Hot Competition at AZ Region Season Finale

Spring 2006, Event 4 of 4

 

By Mark Johnson

 

 

 

Firebird International Raceway – May 13, 2006

As bicycle racers circulated around the Firebird West road course, the Arizona Region closed out the Spring 2006 series on Saturday, May 13, 2006 at Skidpad 4.  The series finale brought 124 drivers out to battle for a chance to earn championship points.  Event chair, Ben Clement, had the first car on the start line at 9:03 AM and offered up four runs for all.

Kevin Gleaton

 

It was a classic Sonoran desert spring day with temperatures starting out in the high 70s at sunrise and cranking up to 100 degrees by the early afternoon.  A sticky rubber line developed early in the day clearly establishing the course and promising lots of grip.  The pavement temperature was recorded at 145 degrees during the midday break.  Those walking the course at midday were faced with the prospect of losing a shoe due to the gummy surface peeling it off.  The sealed patches looked slightly molten and were best avoided all together.

 

The course, conjured up by Greg Rubenstein, featured an outbound slalom to a medium radius right hand sweeper.  A short chute led to a tight right hand sweeper featuring a pinched exit that required careful planning to take full advantage of the following flat out short straight.   The straight fed into a quick left/right complex requiring a downshift to first to get around an Arizona clump right-hander.  The exit was defined by a non-optional 4-cone slalom. 

A disguised fast right hand bend pointed the way into an optional 4-cone finish slalom.  The course required concentration to stay on line and discipline to avoid overdriving it.

 

Brian Peters, CSP Miata, recorded top time of day at 32.847 seconds.  That same run also cemented the Top PAX award for Peters, who managed a perfect series – three top PAX finish in the spring series for 3000 points.  His next closest competitors for series points were Steve Eymann at 2936 and Larry Petrucci at 2933. 

 

 

There were several notable series points races determined at the finale.  An instant classic was the battle in C Street Prepared between Don Sattler and David Lahey.  They were tied at 1941 coming into the finale.  They were sharing the same car, so there was no clear advantage with the car prep.  Sattler was up first and DNFed.  Lahey sets the bar at 35.966 but interloper Steve Ashcraft puts down a 34.540 run.  Sattler DNFed his second run, this time at the Arizona clump.  Lahey responds with a 34.907 and Ashcraft continues to push the pace setting a 34.516 after second runs.  Like Babe Ruth watching the first two pitches go by, Sattler connects on his third try to lay down a class leading 34.514 run.  Lahey finds some time with a 34.871, but not enough.  Ashcraft shows good speed with a 34.272 but hits the second cone in the first slalom.  Sattler slows on his fourth run.  Lahey seems to have a good run going, but turns into a couple of cones on the left-hander before the clump.  Amazingly, the driver before Lahey hits some cones near the finish and the worker is unable set up the cones without tripping the lights, giving Lahey a rerun! 

Rob Rockefeller

Ashcraft puts smack down with a 33.898, sealing the victory for the day – but Lahey is after the series championship.  His rerun nets a 34.499, giving him a .015 second victory over Sattler for the day.  Because their times were so close, their PAX scores remained tied for the series even after the finale; sending the Timing and Scoring officials to rule book searching for tie breakers.  The language was little vague and in the end, the official results reflect a tie for the series.

 

In a Cinderella story, Britt Dollmeyer jumps from Novice class to dominate Street Tire S.  In May, Dollmeyer and his “Turtle Wax Special” red Civic Si was the only STS driver to break into the 37s.  Jeff Williams in a newer Civic, pedaled hard to be the only driver in the 38s.  Aric Trust and his 325i lead a string of drivers in the 39s.  Dollmeyer's May performance was no fluke.  He grabbed the series trophy with 2728 points.  Williams earned second place with 2701 points.  The trophies went five deep in STS, with Eli Concepcion in third, Mark Shaw taking fourth and Travis Gianelli in the final trophy spot.

 

 

Street Touring X also featured some great competition.  Dan Martin came into the event with 1867 points, leading Chad Mizner with 1854, Ron Huber with 1841 and Jeremy Galo at 1818.  They were all anxious to do well in the finale.  Galo was up first in his Prelude and laid down a 38.898.  Mizner goes faster with a 38.250, but he was immediately trumped by Huber’s 37.971.  Martin records a 38.888 to edge ahead of Galo for third place after first runs.  Galo improves by .004; Mizner almost cracks the 38s with a 38.007.  Huber slows to 38.3 and Martin cranks it down to 38.295.  After second runs, Huber holds onto first place.  Mizner is in second while Martin manages the third spot.  Third runs find Galo coning, Mizner slowing to a 38.3 and Huber unable to match his first run.  Martin finds another tenth to capture a 38.145 and the order remains the same after third runs.  Galo saves his best for last, bringing him closer to Martin; everyone else slows.  Huber, the only one to get in the 37s, stands on his first run and claims victory for the day.  Because Peters scored such dominating PAX victory, the STX PAX scores are depressed and most drivers stand on previous events if they can.  Mizner’s 2768 points edges Martin’s 2765 for the series win.

 

Rob Rockefeller

Rob Rockefeller

Street Mod has been a fracas since opening day.  In May, Olin Tweed fired the first shot in his white Civic with a 36.001.  Travis Barnes, in a black WRX, answered with a 38.601.  Geren Smith, in a silver STi found a 37.391, but it was Frank Miller in the red Evo that set the bar at 35.447.  Greg Rubenstein’s first run had a timing glitch.  While his rerun was nice 35.934, he hit a cone. 

Kevin Gleaton

Tweed stepped up the pace on his second run to a 35.5 but popped a cone.  Barnes had all kinds of trouble in the second slalom, tagging two cones on his way to a slower time.  Smith shaved his time to 35.7 but bought a cone in the first slalom.  Miller slows and he nailed the clump cone.  Rubenstein records the only clean run during the second round and leapfrogs everyone except Miller with his 35.610.  During third runs, Tweed finds another half second, but pops a cone again.  Barnes cannot match his first run while Smith cleans it up to get into the 35s, with a 35.895.  Miller pulls all the stops and lays down a 34.415 – a time no one could match.  Rubenstein backs up his second run with a 35.661.  Tweed took on the gauntlet, and pulled out an amazing 34.526 to grab second place.  Barnes puts it all together on his fourth run for a 37.742.  Smith reverts to the 36s.  Miller stays in the 34s but stands on his third run.  Rubenstein celebrates after a 35.095 but a late cone call, announced during the worker change over, brings a halt to the festivity.  The series points echo the May results, with Miller at 2856, Tweed racking up 2796 in the trophy spots.

 

An interesting battle developed in Novice 2 between Rasmus Hansen and Manfred Reysser.  Hansen, driving a WRX came into the May event 1747 score.  Reysser, driving a Celica GT, had 1744.  Hansen drove to an 861 PAX and claimed the victory in May, while Reysser was not able to make it.  Hansen earned 2608 points to Reyssers 2594 for the series.  George Skliarevskiy, in a Mazda 6, accumulated 2563 points to earn third place in NV2.

 

In spite of the challenging temperatures, it was another successful event and season for the Arizona Region.  Full results for all classes can be seen here. The Region plans an abbreviated summer series at Firebird with no trophies, resuming traditional competition with the Fall Series in September.  A Spring Trophy presentation and banquet is planned for June 24, 2006 – see the web page for more details.  The banquet promises good food, lots of car related door prizes and a chance for bench racing with your friends.