SCCA: Galati quietly dominates Portland Speedvision GT
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
August 6, 2001
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The advantage of an inherently quiet car under strict sound restrictions helped Michael Galati, of N. Olmstead, Ohio, dominate round seven of the SCCA Pro Racing Speedvision World Challenge GT race at Portland International Raceway. Johannes van Overbeek, of Danville, Calif., and Justin Jackson, of Alpharetta, Ga., completed the top three.
Coping with a strict 105-decibel sound level proved costly to many teams as extra mufflers robbed many cars of horsepower. Galati’s No. 9 Champion Racing Audi S4 Competition, an inherently quiet race car due to its twin-turbocharged configuration, was likely the least effected car, as it led every lap from the pole to win the 58.32-mile contest, averaging 81.179 mph.
“We didn’t have a problem with sound this weekend, which was an advantage,” said Galati, who extended his points lead to 30, 204 to 174, over Peter Cunningham. “I felt bad for the guys who had to run the bigger mufflers. I just kept my head down and kept truckin’.”
“The Porsche’s brakes were outstanding. I would have a four car lead over [Jimmy] Adams early in the race and coming into the corners, he would be right on my bumper. I was pushing pretty hard. If a yellow would have come out, we would have had some problems with the Porsche. It was no walk in the park.”
Galati pulled away first at the start, but was hounded by Adams’ No. 77 Motor Coach Industries Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, who went from fourth on the grid to second. The Porsche applied steady pressure to the Audi early on until a brief off on lap 11 dropped him back to fourth.
Van Overbeek started third, but dropped to fourth behind Galati, Adams and Phil McClure’s Corvette at the start. McClure held third until transmission problems dropped him back on lap nine. Once van Overbeek was into second in the No. 81 Flextronics/Intel Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Galati began to pull away, extending his lead from four seconds to over 10 by lap 20.
Jackson started 11th in the No. 79 J3 Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup due to only getting one lap in Superchips qualifying due to sound problems, but was sixth by the end of lap one. After being promoted to fifth with McClure’s departure, he moved around Derek Bell for fifth on lap 11, as Adams was falling back to fourth, promoting the 2000 Rookie of the Year to third. Adams and Jackson waged a classic battle, passing and re-passing one another for the remainder of the contest.
The two reeled in van Overbeek as they battled for position, creating a three-way battle for second for the last five laps. Adams took the white flag in third, but Jackson battled past in turn seven, the two making side-to-side contact but continuing.
“I just went in hard and used my brakes,” said Jackson of the pass. “I think he knew I was coming. I’d been faster than him there for most of the race. He came down and we made a little contact. I guess that’s just racing, though. We started the weekend off pretty bad, with the noise regulations and the hood coming up and shattering the windshield on Thursday. This is a good finish.”
Jackson earned both the Borla Performance Award and the Rogaine Hair Raising Pass of the Day in his run.
Adams, of Suffolk, Va., and legend Derek Bell completed the top five. Scotty B. White, who finished 10th, was awarded the Travel Quest We Make A Difference Award in a blind drawing, donating his $500 award to charity.
Text provided by Eric Prill
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