Eleven Weekends Set For Great Sports Car Action at Legendary Circuits

Monterey, California – In front of a large crowd at the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge awards banquet Sunday night, WC Vision announced an exciting 2016 Pirelli World Challenge schedule with eleven racing weekends set at legendary race facilities and events.

The 2016 season will mark the 27th year for one of the world's most competitive and entertaining sedan racing campaigns.

Announced earlier this year, Lime Rock Park was added to the Pirelli World Challenge list of racing venues with the popular Memorial Day weekend (May 27-28) as part of the 2016 schedule. The historic 1.5-mile, seven-turn permanent circuit in the northwest hills of Connecticut has played host for more than a half century of racing that weekend.

Five of the Pirelli World Challenge events will serve as headliner weekends for the PWC seven classes – GT, GTA, GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS, Touring Car, TCA and TCB – which saw more than 100 entries at many of North America's historic race tracks in 2015.

Similar to this year, the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge season will open at the state-of-the-art Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Tex., on March 3-6 with all seven PWC categories in competition at the 3.427-mile, 20-turn permanent road course. In addition, the popular European-based Blancpain GT Series will join the PWC season-opening sedan spectacular.

Again working in association with the Verizon IndyCar Series, the Pirelli World Challenge will participate in conjunction with North America's top open-wheel campaign in six race weekends beginning with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg scheduled for March 11-13.

The 2016 PWC series will travel to the famed streets of Long Beach, Calif., for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach set for April 15-17 followed by the April 22-24 rounds at the picturesque Barber Motorsport Park just outside of Birmingham, Ala. Both April events will share the racing bill with the Verizon IndyCar Series.

On Saturday, the WC Vision board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Scott Bove as CEO and has appointed Greg Gill interim CEO until a suitable replacement can be found.

"In 2015, the Pirelli World Challenge brought outstanding competition and variety to the North American motorsports landscape," said S. Greg Gill, general manager and interim CEO of WC Vision. "In 2016, the PWC schedule again should provide the racing fans at many of the world's most iconic road racing venues with over 20 auto manufacturers in action. I want to thank the eleven racing facilities for their hospitality in hosting the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge events."

In May, the 2016 PWC trail travels north of the United States border on May 19-22 to the prestigious Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Toronto with the Lime Rock Park rounds set for May 27-28.

Road America, the legendary Elkhart Lake, Wis., four-mile road racing plant, will serve as the Pirelli World Challenge's lone June venue, combining with the Verizon IndyCar Series on June 23-26. The following month, the demanding 2.4-mile, 15-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course hosts the PWC with the IndyCars Series on July 29-30.

A round of the Pirelli World Challenge will be held in August with the site and date to be announced in the near future.

Two popular West Coast racing facilities – Sonoma Raceway and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – will round out the final two race weekends for the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge. The Sonoma rounds will take place on Sept. 16-18, while the championship finale is scheduled for October at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The October date will be announced in the future.

2016 Pirelli World Challenge Schedule

March 3-6                    Circuit of the Americas
March 11-13                Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
April 15-17                  Grand Prix of Long Beach
April 22-24                  Barber Motorsport Park
May 19-22                  Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
May 27-28                   Lime Rock Park
June 23-26                  Road America
July 29-30                   Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
August                        To Be Announced
September 16-18         Sonoma Raceway
October                       Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca