Mikhail Goikhberg and Brian Alder both can clinch season championships at the next Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazdaevent weekend, Aug. 22-24 at Virginia International Raceway.
Goikhberg, from North Vancouver, British Columbia, leads the Lites 1 class by 55 points – 156-101 – over Christian Potolicchio this weekend entering Rounds 11 and 12 of the 14-round season. Goikhberg needs to lead by 60 points after Round 11 Saturday or 40 points after Round 12 Sunday to secure his first championship.
Alder, from Marysville, Ohio, leads the Lites 2 class by 78 points over Jerome Mee and needs to start Round 11 to clinch his second consecutive L2 season title.
The coronation of Goikhberg and Alder could take place during a unique event weekend for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Development Series. This is the second time Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda will race concurrently on track with the Prototype Challenge (PC) class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, as the two championships first ran together in early June at Kansas Speedway.
Both races for Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda will be 45 minutes this weekend, an increase of 15 minutes for the first race of the weekend compared to events in which Prototype Lites run alone. Round 11 is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. (ET) Saturday, Aug. 23, with Round 12 at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 24.
Practice takes place Friday, Aug. 22, with qualifying at 10:50 a.m. Saturday on the 17-turn, 3.27-mile circuit at VIR.
Prototype Challenge and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda cars have similar top speeds, approximately 175 mph in PC and 170 mph for Prototype Lites. But PC cars and their ORECA FLM09 chassis are heavier, with a minimum weight of 1,990 pounds compared to the 1,175-pound Prototype Lites cars and their Élan DP02 chassis. PC cars also use a 6.2-liter, 430-horsepower Chevrolet LS3 V8 engine, while a 2-liter, 240-horsepower Mazda MZR four-cylinder engine powers the L1 division in Prototype Lites.
Goikhberg steam-rolled his competition from March through June, winning five of the first six rounds in the No. 10 JDC Motorsports entry. But he has appeared mortal in the last four rounds, with a pair of non-scoring results bookending a runner-up finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in mid-July and victory two weeks ago at Road America. Still, Goikhberg has led the championship standings for the entire season in a tour de force since opening with two victories in March at Sebring International Raceway.
Potolicchio, from Hallandale Beach, Florida, is the hottest driver in the series. He has 62 points combined in the last four rounds in the No. 2 8Star Motorsports entry, more than any other driver, including a second-place and two third-place finishes. He will seek his first victory of the season at VIR.
Andrew Novich, from Novato, California, broke through for his first victory of the season Aug. 10 at Road America in the No. 61 Comprent Motor Sports car. That victory launched Novich into third in the standings, four points behind Potolicchio and three ahead of third-place Robert Alon.
Alon, from Encino, California, is at the heart of a four-car race for second place in the standings. He has two runner-up finishes and has scored 94 points this season in the No. 9 Performance Tech Motorsports entry.
His teammate, Craig Duerson, is fifth in the standings with 88 points in the No. 27 Performance Tech Motorsports entry. Masters (age 40 and older) standout Duerson, from Gulfport, Mississippi, opened the season with four consecutive overall podium finishes.
Duerson also remains locked in a tight battle for the Masters championship with John Falbof ONE Motorsports. Falb leads Duerson, 143-126, with two victories and consistent finishes in the No. 77 entry. Duerson has five Masters victories this season but also has been hurt by four finishes scoring 10 points or less in the last six rounds due to a variety of misfortunes.
Lamont Harris and Don Yount also remain contenders for the Masters title. Harris, from Palm Beach, Florida, is third with 122 points in the No. 65 8Star Motorsports entry. Yount, from Houston, is fourth with 120 points in the No. 28 Yount Motorsports car.
Yount is surging toward the end of the season in his single-car team. He finished second and third in Masters two weeks ago at Road America, his first podium results since early June at Kansas Speedway.
The Lites 1 Team Championship also remains tense and tight. JDC Motorsports leads with 182 points, 26 ahead of the tied second-place tandem of 8Star Motorsports and Performance Tech Motorsports. ONE Motorsports is fourth with 136 points, with Comprent Motor Sports fifth with 128.
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| Brian Alder has finished first or second in Lites 2 in all 10 races this season in his No. 22 BAR1 Motorsports entry. |
Alder and his BAR1 Motorsports team have dominated the Lites 2 class all season, with seven victories and three runner-up finishes in 10 rounds. But Todd Slusher earned his first career Lites 2 victory Aug. 9 at Road America in the No. 62 ONE Motorsports entry.
For live updates on all the action, follow @IMSALive on Twitter.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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