Jason Daskalos won last year at Miller and is in a Nissan GT-R this year (Weber photo)

Pirelli World Challenge GT – Can The Cadillacs Capitalize
At the top of the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT Drivers’ Championship sit a pair of Cadillac teammates, Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim. Close behind is Lawson Aschenbach, but prior commitments will keep the defending Touring Car champion away this weekend. Can the Cadillac pair take advantage?

Pilgrim drove his No. 8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V to a win at Long Beach in Round Three, while O’Connell’s No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V took the top spot in the season opener. A repeat performance for either will extend the cushion at the quarter pole of the 12-race GT class season.

While Aschenbach will step out of the No. 1 Privacy Star/Entrust/TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3, it would be a bad bet to think the car will slow down. Filling his driving shoes is the defending GT Drivers’ Champion, Patrick Long. Ironically, Long missed the Miller Motorsports Park race a season ago during his championship run, but recovered to take the title.

In fact, the No. 46 GoPro/Mooresville Motorplex Porsche 911 GT3 is the only TrueSpeed car filled by its regular driver this weekend. Justin Marks is behind the wheel of the No. 46 machine, with 16-year-old local driver Madison Snow making his Pirelli World Challenge debut in the No. 47 TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3.

The K-Pax Racing duo of Randy Pobst and Alex Figge each have a podium finish this season, but mechanical difficulties have left each of the searching for a big points weekend. If Pobst’s No. 6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 and Figge’s No. 9 similar machine can get out front, this could be the weekend to take a bite out of their early deficit.

To do that, they’ll have to shoot past the Global Motorsports Group team. Led by James Sofronas in the No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3, Sofronas has had a consistent run of finishes in 2012 with a runner-up and a pair of fourths. He’ll get help from teammates Erich Joiner, driving the No. 4 StopTech Porsche 911 GT3 and Anders Hainer, who piloted the No. 40 APS, Inc/Under Armour Audi R8 for the first time in World Challenge at Long Beach.

Last year’s defending race champion, Jason Daskalos, is in a very different piece of machinery this season. A Dodge Viper has won the last four GT races in the high altitude, but this year Daskalos has moved to a still-developing No. 12 Hawk Performance/CRP Racing Nissan GT-R. No stranger to victory lane himself, Mike Skeen is behind the wheel of the No. 2 Hawk Performance Nissan GT-R as both look for a breakthrough race for the Nissan.

Without a Viper in the field, the only make who has won a GT race at Miller is a Corvette. Tony Gaples is the lone Corvette in the field, as he’ll drive the No. 11 Black Dog Racing Chevrolet Corvette. He’ll get a challenge from Dave Welch, who qualified the No. 77 GoPro/StopTech/Eibach/425 Motorsports Ferrari F430 fourth at Long Beach. Steve Ott’s No. 85 Racing for Our Heroes/Loctite Porsche 911 is the final GT car on the entry list, and another with an opportunity to run well around the long circuit. 
 
Pirelli World Challenge GTS – Who Can Answer The Bell?
Until someone tops the No. 50 eBay Motors Ford Mustang Boss 302S, the car remains the favorite to win races. Last year, Paul Brown took the GTS title, and his stand in for 2012, Justin Bell, has kept up the pace. Bell has two wins and a runner-up finish in the opening three rounds, giving him the Championship lead heading into Miller.

Even though Jack Baldwin won at Long Beach in the No. 68 Hot Wheels Porsche Cayman S at Long Beach, Peter Cunningham’s No. 42 Acura/HPD/RealTime Racing Acura TSX remains in the championship hunt with a pair of runner-up finishes in the season opening event. Brake problems slowed Cunningham to a seventh-place finish at Long Beach, but two pole positions prove he’s got the speed to challenge the Mustang and the Porsche, as does teammate Nick Esayian in the No. 34 Acura/HPD/RealTime Racing Acura TSX.

Joining Baldwin and Bell on the Long Beach podium was Colin Braun, whose No. 38 Kia Motors America Kia Optima was making just its third GTS start. Braun and teammate Michael Galati (No. 36 Kia Motors America Kia Optima) experienced the teething problems expected when a car makes its debut, but it the team minimizes those each has the talent to immediately compete for wins.

Last year, Ben Crosland finished fifth in his hometown race. His No. 25 Crosland Racing Ford Mustang FR500S is back again, along with fellow local driver Dan McKeever in the No. 23 Zions Bank/Energy Solutions Ford Mustang Boss 302S. McKeever oversees the driving school at Miller Motorsports Park and may be able to put his local knowledge to use.

Mustang drivers Alec Udell (No. 16 MDG/Ford Racing/KART NATION Ford Mustang Boss 302S), Alfonso Perri (No. 26 Picture Cars East Ford Mustang Boss 302S) and Brad Adams (No. 96 Voodoo/DatDog/Yo MTV Raps! Ford Mustang FR500S) are also trying to keep pace with Bell up front.

A year ago, a Chevrolet Camaro took the race win in GTS, and two more sit in the field this weekend. Andy Lee finished on the podium at St. Pete in the No. 20 Best IT Chevrolet Camaro, and will be joined by rookie teammate Harry Curtin in the No. 29 Best IT Camaro.

The GTS class continues to get more and more diverse. Bill Ziegler’s No. 95 Global Motorsports Group Mitsubishi Evo, Ric Bushey’s Nissan/SPL Pro/Sparco/Motul Nissan 370Z, and Don Istook’s No. 01 REVO TECHNIK Audi TT are all on the entry list, as are a pair of BMW’s driven by Mark Klenin (No. 62 Premier Copier/Schomp BMW BMW M3) and Scott Bove (No. 22 Classic BMW/Motul/BBS/Eibach BMW M3).

Tom Felt, from nearby Springville, returns to the series in the No. 74 Vendrome/Britlor Honda S2000.

Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car and Touring Car-B – Beat The Rookies
Michael Cooper has limited experience behind the wheel of a racecar, but last year’s SCCA Pro Racing Playboy MX-5 Cup Champion has made the most of his opportunities to this point, sweeping the season opener at St. Pete. Cooper is driving the front-wheel-drive No. 03 MAZDASPEED Motorsports MAZDASPEED3 for the first time this season, and currently holds the Touring Car lead.

His former Atlanta Motorsports Group teammate in the MX-5 Cup, Todd Lamb, is now driving for Compass360 Racing and is second in points piloting the No. 71 National Karting News/HPD Honda Civic Si after a pair of runner-ups on the opening weekend. Compass360 has an impressive contingent of Hondas in the race, including Shea Holbrook in the No. 67 TrueCar.com/Lucas Oil/K&N Filters Honda Civic, Ryan Winchester in the No. 72 Ligon Industries/HPD Honda Civic, and Karl Thomson in the No. 70 HPD/Ultimate Racing Honda Civic.

Always strong in Touring Car competition is the Volkswagen contingent. Tristan Herbert’s polesitting No. 33 HPA Motorsports/Steve Goldin Racing Volkswagen Jetta GLI finished on the podium at St. Pete. Teammate Jan Heylen is a former podium finisher in the Champ Car World Series and will drive the No. 43 HPA Motorsports/Brimtek Volkswagen Jetta GLI at Miller. Michael Pettiford (No. 41 Go 4 It Racing Schools Jetta GLI) and Robb Holland (No. 88 Emich VW/StopTech/3Zero3 Motorsports Jetta GLI) are also in Jettas, while Patrick Seguin (No. 80 capsparts.com/Theberge Homes GTI) is in a different, but equally quick, Volkswagen.

If Cooper wasn’t enough to carry the Mazda banner, two RX-8 machines are in the field. JD Mobley, driving the No. 97 Don Walker Racing Mazda RX-8, and Tommy Boileau, driving the No. 98 similar machine, both make their Touring Car debuts at Miller.

Gustavo Michelson also returns in the No. 69 TLMUSA.com Honda Civic.

The Touring Car-B field marks the debut of the B-Spec formula to Pirelli World Challenge and features a field of drivers new to pro racing and a diverse set of cars.

Shaun Bailey, a Road & Track editor, will be in the No. 0 MAZDASPEED/Road & Track MAZDA2. A pair of Kia Rios are on the entry list, with Russell Smith (No. 90 Kinetic Performance Parts Kia Rio) and Michael Literas (No. 92 Xtreme Indoor Karting/Gunther Kia Rio) behind the wheel. SCCA Club Racing National Champion Sage Marie has the wheel of the No. 45 Honda Performance Development Honda Fit, with Conner Ford in the No 93 PR1 Motorsports/Honda Performance Development Honda Fit. Braden Miller is making a hometown start in the No. 09 Ford Racing/MMP Ford Fiesta, with Craig Capaldi’s No. 86 CapaldiRacing.com Ford Fiesta  also in the line-up. Jonathan Start makes his Pirelli World Challenge debut in the No. 00 Fiat USA/SRT/Carbotech Fiat 500.

TRACK RECORDS:
*3.048-mile track configuration for Qualifying, Race laps
GT:  
Qualifying Lap: N/A
Race Lap: 1:53.385 (96.774 mph), Dino Crescentini, Porsche 911 GT3, 2011
Closest Margin of Victory: 0.346-second, Kuno Wittmer over Andy Pilgrim, 2010

GTS:  
Qualifying Lap: N/A
Race Lap: 2:01.779 (90.104 mph), Jordon Musser, Chevrolet Camaro, 2011
Closest Margin of Victory:  0.413-second, Jordon Musser over Eric Foss, 2011

TC:  
Qualifying Lap: N/A
Race Lap: 2:06.043 (87.056 mph), Aaron Povoledo, Volvo C30
Closest Margin of Victory: 2.282 seconds, Aaron Povoledo over Ron Zitza, 2011 

PREVIOUS WINNERS
GT:
2011: Jason Daskalos, Dodge Viper
2010: Kuno Wittmer, Dodge Viper
2008: Tommy Archer, Dodge Viper
2007: Tommy Archer, Dodge Viper
2006: Lou Gigliotti, Chevrolet Corvette

GTS:
2011: Jordon Musser, Chevrolet Camaro
2010: Peter Cunningham, Acura TSX

Touring Car:
2011: Aaron Povoledo, Volvo C30
2010: Robert Stout, Scion tC
2008: Jason Saini, MAZDA6
2007: Jeff Altenburg, MAZDA6
2006: Pierre Kleinubing, Acura TSX

POLE WINNERS
GT:
2011: N/A
2010: Randy Pobst, Volvo S60
2008: Tommy Archer, Dodge Viper
2007: Tommy Archer, Dodge Viper
2006: Lou Gigliotti, Chevrolet Corvette

GTS:
2011: N/A
2010: Peter Cunningham, Acura TSX

Touring Car:
2011: N/A
2010: Taylor Hacquard, MAZDASPEED3
2008: Jason Saini, MAZDA6
2007: Jeff Altenburg, MAZDA6
2006: Pierre Kleinubing, Acura TSX