PWC Planning Sub Championships for Sprint, SprintX in 2017

Photo: Pirelli World Challenge

Pirelli World Challenge could evolve into awarding three different championship titles to GT class competitors next year, in a move to emulate the championship structure utilized in the Blancpain GT Series.

The series’ 2017 provisional schedule was released last weekend, initially by the SRO Motorsports Group during its annual press conference at Spa, indicating a reduction to only five Sprint events and separate SprintX weekends, totaling ten points-paying events.

The concept, according to PWC President and CEO Greg Gill, would be to award an end-of-year overall champion between the two series, as well as individual champions for both Sprint and SprintX. However, he stressed the format is not yet fully confirmed.

“Our intention is to have the two sub championships for Sprint and SprintX and an overall Championship based on the total season. However the operative word is intention,” Gill told Sportscar365.

“We are discussing the classes and championships with our Series stakeholders now.

“Our announcement was for a preliminary look at the schedule only. When we have more to announce we will share it.”

PWC presented the concept during its annual stakeholders meeting at Mid-Ohio last weekend, prior to the preliminary schedule announcement, which still has two TBA events.

The championship format would be a mirror-image to the SRO-run Blancpain GT Series, which offers separate titles for the five-round Sprint and Endurance Cups, as well as an overall champion combining the ten races.

The only notable difference, currently under proposal, is that SprintX would feature a two-driver format with a mandatory pit stop, while the traditional PWC Sprint series would remain with a single driver and no pit stops.

SprintX debuted this year as an initial three-event pilot series, incorporating existing PWC weekends at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Utah Motorsports Campus and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Gill said he anticipates making further announcements about the series’ 2017 format and schedule at the Sonoma round next month.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John