April 27, 2021
California’s Auto Club Speedway in Fontana was the recreation area this past weekend for the Tire Rack Championship Tour and integrated Tire Rack CAM Challenge Series Powered by SCCA. Partly sunny skies and moderate temperatures produced really close competition across several classes. And as an unexpected bonus, event host CalClub and SCCA National Solo staff on site were able to hash out a way for participants to get “fun” fourth runs both days, further enhancing the weekend experience for SCCA members.
The B Street class, with 14 entrants, was the largest field over the weekend. On Saturday, Jay Balducci and his BMW M2 took the early lead by 0.074 second over co-driver Jason Bucki. Ken Motonishi’s Toyota Supra sat third after Saturday runs, but was only 0.088 second off the leader. On Sunday, a magnificent third run earned Motonishi a time of 59.264 and shot him up to first place and on to victory by 0.271 second over Balducci. Bucki finished third.
Another significant swap was witnessed in Street Touring Xtreme (STX). Alex Paraskevas, in a Subaru BRZ, was the only STX driver Saturday to post a run in the 60-second realm, earning him a lead of nearly a second over the Scion FR-S of Kate Fisher. Her co-driver, Manfred Reysser, was only 0.046 second back in third. Anthony Porta, in a Mazda RX-8, was fourth another 0.086 second behind Reysser. But Porta made an incredible final run Sunday to post a time of 59.512, which rocketed him to victory. Paraskevas settled for the runner-up spot only 0.295 second behind. Third was Fisher followed by Reysser.
A standings shuffle also occurred in D Street. On day one, Christopher Rosario and his Hyundai Veloster N set a time of 63.883 to take the lead. But 0.006 second back was David Webb in a Subaru WRX. Then only 0.191 second behind Webb was the Subaru WRX STi of Trevor Brown. Come Sunday, Brown nailed his last run to post a 62.399, which jumped him from third to first for the win. Webb kept the pressure on to finish a mere 0.017 second behind. Rosario had a run Sunday in the 61s, but coned it away and ended up third.
Speaking of fighting back, Street Touring Roadster racer Joe Goeke fought a different foe this weekend: food poisoning. Feeling like death warmed over on Saturday, he sat in his Mazda MX-5 the entire time just trying to recover between runs. At the close of Saturday, he was third and more than a second behind the leading Mazda MX-5 of Scott Mullens. Feeling better Sunday, Goeke mounted a charge and fought his way back to victory, winning by a margin of 0.117 second over Mullens. Jeff Stuart, in a Porsche Boxster S, finished third.
In CAM-S it was David Rock and his Chevrolet Corvette who controlled things Saturday and Sunday for the win. Richard Jung and his ’68 Corvette came second in CAM-S, and Brian Coulson was third. Coulson was sitting second Saturday, only a few hundredths off the leader, when his car decided it had enough fun and went kaput. But he and co-driver Cal Craner borrowed SCCA’s support Chevrolet Camaro and continued on for more fun Sunday.
The top spot in CAM-T belonged to the Ford Mustang GT of Matthew Ramirez all weekend. Runner-up was James Eaton in an ’85 Ford Mustang, followed by Alfonso Milanese in a ‘76 Pontiac Firebird. And CAM-C saw a Ford Mustang co-driver battle with Gary Cameron claiming victory over Todd Cameron.
Super Street driver James Yom and his Porsche GT3 finished first overall. E Modified’s Jeff Kiesel was second in the KFR Turbo Sprite. E Street’s Dennis Hubbard was third overall in a Toyota MR2 Spyder.
It’s no rest for Solo competitors as the Tire Rack Championship Tour quickly heads to Texas for the April 30-May 2 Tire Rack SCCA South Texas Champ Tour at Naval Air Station Chase Field in Beeville. Register for that event today before the entry cap is reached!
