Spring Fever Hits Arizona

Spring 2006, Event 2 of 4

By Mark Johnson

Firebird International Raceway – March 26, 2006

With the Cactus League games underway and the fragrance of orange blossoms in the air, it was clearly springtime in Phoenix. Round two of the Arizona Region Solo 2006 Spring Series was held at Firebird International Raceway, but not on the familiar Skidpad 4. Because of some creative scheduling, the AZ Solo group had access to the infamous Bondurant lot, just adjacent to Skidpad 4. The Bondurant lot is larger and smoother than Skidpad 4. Anyone who has ever attended an AZ Solo event at Skidpad 4 has inevitably asked, “Why can’t we run over there?”

Rob Rockefeller

As 173 drivers migrated to the Bondurant lot, the organizers led by Event Chair Kevin Gleaton, managed all the logistic changes required to make the event a success. First time course designer, Greg Rubenstein, responded with a wonderful impromptu setup that featured a pleasing balance of speed and transitional elements. After angling through the start gates, drivers had to find the right rhythm to get around an offset, into and out of a Chicago box and through an optional two-cone slalom. As a well-designed optional element should, the fast way through the slalom was never firmly established and depended on the driver/car preference. With speed building the all the while, at least for the narrow cars, the slalom exited into an offset breaking chute for a 180 degree turnaround.

Dave Reuss

The gates were wide at the entrance and exit of the turnaround, but most drivers stayed tight to avoid going out the back of the cones. This created a satisfying increasing radius turn and led to another series of offset as the speed began to build again. A walled slalom (a wallom?) completed the course.

Clint Child

Although the course covered more real estate than the typical Skidpad 4 layout, the times were actually shorter. Chuck Voboril needed only 25.252 seconds to complete the circuit in his FM Zink on his way to Top of the Day. The next closest driver was Brian Peters in his CSP Miata at 26.233 seconds, good for Top PAX honors. Because of Peters’ performance and the way PAX scores are calculated; some drivers turned in very good times that resulted in somewhat disappointing PAX scores. For instance, only five drivers scored 950 or higher on PAX. Besides Peters and Voboril, Dave Rock, Ted Lewis and Jay Balducci were in the elite group. Other notable drives included Fred Zust, coming in with a 934 PAX working against a stiff FP PAX factor in a mildly prepared car. Likewise, Doug Rowse scored well in D Stock and Elliot Speidell has worked his way into the usual suspects for a Sportsman class trophy.

As always, the class competition was fierce. However, there was something about this event that led to several in-class ties. Geren Smith and Greg Rubenstein both scored 914 PAX in Street Mod in their WRX STis. Technically, Smith was credited with the win because his 28.472 second run was .001 faster than Rubenstein’s 28.473 run, but they both scored the same number of season points. Not far off the pace was Frank (Michigan) Miller in his Evo at 901 and Olin Tweed at 899. Victor Malchesky grabbed the win in Street Mod 2 in fine fashion with his CRX. His 888 PAX score was good enough to hold off a pair of MR2 drivers, Mike Golden at 869 and Daniel Short at 860 PAX. Britt Dollmeyer and his super clean old school Civic Si with a 30.656 run claimed the hotly contested Street Tire S class. Jeff Williams, in the mean looking black 2002 Civic, was second at 30.901. Mark Shaw, driving a Beetle Turbo S, managed third place with 31.767 run. Chad Mizner finally scores one in the win column and many events in second place in Street Tire X. His 29.910 run in his G35 sedan edged out Ron Huber and his Impreza at 30.347 and Dan Martin in his Spec V at 30.528.

Just as the leaders tied in SM, so was the case in Street Tire 2. Jim Rohn and Scott Meyers tied for the lead, each with an 885 PAX score. Mike Rogers chased in his BMW with an 863 PAX score. Street Tire 1 was just as intense. Aytinc Akad grabbed the win with a 910 PAX score, but Shawn Laverty was right there with a 909 score. Richard Mazur and Greg Varela both scored 901 in the race for third place. ST1 remained tight throughout the ranks with another tie and many places being decided by one PAX point. Street Tire Ladies was all about green Miatas. Kat Morrill drove hers to win over Glenda Meyers.

Rob Rockefeller

Mike Wittkopf hung on to the Novice 1 lead in his Firebird with an 867 PAX score. He stayed ahead of a hard charging Ser Chia in a Boxster S with an 862 PAX score and Michael Richardson in an Evo MR with an 856. Trucks can go fast too, if driven well, as proven by Matthew Hartlieb in Dakota with an 825 PAX score. Continuing the theme of the new spring ties, Rasmus Hansen and Manfred Reysser both scored 850 and the top spots in Novice 2 with Hansen in a DS WRX wagon and Reysser in a GS Celica. George Skliarevskiy held on with an 849 for third in his Mazda 6. Murray Johnston has been pouring it on in Novice 3 in his Miata, but it was not enough to catch Martin Dettelbach in STi. Dettelbach’s 830 PAX overcame Johnston 826 PAX. Karry Murphy and Debi Hamersly battled it out in Novice Ladies, but it was Cherrie Windfelt who claimed the lead in her GTO. . Full results for all classes can be seen here.

Spring is traditionally a time of renewal and a time of growth. As the series competition heats up and the friendly rivalries grow, new ones will develop. To help the drivers along, the Arizona Region is offering a Test and Tune on April 15 at FIR, a sort of spring training session for you and your car. Avoid those fashion faux pas, like the trendy spring ties we have seen so much of recently and do some serious spring-cleaning in your class at the April event, scheduled for *Saturday*, April 29, 2006 at FIR.