Faieta takes third in a row
GLENDALE — Bob Faieta did it again and he made it look easy.
The Glendale High graduate swept through rounds 13 and 14 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey to wrap up his third consecutive GT3 Challenge by Yokohama Platinum championship.
“It was fairly easy,” said Faieta on Monday. “It was actually not too much of a battle the last four races.”
Faieta won all four of his last races, distancing himself from Martin Snow with a final winning points margin of 228-206.
During the 30-minute 13th round race on Saturday, Faieta clinched the championship with a wire-to-wire victory.
“The Saturday race gave me the points I needed,” said Faieta, who currently resides in Tujunga. “Sunday, I was able to pretty much do whatever I wanted and we won anyway.”
Indeed, Faieta finished the season in style with the victory in the 75-minute race, trailing Galen Bieker of Burbank for 10 laps before taking the lead for good.
The GT3 Challenge Porsche racing series began in 2005 with Faieta laying claim to becoming the first-ever three-time series winner. Previous rules stated two championship wins disallowed a racer from continuing in the series, but, after last season’s win, Faieta petitioned and his fellow racers and the challenge’s International Motor Sports Assn. governing body gave the OK.
After attaining the title hat trick, he must move on, though, quite possibly to the newly created GT Challenge.
He already began racing as part of the 2009 American Le Mans Series, where, along with Wesley Hoaglund, he finished second in the Challenge series. The series runs congruent with the GT3.
The where, when, with who and other details of Faieta’s next racing step still remain to be decided.
“I’m waiting to kinda see what the rules are,” said Faieta of the GT Challenge. “It’s too early yet [to make a decision].”
But, no matter what, Faieta will be back racing.
“Oh, certainly,” he said.
GRANT GORDON is the sports editor. He can be reached at (818) 637-3225 or grant.gordon@latimes.com.