Lime Rock: RealTime Racing race report

PK Robbed of Win in CT
RealTime's hopes for 8th Lime Rock win go awry

RealTime Racing had everything in place to score its eighth-ever Lime Rock Park SCCA World Challenge race victory today, but an electrical gremlin found race leader Pierre Kleinubing's Certified Pre-Owned-sponsored Acura TSX and put that goal on hold for another year.

"My Acura was running perfectly," said Kleinubing, the defending Drivers' Champion for Touring Cars, "but then the engine started to misfire. I was forced to pit from the lead and the RealTime crew found a bad connection on one of the coils. When I re-entered the battle the car was good as new, but my chances for even a top-10 were long gone!"

"Qualifying is so important at Lime Rock," said RealTime team leader Peter Cunningham, who drove his Acura TSX to a team-best fifth place finish. "Passing for position is difficult here because of the nature of the circuit and its lack of overtaking opportunities. I wish I could have performed better in qualifying, but at least I drove better in the race."

Kleinubing started the race from the pole (his second at Lime Rock Park) and the record-extending 31st of his Touring Car career. Before his brief hiatus from the race, he was clicking off fast laps and was in control from the point.

All five RealTime Acuras qualified within one second of the pole, including the TSXs of Brandon Davis and Nick Esayian, and the RSX of Kuno Wittmer.

Wittmer finished seventh today in his first visit to Connecticut, moving up deftly from his 13th place starting position, while Esayian moved up four spots to 12th.

Davis was on his way to a likely seventh place result when he slipped off the road late in the race and was credited with 14th. Kleinubing recovered from his visit to pit lane to end up 18th.

The Lime Rock race will air on the Speed Channel on a tape-delayed basis on Saturday, June 2nd at 300p ET.

The SPEED Touring Car Championship will reassemble in less than two weeks at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York for a doubleheader. The first race of the weekend will be Saturday, June 9, at 730p ET and the second race will commence the following day at 100p. The World Challenge circus hasn't seen 'The Glen' on the calendar since 1998, so a return visit to this historic venue is an exciting opportunity for all involved. A RealTime Acura driver won the 1997 Touring Car race at The Glen, so the team knows its way to victory lane there.

-credit: rtr