Tri-Point Motorsports & Mazdas247.com go racing in UTAH!

[Antoine]

The Tri-Point Team & mazdas247.com are eager to hit the track in Utah for the next scheduled race in the 2007 SPEED Touring Car Season! The stage is set at Larry H. Miller Dealers Utah Grand Prix and the race will run from May 17th to the 19th...Be sure to check it out if you can and show your support! (drive2) (2thumbs)

*Thanks to evilmonkeyMSP for the pic!

UPDATE!!! Tri-Point Motorsports is adding a third driver!

Tri-Point Motorsports is adding a third driver to their already potent lineup for the remainder of the ten-race 2007 SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series schedule. Roberto Santos will pilot the #74 Tri-Point Motorsports prepared Mazdaspeed Motorsport Development MAZDA6 in the remaining nine races of this years Touring Car schedule, and will make his debut for Tri-Point and the World Challenge series at the Miller Motorsports Park event the weekend of May 17-19.

After successfully testing with the Tri-Point squad and showing some remarkable pace with the MAZDA6, Santos signed on for the 07 season. Santos, who hails from Monterrey, Mexico and now lives in the Los Angeles area, does not have the race seat time of his more experienced teammates, but he brings with him a combination of speed and determination. Although the World Challenge Touring Car series will be his professional debut, Santos understands the importance of being part of a high caliber team with the best possible equipment. Santos will have some great mentors in the team with team principal Craig Nagler as well as Tri-Point drivers Jeff Altenburg and Randy Pobst. Altenburg and Pobst have already launched the Tri-Point squad into the 07 season as they sit one-two in the drivers championship points race. Mazda is currently leading the manufacturers title chase.

Quotes

Roberto Santos

A lot of things just lined up at the right moment for all of this to come together. I think its going to be a great first step for me, but it is uncharted territory. I know that there are some very tough teams and drivers in this series (World Challenge Touring Car). Utah is where Ill really see where I stand.

Jeff Altenburg

I've tested with Roberto twice now, and both times he impressed me with his speed and his approach to the task at hand. He's pretty much jumping off the deep end by moving to the SPEED World Challenge Series so early in his racing career, but he remained calm and continued to improve with every session. Probably the most significant observation I have after the two tests is that Roberto not only listens and understands the advice he is given, but then is able to execute on track and go faster. That's more than some seasoned veterans I know can do! I think he will represent Tri Point Motorsports and Mazda well this year and have fun doing it.

Randy Pobst

I am happy to welcome Roberto to the Tri-Point Mazda team. He's in a great place on a team of this caliber, and has shown well in testing. It will also be helpful to Mazda's pursuit of the Championship to add another fast Mazda 6 to the Touring Car field.

Info

Be sure to look for the brilliant blue and white Tri-Point Motorsports Mazdaspeed MAZDA6 Touring Cars at round two of the SPEED World Challenge 2007 schedule the weekend of May 17-19 at the new Miller Motorsports Park outside Salt Lake City, Utah. You will see the accustomed #72 Altenburg machine, the #73 Pobst MAZDA6, and the #74 with Roberto Santos behind the wheel. For more information on the SPEED World Challenge series, or to see the schedule for the upcoming Miller Motorsports Park race, log onto http://www.world-challenge.com. For more information on Tri-Point and their race winning, championship leading MAZDA6 race team log onto http://www.tripointengineering.com.


SEASON SCHEDULE
Date (2007): Event:

Mar. 14-17 55th Annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring (Tri-Point takes 1st & 2nd)
April 13-15 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (GT only)
May 17-19 Larry H. Miller Dealers Utah Grand Prix
May 24 Lowe's Motor Speedway (CTC Pole Night)
May 25-28 Lime Rock SPEED Touring Car Classic
June 8-9 Sahlens Six Hours of the Glen Weekend (TC)
June 8-10 Sahlens Six Hours of the Glen Weekend (GT/TC)
July 6-8 Grand Prix of Toronto
July 20-22 Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Aug 24-26 Grand Prix of Mosport
Oct 3-5 Petit Le Mans
Oct 19-21 Monterey Sports Car Championships

Be sure to checkout Tri-Point's own Forum on mazdas247.com!

Tri-Point Motorsports​

(attn) Show mazdas247.com on your Mazda just like the Tri-Point Team! Get your decals below

http://www.spazchicken.com/mazdastore/
You can also custom order some by sending RICKMAN a PM now!​

Thank you for the support!​

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[nicole@Tri-Point]

Update:

Yesterday in the practice Jeff was 1st, Randy was 2nd followed by Roberto in 5th. (yippy)

Today, Jeff qualified 1st, followed by Randy in 2nd, and Roberto qualified 17th.

You can watch the race tomorrow on the world challenge site here.

 

[denhabr]

Great Racing @ Miller Motorsports Park - May 19th!

Great racing yesterday in Tooele! The Tri-Point 6's were awesome. Altenburg took 1st (last lap pass overtaking Pobst) with Pobst second, and a Beemer taking third.



Got some nice shots of the Tri-Point cars outside and even side the shop (the one mechanic invited me inside to take more pictures after pushing Altenburg's car back inside to cool off from the 90 degree desert sun...)

Hey Nicole...how can us pogues purchase some of the Tri-Point Engineering race shirts, polo's, and your decals?

I saw NOTHING Mazdaspeed-related (or Mazdas247.com related) for sale yesterday at the track (no t-shirts, no decals, no nutin!) What is up with that? Not to mention I was the only non-race team person wearing my Mazdaspeed logo's t-shirt around the track...

Can't wait until next year...

 

[derrick1623]

zoom-zoom! keep it up guys!

 

[Antoine]

Congrats to the Tri-Point Team on another 1-2 Finish! (first) (thumb)

I can't be more pleased with Tri-Point's performance this season and I'm honored to have mazdas247.com represented by such an awesome team!

Thanks to denhabr for the brief recap and pics!

Checkout the full story on how Tri-Point took UTAH!

Last-Lap Pass In Utah Gives Altenburg Second-Straight SPEED Touring Car Win

TOOELE, Utah (May. 19, 2007) - Jeff Altenburg, of Ellicott City, Md., collected his second-straight win of the year at Miller Motorsports Park Saturday in dramatic fashion, passing teammate Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., on the final lap of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship Round Two race, part of the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix. Last year's race winner, Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla., finished third.

No. 72 Altenburg leads the No. 73 of teammate Pobst at Miller Motorsports Park (Weber image).

Starting on pole in the No. 72 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6, Altenburg got away from the grid cleanly and led the field into Turn One, followed by his Tri-Point Motorsports teammate Pobst in the No. 73 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6 and the No. 38 BimmerWorld BMW 325i of Seth Thomas.

Montreal's Kuno Wittmer first moved his No. 44 Acura Certified Pre-Owned/RealTime Racing Acura RSX past Thomas, and after several laps of side-by side racing, Kleinubing was by as well in his No. 1 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX. The two Acuras then closed on the Mazdas, and, on lap six, Altenburgs car suddenly shut off, allowing Pobst by, balking Wittmer and allowing Kleinubing into third.

Altenburgs Mazda came back to life, and he and Kleinubing closed gradually on the leader. With three laps to go, Altenburg looked to the inside of Pobst in Turn One, but fell back into line. Just after taking the white flag, Altenburg capitalized on the draft going up the long front-straightaway and out-braked Pobst into Turn One. The pair ran side-by-side for three corners, allowing Kleinubing to close, before settling into line with Altenburg back in the lead.

Altenburg captured his fourth-career win by 0.295-second, averaging 83.160 mph in the 13-lap, 58.318-mile race.

"To get two poles and two wins, that is not something I take for granted in this crowd, Altenburg said. But if youre going to do that, Tri-Point Motorsports will certainly give you the tools. The Mazda 6 was fantastic. Weve made some great gains the past couple of races and I think the car is so predictable and easy to drive. I saw Pierre back there and Kuno [Wittmer], but we just had that little bit more of the package. Times change, but right now were going to enjoy it.

Prior to the race we talked about trying to work together and get away from everyone else as much as we could and then near the end, the last three or four laps, just go out there and race as long as we dont compromise Mazdas position or our position. I think thats what we managed to do. I think [Pobst] was fighting hard, I was fighting hard, but we kept it clean. Had I been on the other end of the stick I would have expected the same and given the same. I think it makes for a great show and some of the fiercest racing out there and I was pretty proud of it.

Pobst earned his second-consecutive runner-up finish, and credited the teams work and testing at Miller Motorsports Park for his, and Altenburgs, success.

It looked like Jeff [Altenburg] had some sort of tire problem right in the middle of the race. I was riding along behind him, trying my best to stay ahead of Kuno and Pierre. All of a sudden, Jeff just dies for a moment and I went into the lead and was just running harder and harder from that moment on.

It was a great race, a heck of a battle. Pierre almost got me. It was a great show and thats what the series is all about.

Kleinubing earned his second third-place finish in as many 2007 races, just 0.974-second behind the winner, and despite setting the races fastest lap with a 3:12.168 (84.039 mph), feels that the Acuras just didnt have enough to unseat the Mazdas this weekend.

I had nothing for them all day long, Kleinubing said. Once they started fighting between themselves, I was able to catch them a little bit. I would rather have been up ahead of them, but that wasnt the case unfortunately. Weve got to work harder and find something. What we have right now is not enough.

It seemed like they were racing hard and clean in Turn One. I was surprised to see them battle side-by-side and I thought 'oh maybe theyll let me by here at some point or maybe Ill at least get along one of them here for a little while, but Randy closed the door pretty good and I had to get off the gas.

Wittmer earned his career-best finish with a fourth, just a second and a half away from his first podium. Thomas held on to finish fifththe best finish for the E90-bodied BMW in SCCA SPEED Touring Car competition.

James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., finished sixth in his No. 29 Global Motorsports Group BMW 325Ci and was the top Toyo Cup driver, recognizing drivers who do not make their living driving racecars.

Peter Cunningham (Acura TSX), Charles Espenlaub (Mazda 6), James Clay (BMW 325i) and Brandon Davis (Acura TSX) completed the top 10.

Espenlaub earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award for moving from 15th on the grid to finish eighth in his No. 97 Mazdaspeed/Tindol/Oakley/Sparco Mazda 6.

Roberto Santos, of Clearwater, Fla., was the Piloti Rookie of the Race with his 12th place finish in the No. 74 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6.

Brad Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., earned the B&M Holeshot Award after advancing seven positions on the first lap in his No. 30 GMG/Greek Brothers Racing BMW 325Ci.

Altenburg now leads Pobst in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Drivers Championship standings by nine, 83 to 74. Kleinubing is third, with 61, followed by Wittmer (49) and Thomas (44).

Mazdas 20 points leads the SCCA SPEED Touring Car Manufacturers Championship Presented by RACER, 11 better than Acura (nine), followed by Audi (three) and BMW (two).

Saturdays race will be broadcast Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED.

The series travels to Lime Rock Park next weekend for Round Three of the Championship.​