ANSA MOTORSPORTS‘ KTM TEAM AND DRIVERS READY FOR 2016 SEASON
A year ago, ANSA Motorsports started racing in the Pirelli World Challenge with a Porsche GT3 Cup in the GT-Cup class. The team finished third in class, and driver Lorenzo Trefethen scored a win and four podium finishes. It would have been easy for the team to find a driver and continue its GT-Cup program, but ANSA Motorsports’ team owner, Alain Nadal, wanted a new challenge and wanted to represent a new manufacturer.
During the summer of 2015, Nadal and REITER Engineering signed an agreement for ANSA Motorsports to market REITER Engineering race cars and import the new KTM X-Bow GT4. The X-Bow had been racing and winning in Europe since the beginning of the 2015 season, and Nadal had a vision and a plan for that car to race in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS Championship. The first KTM was shipped from Germany in August and arrived just in time to be displayed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California.
The ANSA Motorsports’ KTM was entered with success in a few regional club racing events during the winter, where it picked up its first big North American victory at the four-hour Miami 500 classic. The KTM X-Bow GT4 made its first official Pirelli World Challenge on-track appearance at the Balance of Performance test in Austin, Texas, two weeks ago. Following that test, the team is ready to start racing at Circuit of the Americas with two KTM X-Bow GT4s and hoping that the modifications made to the car at the BoP test days will keep the KTM competitive to contend with the more powerful cars entered in the GTS championship.
ANSA Motorsports has selected Dore Alexander Chaponick Jr., 19, and Brett Sandberg, 26, to drive the No. 12 and No. 13 KTM X-Bows.
The Pirelli World Challenge opens its 2016 season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. All PWC classes will be racing as part of a series headline event weekend at the world-class 3.4-mile circuit. Chaponick and Sandberg have raced at Circuit of the Americas before. Sandberg won at COTA in 2013, the year he finished second in the Pirelli World Challenge TC Driver Championship. Both drivers will participate in the promoter test day at Circuit of the Americas Thursday, March 3.
The COTA race Weekend on TV: Round 1 and 2 of the 2016 GTS Championship will air on CBS Sports Network, Thursday March 17, at 9 p.m. EDT. Follow ANSA Motorsports drivers racing on live stream at World-Challenge.com. Race 1 is set for Saturday, March 5, at 5:15 p.m. EDT and race 2 on Sunday, March 6, at noon EDT.
Car 12 Dore Chaponick’s pre-race quote: “I am thrilled and delighted to be a part of the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge. I want to express my excitement and appreciation to ANSA Motorsports and my gratitude to Alain Nadal for trusting me and making me part of his team.This new KTM racing program is a whole new challenge that awaits me! I tested the KTM last week at Circuit of the Americas and I am ready for this new, exciting challenge.”
Car 13 Brett Sandberg’s Pre-race quote: "I am extremely excited to be driving for ANSA Motorsports this season, as this great team campaigns the all-new KTM X-Bow. It's an honor to be chosen to drive this new platform for the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GTS season and contend for the championship title.”
2016 Pirelli World Challenge GTS Championship Schedule:
During the summer of 2015, Nadal and REITER Engineering signed an agreement for ANSA Motorsports to market REITER Engineering race cars and import the new KTM X-Bow GT4. The X-Bow had been racing and winning in Europe since the beginning of the 2015 season, and Nadal had a vision and a plan for that car to race in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS Championship. The first KTM was shipped from Germany in August and arrived just in time to be displayed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California.
The ANSA Motorsports’ KTM was entered with success in a few regional club racing events during the winter, where it picked up its first big North American victory at the four-hour Miami 500 classic. The KTM X-Bow GT4 made its first official Pirelli World Challenge on-track appearance at the Balance of Performance test in Austin, Texas, two weeks ago. Following that test, the team is ready to start racing at Circuit of the Americas with two KTM X-Bow GT4s and hoping that the modifications made to the car at the BoP test days will keep the KTM competitive to contend with the more powerful cars entered in the GTS championship.
ANSA Motorsports has selected Dore Alexander Chaponick Jr., 19, and Brett Sandberg, 26, to drive the No. 12 and No. 13 KTM X-Bows.
The Pirelli World Challenge opens its 2016 season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. All PWC classes will be racing as part of a series headline event weekend at the world-class 3.4-mile circuit. Chaponick and Sandberg have raced at Circuit of the Americas before. Sandberg won at COTA in 2013, the year he finished second in the Pirelli World Challenge TC Driver Championship. Both drivers will participate in the promoter test day at Circuit of the Americas Thursday, March 3.
The COTA race Weekend on TV: Round 1 and 2 of the 2016 GTS Championship will air on CBS Sports Network, Thursday March 17, at 9 p.m. EDT. Follow ANSA Motorsports drivers racing on live stream at World-Challenge.com. Race 1 is set for Saturday, March 5, at 5:15 p.m. EDT and race 2 on Sunday, March 6, at noon EDT.
Car 12 Dore Chaponick’s pre-race quote: “I am thrilled and delighted to be a part of the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge. I want to express my excitement and appreciation to ANSA Motorsports and my gratitude to Alain Nadal for trusting me and making me part of his team.This new KTM racing program is a whole new challenge that awaits me! I tested the KTM last week at Circuit of the Americas and I am ready for this new, exciting challenge.”
Car 13 Brett Sandberg’s Pre-race quote: "I am extremely excited to be driving for ANSA Motorsports this season, as this great team campaigns the all-new KTM X-Bow. It's an honor to be chosen to drive this new platform for the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GTS season and contend for the championship title.”
2016 Pirelli World Challenge GTS Championship Schedule:
- March 3-6: Circuit of the Americas, Austin, TX
- March 10-11: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, FL
- April 22-24: Barber Motorsport Park, AL
- May 19-22: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Canada
- May 27-28: Lime Rock Park, CT
- June 23-26: Road America, WI
- July 29-30: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, OH
- August 12-14: Utah Motorsports Campus, UT
- September 16-18: Sonoma Raceway, CA
- October 7-9: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, CA
- Website:ANSAMotorsports.com
- Instagram: #ANSAMotorsports
- Twitter: @ANSAMotorsports
- com/ANSAMotorsports
- Brett Sandberg Twitter: @Sandberg47
- Dore Chaponick Twitter: @dorechap_