Kleinubing Wins #21 as Acura TSX Storms Road Atlanta
September 24, 2004 – Braselton Georgia
Pierre Kleinubing pounded out the 21st win of his SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car career by driving the RealTime Racing A-SPEC Acura TSX to a 94.249mph victory at Road Atlanta today.
The three-time series champion eased off at the end to finish 2.54 seconds ahead of a phalanx of BMW drivers.
Starting the race from the outside of the front row, Kleinubing took the lead on lap nine of 27 laps around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile circuit, and was never challenged for the lead.
His win is the fourth of the year for the Acura TSX in its debut season, and his second win of the season. He won a non-championship race here in April, driving a RealTime Acura RSX.
“The car was set up the way I like it here at Road Atlanta,” Kleinubing said. “My crew chief, Brian Pillar, has been making the team stronger every race weekend, and that’s showing on the track.”
Matt Plumb, also a two-race winner with the RealTime A-SPEC Acura TSX cars, finished in seventh place after a 13th place start, a finish which jumped the 2003 Rookie of the Year from eighth to third in the season points.
RealTime also fielded a pair of Acura RSX cars for Nick Esayian and Mike Van Sicklen. Esayian moved from a 34th spot on the starting grid to 19th at the end of the race in his Total Trolley/Datamine machine. Van Sicklen finished in the points in 25th place.
The race broadcast on SPEED TV aired Sunday, September 26, at Noon (EDT).
The final event of the 2004 Touring Car season will be October 15-17 at Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California.
The RealTime Racing Touring Cars are sponsored by the Acura Division of American Honda, A-SPEC Performance Parts, Red Line Oil, Eibach Springs, BOSCH, Sparco, Hella, Brembo, Goodridge, Hawk Performance, and Acura Genuine Parts.