Recording the fastest lap (1:03:837) for the fourth Northeast Division national race this season, Pontiac Solstice scored its second victory of the year in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Showroom Stock B (SSB) class with a win at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. on July 30.
Debuting in SSB for 2006 and competing in yesterday’s NYR July National, the Solstice was race-prepared by Phoenix Performance and driven by 18-year-old amateur driver Andrew Aquilante.
Aquilante set the pole (1:03:849) during qualifying for the first time this season, and battled a Mazda Miata driven by Jim Ocuto the entire race before pulling away on lap 26 for his second win at Lime Rock this year.
The race also featured a second Solstice driven by GM quality engineer Alan Yankielun, which finished fourth.
“As evidenced by this race, Pontiac Solstice is becoming a car of choice for SSB competitors,” said John Heinricy of GM Performance Division. “In only three months, the number of Solstices competing nationally in SSB has jumped from one to four, and we expect two more cars to start racing very soon.”
In five national SSB races this season driving the Solstice, Aquilante has set the fastest lap in all but one race and has finished no lower than fourth, including two wins at Lime Rock. At Nelson Ledges in Garrettsville, Ohio on May 28, the Solstice’s fastest lap (1:18:811) set a new track record for SSB class.
Aquilante also currently leads the driver points standings in the Northeast Division of SSB, and will next race the team’s Solstice in the Tri-August Double National at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Penn. on Aug. 5 and 6.
The Solstices are all equipped with the Z0K Club Sport regular production order option package, which is designed for the weekend racer and currently available to order through any Pontiac dealership.
Developed by GM Performance Division, the Club Sport package features the standard five-speed manual transmission along with antilock brakes (ABS), a limited-slip differential, an improved power steering cooler and FE3 suspension. The FE3 suspension will be standard on the upcoming 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP.
No other options are available when ordering the Club Sport Solstice, but some components and safety equipment are required by SCCA to make it track ready, including a hardtop, racing tires, higher friction brake pads, rollcage, seatbelts, etc.
Aquilante is the 2004 Northeast Division Rookie of the Year and 2005 Philadelphia Region Driver of the Year. He is also the two-time defending Northeast Division Touring 1 (T1) champion for 2004 and 2005 driving a Corvette C5 Z06.
GM Performance Division develops compelling, low volume, high-performance production and specialty vehicles, including the 205 hp Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged, 395 hp Chevy Trailblazer SS and 400hp Chevy SSR; the 400 hp CTS-V, 469 hp STS-V and 443 hp XLR-V from the Cadillac V-Series; and the 205 hp Saturn ION Red Line.