As if 12 Hours of Sebring wasn’t enough, Tomy Drissi returns to the east coast this week for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg where he’ll compete in rounds 1 and 2 of the Pirelli World Challenge GT class driving the No. 4 ‘The Internship’ Corvette for LG Motorsports.
This will be the fourth straight year the Pirelli World Challenge will begin its race season in Florida with a big doubleheader weekend as part of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IZOD IndyCar event. Round One is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, while Round Two is on Sunday, March 24. GT and GTS teams will compete this weekend.
“Sebring was a long week,” said Tomy. “But coming back to St. Pete to run with the World Challenge guys is always a lot of fun.
“I’m excited to be in the Corvette and with Lou [LG Motorsports] and his guys. They do a great job for me and this Corvette is a beast.
“St. Pete is a tough race. Given the timed format and close quarters, you really have to stay on your toes. It’s one thing having a ton of horsepower under your foot, but keeping it between the walls is the real challenge”
Last year Tomy completed the weekend with a 5th place in Round 1, though a mechanical failure shortened his day in Round 2.
After the completion of the 2012 season, WC Vision announce the approval of the Audi R8 LMS, Mercedes SLS, and BMW Z4 for competition in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class for 2013. Each of the approved models was subject to WC’s performance balance and aero specs. Pirelli World Challenge fans will now experience the most diverse racing on the planet with the GT class having representation from 10 different brands.
Tomy’s No. 4 Corvette will be sporting a livery featuring the upcoming movie, The Internship, opening in theaters June 7th and starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. In the movie, Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, they defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brilliant college students. But, gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group of the nation’s most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention.
The Pirelli World Challenge at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IZOD IndyCar Round One is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, while Round Two is on Sunday, March 24. The race can be seen on NBC Sports, Sunday, April 7th at 12:30PM eastern. Note, time and date subject to change. View live streaming on www.world-challengeTV.com day of races and continuously on demand after races.
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. 2011 saw Tomy’s return 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. In 2012, Drissi teamed with Bruno Junqiera for finishing 2nd at Laguna Seca, a win at Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park), 2nd at Baltimore and second at the season finale, Petit Lemans.
Tomy is married to Lacy Livingston Drissi
World Challenge – The Most Relevant Road Racing In The World
Celebrating its 24th season in 2013, the Pirelli World Challenge Championship has built its legacy around providing fans the most competitive road racing in the world, and the series has earned well-deserved praise the past few years from publications such as AutoWeek, Car & Driver and RACER Magazine for doing just that. But what really sets World Challenge GT, GTS and Touring Car apart from all other series is the “everyday” element it brings each event. World-class drivers piloting production-based cars that come from more than 10 auto manufacturers – it’s a formula that has and will continue to serve the interests of manufacturers, drivers and, most importantly, automotive enthusiasts and race fans.