Racing News

    ​​Liefooghe is second in drivers' points and Magagnoli wins rookie of the year

    BMW, with seven wins in the twelve-race Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car season, has won the TC manufacturers' championship. Greg Liefooghe in the #20 Stephen Cameron Racing M235i Racing finished second in both races in the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and finished second in the drivers’ championship for the season. Rooster Hall Racing's Anthony Magagnoli was named rookie of the year. The drivers’ title and the wins in both races at Mazda Raceway went to Paul Holton in the #71 C360 Audi RS3 LMS.

    Mark Drennan in the #54 Hooverspeed Mazda MX-5 and Nick Wittmer in the #91 ST Racing M235iR finished second and third on the track in the first race but were disqualified afterward for technical infractions. As a result Liefooghe was moved up to second and five-time PWC champion Pierre Kleinubing in the #26 Classic BMW M235iR was moved up to third. Holton dominated the race, although Drennan closed to within a second of the Audi racer at the end.

    While a rolling start was used in race one a standing start was used in race two. BMW racer Mason Filippi charged into the race two lead, demoting pole sitter Holton. Holton soon regained the lead and kept it for the balance of the race. Liefooghe moved up to second with Kleinubing behind him. At the end of the race Holton finished almost six seconds ahead of Liefooghe, who finished second just ahead of a hard-charging Kleinubing. Four more M235iRs followed: Filippi was fourth in the #12 Winding Road Team TFB car, 2016 champion Toby Grahovec in the #1 Classic BMW car was fourth, just behind Filippi, Nick Wittmer, who had started at the back of the pack, was sixth, and Anthony Magagnoli in the #80 Rooster Hall Racing car was seventh.

    Wittmer had come into the event second in drivers’ points, but the disqualification in the first race set him back. He finished third behind Liefooghe.

    Liefooghe said “Today’s race was really tough. We didn’t have anything for Paul (Holton). He was in a different class of his own this weekend. We missed the setup this weekend. The second race was a little bit better but Pierre (Kleinubing) was coming on strong at the end of the races. I was lucky enough to pull a little bit of a gap to have a little bit of a buffer but I don’t think I could have kept him behind me if I didn’t have that. I’m happy to get two podiums today. Stephen Cameron is going through a little bit of a rough time with his house in Sonoma but he still managed the team over the phone and the car was great and the team he assembled was good as well.”—Brian S. Morgan