The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix returned to the Motor City featuring the cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the Firestone Indy Lights Series and the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series. The schedule called for two rounds at the Detroit stop for the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. With wet practice sessions and two cautioned filled races, Tomy Drissi did his best to move his TruSpeed Abraham Lincoln Vamper Hunter Porsche through the single file field.
“I really had high hopes coming back to Detroit,” said the Trans Am Champion. “We race here in Trans Am years ago… it’s a great place and a great track. Unfortunately, weather was not on our side and when it came to the two racing rounds, simply put, you can’t pass under yellow. We were stuck in single file.”
Driss showed lots of promise in the wet opening round of practice, setting the fastest time of the session.
“I was pretty excited coming of the first round of practice,” said Tomy noting his P1 run. “It was wet, but the No. 47 Porsche handled really well. I was putting down a lot more power than I thought it would take. In the second round, I think we got the car a little too stiff. That made the car a bit of a handful on the bumpy Belle Isle track, but we still did pretty well.”
Saturday’s first round of racing got off to an ugly start when Randy Pobst snapped his drivetrain on the starting grid. Given the World Challenge tradition of standing starts, officials had no choice but to throw a full course caution while the front stretch was cleared.
The race finally went green on lap 12, but a second incident involving several GTS cars brought out a second yellow on lap 18. Time expired while clean-up continued, ending the race under caution. Drissi finished 8th in the time-shortened race having run only six laps under green.
On Sunday it was deja vu all over again. The 27-lap Round Seven race, which was shortened to a 50-minute timed race after being slowed twice for 12 laps during full course cautions. The race finished behind the safety car.
“Both races were really frustrating,” noted Tomy. “I had a good battle going mid-race Sunday. It’s a tight circuit and you really have to pick your passing spots. When I finally got by and was catching the 6th and 5th place Porsche of David Welch and James Sofronas, another caution came out and the race ended under yellow. Not fun.”
Tomy will next race in the American Le Mans Series driving the RSR LMPC car at the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on July 6-7.
Tomy Drissi is an American driver and Trans Am Champion. His driver experience includes ALMS, Trans-Am, NASCAR and Speed World Challenge.
Born December 9 in Hollywood, California, Tomy owns an advertising firm that produces upcoming film displays for cinemas. Drissi’s first racing experience in motorsports was street racing on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills.
His professional racing career highlights include; 1999 Trans-Am Rookie of the Year, 2000 Trans-Am BBS Most Improved Driver, 2000 Trans-Am Crew of the Year and Trans-Am Champion. In 2010 Tomy competed in Trans-Am taking 1 win, 1 pole, 3 podiums, 4 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens; He also competed in the American Le Mans Series LMP1 class at Mid-Ohio finishing 3rd. In 2011 Tomy returned to the American Le Mans Series, LMPC division. He scored a 2nd at Long Beach, 3rd at Lime Rock, 1st at Mid Ohio,1st at Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix and second at Road Atlanta -Petit Le Mans.
Tomy is married to Lacy Livingston Drissi.
Find out more about Tomy Drissi at http://www.tomydrissi.com or follow Tomy on Facebook /tomydrissi and Twitter @tomydrissi
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an American 3D action horror film based on the 2010 mashup novel of the same name. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and is produced by him and Tim Burton. The novel’s author, Seth Grahame-Smith, wrote the adapted screenplay. The real-life figure Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States (1861–1865), is portrayed in the novel and the film as having a secret identity as a vampire hunter. Filming began in Louisiana in March 2011, and the film is being produced in 3D. It is scheduled to be released on June 22, 2012.
Now in its 23rd consecutive season, the Pirelli World Challenge is one of North America’s top production car-based racing championships. Divided into four separate categories (Pirelli World Challenge GT, Pirelli World Challenge GTS, Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car and Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B-Spec), each race features thrilling standing starts, adrenaline filled door-to-door action and world-class drivers. The Pirelli World Challenge features cars from the world’s most popular manufacturers – race-prepped versions of the cars driven on the streets. Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the series races at North America’s premier road and temporary street courses.