After scoring a remarkable championship in their rookie season of KONI Challenge competition in 2007, Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood returned to the category with an entirely different challenge in 2008.

While most drivers would be recalcitrant to eschew what they were familiar with in order to try something completely different, Burrows and Hopwood instead pounced on the opportunity after being invited to drive for Compass360 Racing, the same team that chased them to the championship in 2007.

Even though that move meant moving from rear-wheel drive to the Acura TSX’s front wheel drive platform, it was a change that the two took in stride as Burrows and Hopwood showed their championship mettle in 2008 by coming through for a pair of big wins and another strong championship showing while keeping a positive focus after setbacks not of their own making prevented a return to the top of the championship rostrum.

"I'd just like to thank Karl and Ray from Compass360 for giving us this opportunity this year, Fischer Skis for hopping on board and making it happen,” said Hopwood. “I also want to thank Adam for being the best co-driver anyone would want. It was an interesting year going to the front wheel drive, having to throw out basically everything we knew was a difficult challenge but I believe we showed everyone in this business that we can drive any kind of car and be fast, smart, consistent and successful. I wish there was another race this weekend!"

The duo formed a fast friendship in SpecRacer competition, and proved to be a potent 1-2 combination the moment they moved to the KONI Challenge ranks.

"I am tremendously proud of our accomplishments this season,” said Burrows. “Admittedly, there was a sense of uncertainty after Trevor and I got our first taste of a front wheel drive racecar at Daytona last January. But, as the season moved forward, we began to get cozy with our Acura. And, as our wins at the Glen and Three Rivers showed, I think we got the hang of it pretty quickly.

“The competition in ST was tremendous this year, and I can't thank everyone from Compass360R enough for giving us everything we needed to get the job done this season . . . all of those guys are simply a massive part of the successes that we had this year,” continued Burrows. “A big thanks also goes to Dave Auer from Fischer Skis for helping us come back to KONI competition for another year and to Acura for giving us a great car to drive all season. Their support was really important. And, of course, a big thanks to my co-driver, Trevor Hopwood . . . for being a bad-ass on-track and a great guy off track."

The season-opening Daytona event was a combined class affair, and that spelled trouble as two GS cars made contact with one another on a restart during the three-hour race, forcing Hopwood to move out of line before the start finish line. That netted a drive-through penalty, but the New Hampshire resident drove his way back through the field to finish 9th to open up the year.

After a four-month layoff, it was back to racing action in May at the defending Champs home track and Lime Rock Park. Burrows sat on the pole in 2007, but an electrical problem in qualifying prevented Hopwood from being able to get a qualifying time in. That set the stage for a huge rally, as the two moved from 46th to 7th at the end of the race without a scratch on the car.

The two got a second race at LRP when Kinetic and Shock Doctor put the Champs in the BMW M3 in GS competition. Burrows qualified 15th, and had moved up into the top ten with ease only to be hit during his stint, spoiling what had otherwise been an impressive weekend in the GS class for the two their first time out.

Then it was up to Mosport, the first of two home races for the Toronto based Compass360R. Unfortunately, this was once again a race determined by the variety of rulings coming from the tower, as a mid-race rule change forced the two to alter their pit timing. So after running in podium position, the two ended the battle up North with a 5th-place result.

Looking to Mid-Ohio, the numerologists were counting on a podium, as the 9th, 7th, and then 5th place finishes begged for a 3rd to keep the succession going. And, for other stats fans, given that the duo who had scored a record number of KONI podiums in 2007, it was surprising not to have seen the two spraying the champagne yet. A strong front row qualifying from Burrows gave good reason to expect a strong finish come race time.

That podium would have to wait, though, as a hub failure and ensuing wheel separation at full speed on the back straight at Mid-Ohio saw Hopwood put on a demonstration of what his co-driver calls “…God’s gift to car control…” as he kept that full-speed problem from being a high-speed crash, collecting the now three-wheeled car and returning it safely to pits. Compass360R’s Ivan Ceccato did an amazing job to replace the full left rear assembly quickly enough that the car was able to return to duty and gather two potentially precious points.

Despite the rally, there was still that ugly “29th” on the results sheet. And while the two refused to rule out anything on the championship front, it was clear that a new approach was needed. So on a track where Burrows had previous GTU experience and Hopwood had scorched the pavement in a GT-1 Corvette, the defending champs added one important element to their racing resume’s with a win at Watkins Glen as
Burrows qualified third with Hopwood bringing it home for their first race win together in KONI competition.

In the Iowa round, it was looking like the two would be making serious ground back in the championship fight, running second with just over 20 minutes remaining on the oval-based circuit. But alas, a half shaft gave out, succumbing to repeated abuse from the small, high-banked oval, and the car stopped. Likely the lowest point of the year for the effort as the sure podium was eliminated, not to mention any hope of championship recovery.

But the up and down season continued its form, as a change of strategy saw Hopwood in the seat for qualifying at Trois Rivieres, taking the front row and then the lead before pitting to turn over to Burrows. On a track that’s notoriously viscous on brakes, the two conserved their equipment so thoroughly and so smoothly, that their enormous gap over the entire field seemed to grow without effort right to the checkered flag.

Motor problems in practice at the new New Jersey Motorsports facility meant that the first laps that Hopwood ever got were in qualifying, and with a huge field on the track, he scored 25th after never getting a clean lap in. So it was Lime Rock Park all over again, as another fight through the field saw the two scored 7th at the checkered flag.

Miller was a fight for best in class, as the 4400-foot altitude meant that the Acura was short of breath when compared to the forced induction machines. Still, Hopwood scored a strong third on the grid before the turbo cars came to the fore and the two came home sixth in the final “short-format” race of the year.

At Virginia International Raceway in 2007, Burrows and Hopwood kept the race pace until they knew they had the championship locked, then motored up onto the podium to close out a strong rookie campaign. Without the championship in play, it was all out as the defending champs were strong to the end, leading 23 of the final laps before the turbos once again came to the fore, with Hopwood and Burrows once again stepping up on the VIR Podium with their second place finish going one better than they had in 2007.

Post script…For those wondering why Burrows was listed as second in the championship, and Hopwood 7th…

That Trois Rivieres pit stop proved to have championship ramifications, as Hopwood crossed the start/finish line at 29 minutes, 40 seconds in the two-hour race before bringing the car in for the pit stop. Alas, Grand Am, which had called the 30 minute rule two different ways in two consecutive Rolex Sports Car Series events, subsequently ruled that the car must be on the track for 30 minutes for the starting driver to get the points. So even though Hopwood had been on the track for that long, he hadn’t crossed the finish line post-30:00, and was thusly not credited points for the win.

So while Burrows finished second in the points, Hopwood did not, even though the duo had obviously the exact same results all year long.

(PR Courtesy Sunday Group Management.)

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