Retro CART League
Rick Ravon started from the pole – as he usually does – and led the first 2/3 of the race until he pitted. The set of tires he got didn’t want to work and he struggled after his stop, while Breuning kept the lead and Hamby passed him for 2nd. Bill Smithem was 4th and behind him some of the newcomers had some good races, keeping the event caution free!
The Indianapolis 100 brought some very close racing as it’s done in all 4 editions in the Retro CART League. Unfortunately, it got too close early on: On lap 8, the leaders were headed 3 wide into turn one. It got too close and the mayhem that followed took out almost half the field, including pole sitter Johnny Hamby, Mike Zakar, Robert Love and others. Breuning carried on, but he was way off the pace.
What followed was a spectacular race with different players, Chris Brown, Bill Smithem, Charles Harris, Trey Mitts were among the drivers fighting side by side for the race lead. A late accident put Brown and Kielblock in the fence and the fight was between Smithem and Harris; Charles took the win with a final pass off turn 4 and crossed the line 0.001 second ahead of Bill Smithem!
With only 8 cars at Long Beach, it was Rick Ravon taking the pole. But he didn’t roll out to start the race, leaving Johnny Hamby to take the lead early on with Breuning unable to follow closely. Hamby suffered from a technical issue that ultimately led to his retirement, handing the lead to Breuning. Jason Cotcher finished 2nd and Steven Kiefer 3rd.
The season opener at Phoenix [Legacy] started with Rick Ravon on pole, Cole Hunley alongside on the front row, with Johnny Hamby and Steven Kiefer on the 2nd row. Ravon took an early lead and seemed in good shape. It was the pitstops under yellow that shook things up: Chris Brown staid out, Ravon’s team fitted new tires that took forever to come in, Hunley and Hamby were duking it out in 2nd and 3rd.
Brown didn’t get the yellow he so desperately wanted and dropped out of contention after running strongly in the lead. It was Hunley and Hamby going hard at it for the lead, with Ravon and Breuning right behind them. Breuning was a little more cautious than Ravon, who mixed in the fight. On lap 75, the battle got a little too close. Hamby and Hunley touched wheels coming off turn 2 and both spun, with Hamby sustaining enough damage to end his race. Finishing under yellow, narrowly getting by the accident, Rick Ravon was the new season’s first winner and Breuning was 2nd, with Trey Mitts in 3rd.
Ravon up front is an all too familiar sight, but it was definitely not as easy as some of last season’s races…
Rick Ravon was once again untouchable during the final race of the 4th season; Starting from the pole, he led all the way. Johnny Hamby started on the front row and ran 2nd until his car twitched and sent him into the tire barrier. Joseph McWhorter was quick as well, lasted longer than Hamby but ultimately fell to the same fate. Breuning lucked out and took it to 2nd after two early spins in the corkscrew, with Chris Brown rounding out the top ten in his usual ‘never say die’ fashion.
The Homestead Miami Speedway brought plenty of exciting surprises. In qualifying, long time series driver Chris Brown scored pole position with a blistering lap, 5/1000 of a second faster than Johnny Hamby and 1/100 faster than Rick Ravon.
When the green dropped, 8th placed started Breuning worked his way to the front and battle wheel to wheel with Ravon for the lead, with Zakar and Mitts in their shadow. On lap 49, the two leaders touched, sending Breuning into the wall.
Ravon continued, battled up front with Zakar for the lead, but another slight moment send him to the wall. Although he could continue, it was now Mike Zakar up front. The race finished under yellow with Bill Smithem in 2nd and Trey Mitts in 3rd.