Larry Wilson
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New Challenge For Porsche
by Larry Wilson, Sacramento Valley Region, PCA

In a press release issued November 3, 1995, SCCA Pro Racing announced it
had restructured the World Challenge series for 1996, aligning the newly
named Grand Sports class with the European GT regulations used for Le Mans.
Cars participating in the new Grand Sports division, which replaces the
World Challenge Sports Class, will be prepared in accordance with the
FIA/Automobile Club De L'Ouest (ACO) GT-1 and GT-2 rules. There will be two
classes -- Sports 1 (S1) and 2 (S2) -- differentiated by horsepower to
weight ratios. This is the organization's first attempt to configure a
production-based series' rules on an international formula since the 1970s,
when the Trans-Am included FIA Group 4 and 5 cars.

"It's a global marketplace and we have positioned the World Challenge as a
global series," said Dan Greenwood, SCCA Pro Racing Ltd., President. "Our
goal is to create international appeal with respect to SCCA Pro Racing and
the World Challenge." With an eye perhaps on IMSA, Greenwood continued,
"This looks to be the right time for SCCA Pro Racing to take a leadership
role with respect to international GT sports car racing here in the U.S."

The former World Challenge Sports Class was dominated in 1995 by the Rohr
Motorsport Team out of Cincinnati. Drivers David Murry and Jochen Rohr,
both in Porsche 911 GT2s, captured the Manufacturers Championship for
Porsche for the second straight year and Murry won the eight-race Drivers
Championship.

Now, with the new rules for 1996, Porsche will have stiff competition if
they expect to "three-peat" the manufacturers championship. The new Grand
Sports division will feature domestic cars such as Chevrolet's Corvette,
Callaway Corvettes, Saleen Mustangs and Dodge Vipers as well as the best
from Japan and Europe including the McLaren GTR, Ferrari F40, BMW M3 and
Toyota Supra GT. A homologation process similar to that used by the FIA/ACO
will be used by SCCA Pro Racing.

A significant feature of the FIA/ACO rules, and thus the new World
Challenge rules, is the requirement for reinforced stock chassis/frames.
They don't allow tube-frame cars. This will eliminate the huge disadvantage
faced by most Porsche GT-1 and GT-2 teams in races sanctioned by IMSA,
which permits purpose-built, tube-frame cars like the Nissan, Mazda, and
Oldsmobile (and the GT-2 Porsche of IMSA-owner, Charles Slater, which began
life many years ago as a GTU race car).

The new class will have cars running on radial racing tires, a change from
the 1995 World Challenge DOT tire rules. Engines will be race-modified with
weight ratios ranging from 600hp at 3,000 pounds to 350hp at 2,200 pounds
for S1 and S2 classes, respectively. Induction air restrictors will be used
to limit horsepower in accordance with the FIA/ACO regulations for the 1996
Le Mans event.

Initially, according to SCCA Pro Racing, World Challenge events will remain
sprint races, ranging from 45 minutes to 60 minutes, but consideration will
be given in the future for longer endurance-type events as dictated by
promoter interest. Seven events have been scheduled in 1996 to be run the
same weekend with the SCCA Trans-Am series. An additional two to three
races are expected as SCCA negotiates with promoters for more Trans-Am
event dates.

The soon-to-be-launched Speedvision Network will provide live coverage of
World Challenge races held in conjunction with Trans-Am events.

Preliminary Schedule -- 1996 World Challenge Series
(2 to 3 additional events expected)

February 23-25    St. Petersburg
May 17-19         Mosport
May 24-27         Lime Rock
August 2-4        Trois-Rivieres
August 16-17      Road America
Aug. 30/Sept. 1   Dallas
Sept. 20-22       Reno Hilton