Merry Christmas!

I'm always amazed at how quickly time seems to pass from Thanksgiving to New Years. This year was no exception and seemed to fly by quicker than most. I still can't believe tomorrow is Christmas already!

My son certainly is ready. He's at the age when Christmas is truly a joy. I can't describe in words how wonderful it is to watch a young child enjoy Christmas. It really makes you feel like a kid again. You can't help but get swept up in their excitement and anticipation. Even my daughter at nearly a year and a half knows something special is happening. When I see the looks on their faces Christmas morning I know I am blessed.

I make a concentrated effort each year to focus on my family at Christmas time. No matter how busy I am, I always drop what I am doing and celebrate with my loved ones. All my work, no matter how urgent, gets put on the back burner. There is nothing more important in this world than our families and Christmas is meant to be shared with them. What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than to be surrounded by the ones you love?

With that said, here's to all our friends and your families! You will all be in our thoughts and prayers on this sacred day. May your Christmas be filled with love and laughter. God bless you and have a very merry Christmas!

Cunnigham Drives to 5th Title

My brother-in-law Pierre Kleinubing just missed his 5th World Challenge Title October 3rd coming in five points behind team owner Peter Cunnigham in the 2008 season finale at Road Atlanta.

This is Peter's 5th World Challenge Title and wraps up an incredible season for Realtime Racing where they nabbed the Championship as well as second, third, and the Manufacturer's Title. It was an amazing season that won't be easily eclipsed. Afterall, how do you do better than the Championship, 2nd, 3rd, and the Manufacturer's Cup? I guess we'll find out next year when the Realtime crew kicks off the 2009 World Challenge Season at Sebring.

I'll be there as usual with my kids to cheer Pierre and RTR on to victory. If you are at the track stop by the RTR trailer and say "hi".

7Th Manufacturers' Title for RTR and Acura

A fortuitous third place finish today by RealTime Acura team owner Peter Cunningham assured Acura of its unprecedented seventh Manufacturers' Championship in the SCCA Speed World Challenge Touring Car Championship.

Round Nine of the ten-event road racing championship for production-based touring sedans was held north of the border at the historic Mosport International Raceway. After qualifying ninth, Cunningham steadily moved forward in a tight field whose fastest race laps were only separated by 0.813 of a second. While pushing hard to what appeared to be a fifth place finish and in sight of the finish line, the third place BMW decided to attempt a pass on the second place Mazda.

As the two spinning cars were trying to regain their footing, Cunningham and Canadian teammate Kuno Wittmer took the checkers in third and fourth, scoring enough Manufacturers' points to seal the deal for Acura with one event remaining on the 2008 calendar.

"Our objective today was to do everything in our power to place one of our cars in the top four, which would clinch the championship for Acura," said Cunningham. "It was apparent after Qualifying that that task was going to be difficult, and when 27 and 7/8ths of the scheduled 28 laps were complete, we were resigned to the fact that we'd have to wait for the finale to ice the title. When the melee emerged in front of me and I made it safely through into third, I started cheering in my helmet!"

Coming into the weekend, the chase for the title among the top three drivers was closer than ever before, with only five points separating them. The best of the RTR pilots in Qualifying was four-time driving titlist Pierre Kleinubing in fifth. He collected two more points for that result, tying him for second with Cunningham and only three points behind Wittmer for the lead heading into the race.

Unfortunately for Kleinubing, series race officials busted him for 'creeping' at the start line before the lights were extinguished, forcing him to the pits to serve a drive through penalty. In courageous style, he fought back and was credited with a remarkable sixth place finish.

Dino Crescentini finished one spot behind in seventh after qualifying 11th and team newcomer and Rookie of the Year contender Patrick Lindsey moved up one spot from his qualifying position to finish 11th.

The final round of the season will take place at the Petit Le Mans weekend, October 1-3 at Road Atlanta.

"Now, all five of our drivers can relax just a bit at Road Atlanta, enjoy the weekend knowing our first priority for any season has been achieved," noted crew chief Paul Truess. "With the Drivers' tally as close as it is, it will be a one-race shootout to see who will be named the 2008 Drivers' Champion."

The RTR boys head to the finale with Cunningham atop the Drivers' points standings, looking for his fifth title with the team which he founded. If he outscores his teammates but fails to win the race, he will become the second driver in four years to assemble a season filled with enough consistently-high results that he wins the championship without winning a race.

Wittmer has three wins here in his third season of Touring Car competition and sits second in the points, four behind Cunningham. Kleinubing has one victory of his own this year and runs third, 16 markers out of first.

The SPEED TV broadcast of the Mosport race airs this Wednesday, August 27 at Noon ET.

Kleinubing: 2nd At Road America

August 10, 2008 - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

RealTime Racing Acura driver Pierre Kleinubing drove his TSX to a hard-fought second place finish at Road America, Round Eight of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED Touring Car Championship. This result netted an additional three markers over second place Mazda in the Manufacturers' Championship, with Acura now leading by 18 points, 69-51. If Acura can score at least one fourth place result in either of the final two races, it will secure its record-extending sixth Manufacturers' title.

Kleinubing qualified on the pole with a 98.376 mph lap around the famed 4.048-mile road course and led laps 1 thru 11 before being passed by BMW driver James Clay, who was only able to put a 1.5-second gap on Kleinubing when the checkered flag fell six laps later.

"This was the most exciting Touring Car race the series has seen in quite awhile," commented RTR team leader Peter Cunningham, whose fifth place finish keeps him in second place for the driving title. "The battles were ongoing throughout the field and no one knew where they would finish until the checkered flag fell."

Points leader Kuno Wittmer came into the weekend as the series' most recent race winner, but found out that was no guarantee of superiority. In Qualifying he led the pack out of the gate as the Touring Cars line up in points order. At a place like Road America however, that's not where you want to be, because being the benefactor of the 'draft' can shave your lap time substantially. After starting from the 11th position (This was the first time this year he qualified worse than sixth), Wittmer did his best to work his way to the front but got shuffled back in a restart fracas and had to settle for 10th.

Former RealTime regular Eric Curran pinch hit once again this weekend, for an absent Glenn Bocchino. Glenn instead focused his energies on his i-Moto Racing Grand Am Koni Challenge program that was competing in Iowa. Eric was quickly comfortable in the similar RSX machine that he had driven for three years for the RealTime squad, gridding the car in 10th. In that previously-mentioned skirmish on the restart, he chose the proper lane, allowing him to produce a sixth place finish.

Dino Crescentini was looking to improve on his 14th place starting point, but fell to 18th after an electrical gremlin under the hood forced his retirement before the 17 laps were completed.

So now, with eight of the ten rounds complete, an incredible battle is shaping up the Drivers' Championship, as three RealTime Acura drivers are in lockstep for the points lead. Wittmer maintains the top of the order with 765 markers, Cunningham runs second with 762, and Kleinubing's results here in Wisconsin moved him right back into the fray with 760. At no time in the 19-year history of the World Challenge has the fight for the title been so close this late in the season.

"This weekend was also special because we consider Road America our home track. We enjoyed spending time with more than 200 family members and friends of RealTime Racing." added Cunningham. "The weather was picture-perfect, and the support from our fans helped us perform at our best."

The SPEED TV broadcast of the Road America race airs Wednesday, August 20 at 1pm ET.

No Sleep for You!

The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated! I know it's been a long time since my last entry and I appreciate all the concerned emails regarding my health and whereabouts. Contrary to popular belief I did not move to Maranello to try out for the Ferrari F1 team. I am right here at home in the good 'ole USA. Although I continue to have delusions that I am in Mugello enjoying the fine aroma of burnt rubber and racing fuel.


The little lady above is what has sidelined me for the past 8 weeks. Some how between now and the birth of my son I forgot that a baby and sleep deprivation go hand in hand. My new little girl has adorably managed to dominate every minute of my day leaving zero time for anything outside of work, diapers, and late night feedings. I know from past experience with my son things will continue this way until I am on the brink of exhaustion. Hopefully I'll get an early reprieve and she'll start sleeping through the night so that things will return to "normal".

Until then, enjoy the luxury of a good night's rest knowing somewhere off in the distance at 3am I'm weerily warming a bottle while my daughter screams her lungs off "No sleep for you!".

Sebring 2007

What an incredible weekend! Sebring holds a special place in my heart and this year was no different. The heart thumping finish of the GT2 class above says it all.

I was also on hand to proudly witness my brother-in-law Pierre Kleinubing battle his way to a third place finish in the World Challenge Touring Car season opener in his RTR Acura TSX. Congratulations Pierre! Here's to a repeat championship performance of last year.



The victory champagne also flowed for my friend Charlie Scardina who not only nailed the pole position for the IMSA GT3 Cup race but kept the field at bay to finish first. Best of luck to Charlie for the rest of the series. He may be as rookie but I know he'll do well.