The Championship Quest Is Kicked Off at Sebring
With a sold-out field and lots of new names, we headed South to Sebring for the 2022 season opener. Youth overcame experience as 23-year-old STEPHEN HAMMAN (#72) swept the 4.1 liter category and even got the overall win in the second sprint race!
But experience had its day too!! TOM PANK (#42), Ultra Performance won overall in the first Mission Foods GT3 Cup 4.R sprint race and had an outstanding battle with BOBNEAPOLE (#67), Orbit Racing to win Sunday’s enduro!! Bob, who is fairly new to IGT (second race) put up a great fight and only missed winning by a couple seconds. REG WILLIAMS (#008), Goldcrest Motorsports took home a second and a third but ultimately had mechanical issues in the enduro. Additionally, on the Mission Foods GT3 Cup Trophy 4.R category podium was JUAN GONZALEZ (#81) for Saturday’s sprint race. JAY SMITH (#37), Autometric Motorsports joined the top 3 in the enduro.
Now let’s take a look at the jam-packed Cayman category! We’re used to saying ANDY PILGRIM won, Andy Pilgrim won, Andy Pilgrim won….and we’re going to say it again, this time the plot twist is he was in a 3.8 liter Cayman Clubsport, where he swept the category on the weekend, winning all three races. Andy’s SKI Autosport Ferarri 458GT has been slotted into another series for 2022. The 2021 Maranello Cup Champion is back racing with Regal Motorsports in International GT. Andy’s teammate ANTHONY BARTONE had a great weekend, standing on the podium for two of the three races. MIKE MARTIN, ZOTZ Racing joined the podium all three races with a pair of seconds in the sprint races and joined by ERIC ZITZA for a third in the enduro. Rounding out the podium on the weekend was JOE RIZZO from RS1 Racing finishing second in the enduro. In the 3.4 category RUSSELL WITTENBERG swept the weekend, winning all three races. We can’t leave the Stuttgart Cup category without mentioning the other two RS1 entries, TOM BIGONY finished just off the podium against really tough competition and TOM KOPCZYNSKI, was entered in the Exhibition category with his Cayman at Sebring taking a pair of seconds in the sprints and winning the enduro. We had some new names in the Stuttgart Cup category and we want to welcome, AL LASORTE, Auto Quest and JUDIT LUKAZIK(yes, Albert’s wife!) with SpeedSport Racing.
There was very exciting competition in the Maranello Cup category. JUAN FAYEN, FMS swept the F488 category always among the overall front runners. JOHN PATRICK MULLANEY, Speed Works had a very successful weekend splitting the F458 sprint race wins with ROLAND VEIT, Pocono Sportscars.
The 3.6 category had some great competition too with newcomer CHRIS LEE, Auto Quest, TOM MCGLYNN, 901 Shop, joining NICK KARANGLEN, Orbit Racing and BRYAN SIRCELY, Quirt Racing. The wins were shared with the first sprint race going to Tom, second to Chris and the enduro to Nick. All four entrants stood on the podium throughout the weekend! Chris gets the “going the extra mile” award (if we had one) after his windshield was shattered in the second sprint. He sent his crew back to the shop (several hours) to pick up his 3.8 Cayman which he raced in the enduro and had a great time.
Once again our largest class belonged to the 3.8 liter Mission Foods GT3 Cup cars with 16 entries. Sprint races 1 and 2 had series newcomer PEDRO TORRES, Orbit Racing taking the win and a second in the endruo. CHRIS RUPPEL, ZOTZ Racing and JODY MILLER, TLM Racing both had terrific weekends with Chris taking a pair of seconds and a third and Jody winning Sunday’s enduro. In his Series debut, DAVID HERRINGTON, Goldcrest Motorsports, took second in sprint race 2. New to the 3.8 category and racing for the first time in International GT was JIMMY ADAMS, Mike Skinner Racing, TIM SAVAGE, Auto Quest, TOMMY BALLASTER, TLM Racing and ED WHEATLY. Orbit Racing.
There was a bit of a split in the 4 liter category at Sebring (mentioned above) with regular 4 liter Mission Foods GT3 Cup cars and what we’re calling 4.1 liter….for now, if you can come up with a better name please let us know! As was already mentioned STEPHEN HAMMAN, TLM Racing, picked up his winning ways from Daytona and finished first in both sprint races, while MARK MATHYS was the enduro winner. Also on the podium for 4.1 liter was newcomer to the series, NATHAN BYRD racing in 2021 Series Champion, DAVID TUATY’s car in sprint 1 where he finished second. David took second in sprint 2 and the duo paired for the enduro where they took another second place finish…something to be said for consistency! ANDOR KOVACS, MGM Racing also join in the new 4.1 class and rounded out the podium for the first sprint.
In our traditional Mission Foods GT3 Cup 4.0 liter class series sponsors (Interlaken Inn) JOHN and PAUL REISMAN, Hudson Historics had a terrific weekend. Paul won sprint race 1, John took a second in sprint race 2 and they paired up for the enduro where they walked away with the win! MARCEL FAYEN, FMS Motorsports had a very strong weekend finishing second in sprint 1, winner of sprint 2 and second in the enduro. Marcel and his dad (see above) made it 4 father/son teams racing on the weekend in IGT. The Reismans, the Fayens, the Panks and the Hammans. We love the family experience, keep it up! Rounding out the 4.0 liter category, TODD SLOANreturned to IGT competition and took second in sprint 1 and third in the enduro.
Finishing up the results, a familiar name to IGT but in a new car, was JERONIMO GUZMAN in an Audi R8, 901 Shop. He had some challenges on the weekend with new car glitches (including borrowing a second car after Thursday’s unsuccessful practice) but was able to win both sprints in his backup Audi (belonging to Tom Pank). We always say that sportsmanship and camaraderie are two the foundations of IGT and both are alive in thriving in the paddock. We also want to give a big shout of thanks to Jeronimo and his sponsors for hosting a fabulous party on Friday night in the paddock – Dubbed the 4T party = Tacos, Tequila, Track cars and Timepieces, a wonderful time was had by all.
Last but certainly not least, because this is a big deal!! Our great thanks go to TONY PARELLA for the race streaming that was live on YouTube for free and will continue to be so for several of our races this year. If you can’t be at a race, tune in on the You Tube/Speed Tour channel and watch live! It’s good bye to Sebring and onto Road Atlanta!
Marketplace
Selling or looking for a race car, trailer, equipment, etc? We’ll highlight it in our Marketplace section. This is free to International GT competitors and teams and will run for about 4 email blasts. Just send a photo, description and contact information to Julie@InternationalGT.net.
Kernodle Photography
The official photographer for International GT is John Kernodle. Click on the photo to link to the Kernodle Photography website and see special offers from John to International GT competitors.
2022 Schedule
