In his debut season racing in North America, McLaren Factory Driver Alvaro Parente has claimed the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge Driver Championship with the 650S GT3 in a dramatic season finale at Laguna Seca. Crossing the line second, Parente secured the title as McLaren took the Manufacturer Championship and customer team K-PAX Racing won the GT Teams Championship. A post-race penalty for the race winner then saw Parente inherit the overall race win – his sixth of the season.

When Sunday's race went green, Parente made the best start of the frontrunners with a bold overtake to pass three drivers on the run down to the outside of the Andretti Hairpin. From here, he then set his sights on taking P2, and therefore putting himself in the position to win the championship. Three extended Safety Car periods then followed meaning Parente was unable to establish a rhythm and challenge for further positions. However, the Porto-born driver used the time to evaluate and prepare and, as the final caution period came to an end, with just a handful of seconds on the clock, Parente in the #9 650S GT3 was primed and ready for the last-lap dash to the flag.

On the run down to Turn 1, Parente looked at a move but was unable to get alongside the lead pair. Instead, staying patient, he then watched as the two leaders ran side-by-side into Turn 5, colliding and allowing him through into P2 to claim the title. Post-race, this incident was subsequently deemed 'avoidable' by the race stewards, and the race winner was penalised, handing Parente the race win – his sixth of the season.

The result continues an impressive run of results for the 650S GT3 around the world in 2016, which has seen championship victories in Asia, Europe and now North America, with a potential title win in Australia yet to be settled.

In his first season racing in the Pirelli World Challenge, Parente – who won the Bathurst 12 Hour alongside fellow Factory Driver Shane van Gisbergen back in February with customer team Tekno Autosports – accumulated six wins, six pole positions, six fastest laps and a further two P2 finishes.

McLaren Automotive is a British manufacturer of luxury, high-performance sports cars, located at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey.

Following the global launch of McLaren Automotive in 2010, the groundbreaking 12C was launched in 2011, the 12C Spider in 2012, and the limited-run McLaren P1™ went into production in 2013. In keeping with its plan to introduce a new model each year, the company unveiled the 650S, in coupe and Spider form in 2014, and has announced the Sports Series among the models to be introduced in 2015. The brand continues to expand, and McLaren posted a profit during 2013 – only the third year of vehicle production. This was followed in 2014, by a third consecutive year of growth in sales with a record 1,649 vehicles delivered via a dedicated global network of retailers in every major automotive market.

McLaren Automotive Partners

To support the development, engineering and manufacture of its range of innovative and highly acclaimed sports cars, McLaren Automotive has partnered with world leading companies to provide specialist expertise and technology including, AkzoNobel, ExxonMobil, Pirelli and SAP.

Designed for the track; Developed for the road

The connection between Formula 1 and road cars at McLaren is a natural process of experience, knowledge, principles and process transfer. Through the integration of 50 years of Formula 1™ racing expertise and knowledge, and over 20 years of heritage in producing landmark sports cars, McLaren Automotive designs, develops and builds a range of technologically advanced and groundbreaking high performance sports cars which are designed to be a no compromise drive on both road and track.

McLaren has pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production over the past 30 years, and since introducing a carbon chassis into racing and road cars with the 1981 McLaren MP4/1 and 1993 McLaren F1 respectively, McLaren has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis.

Photo credit: Ram
posted on conceptcarz.com

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