GT3 Cup: Road Atlanta round 12 race notes

TONY RIVERA WINS RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROAD ATLANTA

BRASELTON, Ga. October 3 -- Tony Rivera, Houston, Texas, drove his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to an overall victory in round 12 of the IMSA Challenge by Michelin at Road Atlanta to secure the Gold Cup championship. Bob Faieta, Tujunga, Calif., and Dino Steiner, Wehingen, Germany, each took a Platinum Cup win to keep the championship points tied going into the final two rounds of the season.

Rivera, who has won every Gold Cup race in 2008, surpassed Tommy Kendall's record of 11 straight victories, winning his twelfth race of the year.

"One of my best friends made me aware of the record a few races ago," Rivera said. "Today I just got run on Dino under the bridge and coming down into turn 12. I out broke him going into turn one. I concentrated on not making a mistake like I did yesterday."

In round 11 on Thursday Faieta finished first, starting from the pole and never looking back. There was one caution period that bunched the field up. On the restart Faieta got a good jump on the green flag and held Steiner off for the win.

"I had a solid lead, but Dino was really strong," Faieta said. "I was monitoring him in my mirrors and he was right there. Not close enough to strike, but right there." Patrick Kelly, Minnetrista, Minn., finished third in the Platinum Cup class in both rounds.

In the Gold Cup, the class designated for 2005-2007 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, Melanie Snow, Pleasant Grove, Utah, and Lloyd Hawkins, New Orleans, La., had good on- track battles both days. Snow finished second in round 11 and Hawkins finished third. In round 12 they switched spots on the podium with Hawkins finishing runner up to Rivera.

The final two rounds of the IMSA Challenge by Michelin series will take place October 18 and 19 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Platinum Cup championship will come down to the final race Sunday, scheduled to be a one-hour and fifteen minute race.

-credit: imsa