Pirelli World Challenge crowns 2016 Champions

Parante leads Cindric and Fogarty
Parante leads Cindric and Fogarty

Before a packed house Sunday night in Monterey, the Pirelli World Challenge honored its 2016 series champions in eight divisions following the Pirelli World Challenge Championships presented Nissan at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Leading the big haul of prize money and hardware were the GT champions — Alvaro Parente (driver's), McLaren (manufacturer's) and K-PAX Racing (team) — after a wild GT Round 20 50-minute sprint race Sunday afternoon at the legendary 2.238-mile, 11-turn Northern California permanent road circuit.

Parente, the 32-year-old factory driver from Porto, Portugal, drove his No. 9 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S to a season-leading six GT race victories in 2016 including a spectacular and unpredictable season finale win. Parente also led the GT division with five pole positions in his initial U.S. racing season in the 11-event PWC campaign.

McLaren captured its first PWC GT Manufacturers' point title after the British auto maker entered Sunday's final race tied with Porsche at 130 points. Parente's Sunday win clinched the championship for the popular racing marque. K-PAX Racing fielded three drivers — Parente, Austin Cindric and Colin Thompson — throughout the GT season and defeated Cadillac Racing in the team standings.

“It was an amazing season for myself, McLaren and K-PAX Racing," said Parente. “And Sunday's race was just a wild event with the last lap. I still really can't believe all of what happened. But I'm so thankful to our team and McLaren for a great year. I really enjoyed racing in the sprint format of the Pirelli World Challenge. It's a world class series."

Parante winning at Lime Rock
Parante winning at Lime Rock

In addition, seven other class championships awarded Sunday evening including drivers' titles for Martin Fuentes of Mexico City in the GTA category; Alec Udell of The Woodlands, Tex., in GT Cup; Brett Sandberg of Allendale, N.J., in the GTS; Toby Grahovec of Little Elm, Tex., in Touring Car; Elivan Goulart of Shelton, Conn., in TCA; Tom O'Gorman of Mason, Ohio, in TCB; Michael Mills of Houston, Tex., in Sportsman SprintX GT and Max Riddle of Vancouver, B.C., Canada in Sportsman SprintX GTS.

In the Manufacturer's titles, McLaren captured the GT division with Ford Performance winning the GTS category and Mazda taking the Touring Car and Touring Car A classes.

In special awards, Ian Willis of AIM Motorsports was awarded the prestigious Zimmerman Cup for his efforts as a crew chief, while veteran Tony Gaples of Blackdog Speed Shop was honored with the Jim Cook Award for his significant contributions to the Pirelli World Challenge.

Sixteen-year-old Nate Stacy of Roush Performance Road Racing won the VP Racing Fuels Hard Charger of the Year, and 2011 PWC GT champion Patrick Long captured the MotorTrendonDemand.com Clean Pass of the Year. In addition, Jerry Russett, a long-time PWC official, received the Special Recognition Award.

2016 PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS

GT Drivers' Champion — ALVARO PARENTE, Porto, Portugal

GTA Driver's Champion — MARTIN FUENTES, Mexico City, Mexico

GT Cup Driver's Champion — ALEC UDELL, The Woodlands, Texas

GTS Driver's Champion — BRETT SANDBERG, Allendale, N.J.

Touring Car Driver's Champion — TOBY GRAHOVEC, Little Elm, Texas

Touring Car A Driver's Champion — ELIVAN GOULART, Shelton, Conn.

Touring Car B Driver's Champion — TOM O'GORMAN, Mason, Ohio

SprintX GT Sportsman Driver's Champion — MICHAEL MILLS, Houston, Texas

SprintX GTS Sportsman Driver's Champion — MAX RIDDLE, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

GT Manufacturer's Champion — McLAREN

GTS Manufacturer's Champion — FORD PERFORMANCE

Touring Car Manufacturer's Champion — MAZDA

Touring Car A Manufacturer's Champion — MAZDA

GT Team Champion — K-PAX RACING

GT Cup Team Champion — GMG MOTORSPORTS

GTS Team Champion — ROUSH PERFORMANCE ROAD RACING

Touring Car Team Champion — CLASSIC BMW MOTORSPORTS

Touring Car A Team Champion — S.A.C. RACING

Touring Car B Team Champion — HALE MOTORSPORTS

GT/GTA Crew of the Year — SCUDERIA CORSA

GT Cup Crew of the Year — CALVERT DYNAMICS

GTS Crew of the Year — ROUSH PERFORMANCE ROAD RACING

Touring Car Crew of the Year — BERG RACING

Touring Car A Crew of the Year — S.A.C. RACING

Touring Car B Crew of the Year — BLACK ARMOR HELMETS

SPECIAL AWARDS

Zimmerman Cup Crew Award — IAN WILLIS, AIM MOTORSPORTS

Jim Cook Award (Contributor to PWC) — TONY GAPLES, BLACKDOG SPEED SHOP

VP Racing Fuels Hard Charger of the Year — NATE STACY

MotorTrendonDemand.com Clean Pass of the Year — PATRICK LONG

Special Recognition Award — JERRY RUSSETT