CTSC: Wittmer joins Hart for Sebring

Kuno Wittmer, GT Le Mans class champion in last year’s TUDOR United SportsCar series, will take on a new challenge on Friday, March 20, as he drives for Honda of America Racing Team in the Microsoft Visual Studio 150.

After winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the end of January, the Montreal driver was offered to take part in the 12 Hours of Sebring weekend, in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, reserved for Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) cars. This time he will be at the wheel of a Honda Civic Si, entered by the official Honda of America Racing Team, supported by Honda Performance Development, with American driver Chad Gilsinger, originally from Ohio, as his teammate.

"In 2008 I competed in the Continental Tire Challenge, which is the most prominent TUDOR Championship support series," Wittmer said. "I finished third in the championship and won the race at Trois-Rivières. It’s somewhat of a sweet return for me, especially because I’m reunited with Honda. Honda is a special manufacturer for me because it’s with Honda that I earned my first victories and championships."

The Continental Tire Challenge cars are notably slower than the TUDOR Championship vehicles, but it’s a series that assembles very experienced drivers and the starting grids are crucial.

"Winning in the Continental Challenge isn’t easy. It’s a nice opportunity that I’ve been offered to compete at Sebring in the Continental Challenge, a two hour and 30 minute race."

Wittmer will co-drive the No. 93 HART Honda with Chad Gilsinger, who earned the pole position last year at Sebring. This year, the duo’s goal is to go for the win in the ST category.

"The contract with Honda of America is solely for the Sebring race," Wittmer said. "We will then see what may lie in store for the rest of my season. Several projects are currently on the table but for the moment, my priority is to help the team get a good result at Sebring with the No. 93 Honda Civic Si, the same number I had when I won the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. Let’s hope it’s a good omen!"