Category: News
With win number 6 and another pole and most laps led, Rick Ravon has sealed up the season 4 and becomes the first repeat championship winner.
Running an unusually small field at New Hampshire, Ravon started from the pole and led all but 6 laps. Bill Smithem qualified a strong 2nd, only less than 0.1 of a second slower than Ravon. Breuning started from 3rd, with Chris Brown and Jason Crumley in 4th and 5th.
Smithem held off Breuning for about the first half of the race, until a slight wiggle slowed him down enough for Breuning to slip through. Crumley reeled in Brown for 4th.
Ravon has a 66 point lead over Breuning; Breuning could mathematically equal that with all wins, poles and most laps led, but on equal points Ravon would win the tiebreaker on most races won. Breuning is still winless this season.
- Rick Ravon
- Marc Breuning
- Bill Smithem
Rick Ravon started from the pole and led from flag to flag at Mid Ohio, putting him back where we are most used to seeing him: Up front. Behind him, Breuning reeled in Hamby and passed for 2nd place and the #15 driver held on to collect bronze.
Last weeks winner Daryll Wineinger finished 4th ahead of Bill Smithem.
The Mid Ohio result puts Ravon 60 points ahead of the next driver, which means that catching him for the championship has pretty much been reduced to a mathematical impossibility.
- Rick Ravon
- Marc Breuning
- Johnny Hamby
Rick Ravon started from the pole alongside Johnny Hamby and took the lead early on with Smithem in 3rd holding off Wineinger. Breuning, who qualified down in 7th, worked his way forward and helped by the 2nd yellow started challenging for the lead until his car snapped on lap 35 in turn one and he crashed, unfortunately taking Hamby with him. Smithem, running strong all night, was touched by Zakar as they were setting up for turn one and he hit the wall, damaging his car badly.
In the final stretch, it was Wineinger challenging Ravon for the lead while Zakar and Kielblock duked it out closely for the final podium spot. It was Wineinger that took advantage of the draft when it counted and he beat Ravon to the line by 0.018 of a second, while Zakar took the final podium spot by only .09 of a second!
- Darryl Wineinger
- Rick Ravon
- Mike Zakar
Starting from the pole, Rick Ravon – who spun out and gave away the win to Breuning last season – appeared to run away with the race, with Hamby in 2nd being pressured somewhat by Breuning. The pressure eased when Breuning spun coming out of Canada corner and Hamby seemed to close in a little on Ravon.
When Ravon lapped Anderson, the latter missed his braking marker and locked up, both cars touching. Ravon appeared to have some damage, as his laptimes dropped and he had trouble keeping up with Hamby, who had taken over the lead.
A few laps later, Ravon managed to take back the lead. After the pitstops, Hamby was close behind and turning up the pressure, but approaching Canada corner got a rear wheel in the grass and spun. He reached the pits, but left the proceedings. Breuning inherited 2nd, but Ravon’s lead was enough to remain ahead.
Meanwhile, further back Bill Smithem had an early battle with Steve Kubay, that ended with Kubay loosing the car exciting turn 5. Smithem went on to fill the final podium spot, scoring his best result this season.
- Rick Ravon
- Marc Breuning
- Bill Smithem
Rick Ravon survived without any problem at Belle Isle, where others were not so lucky. He started from the pole, closely followed by Breuning and Hamby. Hamby was unfortunately caught in the spin of Jason Crumley and bent his suspension. He pursued after a pitstop, but then decided the car wasn’t drivable. Breuning, still chasing after Ravon, messed up in turn 11 with too much wheel spin and hit the outside wall. That left Ravon unchallenged, with Steve Kubay picking up the pieces for second and Doug Small for third!
- Rick Ravon
- Steve Kubay
- Doug Small