Anglo American Oil Company, European distributers of Sunoco race fuels have officially launched the logo for the first Sunoco Grand–Am 200 Challenge. The unveiling starts the next step of the Challenge, with the logo ready to adorn cars and race suits of the eligible drivers.
The new competition gives competitors in several UK based championships the chance to win a race drive in the Continental Tyre Sports Car Challenge race that runs in support of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Grand-Am 200 Challenge also has the full backing of Grand-Am.
Like its bigger brother, which offers a place in the 24 itself the competition is open to drivers in number of series in the UK for which Sunoco is official fuel supplier. Eligible for the prize this year are drivers from the Britcar Production GTN, Legends 600, MINI Challenge, MSV F3 Cup, GT Cup and the Dunlop Production Touring Car Trophy.
“With the Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge now its third year it's great to be able to run the Sunoco Grand-AM 200 Challenge alongside this and give something back to club level racers,” said Anders Hildebrand, MD of Anglo American Oil Company. “Despite the delay in the finalisation of the Sunoco Grand-Am 200 Challenge, it's fantastic to now be able to launch the final design of the logo.”
Like the Sunoco Rolex 24 at Daytona Challenge the scores are averaged out across the year, with points awarded for pole position and fastest lap, as well as finishing position.
Races from earlier in the season have already formed a leaderboard of those chasing the drive in an American Muscle Car in January.
MSV F3 Cup driver Aaron Steele started the season with a perfect weekend to put him atop the standing, but fell back with a troubled second meeting at Donington Park. That allowed MINI Challenge race Jason Richardson to take the lead, but the latest races have dropped Richardson back to third behind Steele and Production Touring Car driver Adrian Churchill.
Leading the way for the Britcar Production drivers are the Intersport pair of Wayne Gibson and Kevin Clarke, Clarke the better of teammates by virtue of fastest laps and pole positions on the way to their two race wins so far this year.
Sunoco Grand–Am 200 Challenge standings as of May 24
Driver | Team | Series | Score | |
1 | Adrian Churchill | Courtenay Sport | Production Touring Car | 116.00 |
2 | Aaron Steele | Grays Motorsport | MSV F3 Cup | 100.17 |
3 | Jason Richardson | Dart Motorsport | MINI Challenge | 87.50 |
4 | Kevin Clarke | Intersport | Britcar Production GTN | 86.67 |
5 | Stephen Treherne | Handy Motorsport | Legends | 85.83 |
6 | Andy Ruhan | JMH | GT Cup Class 1 | 78.50 |
7 | Wayne Gibson | Intersport | Britcar Production GTN | 66.67 |
8 | Luke Caudle | EXCELR8 | MINI Challenge | 63.75 |
9 | Chris Needham | MSV F3 Cup | 63.50 |