November 12, 2011 | Phoenix International Raceway

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West returned to Phoenix International Raceway for the Casino Arizona 125 series finale race.

After successfully capturing top ten finishes at Miller Motorsports Parks in Utah and Infineon Raceway in Northern California, World Stage Racing and driver Brian Wong looked to continue another solid finish in the K&N Pro Series at Phoenix International Raceway.  The new surface and banking definitely posed to be a challenge, leveling the playing field for the K&N Pro Series.  During the only practice of the weekend was held for a solid three hours Friday morning. Brian Wong in the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota was consistently in the top fifteen fastest.  Still looking for more speed, crew chief, Dave McCarty was focusing on the set up for the race.  Qualifying for the Casino Arizona 125 came early Saturday morning, just a few hours from the green flag. Brian Wong qualified the #89 World Stage Racing/ KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota just outside the top fifteen, putting them in a prime position for the long race. Prior to qualifying, a mechanical issue was found, needing to be replaced. The mechanical change is a rule violation in NASCAR, which exempts the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota from starting in the qualified position, but instead starting from the back of the field.

The start of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Casino Arizona 125 followed the NASCAR Nationwide Series race event. Coming to the green flag, the double filed, forty-car field stacked up in the back, causing minor front-end damage to the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota.  The early damage sustained proved to have a major impact on the car. Driver, Brian Wong, struggled with the car in turns three and four, making contact with the wall a few times.  The contact with the wall proved to cause more damage than suspected, breaking the track-bar, a vital part of the handling capability of the car.  Just twenty laps in the race, Brian Wong brought the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota into the pits to fix the track-bar.  After successfully repairing the damages, the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota back out on track but a few laps down from the leaders. The laps down didn’t affect the World Stage Racing crew, as a number of cautions followed, allowing the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net racecar to gain a few laps and also positions. Steering clear of any potential wreck, Brian Wong drove to the top fifteen, looking to make a comeback from an early race mishap.  But luck just wasn’t there at the end, with twenty laps remaining; the engine literally blew up, leaving a trail of oil on the new track surface, parking the #89 World Stage Racing/KevJumba/Privy.net Toyota for the final time of the weekend.  It was an upsetting start and early finish at Phoenix International Raceway but the World Stage Racing crew and driver Brian Wong proved they could rally from an early deficit.

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November 4-6, 2011 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The season finale of the Porsche series, the Pirelli Drivers Cup came to a close with two final rounds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

While in town for the SEMA convention and performing duties for Discount Tire ride-a-longs, Brian Wong returned to the series where his Porsche GT3 sports car roots began in the Pirelli Drivers Cup USA.  The first on-track practice session was held late Friday afternoon. Driving the #23 World Stage Racing Porsche GT3 Cup car, Brian Wong was third fastest in the first practice.  Early evening rain came, canceling the remaining practice of the day before qualifying on Saturday.  Comfortable with the track and the Pirelli Drivers Cup series, Brian Wong posted the second fastest time in qualifying late afternoon on Saturday.  At the green flag for round 11, Brian Wong got a great start on the first place car, passing for the lead in turn two and never looking back.  Forty-five minutes later, Brian Wong, in the #23 World Stage Racing Porsche GT3, lead the field to the checker flag, taking first in round 11.

Qualifying for round 12 of the Pirelli Drivers Cup was held on Sunday morning, just an hour before the green flag of the final round.  Saving his tires for the race, Brian Wong settled third quickest in qualifying.  After the drop of the green flag, the battle was on between the top three cars.  The #23 World Stage Racing Porsche GT3 gained a position but a large gap between second and first would make it a great battle for the win. With just ten minutes remaining in final the race, Brian Wong passed the first place car for the lead.  The #23 World Stage Racing Porsche GT3 took the checkered flag in P1 for the final round of the Pirelli Drivers Cup 2011 season.

A weekend sweep was just what World Stage Racing and driver Brian Wong needed after a trying year of sports car racing in the American Le Mans Series.

November 2, 2011 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The annual Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (S.E.M.A.) convention in Las Vegas brings out the top motorsports and race companies around the world.  Apart from the SEMA convention, which is one of the largest conventions to play in Las Vegas yearly, Discount Tire Company puts on a private event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for their tire representatives and top sales people in the country.  World Stage Racing’s driver, Brian Wong, was invited by Yokohama Tires- official sponsor of the IMSA GT3 Cup, to give the Discount Tire employees an insider view of racing a Porsche GT3 Cup car.  Through-out the day, Brian Wong gave over 200 employees each an individual ride-along through a mock race in a Porsche GT3 Cup car on the Las Vegas Speedway’s road course, designed for the infield of the 1.5 mile track. 

October 1 | Brasselton, Georgia

After ten grueling hours in the season finale of the American Le Mans Series, Brian and Alex Job Racing captured a long anticipated podium finish, but not without the season long drama that has plagued the #23 car.

The high expectations at the season finale of the American Le Mans Series at the Road America circuit, proved Alex Job Racing drivers Brian Wong, Leh Keen, and Bill Sweedler could have a successful podium finish.  The first part of the weekend, the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche was at the top of the speed charts in all four practices.  Despite being the slowest of the six classes, 55 other cars entered in Petit Le Mans, all three drivers avoided any issues on track.  For the qualifying session, Keen was in the drivers seat.  The GTC competition proved to be tough; all six GTC car qualified just hundredths of a second apart.  Keen put the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche in the fourth starting position for the ten hours of Petit Le Mans.

Keen took the green flag starting from the second row in the GTC class.  By turn three, he had gained two positions and coming down the hill through turn twelve, Keen lead the GTC field.  Keen continued to hold onto the lead for his two-hour stint when a scheduled driver change and pit stop put Wong in the driver’s seat.  Holding onto the lead for his hour and a half stint, Wong handed the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche over to Sweedler.  During Sweedler’s two-hour stint, he battled in the top three with less than five hours remaining.  Wong was back in the driver’s seat for another stint where he battled up to second and held his ground for the next two hours.  Keen was back in the car to close the ten-hour race.  The last pit stop of the race, Keen held onto second with ten seconds behind the leader, #54 Black Swan Racing Porsche.  Taking a full take of fuel and two left tires, Keen was first out of the pits with a fifteen second advantage over the #54 Black Swan Racing Porsche.  Racing his way through the night on the Road Atlanta course, Keen was hit in turn five by a GT car, causing front-end damage.  Although minor damage, Keen lost valuable time as the #54 Black Swan Racing Porsche took over the first position.  A late race caution flew just twenty-minutes remaining in the race, allowing Keen to make up valuable time on the leader.  But the traffic on the restart didn’t allow Keen to make any ground on the leader, bringing the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche in second place at Petit Le Mans.  A difficult ending to a trying season.  The Alex Job #23 Porsche had promise all season, at every race, to be disappointed starting at Sebring and ending at Road Atlanta. 

Following the race, the Alex Job Racing team learned that the driver of the #54 Black Swan Racing Porsche was just two-minutes shy of his maximum driver time of four hours consistently in the car.  Just one more caution lap would put the driver of the #54 Black Swan Racing Porsche over the time limit, ultimately disqualifying them from the race.  Those two-minutes were the biggest difference between a win and a second-place finish for the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche.  Although disappointed of losing the win, Wong, Keen, and Sweedler proved they could capture a podium finish rightfully deserved.

Please stay in touch with Brian Wong and World Stage Racing to see where 2012 takes this talented team and driver.

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Laguna Seca Raceway | September 17, 2011

Brian Wong returned to the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca Raceway  to attack the 6 hour endurance race.

At the start of the weekend, Wong and his co-drivers, Bill Sweedler and Shane Lewis, fought for a better handling racecar in the first practice.  Holding onto fifth quickest in the final practice, the car was better but not up to the standards of the drivers.  For qualifying, Lewis was in the driver’s seat of the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche.  Unable to find a quicker lap time from practice, Lewis managed to secure the seventh qualifying position out of the nine-car GTC field.  Having a starting position in the back of the field, pushed the Alex Job Racing crew to make drastic changes to the #23 before the start of the 6-hour ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey at Laguna Seca.

The green flag waved on a picturesque day at the famous Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California.  Lewis started the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche in the fourth row and quickly jumped to the third position early in his stint.  A scheduled fuel pit stop took Lewis out and put Bill Sweedler in the pilot’s seat. The diligent work by the Alex Job Racing crew put Sweedler first off pit road and in the first place position of the GTC field.  Throughout his 90 minute stint, Sweedler kept the #23 inside the top three when he handed the wheel over to Wong.  Performing a double stint, Brian was behind the wheel for over two hours, toggling between second and third position while setting the fastest lap of the race. The final scheduled pit stop came just over an hour remaining in the race. Brian climbed out of the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche in P2, for Lewis to close the remaining time of the race.  Holding the #23 in the third place, Lewis experienced a left-rear puncture that brought him into the pits for an unscheduled tire change.  The time lost in the pits was substantial, taking the #23 out of podium contention.  Unable to make up the valuable time lost, Lewis brought the #23 Battery Tender/ Alex Job Racing Porsche home in the fourth position.  The late mechanical issue with a tire caused the podium to be taken away, but the tough fight of Brian, Shane and Bill proved they could capture a podium finish.  It was a bittersweet ending to the 6-hour endurance race at Laguna Seca.  Although a fourth place is not what they wanted, all three drivers knew what they had accomplished at the famous Laguna Seca circuit in a grueling 6-hour battle.

Brian Wong returns to the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron for the season finale for the Petit Le Mans race.  Brian will join Leh Keen and Bill Sweedler for the Petit Le Mans 10-hour endurance race at Road Atlanta race track on October 1st. 

Petit Le Mans will broadcast live on ESPN3.com on October 1st and the race will air on television on October 2nd at 4:00pm (EST) on ABC.
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August 26-28 | Sepang, Malaysia

Rounds 7 and 8 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series was held at the Formula One track, Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.  After a podium finish in round 5 at Ordos International Circuit, Brian looked to continue his top 5 finishes at Sepang.

The weekend began with two, thirty-minute practices where Brian showed strength, posting 3rd quickest in the first practice.  In the second and final practice of the weekend, the entire field improved with competitive lap times.  Brian wasn’t able to improve times and slipped a couple positions to the 5th quickest position in the final practice.  The qualifying session of the weekend came with rain and heat.  A green racetrack and temperature variation made it difficult on drivers and their cars.  With slower lap times through out the field, Brian held onto the 5th starting postion.

Round 7 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series was a late race, with cooler weather conditions than qualifying.  At the standing start, Brian held his Porsche GT3 Cup car in the top 5.  The leader gained time on the rest of the field, separating the top 5 by ten seconds.  Although Brian was not able to improve his starting position, he continued his top 5th finish in the last four Porsche Carrera Cup Asia rounds.

Round 8 at Sepang International Circuit had similar results from round 7.  Brian launched the green flag holding his starting position, keeping him in pace with the other leaders.  He battled with the 4th position car for a few turns but lost valuable time against the top 3 leaders.  Unable to gain any positions in the thirty-minute sprint race, Brian once again settled in the 5th position of the race.  Continuing his top 5 finishes have kept Brian in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship contention for the final four rounds of the series.

Brian’s next two Porsche Carrera Cup Asia races will be held at Marina Bay International Circuit in Singapore on September 23-25, 2011.  Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will host the support series for the Formula One event at Singapore.

Fox Sports Article

WHEEL SPINS I grew up in southern California, in Orange County. I was born and raised there and I am - I think - fifth-generation Californian-Chinese. So I am as far away from being Chinese as possible - I only look the part. I was a beach kid and only really got into racing seriously when I was about 14. I'd always loved cars growing up. As a little kid I rode off-road dirt bikes and did a little motorcycle racing. We'd go camping out in the desert and do that fun stuff as a family. Anything with a motor, I was on it.

My family had no history in motor sports at all. I just liked playing with toy cars as a kid and it stuck.
It grew into a passion as I got older...

Read full article >

August 20 | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

A damaged motor on the second lap at legendary Elkart Lake, Wisconsin ended Alex Job Racing’s chance at a podium finish. 

Looking to rebound from the Grand Prix of Mosport, Alex Job Racing had an unexpected end to in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron at Road America.  Early in the week, Brian and co-driver Bill Sweedler proved the #23 Alex Job Racing/Battery Tender Porsche was competitive, placing top five quickest in both practices and qualifying.  Although the GTC field was stacked with top Porsche drivers from around the world, Brian jumped nearly four tenths of a second in qualifying to score the 5th starting position.  The starting position allowed the #23 Alex Job Racing/Battery Tender Porsche to optimize team strategy for the endurance race through the Road America circuit.

Starting the race, the entire sports car field came through the last two turns to take the green flag, the GT class stacked up, creating a domino effect that caused immediate damage to many cars in the field.  Bill, driving the first stint, was caught in a bad position and was hit from the rear into the third position GTC car.  Although front-end damage wasn’t severe, damage to the radiator caused Bill to return to the paddock on the second lap and ultimately retire from the race early.  The Porsche GT3 Cup motor was found to be damaged and in need of replacement. 

Not only was it was a disappointing start and early finish, but also extremely frustrating for Brian, as he never had a chance to race.  Brian and Bill are determined to overcome the setbacks when the return together for the six-hour endurance race at the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

The six-hour endurance race at Laguna Seca will have live feed through ESPN3.com on Saturday, September 17th starting at 1:15pm PST and will broadcast on the ESPN2 channel on Sunday, September 18th at 1:00pm EST.

Mosport, Canada | July 22-24

Brian returns to the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron with a chance at a podium finish in GTC, only to end in devastation just minutes remaining in the race.

Round five of the 2011 American Le Mans Series season brought Brian and co-driver, Bill Sweedler of Alext Job Racing, to the 10-turn, 2.5 mile Mosport circuit in Ontario, Canada.  Brian had previous success at Mosport in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Series, sweeping the weekend in 2009.  Both Brian and Bill showed quick lap times in both practices early in the weekend, holding onto 2nd quickest within the tough competition in the GTC class.  In the 15-minute qualifying session on Saturday, Brian settled in the 4th quickest in the tight GTC field, only separating competitors by a couple hundredth of a second to start the Grand Prix of Mosport.

At the start of the two hour and forty-five minute race, Bill was in the driver’s seat keeping pace with competitors and even getting out in front to lead laps.  Bill brought the #23 Battery Tender/Alex Job Racing Porsche to pit road for a complete pit stop and a scheduled driver change.  Brian jumped into the driver’s seat with over an hour and a half time left in the race.  The problem free pit stop put Brian back in the leading position for many laps.  A great battle ensued with the second place car where Brian lost the lead but remain a close second behind the new leader. Holding in the top three with under twenty minutes remaining, Brian looked to score his first podium finish in the American Le Mans Series.  But just five minutes remaining and a couple laps left in the race, the unthinkable happened. Fuel mileage played an important role in the Grand Prix of Mosport and the Alex Job Racing team knew fuel would be tight.  Going into turn 1, Brian felt the #23 Battery Tender/AJR Porsche sputter for fuel.  Switching over to the reserve fuel tank took too much time and Brian lost the second and third positions.  Finishing the Grand Prix of Mosport in the 4th position was anything but satisfying.  The devastation of losing a podium finish due to a gallon less of fuel wore on Brian, Bill and the Alex Job Racing team.

The frustrating loss has brought drive and determination in Brian and Alex Job Racing to capture a podium finish when Brian returns to the American Le Mans Series at Road America for the Road Race Showcase on August 20, 2011.

Road Race Showcase is a four-hour endurance race at Road America and will air live on ESPN3.com at 2:45pm CT and on ABC at 4:30pm ET.

 

Ordos, Inner Mongolia | July 9-10, 2011

Rounds 5 and 6 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series brought a level playing field of competition at the new track in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. None of the competitors in the 30-car field had ever stepped foot on the newest circuit to the PCCA series.

After mechanical issues plaguing rounds 3 and 4 at Zhuhai International Circuit, Brian looked to quickly familiarize himself with the new Ordos track. The two practices of the weekend proved the tough competition of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series as all the top competitors jumped quickly up the speed charts.  Brian held the #89 World Stage Racing/Absolute Racing Porsche GT3 Cup car in the 5th quickest.  During the qualifying session Saturday morning, Brian battled hard with competitors for speed, settling in the 7th starting position for round 5 at Ordos.

The first race of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia weekend at Ordos in round 5 of the series was a battle from the green flag.  The tight course proved to be difficult for many drivers.  But Brian quickly gained two positions to settle himself in the top 5. The race battle came down to the last lap.  With just a few turns remaining in the race, the top two cars spin from contact allowing Brian to clinch the 3rd place finish in round 5 at Ordos International Circuit.

Starting up front for round 6 on Sunday, Brian made an effort to hold his 3rd position at the start.  But the competition behind him was battling hard for positions early on.  Brian's #89 World Stage Racing/Absolute Racing Porsche couldn't hold off competitors and was bumped to the 5th position with a few laps remaining in the race.  Although Brian's speed was there, the battle for positions in the top 5 allowed the leaders in P1 and P2 to gain a large lead.  Brian took the checker flag in the 5th position, proving his versatility of racing at the new Ordos track in the competitive Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series.

With his top 5 finishes at Ordos International Circuit, Brian remains in championship contention holding onto 4th in points in the tight battle for the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship.  Rounds 7 and 8 will be held August 26-28 at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Infineon Raceway | June 25, 2011

Swiss Mountaineer #89 Brian Wong  5th Place at Infineon

World Stage Racing’s NASCAR West #89 earned a well deserved 5th place at Infineon Raceway on a gorgeous Sonoma afternoon.  Brian Wong drove the Swiss Mountaineer Fine Watches Toyota Camry up to 5th place from a 15th place start. 

The field was led by Sprint Cup drivers Joey Logano and David Gillian (driving for Speed Wong Racing the past 2 years), followed by series champion Eric Holmes (#20) and series leader Greg Pursley (#26).  Wong’s #89 Toyota was moving up on both the #26 and #20 hoping to reel them in before the final 64th lap.  The eventual 5th place finish was gratifying, but the hope always remains for the goal of a win.

The race was made more exciting by the fact that none of the leaders took tires during the 2:20 hour race, limiting the pit stops to just one for fuel.   Chasing each other on worn and slick tires throughout the long race entertaining and one more factor for the top drivers.

A new sponsor for this race was Swiss Mountaineer Fine Watches.  The team had to guard the watch display positioned outside of the World Stage Racing hauler, as the watches were well received by the fans.  Brian Wong and World Stage Racing thank and appreciate Swiss Mountaineer’s sponsorship for this race.

A well deserved finish for Wong, previously snake bit the past couple of races here at Infineon.  The car ran flawlessly, a product of the shop preparation by Jerel Reeves and Kevin Myrick.  Good well done.  The team performed well, headed by crew chief Dave McCarty, who again has flown in from Charlotte to sit atop the pit box. 

The  125 mile race on the 2.2 mile course is one of the more enjoyable courses in America.  It is also one of Brian Wong’s favorite tracks and home to Wong’s earliest wins as a Legends road racer as a 15 year old.  Infineon is a unique track with 160 feet  in elevation changes along its 11 turns, set in Sonoma county, the gateway to wine country Napa Valley.

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ngolia.  The trip is scheduled around visits to FFF cars and car owner John Fu, based in Beijing.

Zhuhai, PRC | May 29-30, 2011

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia moved to rounds 3 & 4, at the Zhuhai International Race Track, located across the bay from Hong Kong, at the resort city of Zhuhai, PRC.

Brian Wong, driving for FFF Cars, was coming off of a 3rd place podium finish in Shanghai, had his hopes dashed immediately when his car had a mechanical failure, during the qualifying session prior to Round 3.  The Porsche GT3 Cup car had a fuel delivery problem which prevented the Oakley Active Wear sponsored #89 from qualifying.   Wong started from the back of the field of 28 cars for the Saturday, May 29 race.  Passing 21 cars in 30 minutes resulted in a frustrating 7th place finish ending round 3 for Wong.

Round 4 started with Wong in 7th position and climbing to 4th, before once again car problems slowed the car to a 6th place finish. The culprit this time was brakes.  The sprint format of the 30 minute races hampers Wong, more accustomed to longer paced races. 

Wong is looking forward to Rounds 5, 6 at the Ordos race track, located in Inner Mongolia.  The trip is scheduled around visits to FFF cars and car owner John Fu, based in Beijing.

Shanghai, PRC | May 14-15, 2011

Brian Wong of World Stage Racing was the primary test driver for FFF Motorcars, at the spectacular display of super exotic cars, hosted at the Shanghai F1 Track. 

The annual weekend showcases the most expensive and rarest cars in the world, owned by members of the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC).  The city of Shanghai is known to be the hub of progressive, Western displays of automotive enthusiasm.  The members showcase their personal investments in such super exotics as Gumpert Apollo, Zonda F’s, Zonda R’s, Koenigsegg  Agera, Bugatti Veyron’s  as well as the ordinary exotics such Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Mercedes SLR,  and Audi R8.

Exclusive FFF Automobiles supercars is the exclusive dealership in China for the super exotics, Zonda, Koenigsegg and Bugatti and Gumpert.  Owner John Fu has the largest super exotic car collection, arguably in the world, housed mainly in China.  FFF Automobiles is the car owner of the #89 Porsche GT3 Cup car competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series.  Brian Wong is FFF’s sole professional driver, and races the Porsche GT3 Cup car in the 2011 PCCA series. 

Wong drove each of the super exotics, Gumpert Apollo, Zonda F, Zonda R, Koenigsegg  Agera, Bugatti Veyron, all owned by John Fu.  In addition to putting on the display for the fans and car enthusiasts, providing rides for VIP guests, Wong also provided technical feedback to Horacio Pagani, owner of Pagani Automobiles, manufacturer of the Zonda cars.  Mr. Pagani attended the event along with engineering support, taking advantage of his cars being on the Shanghai F1 track .  Wong was asked to test each Zonda, providing feedback with suggestions on tuning the car’s suspensions and drive trains.

By weekend’s end, Wong was appreciative of the hand made, high horsepower, rare  ultra exotic cars.  Having the opportunity to drive a dozen cars, each worth $3-6 Million Dollars and limited to a few made each year, was an opportunity that every auto enthusiast in the world has envied. 

The event was well documented by the media, suppliers, enthusiast and blogs.
The crowd and cars can be further viewed here

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TheOtherAsians.com Interview| March 2011

Whoever says Asians can’t drive will have to put a sock in it thanks to professional NASCAR racer Brian Wong. Get this: Brian is the first Asian American to be in this sport professionally. He has competed in various prestigious races throughout the world, including the most recent 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona. This extremely strenuous race lasts 24 hours and is held at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. We started off our day with tacos followed by a delightful rendezvous with Brian’s father (hilarious and downright awesome), his close friends, and his marketing team. Read on as OA fills you in on how Brian broke into this unique industry as he shares the struggles and triumphs he has faced during his journey to fulfill his dreams.

Read full interview >

Tooele, Utah | April 30 - May 1, 2011

Brian Wong impresses with top finishes in 2 different race classes in Utah.
In the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge, Wong capped the long week with a 2nd place finish on the heels of a NASACR K&N West  7th place finish only 18 hours earlier,

World Stage Racing’s Brian Wong showed his versatility and talent weathering the cold, snow and winds at Miller Motorsports Park.  Wong raced his way through 5 practice sessions, 2 qualifying runs, 3 drivers meetings, and 3 races in two different classes- the NASCAR West World Stage Racing #89 stock car  and the #23 Alex Job Racing prepared Porsche GT3 Cup car. 

The weather was unusually cold for this Tooele, Utah race. The team had to make do with snow ball fights and building snowmen.  The weather cleared in time for race days on Saturday and Sunday.

IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge

Race #1 Brian Wong in the  #23 Alex Job Racing prepared Porsche Cup car started in 2nd position.  Early into the 45 minute race, Wong was chasing eventual race winner Tim McKenzie in the #92 Porsche.  With gravel on the track from other cars going off track, Wong made a move for the lead and hit the gravel leading to a spin off track and early end of the chase.  Getting started back on track in P28, Wong raced back to P14 before time expired on the 45 minute sprint race.

Race #2 on Sunday was a gorgeous, bright and sunny day.   Starting in P3, Wong spent the first half of the race mired in P5 sorting through traffic.  As the race wore on, the lead cars had used up their tires and fell back, leaving Wong in P3 with 6 laps remaining.  With 3 laps remaining Wong made a move to pass P2 Cisneros.  With 2 laps remaining Wong pushed hard to close the gap to P1 but ran one lap too short, settling for a P2 finish. 

Capping the second place finish was Wong setting a new race lap record, breaking Wong’s prior record earlier in the race. 

NASCAR West

The NASCAR West race used most of the same road course track as the IMSA Challenge, but it was shortened by several turns from 3.048 miles to 2.2 miles. 

The field was 35 cars, with the World Stage Racing #89 Dodge starting in 11th position. 
The WSR #89 stayed around P5 mid race to the end. The car experienced two flat tires, the last with one lap remaining. But because the Brian Wong and the team never quit, the #89 drove hard until the end placing a 7th place finish.  The team had a roller coaster of emotions as Wong raced from last to 7th in the overtime 63 lap race.

World Stage Racing, LLC

World Stage Racing is one of the very few teams in America fielding its own cars in both the sports car and stock car series. World Stage Racing is the only Chinese owned team in America, and the only team in the world racing in both China and the U.S. 

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May 14, 2011

Sponsor and exotic car dealer FFF in Beijing China has asked World Stage Racing’s Brian Wong to test drive 3 exotic supercars, a Zonda R, Zonda F and Apollo Gumpert at the Shanghai F1 Track. In addition to testing, Wong will be providing guests and clients ride-along’s in the cars to get the motorsports guests a hint of the thrill of racing at 275/kmh at a world famous FIA sanctioned track, where a month ago the F1 Series raced. Look for more photos and updates after the exotic car testing.

 

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May 5, 2011

World Stage Racing has sent driver Brian Wong to China to test the Oakley sponsored #89 GT3 Cup car on the Zuhai International Circuit track.  Coming off of a 3rd place podium a month earlier, Brian Wong returns to China to learn another new track.  In early May, Brian left his NASCAR and IMSA Porsche races on Sunday night, flew out early the next day Monday to Hong Kong so he can test the World Stage Racing #89 Porsche at the Zuhai Circuit.  As all other drivers have raced the Zuhai track before it was important for Brian to get some seat time at the track.  Look for World Stage Racing results for the May 28 and 29 races. Testing had to be accomplished by May 5 in order to not conflict with the May 28-29 races.  The weather cooperated and several other teams also tested in preparation for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia races #3, and #4 of the young 2011 season.  Reports back from Team Marketing Manager Eric Hsueh were encouraging.  Track times were competitive, the more laps Wong logged the faster his times, accomplishing the goal of becoming competitive on the track.

 

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May 1, 2011

Oakley China is now a sponsor of World Stage Racing’s, Brian Wong. WSR Principal David Hung announces that Oakley China is now a sponsor, as Brian Wong helps Oakley gain market share in the growing sports market in China. Oakley is the most innovative optical company in sports, producing superior eye wear complemented with footwear and apparel. Oakley has long been a market leader with their iconic eyewear and innovative designs. Their optical lens have long been the standard of the industry. WSR and Brian Wong are proud to represent Oakley in China.

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Shanghai, China- April 17, 2011

Brian Wong landed last week in Shanghai, China, for his first races on the continent. 
Brian accomplished a lot for his first effort in China, standing atop the podium in Sunday’s race.  With Brian’s performance, he has become the first American driver to proudly stand upon the podium in China’s Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series. 

The first race of the new season found World Stage Racing / Absolute Racing driver Brian Wong working hard to communicate with his new engineers, team and teammates, as well as learning the new track.  A Friday late afternoon 60 minute track walk proved valuable in learning the nuances of this F1 Track.  Race One started with Wong in 12th position and ended by finishing in P8, laying the ground work for Sunday’s Race Two

On a bright and clear, pretty day, before the start of the Formula One race that afternoon, the Porsche series showed the fans a lot of racing action.  Starting in P8, Wong had to dart and miss action all over the world class 4.3m track from very aggressive drivers.  By mid race, Wong had raced his way to P3 but leaders in P1 and P2 were spread out ahead, giving very little opportunity to catch up.  The challenging action continued throughout the race, with several flat tires caused by debris, and crash damaged cars causing local yellows.  But the top 3 positions were secure and unchanged through the rest of the race.

Despite the long trip to a foreign country, learning a beautiful new track, and working through jet lag, Brian showed he is adept at racing fast wherever he is.  This was the first time in a new car under the  World Stage Racing/ FFF/ Absolute Racing banner.

The Chinese press release labeled Brian Wong a ‘dark horse’, compared to series regulars and favorites.  When Brian left the track on Sunday, he was third in Championship points.   

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is a one make Porsche series of professional drivers, as well as non professionals, racing in two separate categories.  Wong is one of 6 professional drivers competing for the 2011 Championship.  This season’s field of 24 entries marked the largest field ever for PCCA and is evidence of the growing importance of competitive driving in China.

Brian has now driven competitively internationally in Canada, Italy, Belgium, and now China.  On the horizon are races in Singapore and Malaysia.

Next race is May 28th at the Zuhai International Circuit. 
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www.asiancemagazine.com| October 2010

This month I had the pleasure of speaking with Darryl Wong of Speed Wong Racing. For the past 7 years, Speed Wong Racing has grown into a successful race car team on the West Coast. Speed Wong Racing started out quietly in 2003. It was simply a father and a son, neither of whom had any racing experience. They purchased one Legends race car on a whim. From that one car to today, Speed Wong Racing has grown to a stable of race cars and heavy transport trucks. I spoke to Darryl about Speed Wong Racing, cars and the business principles that have built this team.

Read full interview >