86 Challenge Round 9 Results
Sonoma – Nov 9, 2024
The penultimate round of the 2024 86 Challenge at Sonoma Raceway was nothing short of electrifying! The cool weather gave drivers prime conditions, and Sonoma’s newly repaved track brought added grip to fuel a day of intense competition, with each class seeing record-shattering lap times and fierce battles for podium finishes.
GT Radial Stock Class:
This was pure, unfiltered driver skill on display. Saurabh Kulkarni #404 secured third place with an impressive adjusted time of 1:57.544. The real shock came with Ivan Larionov #86, smashed the Stock Class Gen. 1 record by nearly two seconds with his 1:57.261 lap, but only managed to get a P2. But Dennis Feng #72 stole the show, claiming first place and obliterating the Gen. 2 record by over three seconds with an incredible 1:54.232 lap, finishing with an adjusted time of 1:56.732!
GT Radial Street Class:
With camber cranked and cornering speeds through the roof, Street Class competitors put on a show. Haowei Wu #98 took third with a 1:54.117 lap, but the real showdown was between Bill Wu #55 and Timur Iskhodzhanov #944. Bill Wu pushed hard, clocking in at 1:53.539 and trailing first place by a mere 0.069 seconds, but it was Timur’s day to shine—his 1:53.470 not only took the win but set a new Street Class record by almost two seconds!
Touring Class:
The Touring Class was stacked with a record-high 15 heavily modified cars, pushing drivers and their machines to the absolute limit. In third place, Tor Anderson #177 laid down a 1:57.193 adjusted lap, while Jason Jin #17 snatched second with a 1:56.792 adjusted lap. Yet, it was Will Lorne #24 who charged to victory with an adjusted lap time of 1:55.512. And though he didn’t make the podium due to the handicap system, Qianli Xing delivered a jaw-dropping 1:48.764, setting a new Touring Class record!
A huge thank you to all participants and to our incredible sponsors:
GT Radial – Title sponsor bringing cash prizes and outstanding tires.
SpeedSF – For organizing track days and discounted timing.
Annex Suspension – For supporting drivers with top-notch suspension systems.
Mark your calendars for the season finale, Round 10 on December 14th at the iconic Thunderhill Raceway 5-mile course – The Thunderschleife! This is a showdown you don’t want to miss!
Published by Miles Kodama on November 12, 2024 22:21