World Challenge Round 2 at St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Fla. March 27, 2011 – Tomy Drissi followed his World Challenge Series Championship round one run with a Top-10 finish in round 2 at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Driving the No. 5 RIO in Theaters April 8 / Muscle Milk Porsche GT3, Tomy was able to improve on his Saturday 12th place finish taking the checkered flag in 10th.
As in round one, the World Challenge field was packed with a field of 49 cars combining Touring Car, GTS and GT entries. Based on Saturdays fast laps, Tomy started the No. 5 RIO in Theaters April 8 / Muscle Milk Porsche 12th on the grid. Working traffic to his advantage and gaining more experience with the Porsche GT3, Tomy managed to finesse his way into the top group.
“The Porsche is a totally different beast” said Drissi. “I’m getting more comfortable each time out and the feedback I’m getting from other drivers has been a big help. Even though I’m driving an older 2008 version of the GT3, the insight from guys like Patrick Long, James Sofronas and Dino Crescentini has been really helpful.”
Like Saturday’s race, round two was also plagued with its fair share of caution periods.
“Just like yesterday,” added Tomy, “the caution periods were frustrating. But the crew stayed on the radio helping me get more out of the car. Also, they keep adjusting the car for me. I keep letting them know what I feel and how the car is reacting to me … we’re definitely making progress.”
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Progress Energy Center for the Arts, the Salvador Dali Museum and extending onto runways at Albert Whitted Airport that overlook the Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
The Pirelli World Challenge Championships return to action at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 15-17. Tomy will return to the site of his first professional win driving the No. 5 X-Men: First Class in Theaters 6.3.11.
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 competing in 7 rounds and 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. Tomy is married to Lacy Livingston Drissi.
Find out more about Tomy Drissi at http://www.tomydrissi.com or on Facebook. You can follow Tomy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tomydrissi.