SUNDAY RACE #3 - NASA TX gridded the entire AI/CMC field in a World-Challenge style standing start based on the morning qualifying times. Nearly every person in attendance at the track came to the hot pit wall to watch the V8 thunder in action! With a wave of the green flag, the entire American Iron grid leapt into action, heading towards Rattlesnake. The #23 took the lead, with rookie Matt White close behind. In CMC, Mike Bell, Corey Rueth and Eric Varner entered 3 wide, all clamboring to make the first turn. Mike Bell overran the curbing, causing him to spin. In short order, 6 CMC drivers broke from the rest of the group, and created a gap - Todd Covini, Eric Varner, Jeff Burch, Corey Rueth, Glenn Landrum, and Adam Ginsberg, with Nicholas Runyon, Mitch Warren Michael Mosty, Scott Smith, Morgan Dawdy and Micah Bishop close behind.
http://www.shrackracing.com/2006/eve...s/image-05.jpg
Sunday morning standing start….World Challenge style! Image by Holly Donovan.
http://www.shrackracing.com/2006/eve...s/image-06.jpg
CMC racing in Texas…door to door! Nicholas Runyon ( CMC #79 ), Team Ginsberg/Cooke ( CMC #5 ), followed closely by Scott Smith ( CMC # 78 ), and Jeff Brooks ( AI #101 ). Image by Holly Donovan.
The American Iron drivers were keeping a fast pace - Matt White was hot on the heals of 2 time champion John George, running just a half second behind, followed closely by David Donovan, Chris Lyons, Chris Marvel, driving the #42 car to maintain their points, and Marshall Mosty. On lap 2, Jeff Brooks went out with what appeared to be a blown motor, but it was later discovered to be a rocker arm that came loose.
At the checker, the AI finishing order had John George on the top podium step, Matt White in 2nd, Donovan 3rd, Lyons in 4th, Team Marvel/Pedersen in 5th, and Marshall Mosty in 6th. The CMC checker was close - very close. Covini took his second win of the season, with Landrum in P2, Burch in P3, Varner in 4th. The 5th, 6th and 7th spots had to be checked via timing and scoring - Ginsberg, Rueth and Bell crossed the finish line 3 cars wide, separated by 1/100th of a second for a photo finish! Close behind showed Nicholas Runyon, Mitch Warren, Michael Mosty, Scott Smith, Micah Bishop and Morgan Dawdy.
http://www.shrackracing.com/2006/eve...s/image-07.jpg
2 wide thru Rattlesnake – Texas style! Image by Holly Donovan.
SUNDAY RACE #4 - was an inverse grid based on the finishing order of R3, and proved to be very eventful. With the back row filled with the fast AI and CMC drivers, it was anyones guess who would be on the podium. Marshall Mosty got off to a good lead for the AI crowd, but was soon bit by the same fuel issues that have plagued him for sometime. His car stalled on track on lap 4, on the hill leading to T2 known as Richochet. A local caution quickly turned to a full course caution to slow the field so the #67 could be towed off. As the field slowed, the #20 Griggs Racing Mustang driven by 2x champ John George contacted the #42 driven by Chris Marvel, damaging the nose of his car, and tossing debris onto the track. The VT-Engine sponsored #97 drove thru the debris field, cut a brake line, and drove off the track, damaging the nose of the car. With the faster AI cars now back in the pits, it was anyone race in American Iron.
Lyons and Donovan drove hard, both looking to earn their first win in AI for 2006. In CMC, the battle was equally hot, with Nicholas Runyon leading the CMC pack with everyone hot on his bumper.
At the checker, in AI it was Lyons in the #12 Maximum Motorsports Mustang, followed closely by David Donovan's #7, and Chris Marvel in 3rd with the #42. In CMC, Nicholas Runyon earned his first CMC win, Mitch Warren in the #9 Moonlite Graphics/Natwell Supply Firebird, and Eric Varner in 3rd.
http://www.shrackracing.com/2006/eve...s/image-08.jpg
First time AI winner! AI podium, left to right: David Donovan ( AI #7 ), Chris Lyons ( AI #12 ) and Chris Marvel ( AI #92 ). Image by Holly Donovan.
http://www.shrackracing.com/2006/eve...s/image-09.jpg
First time CMC winner! CMC podium, from left to right: Mitch Warren ( CMC #9 ), Nicholas Runyon ( CMC #79 ) and Eric Varner ( CMC #17 ). Image by Holly Donovan
POST RACE INSPECTIONS – were conducted by the series directors along with NASA tech inspectors. General AI/CMC tech was completed primarily on Saturday with impound scales after most every race. No violations were found.
HARD LUCK AWARD – goes to Team Pedersen/Marvel and Marshall Mosty. After working feverishly to get the Three-Dog Racing #91 ready for the March event, it all went south during qualifying with a blown engine. Marshall, piloting the #67 Mustang has battled fuel related issues for far too long. Here’s to finding that fuel gremlin, Marshall!
CONCLUSION -
NASA TX AI/CMC has met it’s goal of 20+ cars in just Round 1, continued with 23 cars for Round 2. V8 racing is alive and well in Texas! Come see the action during our April 22/23 event at Motorsport Ranch in Cresson TX.
The 2006 schedule is posted at
www.nasatx.com,
www.americanironracing.com and
www.camaromustangchallenge.com.
TRACK RECORDS*
MSRC (1.7mi) 1.21:648 John George (AI) 03/04/2006
MSRC (1.7mi) 1:24.98X Marshall Mosty (AIX) 03/06/2005
MSRC (1.7mi) 1:24.982 Jeff Burch (CMC) 03/04/20056
TWS (2.9mi) 1:53.785 John George (AI) 08/21/2005
TWS (2.9mi) 1:58.211 David Armstrong (AIX) 08/20/2005
TWS (2.9mi) 2:00:371 Jeff Burch (CMC) 08/21/2005
Hallett 1:24.387 John George (AI) 09/17/2005
Hallett 1:26.478 Buddy Cisar (AIX) 08/14/2004
Hallett 1:29.829 Eric Varner (CMC) 09/17/2005
NPR 1:20.319 John George (AI) 07/11/2005
NPR 1.24:381 Eric Varner (CMC) 07/11/2005
MSRH 1:45.869 John George (AI) 02/05/2006
MSRH 1.53.371 Skip Smith (AIX) 02/04/2006
MSRH 1:50.780 Eric Varner (CMC) 02/05/2006
* Track records only recorded from races in race trim.
Dyno Decals as recorded after Rounds 1 and 2:
American Iron:
Driver Name: RWHP RWTQ Min Weight
David Donovan 295 315 2835
Marshall Mosty 258 288 2800
Matt White 316 341 3069
David Love 292 310 2800
John George 329 354 3168
Pedersen/Marvel 312 314 2964
Jeff Brooks 319 317 3031
Chris Lyons TBD TBD TBD
Tracey Alvey TBD TBD TBD
Camaro-Mustang Challenge:
Driver Name: RWHP RWTQ Min Weight
Corey Rueth 227 286 3150
Morgan Dawdy 233 306 3305
Glenn Landrum 221 285 3200
Jeff Burch 204 281 3150
Mike Bell 210 276 3150
Chris McComb 195 274 3150
Todd Covini 226 293 3150
Rob Liebbe 220 279 3150
Eric Varner 226 273 3150
Nicholas Runyon 220 293 3150
Michael Mosty 226 281 3150
Adam Ginsberg 230 288 3150
Micah Bishop 227 292 3150
Scott Smith TBD TBD TBD
Drivers listed as “TBD” on the dyno grid above appeared without an updated dyno sheet. A new dyno sheet must presented at the next race.
2006 NASA TEXAS AI CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS:
1 759 Chicane 23 (AI)
2 653 White (AI)
3 645 Donovan (AI)
4 634 Lyons/Sharp (AI)
5 515 Pedersen/Marvel (AI)
6 491 Mosty (AI)
7 464 Brooks (AI)
8 138 King (AI)
9 69 LiiR (AI)
10 0 Alvey ( AI )
2006 NASA TEXAS AIX CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS:
1 716 Smith ( AIX )
2 360 Mixon (AIX)
3 90 Alexander ( AIX )
4 0 Armstrong ( AIX )
*** AI points per NASA CCR rule 22.1 and AI rule 10 100 for 1st...90 for 2nd...85 for 3rd, etc.
4 points for qualifying Pole position
2006 NASA TEXAS CMC CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS:
1 764 Varner (CMC)
2 755 Rueth (CMC)
3 755 Covini (CMC)
4 738 Bell (CMC)
5 738 Runyon (CMC)
6 733 Burch (CMC)
7 733 Landrum (CMC)
8 701 Mosty ( CMC )
9 697 Dawdy/Carr ( CMC )
10 513 Bishop/MacNeil ( CMC )
11 436 Smith, Scott ( CMC )
12 372 Warren/Buehler (CMC)
13 371 Liebbe (CMC)
14 350 Ginsberg/Cooke (CMC)
15 258 McComb (CMC)
16 0 Tanner ( CMC )
17 0 Tseng/Rueth (CMC)
***CMC points per CMC rule 9: 100 for 1st...97 for 2nd...95 for 3rd, etc.
1 point for qualifying Pole position
Points from the lowest scoring 20% of the season’s total number of races shall be dropped from each driver’s total for purposes of calculating the season total.
For more information, the following websites should be able to answer any of your licensing/rules/racing questions:
www.nasaproracing.com
www.nasatx.com
www.americanironracing.com
www.camaromustangchallenge.com
