...
, and Oliver Kuttner. In 1994, they entered a 911 Turbo in several IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
GT
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
races, including the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
and 12 Hours of Sebring. For the 1995 season, Champion partnered with Michael Colucci Racing (MCR), and the team moved up to a 2 car team with a pair of 911 GT2
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine upgrades, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration...
. Champion running the #72 car (964 chassis) and MCR running the #74 car (993 chassis). After an accident put them out a Daytona, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Bill Adam
Bill Adam
Bill Adam is a Canadian racing driver born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.Starting his career in sports cars toward the end of the 1970s, Adam drove as a privateer, winning a Canadian championship before being hired professionally...
finished 2nd in the GTS-1 class at Sebring. They also collected class podiums at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
and Sears Point
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
in the #74 car. In 1996, Stuck and Adam won the GTS-1 class at Sebring with the #74, the first major win for Champion Racing. In 1997 Champion scaled back to a one car team, taking over the reigns of the #74 Porsche with Stuck, Adam, and Thierry Boutsen
Thierry Boutsen
Thierry Marc Boutsen is a former racing driver who raced for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan teams in Formula One.-Career:thumb|left|Boutsen driving for [[Arrows]] at the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix]]....
finishing 2nd in class at the 1997 Daytona 24 Hours.
For 1998, Champion Racing purchased a Porsche 911 GT1
Porsche 911 GT1
The Porsche 911 GT1 was a car designed for competition in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street legal version for homologation purposes...
Evo. The team ran a full season in the USRRC
United States Road Racing Championship
The United States Road Racing Championship was created by the Sports Car Club of America in 1962. It was the first SCCA series for professional racing drivers. SCCA Executive Director John Bishop helped to create the series to recover races that had been taken by rival USAC Road Racing...
GT1 class, winning the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen
6 Hours of Watkins Glen
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York...
and finishing on the podium in 3 other races, winning the makes (Porsche) and drivers (Boutsen) championships. The team also competed in three PSCR races; Boutsen, Bob Wollek
Bob Wollek
Bob Wollek , nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He was killed on March 16, 2001 at age 57 in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of...
, and Andy Pilgrim
Andy Pilgrim
Andy Pilgrim is a British-born racing driver, whobecame a United States citizen in 1998. He began racing an IMSA Renault Cup Renault Alliance in the 80's. His serious professional racing began in 1996 when he made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut. He joined the Chevrolet Corvette factory team in...
finished 2nd in GT1 and 3rd overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
, Boutsen and Wollek won the GT1 class at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
in June (3rd overall), and Boutsen, Wollek and Ralf Kelleners
Ralf Kelleners
Ralf Kelleners is a race driver from Germany.His father Helmut Kelleners was also a race driver, winning the Spa 24 Hours and the 24 Hours Nürburgring.-External links:*...
won the GT1 class at the inaugural Petit Le Mans
1998 Petit Le Mans
The 1998 Petit Le Mans was the seventh race for the 1998 IMSA GT Championship season, then known as the Professional SportsCar Racing series. It was also the first race of Don Panoz's American Le Mans Series developed with the backing of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , the ruling body of the 24...
, finishing 3rd overall, earning an automatic entry to the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans
1999 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 67th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 1999.-Pre-race:1999 saw another increase in manufacturers involvement. Although Porsche did not send a team to contest, Toyota retained their three updated GT-Ones, now moved to the LMGTP class due...
.
In 1999, Champion ran the GT1 in the new American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
. Due to the regulations, however, they were forced to run in the Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
class against theoretically faster cars. They scored their best result in the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
, finishing 4th overall and in class. The team also raced a Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
-R in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, finishing 2nd in the GT class.
With no place to run the GT1 in 2000, Champion changed cars to a Lola B2K/10
Lola B2K/10
The Lola B2K/10 was a Le Mans Prototype developed in 2000 by Lola Cars International for use in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series, Grand American Road Racing Championship, and Sports Racing World Cup...
with a Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
engine. The team entered only two ALMS races (Sebring and Sears Point) and failed to finish either one. They also entered the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, finishing 7th in class and 21st overall. The team spent most of the season developing the car, with the aim of a high finish at the 2001 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
.http://www.championracing.net/2006/History/Porsche_Lola.htm
Daytona 2001 started well; the team qualified 6th. However, a loss of oil pressure seven and a half hours in caused the car to retire. The team came back to finish 2nd in the Daytona finale at the end of the season. The team finally found some success with the Lola at the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
, finishing 4th. After the race, the team would abandon the project, however Oliver Kuttner's Pegasus Racing would run the car in the latter half of the season.
World Challenge GT with Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
to develop and run the Audi S4
Audi S4
The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan...
Competition in the SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
Speedvision World Challenge
SPEED World Challenge
The Pirelli World Challenge is a North American auto racing series that is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America . Founded in 1985, it consists of four classes: grand touring, touring car, a "GTS" class since 2010, and a "touring car B-spec" since 2012...
series' GT class. For their first season, the pair of cars would be driven by reigning Touring Car champion Michael Galati and Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
winner Derek Bell
Derek Bell (auto racer)
Derek Reginald Bell MBE is a former racing driver from England who was extremely successful in sportscar racing, winning five times at Le Mans. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams...
. Bell finished 9th in the opening round at Charlotte
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. Galati would take 2nd in the championship, winning at Las Vegas
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
and taking two other podiums. In 2001, Galati won the GT drivers' championship, taking 4 wins, and Audi won the manufacturers' championship by 1 point over Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
. In 2002, Galati would repeat as champion, with Bell 7th, and Audi 2nd in the manufacturers' standings.
In 2003, Champion debuted the new Audi RS6
Audi RS6
The Audi RS6 quattro, commonly referred to as the RS6, is the highest performing version, and top-of-the-line specification of the Audi A6, positioned above the Audi S6...
Competition. Randy Pobst
Randy Pobst
Randy Pobst also known as "RFP" or "The Rocket" is an American race car driver, born 26 June 1957, in Dayton, Ohio.Currently active in the SCCA World Challenge GT series and the Grand American series' GT class, Pobst is the 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2010 SCCA World Challenge GT champion and is a...
finished on the podium at the first five races of the season, and won the last two rounds to take the Drivers' championship, and the manufacturers' championship for Audi.
Audi R8 and R10 years
Champion Racing started running Le Mans PrototypeLe Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
s in 2001 with the Audi R8, which led them to victory in the 2004
2004 American Le Mans Series season
The 2004 American Le Mans Series season was the 6th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTS, and GT...
and 2005
2005 American Le Mans Series season
The 2005 American Le Mans Series season was the 7th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
, as well as the 2005
2005 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 2005.This race marked the record 7th victory for Tom Kristensen, including his 6th straight.-Race:...
24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
.
In 2006, Champion Racing took over the Audi Sport North America
Audi Sport North America
Audi Sport North America is a title used by auto manufacturer Audi for their sports car racing efforts in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two teams have raced under this title:...
brand from Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
and started fielding the Audi R10 TDI. Since then, they have won the 2006
2006 American Le Mans Series season
The 2006 American Le Mans Series season was the 8th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
, 2007
2007 American Le Mans Series season
The 2007 American Le Mans Series season was the 9th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2. It began March 17, 2007, and ended October 20, 2007 after 12 races...
and 2008
2008 American Le Mans Series season
The 2008 American Le Mans Series season was the tenth season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Tourer race cars divided into four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
.