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PPI Motorsports

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PPI Motorsports was a race team which competed in CART , NASCAR and various off-road racing circuits. The team had one of the few remaining single car operations in NASCAR.

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65-509: PPI stood for Precision Preparation, Inc., a company founded by team owner Cal Wells in 1979. The company provided parts for off-road racing teams. Over time, PPI eventually began its own off-road team, with help with Toyota Motorsports . PPI fielded off-road trucks for Mickey Thompson 's SCORE series and then later fielded trucks which competed in outdoor events such as the Baja 1000 . Notable drivers for PPI include Ivan "Ironman" Stewart and

130-602: A West Coast road course event to replace it, and chose the Sears Point facility. Riverside Raceway was razed for the Moreno Valley Mall . In 2002, Sears Point Raceway was renamed after a corporate sponsor, Infineon Technologies . On March 7, 2012, it was announced that Infineon would not renew their contract for naming rights when the deal expired in May 2012. The 2.520 mi (4.056 km) road racing course

195-623: A different number of laps depending on the size of the engine or the set-up of the suspension system. Currently, there are several smaller series. One of the most popular is the Best in the Desert series, which is known for the Vegas to Reno race (the longest off-road race in the US with the 2009 Vegas to Reno race measuring 1000 miles). The Mojave Off-Road Racing Enthusiast (MORE) series started in 1997 as

260-603: A five-year contract was signed with the National Hot Rod Association for the California Nationals. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series debuted at the raceway in 1989. In 1994 more than $ 1 million was spent on a beautification project and construction of a 62 ft (19 m)-high, four-sided electronic lap leader board in the center of the road course. In the following years a major $ 3 million renovation plan included VIP suites and

325-403: A large portion. Many years after its inception in 1976, it now boasts media coverage and a large field contending for the title of the 'King of the Desert'. Sonoma Raceway Future: Trans-Am Series (1969, 1978, 1981–1993, 1995, 2001, 2003–2004, 2022, 2025) Sonoma Raceway (originally known as Sears Point Raceway , Golden State International Raceway and Infineon Raceway )

390-476: A primary passing point, and some INDYCAR drivers believe eliminating the Chute and replacing it with a new hairpin at Turn 4A, then rejoining the track at Turn 5, would create a circuit with three passing zones (Turn 4, Turn 7, and Turn 11). Furthermore, the speeds of the current layout with the Chute have been slower than if the full configuration was used. The layout is now used as a Club circuit with options, as at

455-423: A race car built by Cougar Race Cars. Ian Foster was one of the co-founders of the sports national organising body, known as ORANZ. In Europe, "off-road racing" refers to events on unsealed circuits such as autocross or rallycross . European "bajas" are types of Cross-Country Rallies. Beach racing events are also held predominately in northern Europe. In Scandinavian countries, "off-road" racing can refer to

520-406: A race for the team, he managed to improve his point championship standing and finishing 15th overall. This was the team's last season in a Ford, as they switched to Pontiac the next season. Craven started 2003 the same way, with a strong Top 5 at Rockingham and a famous victory at Darlington , in which he beat Kurt Busch to the finish by just 0.002 seconds, which still stands today as one of

585-476: A race weekend on the original Long Grand Prix Road Course is 1:20.683, set by Allan McNish in an Audi R8 during qualifying for the 2000 Grand Prix of Sonoma . As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Sonoma Raceway for different classes are listed as: Sonoma Raceway has a permanent seating capacity of 47,000. This includes the grandstands and terraces around the track. During major races, hospitality tents and other stages are erected around

650-450: A second Cup Series team with backing from Ronald McDonald House Charities . Truck Series driver Andy Houston was to drive the #96 Ford for five races toward the end of the 2000 season, with the intent being for the team to run the full 2001 schedule. Houston finished no better than 26th in his five starts, but the team still entered the 2001 season having picked up sponsorship from McDonald's , which had been sponsoring Bill Elliott for

715-677: A small, family-oriented race series. MORE uses tracks set up on desert land in the Barstow and Lucerne Valley regions of the Mojave Desert in California. Mojave Desert Racing series has drawn many competitors from the now defunct CORR races. On August 14, 2010, a modified Ford Ranger pickup truck, racing in the MDR sanctioned "California 200", careened off the track into a group of spectators, killing eight, and raising questions about

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780-609: A two-story driver's lounge/emergency medical facility. In 1995 Trans-Am and SportsCar races returned to Sears Point and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was added to the major-events schedule. Owner "Skip" Berg sold the track to O. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. in November 1996. Major renovations began at Sears Point Raceway in 1998 with the creation of "the Chute", an 890 ft (270 m) high-speed stretch. The first-ever running of

845-603: A type of motorsport known as Formula Off Road , which involves driving extensively modified vehicles through a difficult course up an uphill terrain. There are many other type of races in Europe. Most Eastern Europe countries have their own National Offroad Championships and many other races from 1 day to 7 days . Australian off-road racing has a similar format to North America, involving various classes of highly-modified vehicles with differing level of engine and physical restrictions racing anywhere from 20-600 kilometres usually over

910-687: A weekend. It differs in format to North America due to its high use of private land and class restrictions. Multiple series currently exist in both national, state and club forms, often decreasing in track and weekend-total length down that order. Two organisations individually cover and organise the majority of events, them being Motorsport Australia and Australian Auto Sport Alliance ; these separate organisations involve licensing, permits, funds handling and timing in their roles, among many more. Off-road vehicles in Australia are organised into classes to organise and improve competition. The below information

975-467: A young Robby Gordon (who also drove in CART for the team in 1998). PPI's relationship with Toyota expanded into the open-wheel ranks in 1995, when Wells formed a CART team with good friend Frank Arciero. Their initial driver was Hiro Matsushita . Known as Arciero-Wells, the CART team lasted for 5 years but only a managed a best finish of 4th in 1999 with rookie Cristiano da Matta . In 1996, they began

1040-580: Is Class 10, buggies and truggies that comply with the Wild 2WD technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity of 2500cc naturally-aspirated. The most popular off-road race in Australia is the Finke Desert Race near Alice Springs, Northern Territory. It involves a 460km-long race to the small community of Aptula (Finke) and back again, racing alongside what was the Old Ghan railway for

1105-402: Is Class 2, commonly known as Super 1650's, are buggies and truggies with two crew members and sport an engine restriction of 1650cc naturally aspirated, inclusive of correction factors. Next is Class 3, a more uncommon class of buggies and truggies with two crew members and an engine restriction of 1330cc inclusive of correction factors. After that is Class 4, involving automobiles that comply with

1170-528: Is Class 66, similar to Class 6 but limited to 1200cc naturally-aspirated. After that is Class 7, two-crew automobiles that comply with the Stock 4WD technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity of 6000cc, inclusive of correction factors. Next is Class 8, including automobiles that comply with the Super 4WD technical regulations and have an engine capacity of 6000cc inclusive of correction factors. Finally

1235-642: Is a road course and dragstrip located at Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains of Sonoma County, California . The road course features 12 turns on a hilly course with 160 ft (49 m) of total elevation change. It is host to one of the few NASCAR Cup Series races each year that are run on road courses. It has also played host to the IndyCar Series , the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series , and several other auto races and motorcycle races such as

1300-456: Is according to the specifications of Australian Off Road Racing Australia. The first class is the 'Pro' or 'Unlimited' Class, buggies and truggies limited to an engine capacity of 6000 cc , inclusive of adjusting factors due to turbo charging or other correction factors. These are generally the fastest cars in events. Next is Class 1, or 'Pro-Lites', them being buggies and truggies having an engine restriction of 3500cc naturally-aspirated. After that

1365-428: Is located just past the drag strip control tower and offers a fairly straight run to the start-finish line. It was used by INDYCAR from 2006 to 2011. Another factor in removing the hairpin is the fact that the turn is only visible from the garages or the bleachers behind the esses. This is due to grandstands built along the front straight that serve also as the drag strip's grandstands. The official FIA Grade 2 variant,

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1430-409: Is noted for turns two and three, which are negative-camber ("off-camber") turns , with the inside of the turn higher than the outside. This provides a challenge for the driver, as turn two would normally have the drivers moving to the left side of the track. The raceway also has a 440 yd (400 m) dragstrip used for NHRA drag racing events. The drag strip was originally located on part of

1495-475: Is one of the oldest and most popular hillclimbs in the United States. In New Zealand, off-road racing runs its own class structure and has a multiple-round national championship. Its flagship event, the two-day, 1000 km Taupo 1000, is a stand-alone international endurance race which is currently held every other year. The event started life in 1992, as the "made for television" Bridgestone 1000 and

1560-606: The American Federation of Motorcyclists series. Sonoma Raceway continues to host amateur, or club racing events with some open to the public. The largest such car club is the Sports Car Club of America . The track is 30 mi (48 km) north of San Francisco and Oakland . With the closure of Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley , California after the 1988 season, NASCAR wanted

1625-754: The Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group was called stadium racing, where off-road racing vehicles were used in a temporary off-road racetrack constructed inside a stadium . The U.S. Off Road Championship Series was held by Pace Motorsports in the late 90s and shown on TNN Motor Madness . In 2012, Robby Gordon created the Stadium Super Trucks , an offshoot of the Micky Thompson Entertainment Group; after racing primarily in stadiums and off-road courses during its inaugural season in 2013,

1690-641: The Mid America Off Road Association , which promotes short course off-road racing in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The general idea of off-road racing can also extend to include hillclimbing or any other form of racing that does not occur on a specified, paved track. The Frozen Rush features off-road trophy trucks racing on snowy ski slopes. Among drivers, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

1755-517: The Toyota/Save Mart 350 , and was criticized by many drivers, who prefer the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with the 70° turn, 4A bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.990 mi (3.203 km). The Chute was built primarily for spectator visibility, to increase speeds, and improve competition for the stock cars, which are not necessarily groomed well for road course racing. However, it has been criticized for taking away

1820-567: The "Pave the Point" fund raising campaign. The first shop spaces (buildings A, B, C, and D in the main paddock area) were built. In 1986 Harvey "Skip" Berg of Tiburon, CA took control of the track and became a major stockholder in Brenda Raceway Corp., which controlled the track until 1996. Additional buildings constructed on the property brought shop space to more than 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m ) during 1987. In addition,

1885-404: The 1994 NASCAR race, a makeshift auxiliary pit road was constructed inside the hairpin (turn 11) nicknamed Gilligan's Island . Cars that had the nine slowest qualifying speeds were relegated to these pit stalls. Pitting in this area was considered an inconvenience and a competitive disadvantage, more so than even the disadvantages one would experience pitting on the backstretch at a short track at

1950-637: The American Le Mans Series took place at Sears Point in July 1999. In 2000 Sears Point Raceway gained unanimous approval from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors by a 5–0 vote to begin work on a $ 35 million Modernization Plan that included 64,000 Hillside Terrace seats, repaving of both the road course and drag strip and increased run-off around the entire track. After the turn of the millennium, Infineon Technologies bought

2015-572: The CART season with Jeff Krosnoff driving, but he died in a tragic accident during the Toronto street race. All PPI cars subsequently carried a decal commemorating Krosnoff's memory. After Arciero left in 2000, the team was rebranded as PPI Motorsports, and da Matta gave the team its first (and only) career victory in CART. During this time, the team also ran a program in the Toyota Atlantic series, and had success in 2000 with rookie of

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2080-560: The Grand Prix layout, was used by INDYCAR from 2012 to 2018 and others. This version uses the end of the dragstrip (instead of the Keyhole) to create a Magny Cours -style hairpin that joints the drag strip to Turn 7 to open an overtaking opportunity. The circuit also modified Turn 9A (the chicane similar to Spa's new Bus Stop) by widening it by 10 ft (3.0 m) to allow for more room. A new Turn 11B has been made, moving further past

2145-604: The Midwestern United States, promoted races in Eastern, Midwestern, and some Western venues before cancelling all events in 2018. The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) focused on promoting events mainly on the West Coast until its closure in 2020. Both series featured professional off-road drivers and race teams. There are also several grassroots organizations, one of the longest-tenured being

2210-531: The WTCC and the return of the SCCA World Challenge. The year 2012 saw the end of Infineon as the corporate sponsor, with the track being renamed Sonoma Raceway. The standard, full length road course at Sonoma Raceway is a 2.520 mi (4.056 km) 12-turn course. This course was utilized by all competition through 1997. Most races, including the Grand Prix of Sonoma, use the full course. The course

2275-579: The Wild 2WD technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity of 6000cc, inclusive of correction factors. Next is Class 5, involving two-crew automobiles complying with the Power 2WD technical regulations and limited to an engine capacity the same as Class 4. After that is Class 6, two-crew automobiles that comply with the Super PRV technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity between 1201cc and 2050cc, inclusive of correction factors. Next

2340-803: The brass ring in the world of racing, and the film was loosely based around that idea. Sonoma has been featured in many racing video games, beginning with Papyrus 's NASCAR Racing for the PC, released in 1994 and has been a frequent addition to NASCAR based games and more recently road course variations have appeared. Bill Elliott 's NASCAR Challenge included the course released in 1991. It appeared in Gran Turismo 4 , and Need For Speed ProStreet as Infineon Raceway, and more recently in Project CARS 2 and recent Forza Motorsport titles. It has also been digitally scanned and used in iRacing. Scenes from

2405-415: The car for the entire 2005 season . However, he failed to score a Top 10 during the year, and eventually finished 36th. Wells did have some success after replacing Hamilton with road course ringer Ron Fellows at Infineon , with Fellows giving the team an eighth-place finish. Hamilton was replaced by Travis Kvapil , who drove the car for the 2006 season , only to have five DNQ's. Ron Fellows competed in

2470-620: The drag strip tower (Motorcycle Turn 11), being lengthened by 200 ft (61 m) to create a passing zone (it is located just before the race logos painted in Turn 11), and is located where the drag strip staging area is located. During the World Touring Car races, the course used most of the Grand Prix layout except for the full Turn 11 hairpin. (136.76 km/h) NOTE: NASCAR records based on full course. (As of June 12, 2023) The fastest official all-time track record set during

2535-452: The end of 2018 season, NASCAR returned to the full circuit in 2019. In 2022, NASCAR returned to the Chute layout. From 1989 to 2001, the pit road could only accommodate 34 pit stalls. So, during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Cup Series race, some teams were required to share pit stalls while other teams were forced to pit inside the garage area. When cars dropped out of the race, their pit stalls were reassigned to cars who were sharing. Before

2600-442: The end of the decade because of rising insurance costs. In 1981 Filmways regained ownership of the track after a financial dispute with Black Mountain group. Jack Williams, the 1964 NHRA top-fuel drag racing champion, Rick Betts and John Andersen purchased the track from Filmways at an auction for $ 800,000. The track was renamed Sears Point International Raceway. In 1985 the track was completely repaved, in part with funds donated from

2665-553: The fall race at Richmond. In the races he did manage to qualify for, Houston also struggled to perform. Although he qualified well again at Daytona in July, he was again collected in a crash. He qualified in the top 15 at both Chicagoland and Indianapolis, but Houston's engine blew three laps into the former event and he crashed on the opening lap in the latter. In all three of these races, Houston finished 43rd and last. In fact, after his top 20 run at California, Houston finished 40th or worse seven times. McDonald's eventually cooled to

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2730-482: The first NASCAR team to require pit crew members to wear helmets before the series mandated wearing helmets starting with the 2002 season. PPI Motorsports started its first Cup team during the 2000 season with open-wheel and Trans Am standout Scott Pruett behind the wheel of the No.32 Tide -sponsored Ford. The team was hardly a success in its first year, finishing in 37th place and failing to qualify for six races. Pruett

2795-445: The front straightaway of the course. Track changes completed in 2002 separated the road course from the drag strip. The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, an annual classic car racing event, uses the full circuit. NASCAR returned to using the full circuit in 2019 as a part of the tracks 50th anniversary. The full circuit was used in 2019 & 2021 (event was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic), but in 2022 they will return to

2860-494: The future of off-road racing on public lands. King of the Hammers is one of the most popular desert races and it was started in 2007 by Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll. Short course off-road racing is held on a circuit of less than five miles (such as Crandon International Off-Road Raceway ). The races involve left and right turns of various radii, jumps, and occasional washboard runs and gravel pits. Another format made popular by

2925-437: The idea of continuing to sponsor Houston because of his poor performances and during the week leading up to the race at Indianapolis, they announced that they would be dropping their full-time sponsorship of the #96 after the inaugural race at Kansas in the fall. Houston finished eighteenth in that race, failing to finish on the lead lap. He was released following the event as no sponsor signed on to replace McDonald's, resulting in

2990-652: The lead lap. Two races later he recorded his second top twenty finish, a 19th place run at California Speedway. After that, Houston's performance declined significantly. He failed to qualify for the races at Michigan, Pocono, and Sears Point in June, and the #96 was entered in neither the July New Hampshire or Pocono races nor the road course event at Watkins Glen. Houston also missed the Southern 500 at Darlington, having failed to qualify for either event there, and

3055-477: The leased raceway from Parker Archer and Hugh Harn in 1974. A few years later a group calling itself Black Mountain Inc., which included Bondurant, William J. Kolb of Del Mar and Howard Meister of Newport Beach, purchased the track from Filmways for a reported $ 1.5 million. American Motorcycle Association national motocross races in the hills north of Turn 7 became popular with Bay Area fans, but were phased out by

3120-402: The main crew, were staged in the garage area, and would have to service the car if it required major repairs. If a team pitting on Gilligan's Island dropped out of the race, the crew was unable to pack up their supplies and prepare to leave (a common practice at other tracks) until the race was over. Before the 2002 NASCAR track renovations were completed which extended the main pit road, up to

3185-526: The modified layout instead of running the original. The track was closed in 2020 because of government regulations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. All national events were removed from the schedule. The track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute , which bypassed turns 5 and 6 (the Carousel), shortening the course to 1.949 mi (3.137 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as

3250-528: The naming rights, and on June 22, 2002, the course was renamed Infineon Raceway. In 2006, the Grand Prix of Sonoma was transferred to the Rolex Sports Car Series, who would limit it to Daytona Prototypes only for 2007–2008 before the event was discontinued altogether. Since 2010, however, the course has seen a mild resurgence, with the circuit becoming a sponsor for various events as well as hosting an increasing amount of lesser series, including

3315-529: The previous several years in his owner-driver venture . The #96 struggled to find its footing. After qualifying ninth for the Daytona 500, Houston fell two laps down before being collected in a massive wreck on lap 175. He then failed to qualify for the next two races at Rockingham and Las Vegas. Houston would record his best finish at Martinsville in April, where he finished 17th and was the last car running on

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3380-415: The race course, and crew members were unable to leave once the race began. Teams sent only the primary pit crew to Gilligan's Island , and once they were there, they could not access the garage area or their transporters to collect spare parts/tools. The only repairs that could be made were routine tire changes and refueling, as well as only minor repairs. Other auxiliary pit crew members, who were not part of

3445-477: The series has since placed more emphasis on asphalt tracks like street circuits and road courses. A simpler, shorter track format is popular at many county fairs, and is called Tough (or Tuff) Truck competition. These tracks are ordinarily much shorter and feature individual, timed runs. During the 2010s, there were two major organizations promoting short course off road racing in the United States. The TORC: The Off Road Championship , derived from series racing in

3510-607: The smallest margins of victory in NASCAR Cup Series history. It also turned out to be Pontiac's last win in the Winston Cup Series. However, a series of DNF's dropped Craven to 27th in points. PPI showed clear signs of struggling in 2004 as Craven was unable to give the team a single Top 10 finish through the first 24 races. Wells and Craven parted ways due to lack of results and Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. took Craven's place. Hamilton Jr. drove

3575-557: The start-finish straight, which removed the need for Gilligan's Island and it has not reappeared in any NASCAR race at the track since. Variations of Sonoma's circuits are often used. Motorcycles use a 2.320 mi (3.734 km), 12-turn course. It is based on the full layout, and does not include the Chute. This layout, opened in 2003, skips the later section of the Esses (8A and 9) and the run from Turn 10 to Turn 11 (the hairpin), using instead Turn 11a as Turn 11 has no runoff. This hairpin

3640-656: The team being shut down. ( key ) Off-road racing Off-road racing is a form of motorsports consisting of specially-modified vehicles including cars , SUVs , trucks , motorbikes , quadbikes and buggies racing in off-road environments (e.g. snow, dirt, mud, etc.). Desert racing began in the early 20th century. An early racing sanctioning body in North America was the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) co-founded in 1967 by Ed Pearlman . The first event

3705-399: The time. Since the length of the auxiliary pit road was significantly shorter than the main pit road, the cars that pitted there were held from 15 to 20 seconds to make up for the time that would have been spent if the cars had traveled the entire main pit road. Pitting on Gilligan's Island had several other inconveniences. The location (the staging area for drag races) was landlocked by

3770-540: The track was sold to Filmways Corp. , a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for $ 4.5 million. In May 1970 the track was closed and became a tax shelter for Filmways after losses of $ 300,000 were reported. Hugh Harn of Belvedere and Parker Archer of Napa arranged to lease the track from Filmways in 1973. Bob Bondurant , owner and operator of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving , and partner Bill Benck took over management and control of

3835-514: The track, which brings the total capacity up to 102,000 seats. The facility underwent a major expansion in 2004 which resulted in 64,000 hillside seats, 10,000 permanent grandstand seats, a wastewater treatment facility, 100 acres (40 ha) of restored wetlands, permanent garages, new retail space, a go-kart track and a new drag strip. In the 1970 motorcycle road racing film Little Fauss and Big Halsy , starring Michael J. Pollard and Robert Redford , Redford's character, Halsy, saw Sears Point as

3900-464: The two road course races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. After originally finishing 10th at the Glen, Fellows was penalised for skipping a portion of the track and dropped to 32nd. At the end of the 2006 season, Tide left NASCAR as a full-time sponsor. Unable to find a new sponsor, Wells shut down the team before the 2007 season and sold his owner points to Michael Waltrip Racing . Later in 2000, PPI started

3965-417: The year Dan Wheldon . Following the 2000 season, however, PPI shut down its open-wheel and off-road programs, ended its relationship with Toyota, and shifted its focus exclusively on NASCAR. PPI also competed in Toyota Atlantic from 1998 to 2000, winning races with Anthony Lazzaro , Andrew Bordin , and Dan Wheldon . Lazzaro won the championship for the team in 1999. PPI Motorsports was notable in being

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4030-496: Was a race across the Mexican desert, south-eastwards through most of the length of Baja California , originally from Ensenada to La Paz . The event was first called the Mexican 1000, and it later became known as the Baja 1000 . The event is now sanctioned by SCORE International . Most desert races are set up on government recreational land and have tracks that run anywhere from 25 to 1000 miles. Various classes of vehicles run

4095-526: Was constructed on 720 acres (2.9 km ) by Marin County owners Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. The two conceived of the idea of a race track while on a hunting trip. Ground was broken in August 1968 and paving of the race surface was completed in November. The first official event at Sears Point was an SCCA Enduro, held on December 1, 1968. In 1969

4160-496: Was released at the end of the season and returned to Trans-Am. With the team focusing exclusively on NASCAR in 2001, PPI fielded a two-car Winston Cup effort, with Ricky Craven taking over in the 32. Craven had a number of strong races, which he capped giving the team its first career victory at Martinsville in October. He finished 21st in the points standings that year. Craven ran strong in 2002 and, although he failed to win

4225-557: Was the first Offroad Endurance Race in New Zealand to include teams from Australia, New Zealand and the USA. That event was won outright by Les Siviour of Australia driving a Class 6 Nissan Patrol, for Team Nissan. The most successful and popular racer in the sport's history in New Zealand is multiple outright and class national champion Tony McCall of Manukau, Auckland. At the height of his career he had amassed 21 back to back wins, driving

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