Pirelli World Challenge Announces Dorsey Schroeder New Race Director
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| Dorsey Schroeder |
WC Vision has announced additional racing operations changes for the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge including a new race operations committee and the naming of multi-time racing champion Dorsey Schroeder as the new Race Director.
Schroeder, a past road racing event winner and series champion, comes to the Pirelli World Challenge after a successful career as a driver and television racing analyst. He will bring a highly experienced perspective to the race operations decision-making process of the high-competitive road racing series.
In addition, Schroeder will lead the committee with another former racing champion Brian Till, Pirelli World Challenge Chief Driving Steward, and Chief Steward Pat di Natale. PWC Competition Director Marcus Haselgrove will advise the race committee as appropriate.
“We are very pleased to bring in Dorsey as our race director and having him working closely with Brian, and Pat in our race operations," said Scott Bove, president and CEO of WC Vision, Pirelli World Challenge. “Dorsey’s racing background as a racing champion as well as a television analyst gives our series a seasoned veteran who understands the drivers’ thinking in a race car. He is a respected professional who can work closely with the drivers and teams regarding competition on and off the track."
Schroeder, a Missouri native, has competed in variety of racing series throughout his four decades of driving including Trans-Am, IROC, IMSA, Grand-Am, Sprint Cup, NASCAR trucks, ARCA and SCCA as well as driving in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. Dorsey’s series titles came in the Lucas Challenge, Trans-Am and IMSA GTO and GTU categories.
“I’m very excited to join the Pirelli World Challenge as Race Director," said Schroeder. “This is a new chapter in my life after driving for many years and working in the TV booth for 18 years. The series is one of the world’s finest sports car racing campaigns and the competition level is very high right now. We have some of the greatest sports cars drivers and teams in North America in this series. I look forward to working with outstanding pros like Brian and Pat."
Till is a former Formula Atlanta champion and still serves as a television commentator for numerous racing series. Di Natale has served as chief steward in a variety of SCCA series including the Pirelli World Challenge.
Schroeder’s new position in the Pirelli World Challenge has been applauded throughout the paddock including by series veterans such as Johnny O’Connell, Peter Cunningham and Jack Baldwin.
“Having Dorsey joining the Pirelli World Challenge is huge," said O’Connell, the three-time GT class champion. “In Formula One, an ex-Formula One driver is included in the decision making. And now PWC has two great former drivers in Dorsey and Brian. Both were top line drivers and are top line TV analysts. So they have seen it from all sides. And they know the mindset of a race car driver — how they should act and behave themselves on the circuit. When I heard that Dorsey, Brian and Pat were in the booth and making the race calls, I knew the series has made quantum leaps in officiating."
“I think the program is fantastic to have the wisdom of two great race car drivers in the motorsports world like Dorsey and Brian," said Cunningham, a multi-time PWC series champion. “It is outstanding for the Pirelli World Challenge. I raced back in the Firehawk showroom stock series with Dorsey. I know his credentials are superb for this series."
Baldwin battled wheel-to-wheel with Dorsey for many years in the Trans-Am and IMSA road racing series and respects his old rival in his new position in the Pirelli World Challenge.
“Having raced Dorsey for several decades, I know him very well and his new position is a great move for the Pirelli World Challenge," said Baldwin, winner of many road racing series titles. “It is great to have someone who understands situations on track and can make an interpretation because he has been there and done that. Dorsey knows the differences from clean and dirty driving. I bet I’ve raced against him a hundred times. I have total respect for that guy. Just a tremendous move by the series with Dorsey and Brian in the booth now."
The Pirelli World Challenge action at recent Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course rounds for the GT, GTA and GT Cup presented by MOMO will be televised this Sunday (August 9) on the CBS Sports Network at 4 p.m. EDT with the GTS rounds set for showing on August 12 at 9 p.m. EDT.
The next PWC competition is scheduled for rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the Touring Car categories – TC, TCA and TCB – on August 13-15 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course