Round 7 of the 2006 CORR series returned to sunny Southern California at Chula Vista under baking hot conditions sure to test the mettle of the drivers. Changes to the track since the last race had drivers rethinking their lines from previous race weekends. In particular, two new off camber corners were added replacing banked turns from the previous track layout. The CORR Aerial Action team did a jump opening the ceremonies. Kara Probst, daughter of Pro 2 racer Kevin Probst, sang the national anthem after the scheduled singer got stuck in traffic on the way to the track. Racing got underway at the close of the opening ceremonies with the single buggies starting the action.
Leading the single buggies to the line and pulling the holeshot was Jeff Knupp. Troy Morgan filled 2 nd and Odie Munez followed in 3 rd. On the first lap, Knupp and Morgan swapped positions in turn 6 with Morgan taking the lead. On lap 2, Vic Bruckmann took over the 3 rd position just before the race was halted with a red flag brought out to allow the track crew to clear several disabled race cars from the track. The race restarted on lap 3 with a rolling start. The top three of Morgan, Knupp, and Bruckmann lead the field for the next three laps.
The top three reshuffled on lap 6 when Morgan went into turn 3 too hard allowing Knupp and Bruckmann to sneak by for 1 st and 2 nd. Bruckmann continued his push to the front passing Knupp in the whoops heading towards the dogleg. However, his lead only lasted one lap when he rolled in turn 3 allowing Knupp back into the lead. Morgan and Kevin Graves followed in 2 nd and 3 rd. The top three remained the same through the next four laps including the mandatory yellow flag lap. On lap 11, Morgan and Graves were caught out by the rest of the pack in turn 3 allowing Ryan Schank and Cory Boyer to move up to 2 nd and 3 rd. But on lap 12, Boyer got a little sideways in turn 3 letting Graves move back up to 3 rd. Later in the lap, Munez got by Graves in turn 5 for 3 rd. However, one lap later Graves made the pass back in the same corner. Graves held 3 rd through the lap but Greg Boyer made the pass by Graves for 3 rd on the next lap and made the pass by Schank for 2 nd in turn 1. The top three finished the final two laps without any position changes. Knupp took home the win with Boyer and Schank filling the 2 nd and 3 rd positions. Setting the fast lap of the race was Brent Parkhouse with a lap of 1:17.589.
The second and final sportsman race of schedule featured the super buggies. Gary Nierop led the field to the green flag with Jeff Elrod and Timothy Compton hot on his bumper. Matt Kross caught Compton and made the pass for 3 rd in the hairpin of turn 5. The top three ran together until lap 6 when Nierop pulled into the hot pits giving the lead to Elrod. Kross took over 2 nd and Cory Heynen, who was slowly moving forward after a poor start, moved into 3 rd.
Heynen continued his forward march taking over 3 rd in turn 1 on lap 9 just before hitting the mandatory caution. On lap 11, the first race lap after the caution, Nierop passed Kross, suffering from a flat tire, at the start finish line to take 3 rd. Heynen and Nierop pursued Elrod but were unsuccessful. Elrod ran home to the win over the final five laps with Heynen and Nierop finishing 2 nd and 3 rd. Jeff Elrod also set the fastest lap of the race with a lap time of 1:10.603.
The Pro 2 division was next on the schedule. At the drop of the green flag, Scott Taylor took the early lead followed by Carl Renezeder and Evan Evans. Taylor lead the first lap but contact in the back of the field between Kevin Probst and Todd LeDuc at the start finish line led to the race being halted and restarted. LeDuc took the opportunity to replace the rear tire he lost in the incident and Jerry Welchel followed him in to the hot pits also to replace a tire. Kevin Probst was forced to retire with a hole in the radiator. On the restart for lap 2, Taylor again took the holeshot followed by Renezeder and Welchel on a fresh tire. The top three remained unchaned until lap 4 when LeDuc was able to pass Welchel in turn 5 but Welchel battled back passing LeDuc back in the dogleg to remain in 3 rd.
On lap 6, Taylor was passed by Renezeder in turn 3 losing the lead. Suffering from a broken ring and pinion, Taylor pulled off the track in turn 6, his day ended. Welchel inherited 2 nd and LeDuc took over 3 rd. The top three bunched with the rest of the field on lap 10 for the mandatory yellow but when the race restarted the top three kept ahead of the rest of the field. Six laps later Renezeder took checkers unchallenged. Welchel came home unchallenged in 2 nd and LeDuc did the same in 3 rd. Renezeder set the fast lap of the race with a time of 1:08.054.
Pro lite got off to a rocky start like many of the races. Multiple disabled vehicles slowed the race and the decision was made to red flag the race. Jeff Kincaid lost his holeshot advantage when the trucks were returned to the starting line. On the ensuing restart, Randy Eller got the jump and came to the line in the lead followed by Rob Naughton and Kincaid. Naughton put the pressure on Eller and took the lead coming out of turn 4 putting Eller back into 2 nd. The top three ran in order until lap five when Eller rolled in turn 3 allowing Kincaid and Rodrigo Ampudia to move up one position. One lap later, Naughton rolled to a stop at the hot pit entrance his day finished. Kincaid took over the lead with Ampudia moving into 2 nd and Eller taking over 3 rd. Eller held 3 rd for one lap until Art Schmitt caught him and made the pass coming out of the dogleg. Kincaid, Ampudia, and Schmitt held the top three through lap 10, the regrouping caution.
On the restart, Schmitt and Chad Hord passed Ampudia in turn 3 when Ampudia went wide to follow Kincaid. Hord kept the pressure on Schmitt and got by in the dogleg to take 2 nd. Two laps later Hord closed the gap to Kincaid and put the pressure on over the final four laps. Closing in on Kincaid’s rear quarter panel over several laps, Hord was unable to make the pass cleanly. On the final lap, Hord pushed hard into turn 3 putting his ride on the bike. Recovering cleanly he remained in 2 nd but Kincaid was able to pull away to take the win. Hord was forced to settle for 2 nd with Schmitt taking the final podium position in 3 rd. Fastest lap of the race was set by Chad Hord at 1:11.143.
Pro 4 action kicked off with Adrian Cenni shooting out to the early lead. Josh Baldwin and Carl Renezeder came to the line in 2 nd and 3 rd. Cenni led the first lap still followed by Baldwin and Renezeder. On lap 2, Renezeder pulled off the course in T5 suffering from mechanical problems. Rick Huseman in 4 th took advantage and moved up to 3 rd. The top three running order remained the same until lap 6 when Cenni slowed and pulled off the track by the hot pits. Baldwin inherited the lead, Huseman moved to 2 nd, and Curt LeDuc took over 3 rd.
The top three strung out over the next four laps until the mandatory caution flag on lap 10 brought the field back together again. Baldwin survived an early charge from Huseman in turn 4, but it was Johnny Greaves taking advantage and moving from 6 th to 4 th through turn 2 and turn 3 after suffering a flat tire on the first lap and pitting to change it. Greaves moved to 3 rd later in the lap passing LeDuc in turn 6. Continuing to run strong, Greaves caught up to Huseman but a collision in the dogleg left Greaves with another flat tire while Huseman made it away unscathed. Baldwin took advantage of the battle for 2 nd and stretched out to an untouchable lead and took the win after a slight bobble in turn 3 on the last lap. Huseman cruised home to 2 nd and Greaves fended off LeDuc to hang onto 3 rd. The fast lap of the race, 1:04.053, was set by Adrian Cenni.
Photos by Jeremy Pyatskowit |
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