Compass360 Racing and its trio of Skunk2-sponsored Civic Sis claimed the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner championship title October 4 at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) and went on to nab First Place in both Driver Points and Manufacturer Points categories. The win marks the first championship for the Skunk2-backed C360R team as well as for Driver Points champ Christian Miller and Manufacturer Points winner Honda.
After 10 races across eight states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada, and nearly 2,000 miles of racing completed, the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge ended its 2009 season on VIR’s 3.27-mile, 17-turn course. After all was said and done, the C360R team closed out 2009 as the top-finishing Honda at all 12 races, scoring every point possible for the title manufacturer. A four-hour combined Grand Sport/Street Tuner class race, the season-closing Bosch Engineering Octoberfest was the first of its kind. Miller, who co-drove the C360R No. 74 Civic Si along with Randy Pobst, entered Sunday’s season finale with a 31-point lead and a total of five podium finishes, including victories at Homestead Miami Speedway and New Jersey Motorsports Park where the team clinched a three-way victory earlier this year.
Miller qualified seventh in the No. 74 Skunk2-powered Civic Si and only needed to complete 30 minutes to earn his, Compass 360’s, and Honda’s first Driver, Team and Manufacturer titles, respectively. And Miller did so handily, hobbling the Si in with a broken axle after more than an hour on track—more than enough time to secure the victory. “My hat’s off once again to the team. Every single race this season Compass 360 has given me a flawless car,” Miller says. “’Don’t crash the car’ was the message I’d been given repeatedly.” Despite the broken axle, Miller was still able to flash a smile after picking up his first series title.
“Absolute reliability.” That’s what Miller, who finished the season with two victories and nine top 10s, says about the Skunk2-powered Civic Si. “Everybody—Honda, Skunk2, Compass 360—every single person involved with this team made this happen.” We only won a couple of races early in the season, and every single race, the car has been flawless. We’ve stayed out of trouble and we were able to go the whole distance without scratching the car.”