 | ||
K-PAX Racing is an automobile racing team in the SCCA's Pirelli World Challenge racing series. Founded in 2006, team owner Jim Haughey partnered with Bob Raub, bringing a team of Porsche 911 GT3s to the track. However, from 2009-2013, it has campaigned Volvo S60s with great success (K-PAX Racing has also used Volvo C30s in the Touring Car division). For 2014, K-PAX Racing switched to McLaren MP4-12C GT3 race cars.
Contents
K-PAX Racing origin
Denver, Colorado-based K-PAX Racing was founded in 2006 by Jim Haughey, former owner of Scandia Auto Service in Sunnyvale, California. The K-PAX name was influenced by the series of books written by Gene Brewer.
History
In 2007, drivers Randy Pobst and Michael Galati raced for K-PAX during its inaugural season, driving Porsche 911 GT3s in the GT class. Taking the World Challenge Series by storm, Pobst won the Drivers' Championship in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, he and teammate Michael Galati took K-PAX Racing to a Manufacturers' Championship for Porsche. In two seasons, they captured six wins, six poles, 26 top-five finishes and 31 top-10s.
After two years of racing Porsches, K-PAX switched to new turbocharged Volvo S60 T5 AWD race cars in 2007 for both of its drivers. Driven by Pobst and 2005 Championship driver Andy Pilgrim, K-PAX Racing became one of the preeminent teams of the World Challenge Series. Pobst took the championship crown again in the 2010 season.
In late 2010, Jim Haughey, partnered with entrepreneur Peter J Nielsen to establish K-PAX Performance Cars. The main objective was to share the knowledge learnt on track by applying it to special edition vehicles and performance parts for Volvo's. K-PAX Performance Cars was officially launched in 2011 with the introduction of a limited run of 25 C30 GT models that were available through select Volvo retailers in North America. Since then the company has produced the special edition S60 GT5, S60 GT6 and V60 GT6. The company continues to grow with over 30 retailers at the end of 2014. The majority of its profits are directed back to K-PAX Racing
Meanwhile, K-PAX Racing introduced the smaller Volvo C30 T5 into the World Championship's Touring Car class in 2011. With a $2 million investment, 3R Racing built the Volvo C30s, which were driven by Aaron Povoledo and Robb Holland, who drove the cars to second- and third-place finishes in the 2011 season. During 2011, Povoledo and Holland racked up six pole positions, five wins and eight podium finishes.
In 2012, the K-PAX Racing team returned in both the World Challenge and U.S. Touring Car Championship, with newcomer Robert Thorne, then 19 years old, competing without a teammate in the Touring Car class. In his first time out, Thorne won the 2012 USTCC series title with three pole positions, one win and six podium finishes. Thorne also competed in one World Challenge Series race at Sonoma Raceway, where he took the checkered flag.
At the same time, veteran Alex Figge joined Pobst in the GT Class, with the drivers taking fifth and third, respectively, in the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge series. The followed up in 2013 with Pobst taking fourth in the drivers' standings and Figge taking fifth.
In late-2013, K-PAX Racing started a new relationship with British automaker McLaren. During the 2014 season K-PAX Racing competed with two McLaren 12 GT3 cars driven by professional drivers Robert Thorne and Alex Figge. Robert Thorne managed two podiums during the course of the season, securing a win during the very last race of the season at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.
For the 2015 season K-PAX Racing continues its relationship with McLaren GT by competing with two McLaren 650 GT3s.