Points Penalties, Driver Changes Occur Ahead of PWC in Detroit

Pirelli World Challenge heads to the Cadillac V-Series Challenge Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader this weekend with several driver changes of note and several other post-race points penalties from the last round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park having affected the championship.

Initially, all of Olivier Beretta, James Davison and Kevin Estre were issued $1,000 fines and 20-point penalties for avoidable contact entering Turn 8 at the end of the backstraight.

Estre’s point deduction and fine have now been rescinded, although all three are on probation through this weekend.

RESULTS: Round 9 (Final) 

Race winner Johnny O’Connell and two top GT Cup presented by MOMO class competitors, Colin Thompson and Sloan Urry, also got $1,000 and 20-point penalties assessed.

Thompson and Urry collided; O’Connell was listed as having contact with another MOMO-sponsored car, driven by Eduardo Cisneros.

Davison, Frankie Montecalvo and Dan Knox also had minor penalties issued.

The result of the post-race penalties is that Beretta now leads Ryan Dalziel by 15 points heading into the weekend, 799-784, with Estre third at 729 and O’Connell up to fourth at 716.

Realistically, with Dalziel missing this weekend’s races and Renger van der Zande filling in for him, the title chase in GT goes down to those three. Fifth-placed Ryan Eversley is more than 200 points behind points leader Beretta.

GTA also has a close points battle going into the race, with Henrique Cisneros leading with 424 points, Martin Fuentes second with 421, and Frankie Montecalvo third on 400. Bryan Heitkotter has won the last three races in GTA but is only fourth in points with 356.

ENTRY LIST: Cadillac V-Series Challenge

Meanwhile, entry list notes for are as follows:

***GMG Racing returns with James Sofronas in GT in the No. 14 Audi R8 LMS ultra, and David Welch in GTA in the No. 21 Audi R8 LMS ultra. Sofronas missed the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park weekend with a conflict; Welch is set to make his second weekend appearance of the year (Detroit).

***Nick Catsburg returns in the Blancpain Racing Lamborghini Gallardo Extenso R-EX after missing the CTMP weekend to race in the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Catsburg and van der Zande make it two Dutchmen in the field this weekend.

***Henrik Hedman won’t be running for DragonSpeed, which leaves Frankie Montecalvo and Eric Lux in Elton Julian’s remaining two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s.

***GTA driver Jeff Courtney and his JCR Motorsports team will miss this weekend’s race in the No. 99 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

***James Davison, Christina Nielsen and Renger van der Zande will pull double duty between the TUDOR Championship and World Challenge races this weekend.