Laguna Seca DuPont takes first Touring win

MONTEREY, Calif.–Alfred duPont, of Kennett Square, Pa., took his first-career Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car victory at Laguna Seca Raceway, part of the GlobalCenter Sports Car Weekend. Points leader Pierre Kleinubing, of Brazil, and Hugh Plumb, of Chadds Ford, Pa., completed the top-three. DuPont, driving the No. 51 European Racing Technologies BMW 328is, led the race flag-to-flag after taking the pole in record-setting fashion. His only serious challenge came from Plumb, who tried to pass on lap 23 of the 25-lap 55.95-mile contest. The two made side-to-side contact in the famed corkscrew, with Plumb sliding off the track and back to third. DuPont averaged 68.019 mph en route to his 1.175 second win. "It's very satisfying to get our first win here at Laguna Seca," said duPont. "Last year, we qualified second, but ended up in the gravel trap. It's nice to finish, and win." Kleinubing, who started third in the No. 42 BuySellorHold.com/RealTime Racing Acura Integra R, was able to move around teammate Plumb after the thwarted pass attempt to come home second. "Second place is like a win for me today," said Kleinubing, who increased his point lead to 21 (202 to 181) over Neal Sapp, who finished seventh. "Something has been coming loose in my car in every session. The steering wheel was moving side-to-side about two or three inches. When I got by Hugh, I was begging him to let me stay in front." "This has been a terrible year for me," said Plumb. "If I can help my teammate out, I will. I'll be courteous. Then again, if I can, I'll keep him behind me. I'd gotten by Alfred [duPont] heading into the corkscrew, but he got in real deep and hit me. It may have looked like a Zanardi move, but it didn't end up the same way." Mike Fitzgerald, of Phoenix, Ariz., worked his way back from a first-lap spin to finish fourth, followed by Terry McCarthy, of Mountain View, Calif., who started 34th. Ken Dobson, of Carmel Valley, Calif., earned the Borla Performance Award, for his drive from 30th to 13th. Neil Vanni, of Cupertino, Calif., was listed in stable condition after a lap-17 accident in turn four. He was transported to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula with a possible rib fracture.

MONTEREY, Calif.–Results from Saturday's 25-lap, 55.95-mile Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car Round Eight race, part of the GlobalCenter Sports Car Championships at Laguna Seca Raceway, with finishing position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car, laps complete and reason out (if any).

<pre> 1. (1), Alfred duPont, Kennett Square, Pa., BMW 328is, 25. 2. (3), Pierre Kleinubing, Erexim, Brazil, Acura Integra R, 25. 3. (4), Hugh Plumb, Chadds Ford, Pa., Acura Integra R, 25. 4. (7), Mike Fitzgerald(R), Phoenix, Ariz., BMW 328Ci, 25. 5. (34), Terry McCarthy(R), Mountain View, Calif., BMW 328is, 25. 6. (2), Kevin Schrantz, Boulder, Colo., Acura Integra R, 25. 7. (8), Neal Sapp(R), Elicott City, Md., BMW 328Ci, 25. 8. (13), Peter Tonelli(R), Northboro, Mass., BMW 328Ci, 25. 9. (5), Don Salama(R), Avon, Conn., BMW 328is, 25. 10. (16), Shauna Marinus(R), Folsom, Calif., BMW 328Ci, 25. 11. (10), Will Turner, Newburyport, Mass., BMW 328is, 25. 12. (6), Steve Pfeffer(R), Etna, N.H., BMW 328is, 25. 13. (29), Ken Dobson(R), Carmel Valley, Calif., Pontiac Sunfire GT, 25. 14. (20), Walter Markes Jr., Bronx, N.Y., BMW 328is, 25. 15. (17), Grant Lockwood, Cumming, Ga., Honda Prelude, 25. 16. (22), David Rosenblum, Langhorne, Pa., Mazda 626, 25. 17. (19), Paul Alderman(R), Newark, Del., BMW 328is, 25. 18. (21), Jeff Littel(R), Wilmington, Md., BMW 328is, 25. 19. (14), Drew Hagestad(R), Long Beach, Calif., VW Jetta, 25. 20. (25), Mike Buzzetti(R), San Francisco, Calif., Oldsmobile Achieva, 25. 21. (18), Justin Marks(R), Woodside, Calif., BMW 328is, 25. 22. (12), Mark C. Reed, London, England, Acura Integra R, 24. 23. (33), Peter Bovenberg(R), Campbell, Calif., Honda Civic, 24. 24. (26), Manny Matz, Somers, N.Y., BMW 328is, 24. 25. (24), Steve Lisa, Scottsdale, Ariz., Mazda 626, 24. 26. (27), Raymond Genao, Long Island, N.Y., BMW 328is, 24. 27. (28), Fred Meyer, Dallas, Texas, Acura Integra R, 24. 28. (30), Nick Vitucci(R), Bronx, N.Y., Acura Integra R, 24. 29. (23), Roger Foo(R), Hayward, Calif., Honda Civic, 23. 30. (11), Peter Ackroyd(R), New Zealand, BMW 328is, 23. 31. (15), Bob Nagel(R), Tampa, Fla., Acura Integra R, 21. 32. (9), Taz Harvey, Danville, Calif., Acura Integra R, 19. 33. (31), Neil Vanni(R), Cupertino, Calif., Honda Civic, 14, Crash. 34. (32), Albert Mirko, Morgan Hill, Calif., Mercury Cougar, 9, Trans. 35. (35), Charles Buzzetti(R), Atascadero, Calif., Olds Achieva, 0, DNS. Time of race: 49 minutes, 21.233 seconds. Average speed: 68.018 miles-per-hour Margin of victory: 1.1749 seconds Lap leaders: Laps 1-25, Alfred duPont Fastest race lap: Terry McCarthy(R), 1:41.929 (79.043 mph) Fastest qualifier: Alfred duPont, 1:40.837 (79.899 mph) Cautions: one for six laps