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Laguna Seca: Porsche Motorsport GT race report

PORSCHE EARNS SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE GT MANUFACTURERS TITLE AS SOFRONAS BESTS LAGUNA SECA FIELD IN PORSCHE 911 GT3 CUP AT SEASON FINALE MONTEREY, Calif. -- Oct. 11, 2009 -- James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., captured his second SCCA Pro ...

PORSCHE EARNS SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE GT MANUFACTURERS TITLE AS SOFRONAS BESTS LAGUNA SECA FIELD IN PORSCHE 911 GT3 CUP AT SEASON FINALE

MONTEREY, Calif. -- Oct. 11, 2009 -- James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., captured his second SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Presented by Toyo Tires win of the season, taking the checkered flag at the Applied Computer Solutions Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by Bondurant. Sofronas' victory handed the SPEED World Challenge GT Manufacturers' Championship Presented by RACER Magazine to Porsche.

Almost as soon as the start lights flickered off to begin the 2009 World Challenge GT Finale, the yellow flags came out and the pace car was deployed, so that workers could remove Dino Crescentini's No. 4StopTech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3 from the sand in turn three. On the ensuing lap five restart, second-starting Sofronas was sandwiched between the No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/SunMicro Ford Mustang GT of Brandon Davis and the No. 3 AppliedComputer Solutions Ford Mustang Cobra of Boris Said. Sofornas was not keen on spending any more time between the teammates, and made his move to the inside of Davis in turn two to take the lead on lap six. The pass earned Sofronas the AutoWeek Move of the Race Award.

"On the start, I just wanted to get away from the line and establish my position," Sofronas said. "Brandon [Davis] had a good start and I got into two and just kept it clean not wanting to affect the driver points hampionship at all.

"It was pretty clear that Brandon didn't want to get in the way or become a part of any mistakes. It was a calculated move on his part. He just left it open for me and I had to take it there. He knew he had to win a Championship and he showed that he had the maturity to get itdone."

Sofronas never looked back, taking his third-career win by 4.297 seconds, averaging 82.342 mph. The Californian set the Debaufre Fastest Lap of the Race in the process, a 1:30.919 (88.615mph).

"The car was hooked up and once I was in the lead," Sofronas recalled. "I just put my head down and Todd [Ketchum, his crew chief] would give me some splits and then, all of a sudden, I looked in my mirror and no one was there! It kind of got boring. I want to win a race fighting for it; it's a lot more exciting. But, don't get me wrong, the way we did it today, I'll take it all day long.

"I kept saying 'what's going on behind me. Entertain me because there's not much going on up here,' and it sounds like it was abloodbath back there. I can't wait to see it on TV.

"The GMG guys worked very hard. It's very gratifying to win here. We ran five cars in two different series this weekend. They worked so hard and they were up late and I was with them here early in the morning as well. This is a great way to send them off into the offseason to get ready for next year. We love World Challenge. We've been doing this for a long time and look forward to doing it for years to come."

By winning the 28-lap, 62.664-mile race, Sofronas sealed the World Challenge GT Manufacturers' Championship for Porsche. It is the German marque's eighth title, which it claimed by 14 points over Ford (67 to53). Volvo was third, with 48 points, followed by Chevrolet (45) and Viper(18).

"Winning the Manufacturers' Championship for Porsche was a big one because of my business being focused on Porsche tuning," Sofronas added. "That was big to help them clinch that for the second year in-a-row."

-credit: porsche motorsport

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