Brandon Davis, of Huntington Beach, Calif., got the holeshot from his second starting position and never wavered en route to his second SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship win at the SPEED GT Finale Presented by Foametix®, part of the Petit Le Mans Powered by the Totally New MAZDA6 at Road Atlanta. Tommy Milner, of Leesburg, Va., and Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., completed the podium. Randy Pobst, of nearby Gainesville, Ga., clinched his second-consecutive Drivers’ Championship.Polesitter Milner spun the tires on the standing start in his No. 21 Rahal Letterman Racing Aston Martin DB9 and it was just enough for Davis to take the advantage heading into turn one. From there, the 22-year old was able to steadily pull away in a race slowed by two cautions to pilot his No. 10 ACS/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra to a 4.093-second win, averaging 84.003 mph.”Well, I had a front row seat to Tommy’s burnout,” Davis said. “From there I just wanted to keep the car up there and run hard every lap. Obviously in qualifying, we weren’t sure if we could run that pace every lap of the race, so we made some significant changes to the handling and the car was just hooked up.”Milner’s first series pole came by just 0.010-second over Davis, and the two cars seemed that evenly matched in the first third of the race. However, as the 28-lap, 71.12-mile race wore on, Davis’ car seemed to have the measure of the field. It was the second win for Davis and the first since Round Two in Long Beach. The team struggled in the middle of the season, but finished strong with three-straight podium finishes.”We left here with what we came with basically. The car is very strong, but we had a reliability issue. There was a point there, where we contemplated going to another car, but fortunately Joe Huffaker did a great job with the motors and making them reliable.”Unable to fight for the lead, Milner was comfortably in second, giving the Aston Martin its best-ever finish in series competition. It was also the career-best finish for 22-year old Milner, who joined the series midway through the 2008 season.”I obviously didn’t have the best start,” admitted Milner. “Unfortunately we don’t have launch control. It came down to the clutch and me in the end, and I’ve only done five starts now and I’m learning every time. I didn’t get it right this time. “At first, I thought I was going to push pretty hard to see if I could catch [Davis], but whenever I’d close the gap up, he’d just build it up again. Then the yellow came out and I thought maybe I could get him on cold tires, but he did a great job on the restart and I really never had a chance to catch him.”Pilgrim had an outside chance at overtaking Pobst for the Championship in his No. 8 Remington Shaving & Grooming Cadillac CTS-V, but needed a win and bad luck by Pobst to accomplish it. He came out on top of a tight battle with the No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette to take the final podium spot, the series-best eighth of 2008. “I had major pressure there at the end,” Pilgrim said. “My tires were going away, [Curran’s] tires were going away. I was a little quicker on the straightaway, he was a little quicker out of Five. I was pretty good out of Turn One and pretty good out of Turn Three, but I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. “I couldn’t make a mistake and I love racing like that. It pushes me to the peak and you never want to give up a position. Sometimes you give one up, like Randy did with me at Laguna last year, but in a race like this you never want to give up a position. Eric raced me clean and it was awesome, good fun.”A slight bobble by Pilgrim almost granted Curran the position, but he got an assist from an unlikely source.”There was one time when I slipped too much going into Turn 12 and I just clipped the curb, there was a yellow in One,” Pilgrim said. “That would have been the one time that I thought 20well, if he really rockets it there, I’ve got to give it to him,’ but there was a yellow and it was his teammate’s car causing the yellow!”Curran recovered from electrical problems during practice and qualifying to finish fourth, only his fourth top-five of the season.Pobst needed to finish better than 26th in order to clinch his second-straight SCCA SPEED GT Championship, regardless of where Pilgrim placed. The 2003 and 2007 series Champ brought his No. 1 K-PAX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 home fifth in the final race.”I was holding my breath because it ain’t over till it’s over,” Pobst said. “Those of us who have been around awhile know how things can go all wrong in the blink of an eye. “The secret to winning is a combination of reliability and speed and I am so very fortunate to be part of the K-PAX/3R Racing Team. It was great racing against teams like the ACS Mustangs and the Remington Cadillacs and Tommy [Milner] when he showed up. The Porsche is a tremendous car and one of our advantages is that the Porsche is so well developed and so reliable. “The last [Championship] is always the best one whether it is race wins or championships. Back in 1996, I remember winning the Super Touring Car Championship. I was 39 years old thought 20this might be the pinnacle of my career,’ but here we are 12 years later winning another championship. Of course, it helps being part of a great championship caliber team like K-PAX/3R Racing and driving some great cars!”Jason Daskalos (Dodge Viper), James Sofronas (Porsche 911 GT3), Tim McKenzie (Porsche 911 GT3), Cindi Lux (Dodge Viper) and Tomy Drissi (Chevrolet Corvette) completed the top 10.Jeff Courtney, of Slinger, Wis., earned the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award for advancing three positions on the opening lap of the race in his No. 99 Kenda/TJM/MPI Coin/Badger Dodge Viper. Courtney’s race ended on lap eight after contact from Jason Foster’s Dodge Viper.Rob Foster, of Phoenix, Ariz., captured the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for advancing eight positions in the race, from 20th to 12th.By just starting the race in his No. 9 Lala Motorsports Dodge Viper, Gunter Schaldach, of Aspen, Colo., clinched the 2008 Rookie of the Year honors.Pobst finished the season with 983 points to Pilgrim’s 907. Davis finished the season third, with 831, followed by Sofronas (750) and Michael Galati (733). Porsche clinched the SCCA SPEED GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine in New Jersey, and finished 14 points ahead of Ford in the final standings, 64 to 50. Cadillac was third, with 49, followed by Dodge (40) and Chevrolet (24).Today’s race will be broadcast Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED. BRASETON, Ga. – Results from Friday’s 28-lap, 71.12-mile SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Finale Presented by Foametix at Road Atlanta, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps, distance behind winner and reason out (if any).1. (2), Brandon Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 28.2. (1), Tommy Milner, Leesburg, Va., Aston Martin DB9, 28, -4.093.3. (3), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, 28, -5.246.4. (6), Eric Curran, East Hampton, Mass., Chevrolet Corvette, 28, -5.558.5. (5), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Porsche 911 GT3, 28, -11.305.6. (8), Jason Daskalos, Albuquerque, N.M., Dodge Viper, 28, -11.596.7. (11), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 28, -18.360.8. (9), Tim McKenzie, Madison, Wis., Porsche 911 GT3, 28, -19.483.9. (14), Cindi Lux, Aloha, Ore., Dodge Viper, 28, -19.852.10. (15), Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, Calif

While Chip Herr, of Lititz, Pa., led every lap of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED Touring Car Finale Presented by Toyo Tires®, the focus of the race was glued on third through fifth place, where the battle for the 2008 SPEED Touring Car Drivers’ Championship was unfolding. Michael Galati, of Olmsted, Ohio, and Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla., completed the podium at Road Atlanta, site of the Petit Le Mans Presented by the Totally New MAZDA6. Battling with his teammate all the way to the finish, Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., crossed the finish line in fourth, to take his fifth World Challenge Championship. Starting from pole in the No. 97 Mazdaspeed/Tindol Motorsports MAZDA6, Herr rocketed into Turn One from the standing start with the lead firmly in hand. His teammate, Galati, followed in the No. 95 Mazda North America/Tindol MAZDA6 and championship contender Kleinubing moved from fourth on the grid into third. When fourth-place Patrick Lindsey lost the motor in his No. 57 Horton Motorsports/Sloan Securities MAZDA6, Cunningham was promoted to fourth place, putting him in a dead heat with Kleinubing for the Championship, as both drivers would finish the race with 934 points.Kleinubing broke the tie on lap 17, passing Galati for second. He would be unable to make a charge for the lead, however, as the full-course caution flags came out for the No. 74 Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6 of Jason Saini, who was stuck in the Turn 10 gravel, following contact with the No. 36 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 325i of James Clay.The Championship scenario returned to a tie on the lap 20 restart, when Galati re-passed Kleinubing for second, but only two laps later, Cunningham would take over the Championship point lead by passing the No. 38 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 325i of Seth Thomas for fourth. To add to the excitement, Canadian Kuno Wittmer, the third Championship contender, was able to follow Cunningham around Thomas. With four laps remaining, the points were tighter than ever and every position mattered.”Prior to the full-course yellow, I was resigned to the idea that Pierre had this thing won, but I felt comfortable that I was gonna hang on for second, because Kuno was pretty far back at that point,” Cunningham said. “Then the yellow came out and I cursed in my helmet because I knew Kuno was going to be right on my bumper. I wasn’t really clear if he was going to have something for me but it was clear that he was going to be hungry and want a piece of me. When the restart came out, I had a little bit of a gap on Kuno and then Galati dive-bombed Pierre later in the lap to take second back and then Seth had a problem with his car and I’m thinking, 20okay, now I’m in the lead but here comes Kuno.'”Cunningham was right to be worried. On the final lap, Wittmer made a brave move on his own team boss, pulling his No. 44 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Oil Acura TSX alongside Cunningham under braking into Turn 10, attempting to take the Championship for himself. The teammates bumped and slid their Acuras through the corner side-by-side, with Cunningham holding the position as Wittmer struggled to maintain control of his car. “Kuno put a move on me there in the third to last corner for the position,” recalled Cunningham. “I don’t blame him. If he hadn’t done that I’d have been disappointed in the lad. But I’m glad I was able to come out on the good end of that stick and cross the finish line to take the position. “If Kuno would have passed me, he would have taken the Championship–that part was clear to me at that moment.””I got a good run on him out of the exit of Turn Seven and as we went down the straight he was changing his line trying to break the draft a bit,” Wittmer said of the final lap. “I came down into Turn 10 right on the limit and I got on the brakes so hard the tires were chirping as they were locking up. I was right on the limit. I turned in and closed my eyes, but Peter still had a nose on me so I pulled inside a bit and backed off because I wasn’t going to clean out my boss trying to win a Championship.”As Herr crossed the finished line 1.204 seconds ahead of Galati and Kleinubing, Cunningham took the checkered flag in fourth in the No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Oil Acura TSX, winning the 2008 SCCA SPEED Touring Car Drivers’ Championship by four points (939 to 934) over Kleinubing. Wittmer finishes the season third, with 930.”Kuno gave it a hell of a shot and certainly Pierre would have been a very deserving Champion for his fifth title. If I hadn’t done everything to do my best, I wouldn’t have done my job to honor my team and Pierre. I hope Pierre won’t blame me for that–he’ll probably punch me in the belly later when I’m not paying attention.”Congrats to Pierre and Kuno and to RealTime and Acura for a great season.”Cunningham tied Galati for the most World Challenge Championships, with five. Leading all 27 laps of the 68.58-mile race to take his second SPEED Touring Car victory of 2008, Herr secured fourth in the 2008 Drivers’ Championship.”This was the first year for me with Tindol Motorsports and the MAZDA6 with a sequential gearbox, so there was a lot for me to learn,” Herr said. “I picked it up pretty quickly–I had a pole at VIR, but the first race at Sebring was really a learning experience and a challenge.”Herr was relieved to return to the podium after a disappointing finish in Round Nine at Mosport.”After Mosport, I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, being taken out of second place. But things like that happen in Touring Car and maybe someday I’ll be in the other spot. I came here wanting to do the best I could for Tindol, for Mazda and my crew chief Barry [Trivette]. It’s been a team effort all year long.”I know RealTime had a one-two-three at Sebring, but other than that, there’s been a pretty good mix of cars on the podium and now it’s great to finish with a Tindol one-two. I haven’t gotten my Championship yet, but hopefully everyone is starting to wonder when it’s going to happen and I’m pushing with everything I have to get it.”Last year’s race winner Galati earned his second-consecutive podium finish and set a new race lap record in the process, a 1:33.433 (97.867 mph). Galati made a quick escape from the winner’s circle ceremonies to jump in his SPEED GT Porsche awaiting him on pre-grid.Finishing third in the No. 43 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Oil Acura TSX, Kleinubing collected his eighth podium finish of the season.”I couldn’t have asked for a better race,” Kleinubing said. “It went down to the very end. We just lack a little bit of straight-line speed. Unfortunately, that back straightaway is just a little bit too long and the Esses are not as tough as they used to be–you can do them pretty much flat-out every lap. The advantage that I seemed to have here in the past has pretty much evaporated the last few years.”Though he had Galati in his sights throughout the race and missed out on the Championship by an agonizing four points, Kleinubing remained thankful for a strong season and a successful team. “I can’t complain,” smiled Kleinubing. “We have a team that finished one-two-three in the Championship and won the Manufacturers’ Championship. I’m pretty happy to be a part of it. I’ve been in this series for 12 seasons now and I’ve only finished outside of the top two positions twice. What else could I ask for?”Following Cunningham and Wittmer across the line was Nick Esayian in the No. 34 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 325i. In addition to collecting his best career-finish, Esayian earned the Sunoco Hard Charger Award, advancing nine position