Adam Ginsberg Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 NASA SoCal Region, 2010 Season, ROUND 4 Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, Rosamond, CA Weekend Racing Recap 22/23 May 2010 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** 01 June 2010 One of our mid-point tracks, Willow Springs, played host to this year’s fourth race for the combined NorCal and SoCal AI/AIX/CMC/CMC2 2010 season! Michael Andretti holds the track record at this weekends Willow Springs International Motorsports Park NASA weekend, having done a lap at 1:06:050 in an Indycar! The AI and CMC guys enjoyed the historical Park in this years 4th race weekend. We enjoyed seeing quite a few NorCal folks and, while we wish Mother Nature had done a better job welcoming everyone to SoCal, I think the racers were undaunted by the freezing cold and wind and managed to rip out some fantastic times all of their own. The CMC line-up. Foreground: Chicca/Brown (#33), Steel (#45), Klamecki (#70, Tisinger (#57) and Simpson (#3). Image by Karl Chicca. SATURDAY QUALIFYING – In a rather unusual configuration, AI and CMC ran in different groups, with CMC running with the Spec Miata, 944’s, FFR and E30 and AI running a bit later with ST, STR, GTS and SU. CMC and CMC2 racers started mid morning with 34 cars on the track. The qualifying was competitive with very small gaps between cars, Steel qualified just behind Teams Life’s Good Racing with just 0.342 second difference! AI and AIX got out there just before lunch, with 35 total cars and Brown laid down a fast lap of 1:27:932! The SoCal AI guys were breaking in new motors, but still managed great times and clean runs. SATURDAY RACE #1 – By race time it had warmed up a bit, but was still crazy windy as the CMC groups took the track. Racers could be heard laughing after about how the wind was “helping” thru turn 6! The group got in a good 16 laps, with CMC2’s Team Life’s Good Racing taking first place, Steel getting the fastest lap and then getting DQ’d for being underweight! (Hey racers – reminder: we use more gas at this track!!!) Tsinger got the podium for CMC in his yellow and blue 87 Camaro. The AI racers got on track mid-afternoon and Wheeler won after 14 laps. Hard charging AI and CMC action! Image by Karl Chicca. Sunday dawned a cold and windy again, so the concession stand was doing good business in hot coffee and windbreakers! CMC lined up to take the track. Image by Karl Chicca. SUNDAY INVERTED QUALIFYING RACE – In standard SoCal fashion, CMC ran an inverted qualifying race for the 20 minute morning session on Sunday, Inverted at the start, the group took off flying and Team Life’s Good and Steel charged right thru the pack. Coming down the backside, Team Life’s Good sheded some rear suspension components giving their driver a bit more excitement than planned and sending them off track after just one lap. Steel took podium, with Klamecki and Simpson close behind. AI’s qualifying session saw Wheeler’s best time at 1:30:389 which put him on pole, with Walton and MacMillion close behind. Nick Steel (#45) leading the Team Life’s Good Racing #33 Camaro. Image by Karl Chicca. SUNDAY RACE – The CMC group rolled out for Sunday’s Main event not long after lunch, with the wind whipping and the temperature at a cool 60 degree’s. Team Life Good’s Racing CMC2 battled hard with Steel right from the outset, making for an exciting race with great competition. Life’s Good racing bested Steel about midway and held out to take the podium with Steel and Simpson right behind. Tsinger took another podium in CMC. The AI race got in 14 good laps, with Wheeler making a sweep of the weekend and besting his qualifying time by over a tenth of a second. Walton and MaCMillan followed him across the finish to make a nice consistent weekend of racing for the guys. Dave Brown and Nick Steel, laughing it up after their hard fought Sunday race. Image by Karl Chicca. CONCLUSION - As always, thanks to the fantastic NASA crew, they make it safe and fun! And, I am, as usual, impressed at how well you racers adapt… the cold and wind was quite a surprise and as I huddled in our motor home I pondered and was amazed, as usual, at how dedicated you are to supporting each other and your obvious love of racing! The next event is June 26/27 2010 at beautiful Infineon in Sonoma, CA. We are planning a special get together , so please come out and join us! (more info coming soon) For more information, the following websites should be able to answer any of your licensing/rules/racing questions: http://www.nasaproracing.com http://www.nasatx.com http://www.americanironracing.com http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com Written by Caitlin Steel Images by Karl Chicca Assembled by Adam Ginsberg Writeup in PDF format. Quote
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