ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 10, 2008) 聙聯 Road America might have owed James Clay one. After twice being upside down in the turn one gravel in 2004 and missing the race altogether in 2006 after a practice crash, Clay got his redemption Sunday, scoring his first SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car win in a thrilling Round Eight at Road America, part of the Road Race Showcase weekend. Polesitter Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla., and Jason Saini, of Fort Worth, Texas, completed the top three. Starting fourth in his No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW 325i, Clay fell to sixth early, but worked back up to fifth by the time a lap six full-course caution came out to extract Michael Galati聙聶s Mazda from the Turn One gravel. On the subsequent lap seven restart, he moved to third and then to second one lap later. Clay passed Kleinubing聙聶s No. 43 Acura/RealTime/Red Line/Eibach Acura TSX in Turn Five on lap 12, and was able to hold on for his first series victory. Clay beat Kleinubing to the flag by 1.525 seconds, averaging 93.577 mph over the course of the 17-lap, 68.815-mile race. 聙聹I think this will sink in at some point,聙聺 Clay said about his first win. 聙聹Racing with Pierre is always fun and interesting. The first time I got in front of him was maybe five years ago and he pecked at my bumper, pecked at my bumper and it bothered me. After that race, I realized, 聙聵this is not that big of a deal聙聶 and I got over it. 聙聹I was able to go by, stretch out the lead and keep it.聙聺 Kleinubing and third-starting Chip Herr聙聶s No. 97 Mazdaspeed/Tindol Motorsports MAZDA6 looked to have the measure of the field early, as the pair put a two-second gap on the battle for third. On the restart, however, Jim Daniels got a run on the two in his No. 75 Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6 as the pack headed into Turn One. Daniels bumped Kleinubing聙聶s rear bumper under breaking, tossing the Acura into a drift, which the four-time series Champion somehow saved. With the Acura sideways in the track, the remainder of the frontrunners checked up, allowing Kleinubing to maintain the lead. Daniels was not as lucky, falling to seventh. 聙聹After the hit on the restart, [the car] just wasn聙聶t the same,聙聺 Kleinubing said of his bumper sticking out on the side. 聙聹It had a little more drag back there at the right rear wheelwell and I could definitely feel it.聙聹The save was a little bit of luck, but I聙聶ve got to thank the SCCA for allowing the sequential gearbox, because there聙聶s no way I would have caught the car without it.聙聺 On the penultimate lap, Kleinubing bobbled in the Carousel, allowing Saini to pull alongside. The two ran cleanly through the Carousel and drag-raced to the daunting Kink. Neither driver willing to lift, they went side-by-side at speed through the Kink and down the back straight before Kleinubing re-took the spot under breaking into Canada Corner. 聙聹I made a mistake in eight and Jason got alongside me, and I聙聶m like 聙聵oh boy, here we go,聙聶聙聺 Kleinubing said. 聙聹We went side-by-side at the Carousel and through The Kink and I almost thought we weren聙聶t going to make it. He gave it back to me at Canada and I was able to open it up a little bit on him after that. It was exciting to watch for sure.聙聺 聙聹When came back on after going wide, he really tried to defend me,聙聺 said Saini. 聙聹I got up alongside and I wasn聙聶t going to let it go. We came up to The Kink and I maybe had a fender on him. I didn聙聶t want to lift because then Chip would have gotten by. I stayed in it. Pierre gave me room and I gave him room and we made it.聙聺 Saini, who started second in the No. 74 Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6, was cognizant of the Manufacturers聙聶 Championship Presented by RACER, in which Acura holds the lead over Mazda. 聙聹The car wasn聙聶t quite as good in the early stages as I聙聶d hoped,聙聺 Saini said. 聙聹Acura聙聶s been running really good this year and there聙聶s a manufacturer聙聶s battle to think about. I really wanted to get a Mazda by the front Acura. 聙聹Maybe that聙聶s going to start happening more now. You can go side-by-side through The Kink.聙聺 Kleinubing and Saini聙聶s battle allowed Clay to get away and also permitted Herr to close back up to the podium finishers. Right behind Herr, completing the top six were the Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acuras of Milwaukee聙聶s Peter Cunningham and Eric Curran. Cunningham turned the race聙聶s fastest lap, with a 2:29.135 (97.715 mph) on lap 10. For BimmerWorld, it was the successful recovery from its worst weekend as a team at Watkins Glen two rounds prior, where all three team cars were nearly destroyed in the same race-ending accident. 聙聹The body shop and the guys have put so much work in to get the cars ready,聙聺 Clay said. 聙聹All three cars wrecked 聙聯 for everyone, it just sucked. To be able to come back two races later and have such a strong weekend shows that the guys really have it in them and have what it takes to win.聙聺 Clay聙聶s teammate Seth Thomas (BMW 325i), James Sofronas (BMW 325Ci), Nick Esayian (BMW 325i) and point leader Kuno Wittmer (Acura TSX) completed the top 10. Patrick Lindsey earned both the Sunoco Hard Charger for advancing seven positions in the race and the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award for advancing three positions on the opening lap in his No. 57 Horton Motorsports/Sloan Securities MAZDA6. Lindsey started 19th and finished 12th, but was running as high as ninth before a tangle with Daniels dropped him back. Despite his 10th place finish, Wittmer held on to the Drivers聙聶 Championship point lead by three over Cunningham (765 to 762). Kleinubing gained on his two teammates, with 760, followed by Herr (672) and Rookie leader Saini (621). Acura leads the Manufacturers聙聶 Championship Presented by Racer over Mazda, 69 to 51. Today聙聶s race will be broadcast Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED. The series next travels to Mosport International Raceway in two weeks. For more information, please visit .