Another IT driver making a debut in SCCA Pro Racing - World Challenge TC style!

[RSTPerformance]

I know many of the people here have been or did go pro racing... It's time to add another driver to our "watch" list!

For those that have "liked" RST Performance Racing on Facebook already know but we had to share our exciting news with our IT friends!!! The entire RST Performance Racing group is very excited to see Stephen Blethen driving one of the Grid-1 Motorsports RX-8's in this weekends World Challenge races at Mosport! It should be interesting as it not only will be his first "pro" race but it will also be his first time to Mosport... Just for fun here is the announcement!

Stephen Blethen to make his SCCA Pro Racing Debut:

After 12 years of successful racing in the SCCA Improved Touring category Stephen Blethen will be making his debut in SCCA Pro Racing.* Stephen joined SCCA when he was just 7 years old has been a member of SCCA for over 25 years attending nearly every regional race in the New England Region over that time.* He grew up at the race track with his family and started racing as soon as the once 18yr old requirement was met.* Throughout the past 12 years he has piloted the RST Performance Racing ITB Audi Coupe to several class victories and championships before moving up to the ITR ranks in his newly built Mazda RX-8. To learn more about Stephen Blethen go to www.rstperformance.com or follow him on the "RST Performance Racing" Facebook page.

He now takes another step thanks to the support from Grid-1 Motorsports.* This weekend he will pilot the Grid-1 Motorsports Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car (TC) Mazda RX-8 around the 10 turn, 2.459 mile Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Mosport) in Ontario Canada. Stephen is eager to get behind the wheel in this once in a lifetime opportunity and thanks Grid-1 Motorsports for the support and dedication.

Grid-1 Motorsports is based in Denver Colorado and competes in several racing series including World Challenge and Grand Am.* If you’re interested in joining the Grid-1 team as a driver or as a corporate partner, please contact Don Walker.

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge racing championship series competes at North America's premier road and temporary street courses.* For more information on the Pirelli World Challenge racing championships series please visit www.world-challenge.com

This event will be aired on NBC Sports, Saturday, July 7th at 5-7PM eastern.

View live streaming on www.world-challengeTV.com

If you have any advice pass it along here or on the Facebook post! We will be sure to get his take on pro racing when he returns!

- The RST Performance Racing family!

[tom91ita]

Nice! Challenging course to learn. Neve raced it, only spectated it. Would like to drive sometime.

[Knestis]

Bold track choice for a debut. Best wishes, Stephen!

K

[Rabbit05]

Whoa!! Awesome !! Go Stephen !! We'll be routing for you !!

[gran racing]

What a awesome turn around from NHMS! I'm actually going to watch this World Challenge race now. Good luck Stephen!!

[tderonne]

Now I have a reason to watch the TC sessions. We'll see how busy things are for us in GT, sometimes it seems like I never leave our trailer.

[raffaelli]

Awesome! Good luck!

[LD71]

Best of Luck, I hope you've raced there before.....if not, you'll know why they're calling the race the World Challenge!! Have fun
LD71

[Terry Hanushek]

Stephen

Sounds like a great opportunity - best of luck

Terry

[Dave Zaslow]

Stephen,

All the best for success in challenging a daunting track. Bring the big ones to screw on....

Dave Z

[StephenB]

Thanks Everyone! I know my brother posted this and I have been busy and haven't had a chance to reply. I am very excited for the opportunity. It is something that was on my bucket list of things to do but NEVER thought would happen. My expectations are not super high since everything is working against me but I do hope to learn a lot and have a lot of fun. If I can just beat a couple B-Spec cars I will be very happy I am going to be driving a Red and Black RX8, I know the car is competitive as they finished 4th with it earlier this year! My ITR RX8 is basically exactly the same so it will be great to see what potential I can get out of my car. My car is still being fixed which will take a little while longer because of this but I couldn't pass up this chance to not only race but see how my car could be and to meet some great knowledgeable people!

Only thing that is REALLY scary is the "mosport" part... damn scary looking track that can bite you hard if your not smart!

Stephen Blethen



It is pretty cool to see my name on the entry list, eventhough they spelled my name as Steve instead of Stephen!
http://www.world-challenge.com/event...event=12wc_mos


WC Vision announced the June 23 and 24 Pirelli World Challenge Championship races from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport International Raceway) will be streamed live online at www.world-challengeTV.com.

Touring Car (which is what I am racing in) will take to the track for three races: June 23 starting at 3:45 pm (two races will run back to back) and June 24 starting at 12:45 pm.

[richard gleason]

Nice! Great track,have fun. R

[tderonne]

So far so good (test day, 4 sessions, done), I got to watch in turn 1 for a bit. Couldn't tell the new guy from the pros!

[Knestis]

I'll be watching the stream. Have fun!

K

[JeffYoung]

Way cool!

[Ed Funk]

Have fun! Learn stuff!

[Knestis]

Stephen took advantage of some mayhem to finish 6th in the second race today, but the car crossed the line smoking badly.

Tristan had a rough day, with some technical problems it looked like.

K

[StephenB]

Kirk, thanks for posting an update!

It was an interesting weekend for sure. I did learn that the RX8 just isn't the car for that class at all. We were about 8-10MPH slower on the back straight. Lost a solid 2.5+ seconds just on the straight which was SO frustrating! I did find it interesting that to do well in WC you just need to finish and not get a DQ or crash out! I ended up 9th in the first race, 5th in the second race and 6th in the 3rd race.

In race 1 I had an awesome start and went up the inside of the row of cars in front. Saw Tristian way on the outside making it three wide and said... nope not me, I am not getting on TV this way! I backed off and let them battle it out. In my own car at a track I was more familier with, with people I now I would have made up a few spots for sure. Just not a smart move to commit to given the circumstances. I ended up battling with the other RX8 which was driven by a driver that races an RX8 in the Canadian Touring car series. I was very excited to be able to stay up and battle with him since it was his home track and he does very well in his home series.

In race 2 I again battled with the other RX8 back and forth until I lost power and Blew the engine on the last lap. Coasted for as long as I could and then as I got about 2 turns away I said what the hell, the engine is toast, I might as well try and get to the finish! I popped the clutch, it started and with a TON of smoke I made it to the finish in 6th place! With the winner getting a DQ for weight I moved up to 5th!

Race 3 was sunday and since I blew the engien my car was done BUT the other driver had an RX8 that they using in the Canadian Touring car series so we begged and SCCA allowed us to use it as a back up car! So I switched cars and had the chance to run sunday! During qualifying a shift fork broke destroying the transmission and again I was bummed. My crew along with the team crew that owned the cars quickly jumped on pulling the transmission out of the car that I blew the engine in. As I was signing autographs they finished it up and it was ready to go. I had an awesome standing start, much faster than the rows in front but just not enough room to make anything happen without pushing my way up through. Again just not a good idea givin my funding . The race went on and I was battling with VW that was running a grand-Am flash rather than the WC flash. He was faster down the straight but only by about a second. I was faster through the high speed turns so we went lap after lap like a yo-yo but I just couldn't make it happen. I found it very interesting how much slower his car was with the Grand-Am MAP verses the WC MAP... But needless to say it was a ton of fun and I ended up 6th.

Overall the weekend was a blast and I got to meet a bunch of great people. Officials all came to me and said Hi and invited me back, other drivers invited me back as well and told me to get into a VW or Honda! The RX-8's had some mechanical issues throughout the weekend but the team I was renting the car from worked hard to keep the cars on track. By the end of the weekend I was as fast as anyone through the high speed corners and just lacked down that back straight. In the end I am just happy that I got to go to race on one of the funnest and certainly the fastest tracks in North America!

Stephen

PS: Tristian I am sure has some stories as they both withdrew from Sundays race. They were packed and gone almost by the time we got off track. To bad as they had some great cars and certainly had podium potential!

[gran racing]

What an awesome experience!! Congrats on doing so well, that's pretty damn impressive.

[rthiele]

Thanks a lot for the update and congratulations on a race very well done. Pro career waiting!