JustRacing Racing News Forum

BMWs and Nitto Sweep NASA 6 Hours of Buttonwillow

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:49:27 GMT

Author: ralphwarren

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:49 am

The BMWs were well-represented this weekend at the NASA 6-Hours of Buttonwillow.

BMWs and the Nitto NT01 dominated the E0 class taking P1, P2 and P3 in class. Lots of BMW CCA members were there teaming up, crewing and fueling for each other - a great atmosphere.

The team of Brett Strom and Travis Weltzien in Brett's E46 Motorsport Chassis won the class and came in 3rd overall. Mario Rigoli and JP Devore in JPs pretty new IP car came in 2nd in class with Mickey Miller and Marc Ghafouri on the same lap for 3rd.

The battle for 2nd in E0 was actually one of the most exciting race finishes I've ever seen. I was crewing for Mark and Mickey and we were trying for a 4-stop race rather than a 5-stop like most teams. Mickey and Mark did a great job and short shifted and coasted into every turn to conserve fuel. The plan was working well and with 2 minutes to go in the race they were 2nd in class and ready to take the checker - which the started had in his hand and was ready to give to the leader.

Problem is the leader pitted and they didn't throw the checker flag. There was mass confusion in the starter stand and race control which took a couple laps to sort out. By this point, Mark was out of fuel. He could have still had 2nd with 1 extra lap in the race, but they made him do 2 extra laps and that was it. Our math was out the window and Mario rocked by as Mark sputtered in Talladega. Mark couldn't even do the cool-down lap he was so low on fuel.

It was a great day overall - such fun.

Cheers,
- Ralph Warren

General ALERT! Possile scam

Fri, 09 May 2008 16:41:17 GMT

Author: MORacingFan

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 4:41 pm

Thanks for the heads up. It's easy to let your guard down and get taken advantage of on the internet. Your advice is dead on!

Celebrity Challenge Race - April 6, 2008 - HP Pavilion - CA

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:31:35 GMT

Author: 4d-SPORT

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:31 am

Opportunity to team up with current and former NFL players, TV personalities, professional cheerleaders and drive European Style Karts in an enduro format with event proceeds going to pediatric cancer research.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180226959536

Includes luncheon, exclusive seating for powder puff support race, personal umbrella girls and qualification for prizes. Event finishes with Club Level seating for professional indoor lacrosse game.

http://www.sjfos.com/celebrityteams.html

Cheers,

Barry - info@SJFoS.com

Bongiovanni's Goodsport Racing Mitsubishi Wins USTCC Opener!

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:21:42 GMT

Author: SteamedRyC

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:21 am

David Bongiovanni's Goodsport Racing Mitsubishi Evo Wins USTCC Season Opener

By Ali Arsham

Willows, CA David Bongiovanni won the season opener of the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA on March 9, 2008 driving the same Mitsubishi Evo that Dave Brown used to win the 2006 Driver's Championship. Rod Rojas, driving the Molecule/GoProCamera Chevy Cobalt SS, finished in second place. Curt Simmons managed to take third place in the Sunnyvale Dodge SRT-4 after nearly destroying the car in a huge crash in qualifying.

Simmons grabbed the pole position in qualifying thanks to a great team effort in the Saturday qualifying session. Many teams could not make the session due to its early time slot but the team used the session to put in a terrific lap which left them at the top of the charts all weekend. Bob Scheer set the best qualifying performance for a Mini Cooper S at Thunderhill with the top qualifying spot in the Sunday session which was just a tick slower than Simmons' time. That meant that the Mini would start in second place next to the defending Champion. Starting third was Pete Bovenberg in the MBO Motorsports Honda Civic Si who also managed a great time in the Saturday session. Bongiovanni was fourth fastest in the Mitsubishi Evo but was hopeful that the AWD would launch him up at the standing start. Rojas would start in fifth spot in the Chevy Cobalt SS.

At the start, everyone did a great job and Bongiovanni did not get the explosive launch that he was hoping for. Scheer and Simmons were neck and neck going into the first turn but Simmons had the inside line and took the early lead. Scheer held on to second place but had Bovenberg filling his rear view mirror. Bovenberg was trying very hard to get by Scheer because he was being pressured by Bongiovanni. Rojas's Cobalt was right there with the Mitsubishi Evo and was not losing contact with the lead pack. And coming up very quickly after starting in the back was David Vodden in the Butte College Honda S2000. The top six cars were separated by only four seconds after the first few laps.

Coming out of turn 9 Scheer got loose and nearly spun. That caused the Mini to go from second to sixth position. With Simmons still leading, Bovenberg was now in second place which meant that the two MBO Motorsport teammates were now first and second. Behind them were Bongiovanni, Rojas, Vodden and Scheer.

Simmons had a two second lead but started to drop back and the gap was closing with the top six cars now separated by only one second. Bovenberg took advantage of that and went underneath the Dodge to take the lead going into Turn 1. Simmons got held back behind some lapped traffic and in two turns went from first to fifth. The competition was so close at the top that one small mistake meant that you would lose a lot of positions.

Bovenberg's lead lasted less than a lap as he went a little wide at the exit of Turn 6 which opened the door for Bongiovanni, Rojas and Simmons. So it was obvious that with such close competition, victory would go to the driver that made the least number of mistakes.

A full course caution soon came out for an accident behind them which ended the race under caution. It was unfortunate because there would have undoubtedly been more passing had the course stayed green.

It was a very exciting start for the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship. There were a lot of new teams and new faces and you could just feel the excitement in the air. The competition was so close that it looks like anyone has a chance to score a win and with even more cars planning to attend the next round, anything can happen. But for now, Bongiovannni is at the top of the charts with a great performance.

Top Rookie For the first time, the two top spots on the podium were by rookies. Bongiovanni and Rojas are both rookies who beat out the veterans.

LeMans Karting Fremont Driver Improvement Award Rich Woo, driving the Gogogear.com Acura Integra R won the $200 LeMans Karting Fremont Driver Improvement Award. Woo finished ninth on route to collecting the award. :thumbup:

Race Car and Sports Car Auction

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:16:36 GMT

Author: pitrow3163

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:16 pm

Kruse International and Dyno Marketing present:

THE 2ND ANNUAL RACE CAR / SPORTS CAR / CLASSIC CAR AUCTION

January 19th & 20th, 2008 -Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC

Unique selection for both collectors and racers featuring:

Limited Edition Hertz Shelby GT-H Mustang Convertibles
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Race Cars & Equipment
Motorsports Authentics & Racing Collectibles Club of America (RCCA)

AUBURN, IN --Kruse International, the largest collector car auction company in the world, and Dyno Marketing are proud to announce the Second Annual Race Car & Sports Car Auction on January 19-20, 2008 at Cabarrus Arena and Events Center in Concord, N.C.

NEXTEL Cup Cars, Limited Edition Sports Cars, Muscle Cars, Drag Cars, Exotics, Collector Cars...IF IT GOES FAST IT QUALIFIES! These items will be up for bid in what promises to be the biggest racing auction ever for avid racers, race car collectors and sports car enthusiasts.

Featured cars include low mileage:

30 Limited Edition Convertible Hertz SHELBY GT-H MUSTANGS!!

A strictly limited run of five hundred 2007 GT-H Convertible Mustangs were produced by Carol Shelby for Hertz. We will offer 30 convertible Hertz Shelby GT-H Mustangs on an exclusive basis if you have ever wanted to own one of these rare "instant classics" you MUST attend!

With the traditional NASCAR Nextel Cup car inventories becoming obsolete in the advent of the Car of Tomorrow, the auction will be offering NEXTEL Cup race cars, equipment and engines, including inventory from legendary RICHARD CHILRESS RACING and other NASCAR teams. A collectible 2005 Rusty Wallace "Rusty's Last Call" NEXTEL Cup Dodge Charger, a 2005 Tony Stewart Home Depot Chevrolet NEXTEL Cup race car and a 2002 Ricky Rudd NEXTEL Cup Ford Taurus are among the world-class vehicles that will be auctioned. Race team transporters, parts, engines, equipment and memorabilia will also be sold.

Dean Kruse, President of Kruse International, is proud to have co-created this special event for racers, racing fans and sports car enthusiasts from the epicenter of stock car racing. "We think it's a wonderful opportunity for thousands of racers to gain access to the same technology used by their favorite teams," Kruse said. "Also, local racers will be able to sell their cars and equipment at the auction too. If you are even thinking of selling your race car or sports car this is where the best buyers will be." FUN for the whole family --Motorsports Authentics, the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed motorsports merchandise, will have huge fan-friendly kiosks featuring a variety of Motorsports Authentics product including Action Racing
Collectibles (ARC) NASCAR stock cars, NHRA funny cars and dragsters, sprint cars, Chase Authentics apparel and other motorsports-inspired memorabilia. In addition to the products available, representatives from the Racing Collectibles Club of America (RCCA) will be on hand informing attendees about the club and the many benefits it offers to collectors.

In addition to NASCAR cars, the auction is also open to race cars of every series including NHRA, ARCA, SCCA, dragsters, hot rods and muscle cars. Collectible sports cars and classic cars will also be featured. Participants interested in registering to either bid on or sell items can contact Andy Howard at 260.925.5600 ext. 261 and can also find auction information and consign their items online at www.kruse.com/auctions/race08/index.asp. Please see the Kruse
International website at www.kruse.com for more information.

ABOUT KRUSE INTERNATIONAL
Kruse International (www.kruse.com) is one of the world's leading auction firms and the largest collector car auction company, selling more vintage cars than all other firms combined. Kruse auctions more than 13,000 cars in more than 30 events internationally, the largest of which is the Annual Auburn Fall Classic Car Auction which is held over Labor Day weekend at the 480 acre Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, IN --2007 marked the 37th edition of the "World's Largest Collector Car Auction and Show." Over 200,000 people will attend and 5,000 cars will be auctioned! In addition to collector cars, the company also holds dozens of auctions for distinctive real estate properties and vintage aircraft, collectible tractors, mobile homes, collectibles, rare oil paintings, factories, islands, zoos, railroads and three entire towns. Together, the Kruse family has broken more than 250 world record prices in the collector car industry. Dean Kruse cried his 5,000th auction at the annual Houston sale in August 1987 and became the youngest man ever to attain that goal. His auction total is now well over 6,000 auctions. The Kruses were the first to sell a car for a documented $1 million in cash --a 1934 Duesenberg SJ La Grande long wheelbase dual-cowl phaeton. The Duesenberg was sold to Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza and then owner of the Detroit Tigers. Another widely publicized sale was the sale of over a dozen muscle cars for several million dollars to baseball great Reggie Jackson.

ABOUT DYNO MARKETING, LLC
Dyno Marketing (www.dynomarketing.com) is a private marketing firm focused on leveraging the power of leading brand equities in sports and entertainment. Dyno Marketing provided the original concept for The Racecar and Sports Car Auction and Dyno Marketing has formed a partnership with Kruse International whereby Dyno is responsible for managing all sponsorships, media, consumer products, licensing and related activities. Dyno Marketing has structured several innovative NASCAR-related projects, including co-developing the Speedway Children's Charities Victory Lane with Speedway Motorsports Inc., Speedway Children's Charities and Get Etched. Dyno also brought world-renowned chef Mario Batali's enthusiasm for great food and
fun to the world of NASCAR. Dyno's partnership with Mario resulted in "Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style The Essential Cookbook for NASCAR Fans." Dyno Marketing is working with NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup race teams, NASCAR sponsors and several of NASCAR's official charities. Dyno also has programs and partnerships with a number of prominent firms including Wilton Industries, The SportingNews, HarperCollins, The Official NASCAR Members Club and Lionel, LLC.

Race Track Directory

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:39:28 GMT

Author: ErinErves

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:39 pm

I'm looking for a racetrack directory or I'd like to put together one with your help. Please let me know what race track you know in your area and if you tried it let me know how it is... Thanks

Famoso Hot Rod Reunion Photos

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:37:44 GMT

Author: ErinErves

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:37 pm

THANKS, cool pictures

Autosport Development Welcomes New Sponsor

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:28:20 GMT

Author: GoAutosport

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:28 pm

TRENTON, MI. (July. 16, 2007) Autosport Development, LLC is excited to welcome a new sponsor to the World Challenge family. Magnafilter, manufactured by Boss Products USA, has joined forces with the Autosport Team and will kick-start their partnership at the Mid-Ohio race this weekend as the main sponsor on Dane Moxlow's #20 Pontiac GTO.

Magnafilter is the latest filter introduced by Boss Products. "Our design of magnetics to filter oil is unique, (patented), in that we put the magnet in the flow of oil, where the oil is passing within the magnet's effective range," according to Pete Raciti, Engineering Director for Boss Products. Raciti approached Autosport as a potential sponsor with an interest in a different way to educate the consumer about his product.

Autosport owner David Moxlow agreed, saying, "Magnafilter is one of those sponsors that comes along that happens to have a product that fits perfectly with performance racing. It's a product that everyone can use who owns or operates anything from passenger cars to boats to ATVs and cares about extending the life of their vehicle."

Boss Products has been selling in-line magnetic filtration to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) for years. The OEM's have been using Boss Products' range of in-line filters to reduce warranty, improve operational reliability, and improve customer satisfaction for several years.

"The next market to tap is the Aftermarket," according to Len Kelsey, Director of Sales and Marketing. The Magnafilter spin on filter is a natural fit for the Quick Lube Industry as well as the Do It Yourselfer. Autosport and Magnafilter hope to tap into the aftermarket through the racing industry, and to start right away Magnafilters will be available at the Autosport Development transporter in the World Challenge paddock at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend.

Autosport Development competes in the SPEED World Challenge GT Series, which was recently named "the most competitive road racing series in the World" by Racer magazine. In 2005, driver Stu Hayner finished the season Seventh in points, a huge feat considering the team had no factory support from any major automotive manufacturers. As the first team to develop GTO road racers, Autosport Development's expertise is in demand by other teams now fielding these cars. The race shop is also involved in prototype and racecar development, preparation, fabrication, assembly, carbon fiber work as well as automotive manufacturing. For more information, visit www.autosportdevelopment.com and www.derondausa.com.

www.racersranch.com

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:19:09 GMT

Author: 71MachOne

Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:19 pm

Racers Ranch is a beautiful new country club for car enthusiasts under construction just east of Dallas. Featuring a four-mile road course designed by Alan Wilson and full country club amenities including a clubhouse, pool, equestrian center on 1,600 acres. Check out www.racersranch.com for more information.

Le Mans Champion, Davy Jones Joins Racers Ranch

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:11:57 GMT

Author: 71MachOne

Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:11 pm

Former Le Mans Champion Davy Jones Joins Racers Ranch
Kaufman County, TX; February 6, 2007 While Racers Ranch is designed for passionate drivers with different driving skills, it will have one member with an experience level that is tough to match. Davy Jones, considered one of the top drivers internationally in the 1990s has become a member of Racers Ranch, the country club for car enthusiasts under construction just east of Dallas.

A driver on the winning team in the 1996 24 Hour of Le Mans, Jones also finished second to Buddy Lazier that same year in the Indianapolis 500. His driving resume includes seven Winston Cup starts in 1995 as well as eighth and ninth places finishes in the 1992 and 1993 International Race of Champions respectfully.

"To have a driver of Davy Jones' caliber take a look at Racers Ranch and decide it's where he would like to drive and host events speaks volumes of the level of commitment we have to building a world-class venue," said Racers Ranch partner Dan Gage.

Jones, who lives in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and is founder and principal of Fast One Inc which specializes in driver training and motorsport consulting. He said is thrilled about joining Racers Ranch and extremely impressed with the plans and passion of partners Gage and Bill Georgas.

"Racers Ranch is simply a beautiful place," said Jones. "Bill (Georgas) and Dan's model certainly sets it apart from other racing facilities. With the shared-ranch, the equestrian center and country club aspect, Racers Ranch will be a very exclusive venue for its members."

The Alan Wilson-designed road course also adds to the appeal of Racers Ranch to those passionate about driving high-performance sports cars Jones believes.

"Alan designs and builds a lot of tracks," he said. "Racers Ranch is his latest and greatest. I have driven the initial cut of the track. It is well thought out with a very nice flow through beautiful countryside. It will be tremendous."

Racers Ranch is scheduled to begin laying asphalt on the world-class 4 mile road course in the spring of 2007. Racers Ranch also includes a 1,300 acre shared ranch with limited home sites surrounded by conservation preserved land. Owners will enjoy a variety of other club amenities including a secured-gated entrance, clubhouse, pool and equestrian center.

www.racersranch.com

www.motorsportsrus.com

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 19:21:03 GMT

Author: motorsportsrus

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:21 pm

I have owned this domain name for several years and in February of this year began concentrating my efforts to add content to this site. I try to focus on my local dirt tracks (santa maria and bakersfield) because these are where my love for racing began over 35 years ago. However, there are several other tracks that I have taken photos at that are on this site as well. I'll be adding some of my old photos from Ontario, Famosa, Pomona, and Laguna Seca. Take a look, there are some old photos from the 70's and 80's and we will be adding more pictures from my personal collection soon.

If you would like to have your race car featured on the Built For Speed page, send me a JPEG image and description to include with your photo and I will post it as soon as I can. Hope you like the site, it has been a challenging learning experience for me. See you at the races.

NASA American Iron Calif Speedway race report

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 04:37:22 GMT

Author: v8cobra99

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:37 am

NASA- American Iron West, March 11-12, 2006, California Speedway, season opener race report

The track: 21 turns, 2.8 miles. The road course utilizes the NASCAR straight and NASACAR oval turns 1 and 2. A very good mix of high speed with technical infield.

Series Sponsors: Toyo Tires, Maximum Motorsports, Steeda Autosports, Griggs Racing, BBK, Brothers Performance, Phoenix Promotions, The Racer Site, StopTech Brake Performance, J&M Products, Anze Engineering, Dave Turner Motorsports, John's Mustangs

Friday March 10 test and tune day began with on and off rain. Mostly the morning sessions were very wet track conditions with the main oval track area being less wet and the infield area having streams of water and puddles. Drivers putting their wet driving skills to the test included Dave Royce with Maximum Motorsports, Mike Armstrong and Vageli Karass, Mike Patterson, Gary Umphenour, Andy Bowman, Ryan Walton, Mark and Jonathan Witherow, Hal Massey, Paul McKee and rookie Patrick Lindsey.
The afternoon sessions saw spots of sun, which dried the track enough for the pack to put down fast laps. The day ended up with the fastest laps nearly challenging last year's track records by Dave Royce with a 1.49.95. Vageli Karass, Mike Patterson, Gary Umphenour, Andy Bowman made up the top five in the test in tune day.

Saturday March 11, the rain continued to fall. All the race teams debated over running shaved race tires or full rain tires as half the track continued to show signs of dryness and the infield mostly wet. During the qualifying session, the temperatures quickly dropped and light rain continued as the drivers took the track. But just as the session started, heavier rain began to fall. Driving skills were being tested to the limits on a track that already frightens the best drivers in dry conditions. With no one having defrosters, foggy windows blocked everyone's vision and no windshield washers, compounded the difficulties to get quick lap times. The #91 Maximum Motorsports car with Dave Royce at the wheel, running a IRS suspension (independent rear suspension) took the pole position for the afternoon race. Andy Bowman in his #99 Mustang Cobra grabbed 2nd in qualifying to make up the front line.
Qualifying Line up:
1. Dave Royce #91 Mustang GT
2. Andy Bowman #99 Mustang Cobra SN95
3. Mike Patterson #3 Z28 Chevy Camaro
4. Ryan Walton #54 Mustang GT
5. Mark Witherow (AIX) #04 Mustang GT SN95
6. Vageli Karass #7 Mustang GT
7. Gary Umphenour #73 Saleen Mustang
8. Brian MacMillan #4 Mustang GT
9. Paul McKee #94 Mustang GT SN95
10. Patrick Lindsey #117 Mustang GT
11. Christine Knight #29 Chevy Z28 Camaro
12. Hal Massey #46 Mustang Cobra SN95
13. Bill Daffron #27 (AIX) Mustang GT did not qualify
14. JR Smith, Z28 Chevy (AIX) out with mechanical

Saturday Race. With dark clouds overhead and rain off and on, the thirteen American Iron drivers rolled up to the grid for the 2:35pm; 35 minute race. Team pit crews staged in the hot pit area with rags in hand to clear foggy windows during the race. The race would start with the Camaro-Mustang Challenge (CMC) and Vette-Viper Challenge cars and the Super Unlimited cars all following the American Iron start flag. Over forty cars on the 2.8-mile track in all.

The green flag dropped Dave Royce and Andy Bowman lead door to door until Mike Patterson in the #3 Z28 Camaro blew by on the inside line. Dave Royce pulled a few car lengths ahead of Andy Bowman in the NASCAR oval with the pack closing the gap. Approaching turn-3, a hard braking area with a sharp 90-degree left turn and quick 90-degree turn back to the right, Vageli Karass #7 and Ryan Walton #54 overtake Andy Bowman to take 3rd and 4th. Brian MacMillan #4 nearly overtakes Andy Bowman for 5th and the wet infield track begins to take sliding cars and Brian cannot complete the pass. In the hair pin corner of turn-4 Andy Bowman #99 re-takes 4th position from Ryan Walton as Ryan goes wide and nearly slides off track. Racing down the fast straight to the first kink and turn 5, Andy Bowman overtakes Vageli Karass to re-take 3rd place.
Up front, Dave Royce in the Maximum Motorsports #91 Mustang GT is putting the pressure on Mike Patterson in the Chevy Z28 Camaro. Mike Patterson is a Southwest regional champion from Texas and is showing his skills dicing with Dave Royce. But the monster torque and horsepower of the LS1 powered Z28 is enough to hold the Mustang back. Mike and Dave slowly pull away from the pack but only a few feet per lap.
Back in the back, Christine Knight and Hal Massey have another Chevy versus Ford battle going on running door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper. The rookie Patrick Lindsey in the #117 Mustang GT is also dicing laps with Paul McKee in the orange #94 SN95 Mustang. Mid-pack just behind Andy Bowman in 3rd place, Vageli Karass, Brian MacMillan, Mark Witherow, Ryan Walton and Gary Umphenour battle for corners and swap positions.
As the racing gods will have it, the #3 Chevy of Mike Patterson leading the race blows and oil-cooler line in lap 6, just approaching turn-3. Mike begins to spill oil on the track and has a large plum of smoke following his car. # 91 Dave Royce takes 1st place as Mike is forced off track with Andy Bowman gaining 2nd and Vageli Karass taking 3rd.
The race continued with rain and drivers sliding in the infield track areas. After 15 laps and 35 minutes of racing, Dave Royce takes the checkered flag for the west region season opener, with Andy Bowman keeping 2nd place for his first career podium, and veteran Vageli Karass holding onto 3rd.

Saturday March 11 race results:
1. Dave Royce #91 Mustang GT
2. Andy Bowman #99 Mustang Cobra SN95
3. Vageli Karass #7 Mustang GT
4. Gary Umphenour #73 Mustang GT
5. Ryan Walton #54 Mustang GT
6. Brian MacMillan #4 Mustang GT
7. Patrick Lindsey #117 Mustang GT
8. Mark Witherow #04 (AIX) Mustang GT SN95
9. Christine Knight #29 Chevy Z28 Camaro
10. Paul McKee #94 Mustang GT SN95
11. Hal Massey #46 Mustang Cobra SN95
12. Mike Patterson #3 Chevy Z28 - out with broken oil line
13. JR Smith, Z28 Chevy out with mechanical
14. Bill Daffron #27 (AIX) Mustang GT out with mechanical

Sunday March 12
Sunday morning brought scattered, but dark clouds and very cold temperatures. The adjacent San Bernardino mountains near the track glowed white with snow and was perfect for a racing backdrop. With the cold temperatures, the track was sure to be a challenge in order to obtain optimum tire temp. All of the AI cars headed out for the warm-up session except #99 Andy Bowman and #3 Mike Patterson. Mike broke a lug bolt and was forced to make repairs. After the twenty-minute practice session, Ryan Walton and other drivers commented on the slippery track, and yellow flags were flying which slowed down speeds.
As the qualifying session neared, the sun and warmer temperatures came. The track was warmed up with Time Trial, HPDE and race groups laying down rubber. The American Iron, CMC, Vette-Vipers and Super Unlimited drivers headed out for qualifying in much better conditions then the previous day.
During the session, Vageli Karass hit a cone, which another car put on track, Vageli hit the cone doing well over 100MPH and damaged his front splitter. During the session, Vageli then broke his transmission in the #7 Mike Armstrong Racing Mustang GT. Bill Daffron in the #27 AIX Mustang GT then hit the tire barrier driving hot into turns 16 and 17 and damaged his front right panels and splitter. But Mike Patterson gained AI pole position in the #3 Z28 Camaro with near record setting speeds. The rest of the pack were barely behind Mike and the line up was set for intense racing.

Sunday Qualifying Results:
1. #27 Bill Daffron (AIX)
2. #3 Mike Patterson
3. #7 Vageli Karass
4. #91 Dave Royce
5. #73 Gary Umphenour
6. #54 Ryan Walton
7. #117 Patrick Lindsey
8. #99 Andy Bowman
9. #4 Brian MacMillan
10. #46 Hal Massey
11. #04 Jonathan Witherow (AIX)
12. #29 Christine Knight
13. #94 Paul McKee
14. J.R. Smith - out with mechanical

The Sunday race started with Mike Patterson in the #3 car powering away with Dave Royce in the Maximum Motorsports car pressing to not lose Mike. Vageli Karass in the #7 Mustang GT was forced to have a poor start with transmission problems and #54 Ryan Walton mis-shifted on the green flag mid-pack. #73 Gary Umphenour and rookie #117 Patrick Lindsey diced through turn 2 heading to turn 3. But as the pack headed for the sharp and hard braking turn-3, trouble was about to begin. The #04 car of Jonathan Witherow powered low on the track with #99 Andy Bowman, #54 Ryan Walton and #4 Brian MacMillan door to door, and all four cars challenging for the apex of turn 3. #54 Ryan Walton and #99 Bowman barely escape collision as #04 Witherow locks up the brakes and impacts the rear bumper of #4 MacMillan with both cars spinning out. #46 Hal Massey, #29 Christine Knight and #94 Paul McKee bring up the rear of the pack missing the spinning cars in turn 3.
Up front again, #91 Dave Royce hard charges the #3 Chevy of Patterson, but the Chevy is too strong and continues to lead lap after lap. 2005 Champ Gary Umphenour in the #73 Saleen Mustang keeps pace but is unable to catch up to Royce and Patterson but holding steadily onto 3rd place.
Mid pack, Walton and rookie Patrick Lindsey battle bumper to bumper with Patrick over-taking the veteran #54 Walton, but Walton keeps re-taking his 4th position back from the rookie. #99 Andy Bowman keeps pace just behind Lindsey and Walton, but is unable to gain ground until lap traffic with the CMC cars begins. Walton gets through the CMC cars smoothly and finally opens up breathing room from the #117 car of Lindsey. #46 Massey, #29 of Knight and the #94 SN95 Mustang of McKee dice to the end and fight over lap CMC traffic.
In the closing few laps, up front again, #91 Royce begins to reel in Patterson. Both cars cut fast through turns 19 and 20, then suddenly #3 Mike Patterson going over 90 MPH impacts the front straight wall and severely damages his car with car parts flying over the track. Mike's front right suspension fails as the track transitions from flat to the NASCAR banking oval exiting the last corner. Mike said "there was nothing I could do, I was along for the ride". When the front suspension broke, the front right tire rolled under the car making the car bounce up sending Patterson out of control into the wall. Mike Patterson was not injured and walked away after he successfully got the car to come to a stop in the lower grass area near the start-finish line, almost 200 yards from his impact point.
With Patterson out, #91 Dave Royce gains 1st place for the last few closing laps and a comfortable lead. #54 Walton is not finished in the last laps and chases down #73 Umphenour and nearly over takes him. Gary has a bit more power and holds Walton off for a near photo finish. Patrick Lindsey takes an excellent drive to 4th place and Andy Bowman in the #99 Mustang Cobra rounds out the top five.

Sunday Race Results
1. #91 Dave Royce, Maximum Motorsports
2. #73 Gary Umphenour
3. #54 Ryan Walton
4. #117 Patrick Lindsey
5. #99 Andy Bowman
6. #04 Jonathan Witherow (AIX)
7. #4 Brian MacMillan
8. #29 Christine Knight
9. #46 Hal Massey
10. #94 Paul McKee
11. #3 Mike Patterson crash
12. #7 Vageli Karass-Team Armstrong out with tranny/mechanical
13. #27 Bill Daffron (AIX) out with mechanical
14.J.R. Smith out with mechanical

The next race will be held April 29-30 at Infineon Raceway.
More pictures will be posted on the American Iron Website, the Yahoo AI-West group website and at
http://photos.yahoo.com/v8cobra99

Race Report by: Andy Bowman

Andy Bowman
N.A.S.A Pro Racing
www.nasaproracing.com
#99 American Iron West

NASA American Iron Calif Speedway race report

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 04:36:44 GMT

Author: v8cobra99

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:36 am

NASA- American Iron West, March 11-12, 2006, California Speedway, season opener race report

The track: 21 turns, 2.8 miles. The road course utilizes the NASCAR straight and NASACAR oval turns 1 and 2. A very good mix of high speed with technical infield.

Series Sponsors: Toyo Tires, Maximum Motorsports, Steeda Autosports, Griggs Racing, BBK, Brothers Performance, Phoenix Promotions, The Racer Site, StopTech Brake Performance, J&M Products, Anze Engineering, Dave Turner Motorsports, John's Mustangs

Friday March 10 test and tune day began with on and off rain. Mostly the morning sessions were very wet track conditions with the main oval track area being less wet and the infield area having streams of water and puddles. Drivers putting their wet driving skills to the test included Dave Royce with Maximum Motorsports, Mike Armstrong and Vageli Karass, Mike Patterson, Gary Umphenour, Andy Bowman, Ryan Walton, Mark and Jonathan Witherow, Hal Massey, Paul McKee and rookie Patrick Lindsey.
The afternoon sessions saw spots of sun, which dried the track enough for the pack to put down fast laps. The day ended up with the fastest laps nearly challenging last year's track records by Dave Royce with a 1.49.95. Vageli Karass, Mike Patterson, Gary Umphenour, Andy Bowman made up the top five in the test in tune day.

Saturday March 11, the rain continued to fall. All the race teams debated over running shaved race tires or full rain tires as half the track continued to show signs of dryness and the infield mostly wet. During the qualifying session, the temperatures quickly dropped and light rain continued as the drivers took the track. But just as the session started, heavier rain began to fall. Driving skills were being tested to the limits on a track that already frightens the best drivers in dry conditions. With no one having defrosters, foggy windows blocked everyone's vision and no windshield washers, compounded the difficulties to get quick lap times. The #91 Maximum Motorsports car with Dave Royce at the wheel, running a IRS suspension (independent rear suspension) took the pole position for the afternoon race. Andy Bowman in his #99 Mustang Cobra grabbed 2nd in qualifying to make up the front line.
Qualifying Line up:
1. Dave Royce #91 Mustang GT
2. Andy Bowman #99 Mustang Cobra SN95
3. Mike Patterson #3 Z28 Chevy Camaro
4. Ryan Walton #54 Mustang GT
5. Mark Witherow (AIX) #04 Mustang GT SN95
6. Vageli Karass #7 Mustang GT
7. Gary Umphenour #73 Saleen Mustang
8. Brian MacMillan #4 Mustang GT
9. Paul McKee #94 Mustang GT SN95
10. Patrick Lindsey #117 Mustang GT
11. Christine Knight #29 Chevy Z28 Camaro
12. Hal Massey #46 Mustang Cobra SN95
13. Bill Daffron #27 (AIX) Mustang GT did not qualify
14. JR Smith, Z28 Chevy (AIX) out with mechanical

Saturday Race. With dark clouds overhead and rain off and on, the thirteen American Iron drivers rolled up to the grid for the 2:35pm; 35 minute race. Team pit crews staged in the hot pit area with rags in hand to clear foggy windows during the race. The race would start with the Camaro-Mustang Challenge (CMC) and Vette-Viper Challenge cars and the Super Unlimited cars all following the American Iron start flag. Over forty cars on the 2.8-mile track in all.

The green flag dropped Dave Royce and Andy Bowman lead door to door until Mike Patterson in the #3 Z28 Camaro blew by on the inside line. Dave Royce pulled a few car lengths ahead of Andy Bowman in the NASCAR oval with the pack closing the gap. Approaching turn-3, a hard braking area with a sharp 90-degree left turn and quick 90-degree turn back to the right, Vageli Karass #7 and Ryan Walton #54 overtake Andy Bowman to take 3rd and 4th. Brian MacMillan #4 nearly overtakes Andy Bowman for 5th and the wet infield track begins to take sliding cars and Brian cannot complete the pass. In the hair pin corner of turn-4 Andy Bowman #99 re-takes 4th position from Ryan Walton as Ryan goes wide and nearly slides off track. Racing down the fast straight to the first kink and turn 5, Andy Bowman overtakes Vageli Karass to re-take 3rd place.
Up front, Dave Royce in the Maximum Motorsports #91 Mustang GT is putting the pressure on Mike Patterson in the Chevy Z28 Camaro. Mike Patterson is a Southwest regional champion from Texas and is showing his skills dicing with Dave Royce. But the monster torque and horsepower of the LS1 powered Z28 is enough to hold the Mustang back. Mike and Dave slowly pull away from the pack but only a few feet per lap.
Back in the back, Christine Knight and Hal Massey have another Chevy versus Ford battle going on running door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper. The rookie Patrick Lindsey in the #117 Mustang GT is also dicing laps with Paul McKee in the orange #94 SN95 Mustang. Mid-pack just behind Andy Bowman in 3rd place, Vageli Karass, Brian MacMillan, Mark Witherow, Ryan Walton and Gary Umphenour battle for corners and swap positions.
As the racing gods will have it, the #3 Chevy of Mike Patterson leading the race blows and oil-cooler line in lap 6, just approaching turn-3. Mike begins to spill oil on the track and has a large plum of smoke following his car. # 91 Dave Royce takes 1st place as Mike is forced off track with Andy Bowman gaining 2nd and Vageli Karass taking 3rd.
The race continued with rain and drivers sliding in the infield track areas. After 15 laps and 35 minutes of racing, Dave Royce takes the checkered flag for the west region season opener, with Andy Bowman keeping 2nd place for his first career podium, and veteran Vageli Karass holding onto 3rd.

Saturday March 11 race results:
1. Dave Royce #91 Mustang GT
2. Andy Bowman #99 Mustang Cobra SN95
3. Vageli Karass #7 Mustang GT
4. Gary Umphenour #73 Mustang GT
5. Ryan Walton #54 Mustang GT
6. Brian MacMillan #4 Mustang GT
7. Patrick Lindsey #117 Mustang GT
8. Mark Witherow #04 (AIX) Mustang GT SN95
9. Christine Knight #29 Chevy Z28 Camaro
10. Paul McKee #94 Mustang GT SN95
11. Hal Massey #46 Mustang Cobra SN95
12. Mike Patterson #3 Chevy Z28 - out with broken oil line
13. JR Smith, Z28 Chevy out with mechanical
14. Bill Daffron #27 (AIX) Mustang GT out with mechanical

Sunday March 12
Sunday morning brought scattered, but dark clouds and very cold temperatures. The adjacent San Bernardino mountains near the track glowed white with snow and was perfect for a racing backdrop. With the cold temperatures, the track was sure to be a challenge in order to obtain optimum tire temp. All of the AI cars headed out for the warm-up session except #99 Andy Bowman and #3 Mike Patterson. Mike broke a lug bolt and was forced to make repairs. After the twenty-minute practice session, Ryan Walton and other drivers commented on the slippery track, and yellow flags were flying which slowed down speeds.
As the qualifying session neared, the sun and warmer temperatures came. The track was warmed up with Time Trial, HPDE and race groups laying down rubber. The American Iron, CMC, Vette-Vipers and Super Unlimited drivers headed out for qualifying in much better conditions then the previous day.
During the session, Vageli Karass hit a cone, which another car put on track, Vageli hit the cone doing well over 100MPH and damaged his front splitter. During the session, Vageli then broke his transmission in the #7 Mike Armstrong Racing Mustang GT. Bill Daffron in the #27 AIX Mustang GT then hit the tire barrier driving hot into turns 16 and 17 and damaged his front right panels and splitter. But Mike Patterson gained AI pole position in the #3 Z28 Camaro with near record setting speeds. The rest of the pack were barely behind Mike and the line up was set for intense racing.

Sunday Qualifying Results:
1. #27 Bill Daffron (AIX)
2. #3 Mike Patterson
3. #7 Vageli Karass
4. #91 Dave Royce
5. #73 Gary Umphenour
6. #54 Ryan Walton
7. #117 Patrick Lindsey
8. #99 Andy Bowman
9. #4 Brian MacMillan
10. #46 Hal Massey
11. #04 Jonathan Witherow (AIX)
12. #29 Christine Knight
13. #94 Paul McKee
14. J.R. Smith - out with mechanical

The Sunday race started with Mike Patterson in the #3 car powering away with Dave Royce in the Maximum Motorsports car pressing to not lose Mike. Vageli Karass in the #7 Mustang GT was forced to have a poor start with transmission problems and #54 Ryan Walton mis-shifted on the green flag mid-pack. #73 Gary Umphenour and rookie #117 Patrick Lindsey diced through turn 2 heading to turn 3. But as the pack headed for the sharp and hard braking turn-3, trouble was about to begin. The #04 car of Jonathan Witherow powered low on the track with #99 Andy Bowman, #54 Ryan Walton and #4 Brian MacMillan door to door, and all four cars challenging for the apex of turn 3. #54 Ryan Walton and #99 Bowman barely escape collision as #04 Witherow locks up the brakes and impacts the rear bumper of #4 MacMillan with both cars spinning out. #46 Hal Massey, #29 Christine Knight and #94 Paul McKee bring up the rear of the pack missing the spinning cars in turn 3.
Up front again, #91 Dave Royce hard charges the #3 Chevy of Patterson, but the Chevy is too strong and continues to lead lap after lap. 2005 Champ Gary Umphenour in the #73 Saleen Mustang keeps pace but is unable to catch up to Royce and Patterson but holding steadily onto 3rd place.
Mid pack, Walton and rookie Patrick Lindsey battle bumper to bumper with Patrick over-taking the veteran #54 Walton, but Walton keeps re-taking his 4th position back from the rookie. #99 Andy Bowman keeps pace just behind Lindsey and Walton, but is unable to gain ground until lap traffic with the CMC cars begins. Walton gets through the CMC cars smoothly and finally opens up breathing room from the #117 car of Lindsey. #46 Massey, #29 of Knight and the #94 SN95 Mustang of McKee dice to the end and fight over lap CMC traffic.
In the closing few laps, up front again, #91 Royce begins to reel in Patterson. Both cars cut fast through turns 19 and 20, then suddenly #3 Mike Patterson going over 90 MPH impacts the front straight wall and severely damages his car with car parts flying over the track. Mike's front right suspension fails as the track transitions from flat to the NASCAR banking oval exiting the last corner. Mike said "there was nothing I could do, I was along for the ride". When the front suspension broke, the front right tire rolled under the car making the car bounce up sending Patterson out of control into the wall. Mike Patterson was not injured and walked away after he successfully got the car to come to a stop in the lower grass area near the start-finish line, almost 200 yards from his impact point.
With Patterson out, #91 Dave Royce gains 1st place for the last few closing laps and a comfortable lead. #54 Walton is not finished in the last laps and chases down #73 Umphenour and nearly over takes him. Gary has a bit more power and holds Walton off for a near photo finish. Patrick Lindsey takes an excellent drive to 4th place and Andy Bowman in the #99 Mustang Cobra rounds out the top five.

Sunday Race Results
1. #91 Dave Royce, Maximum Motorsports
2. #73 Gary Umphenour
3. #54 Ryan Walton
4. #117 Patrick Lindsey
5. #99 Andy Bowman
6. #04 Jonathan Witherow (AIX)
7. #4 Brian MacMillan
8. #29 Christine Knight
9. #46 Hal Massey
10. #94 Paul McKee
11. #3 Mike Patterson crash
12. #7 Vageli Karass-Team Armstrong out with tranny/mechanical
13. #27 Bill Daffron (AIX) out with mechanical
14.J.R. Smith out with mechanical

The next race will be held April 29-30 at Infineon Raceway.
More pictures will be posted on the American Iron Website, the Yahoo AI-West group website and at
http://photos.yahoo.com/v8cobra99

Race Report by: Andy Bowman

Andy Bowman
N.A.S.A Pro Racing
www.nasaproracing.com
#99 American Iron West

A1GP and USTCC at Laguna Seca

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 05:07:40 GMT

Author: M3ichael

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:07 am

Went out to Laguna Seca today for the A1GP and the USTCC. Well things were kinda of a mess from the storm last night, the snow topped mountains as a back drop for the raceway is a sight, crews spent the day cleaning up, with practice getting underway about 4:00. Big thumbs up for the clean up crew they moved a mountain, a montain of dirt off the track.
Practice was great, the sounds A1GP cars produce when under braking and down shifting is amazing. WOW.
Anyone coming out bring a thick jacket, just my .02 cents.
Here is a link to Laguna Seca's press release and practice lap times.
http://www.laguna-seca.com/PressReleases/index.cfm?ID=207

2006 Hankook USTCC Set To Begin

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 19:59:01 GMT

Author: SteamedRyC

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:59 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2006 Hankook USTCC Season Set to Begin

By Ryan Cristobal/USTCC PR Team

March 6th, 2006/Monterey, CA. The Hankook U.S. Touring Car Championship will begin their seventh season of competition this weekend of March 10-12 at the famous Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA.

For the first time since 2001, the series will return to Laguna Seca, where also for the first time, the opening round of the fastest growing touring car series in the U.S. will be hosted by the inaugural U.S. race of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations. While the off season brought major adjustment, changes and additions in the competition schedule and series personnel, drivers and teams also made several key moves in preparation for the upcoming season. One item does remain, defending driver's champion Dave Brown will be the one to beat as the 2006 campaign begins, but not without the extra challenge of getting in behind the wheels of a new car and joining a new team.

Subarus have been a main stay, standard performance and major contender in the USTCC series since Gary Sheehan and Team SMR started the USTCC WRX touring car program in 2001. It was the first time ever a WRX competed on any road racing series in North America and the first time an all wheel drive, force inducted vehicle successfully competed in a touring car series. Subaru, Sheehan and Team SMR won multiple USTCC races before GOTO Racing took over the program during the 2004 season.

In 2005, GOTO Racing in their first full season of USTCC competition didn't perform like a rookie team, for they're no stranger to winning. They are multiple winner and champions of the NASA Racing's Honda Challenge series. GOTO Racing and driver Brian Lock scored a pair of wins, two second place finishes, six top 5's and five podiums to finish second in the USTCC driver's championship standings and won the APEX-I Rookie of The Year Award.
Now, Subaru is back for the its sixth straight season stronger than ever behind the expertise and touring car program of GOTO Racing and lead driver Brian Lock. This time around, Subaru, GOTO Racing and Brian Lock are all on the same page and have their eyes solely set on winning both USTCC manufacturer's & driver's title. GOTO Racing patriarch Steve Lock bolstered their chances of completing the USTCC sweep on their second season of USTCC competition by acquiring a brand new Subaru Legacy GT racer through Subaru of America. The Legacy will be piloted by son Brian, while his brother Chris will step in behind the wheels of the famous Subaru WRX for a two car Subaru effort. Chris Lock, like his brother Brian and father Steve graduates from Honda Challenge competition and won the driver's west coast H1 class championship.

Perhaps the biggest off season development was the announcement that Dave Brown will defend his 2005 USTCC title with a new car and new team in 2006. Dave Brown won the 2005 USTCC Driver's Championship with a dominating performance, winning four races out of seven, two second place finishes and seven top 5's for Spoon Sports/Opak Racing of San Bruno, CA., while leading the way for Acura's second Manufacturer's Title behind the wheel of his Acura RSX-R. This season, Brown partnered up with David Bongiovanni, who's a NASA Pro Racing championship winning team owner, to create GoodSport Racing that is based in San Francisco, CA. Brown and GoodSport Racing will campaign a Mitsubishi EVO VIII RS. This will be the first time the famous high performance Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII RS will compete in a major road racing series in North America and first time in a touring car series, much like the Subaru WRX did in 2001. It will also be the first time that a Mitsubishi EVO and Subaru WRX will go head to head in a touring car series, outside of the racing arena they are best known for in the World Rally Championship.
However, the rest of the USTCC field is primed to pick off either Lock or Brown for the top steps as the field's diversity gets deeper in 2006. This includes Dale Sievwright, in a brand new MPACT Motorsports built E90 BMW racer. Dale wowed the USTCC crowd last year as he finished second at the first San Jose Grand Prix and was the main obstacle in Brian Lock's rookie of the year campaign. Justin Elin is set for a strong return after a string of bad lucks in 2005. Elin was the 2004 Apex-I Rookie of the Year and the runner-up in 2004. Jeff Misthway in his Motokars Audi A4 is set to return as well after blown-engines plagued his 2005 season.

A host of others look to improve their touring car programs developed in 2006, including the highly anticipated return of 2-time USTCC Champion Tom Lepper with a brand new teammate, Austin Harris. The duo will campaign a pair of Chevy Cobalt SS race cars. The Honda Research Team 2006 Civic Si, that created a big buzz at the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas and then went on to dominate its class in the 2005 NASA 25 Hour Enduro of Thunderhill will make its debut in the USTCC, a driver is yet to be announced. Robert Tallini will also debut his 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse in the series which should mark the debut of the new Eclipse model's road racing career.
Official practice for the 2006 U.S. Race of A1 Grand Prix of Nations starts on Friday, March 10. Qualifying will be on Saturday, March 11. The Hankook USTCC field will take the track for it season opener race, followed by the A1 GP main race on Sunday, March 12. Event updates and results will be available on the U.S. Touring Car Championship official website at www.ustcc.com.

For more event information, visit: www.a1gp.com or www.laguna-seca.com

Ryan Cristobal is a long time observer of USTCC since its inception. He is now officially a member of the newly formed United States Touring Car Championship PR Team, but his views should still or may not be considered a direct representative of NASA Pro Racing, the NASA Pro Racing Sanctioned Hankook USTCC or of any mentioned parties above.