| The
North Carolina Homecoming Tour |
Tentative
Calendar and Event Report 2009
Last
updated
11 April, 2010
|
| Road
Atlanta
Braselton, GA
21-22 February
Sports
Car Club of America
6 hour enduro/SARRC/ProIT'
Atlantic Enduro Cup - Round 1 |
This
inaugural 6-hour enduro at Road Atlanta should be a great event, with
the added dimension of potential winter weather. This is the first of
three events that will count toward the Atlantic Enduro Cup. SARRC and
ProIT sprint races are a bonus.
Breaking
News (15 February) - Unfortunately, we were unable to find a codriver
interested in this event, so it has been scrubbed from our schedule. |
Virginia
International Raceway
Alton, VA
7-8 March
Sports Car Club of America
SARRC/ECR/ECR
|
A
pair of short "enduros" make this a great opportunity for early-season
track time, at Conover Motor Sports' home track.
Breaking
News (22 February) - Uncertainties in the economy are hitting racers pretty
hard, and CMS Team GTI is no exception. Unfortunate though it may be,
the "real world" has conspired to prevent us from running this
event. |
| Virginia
International Raceway
Alton, VA
9-10 May
Sports Car Club of America
Double SARRC |
Kirk
and his little blue Golf took a double victory at this event in 2008.
It's always well attended and VIR is a wonderful facility, so the team
looks forward to this one each year.
Breaking
News (1 May) - Unfortunately, challenges including a new job for Team
GTI car owner Kirk Knestis and a lack of codrivers able to commit to the
Summit Point 12 hours are going to prevent the team from attending the
May VIR SCCA event, the enduro in June, or the Regional at the Rock later
that same month. |
| Summit
Point Motorsports Park
Summit Point, WV
12-13 June
Sports Car Club of America
12 Hours at the Point 12-hour
enduro |
Team
GTI returns to Summit Point for a fifth time, having won ITB honors in
2005 and 2008. Current plans have Phil Phillips
scheduled to join Kirk Knestis for his fifth
12 Hours at the Point.
Breaking
News (1 May) - Dropped from the schedule. |
| Rockingham
Raceway
Hamlet, NC
27-28 June
Sports
Car Club of America
Restricted Regional |
Having
missed the Rock SCCA Regional in 2008, the team is excited to go back
this season. Racing on this historic oval is an interesting challenge,
and offers great spectator opportunities for guests and crew members.
Breaking
News (1 May) - Dropped from the schedule. |
| Mid
Ohio Sports Car Course
Lexington , OH
31 July - 2 August
Sports
Car Club of America
3rd Annual IT SPEC*tacular |
A
less-than-stellar Mid Ohio debut was a low spot for the CMS crew in 2008.
Watch for them to come back this season to improve on their rough first
visit to this challenging venue.
Breaking
News (10 May) - In an effort to get the Conover Motor Sports tuned Golf
out this season, plans are afoot to field a special guest driver in the
IT SPEC*tacular and season-ending ARRC. Stay tuned for more news. |
Carolina
Motorsports Park
Kershaw, SC
15-16 August
Atlantic
Enduro Cup - Round 2 |
The
second leg of the Atlantic Enduro Cup, this is an inaugural endurance
event at CMP. Tough on brakes and tires, this track will be a challenge
over a distance.
Breaking
News (July) - Dropped from the schedule. |
Nelson
Ledges Road Course
Garrettsville, OH
22-23 August
Sports Car Club of America
12-hour enduro |
The
24-hour Longest Day at Nelson Ledges, site of Team GTI's first round-the-clock
class win, has been shortened for 2009, to "only" 12 hours.
While an increased schedule of at-track race support activities will keep
Phil Phillips away from some other Team GTI
enduros this year, expect to see him on board for this one.
Breaking
News (July) - Dropped from the schedule. The economy continues to impact
the racing business just like the rest of the world, so we were unable
to secure codrivers for this event. |
| Rockingham
Raceway
Hamlet, NC
12-13 September
Sports
Car Club of America
Restricted Regional |
A
second visit to the famous Rock in one season! The racing should be excellent
and the community is very hospitable to visiting racers.
Breaking
News (July) - Event cancelled by SCCA. |
| Virginia
International Raceway
Alton, VA
31 October - 1 November
Sports Car Club of America
Charge of the Headlight Brigade
13-hour enduro
A Conover
Motor Sports/Team GTI favorite, going back to their 2004 debut. Greg
Amy made his seventh enduro start with the team, joining Kirk
Knestis at this classic endurance event. New addition Bob
Rothstein was one of the three drivers in the entry that stole
the class win from Team GTI by 45 seconds in the 2008 VIR 13-hours.
Sadly,
a return of axle and gearbox woes resulted in "Pablo" the Golf
out of spares and parked before the end of the race. However, the team
finished enough laps to be counted as a finisher and, due to even worse
luck for the other ITB entry, still secured a class victory. More story
and pictures are available here.
|
Photo ©2007 Ryan Jenkins |
Road
Atlanta
Braselton, GA
6-8 November
Sports Car Club of America
16th
Annual American Road Race of Champions (ARRC)
|
Team
GTI welcomed NE Region ITA driver Anthony Ruddy
as guest driver
for the prestigious American Road Race of Champions sprint race, with
support from mystery author Lisa
Gardner. Ruddy had a troublefree run to a solid 7th of 13 entries
in his first visit to Road Atlanta.
Team owner and enduro
specialist Kirk Knestis also entered the
3-hour ARRC "enduro" with longtime Team GTI codriver Greg
Amy. The final broken gearbox of the season left the team stranded
just over half way, posting Team GTI's first-ever DNF. The team is looking
forward to a new season. |
| Last
updated
11 April, 2010
|
Project
GTI is headquartered at Conover
Motor Sports, Burlington, NC
All photos © Copyright Kirk Knestis, unless
otherwise indicated |
