Intense The Tire RackR SCCA ProSolo Weekend in Toledo Tops Off Regular Season

For Immediate Release

 

Intense The Tire Rack(r) SCCA ProSolo Weekend 

In Toledo Tops Off Regular Season

 

TOLEDO, Ohio (Aug. 9, 2005) - Every competitor at last weekend's The
Tire Rack(r) SCCA ProSolo regular season finale in Toledo knew that with
points championships on the line, class battles might be decided by a
slight bobble on course or contact with a single pylon.  

 

No one could have imagined just how right they would be as no fewer than
six classes saw victory margins under a tenth of a second (four in the
thousandths range), which directly led to one of the best Super
Challenge competitions in the bracket-style elimination format's
history.

 

Standing alone at the top of the Challenge hill at weekend's end was
Gary Godula, of Farmington Hills, Mich.  The Hoosier slicks on his Jack
Demmer Ford/Mid-Atlantic Motor 1988 Reynard 88F held up well in the hot
Toledo weather, paving the way for Godula to knock off Street Touring
S's Andy Hollis, of Austin, Texas by 0.2-sec. in the final, despite
Hollis' knack for turning in almost identical times each time out.  

 

Erik Strelnieks, of Austin, Texas, finished third in his
www.Lonestarcraft.com/Jungle Cat Racing 2004 Chevrolet Z06 after losing
out to Godula in the semifinals.   Strelnieks did pick up the
hotly-contested Super Stock win, however, overcoming early cone trouble
to squeak by Steve Telehowski, of Riverview, Mich., by 0.038-sec.
Matthew Braun, of Northville, Mich., finished well back of Telehowski,
who co-drove Braun's PowerPlug 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, after making
just three runs Sunday; thanks to a lost rear spring perch bolt during
his second attempt.   

 

Steve Wynveen, of Germantown, Wis., tore a second from his time on his
next to last run, but all his effort did was leave the driver of the
Mercury Marine 2001 Honda S2000 a mere 0.006-sec. behind B Stock winner
Jason Saini, of Lake Forest, Ill.  In the
over6racing/motorsports-exchange.com 2001 Honda S2000, Saini saved his
best for last, posting his best times on his penultimate and final runs,
outgunning Wynveen for the top spot.  Mark Presley, of Pickerington,
Ohio, was just off of Wynveen's pace - finishing 0.061-sec. behind in a
1989 Chevrolet Corvette.

 

Chris Harvey was so fast in Toledo on the first day in The Tire Rack
1999 Mazda Miata that no one believed him.  After an audit confirmed his
times, Harvey, of Osceola Ind., backed up his times by going even faster
Sunday.  He needed every bit of speed he found as he snuck out the C
Stock win over Darrin DiSimo, of Coral Springs, Fla., by just 0.032-sec.
DiSimo, in his own '99 Miata, came in well ahead of third-place finisher
Ken Motonishi, of Orange, Calif., who was 0.396-sec. back.  

 

Before finishing second and fourth, respectively, in the Super
Challenge, Street Touring S winner Hollis and Nathan Whipple, of
Attleboro, Mass., staged another duel in the STS class.  Hollis made
some adjustments to his Soulspeed 1989 Honda Civic Si and came from
behind to knock off first-day leader Corey Ridgick, of Allentown, Pa.,
by a scant 0.066-sec., while Whipple wound up third in his
Ralleydecals.com/Fun Hondas 1993 Honda Civic behind Ridgick's Phoenix
Performance 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS.  

 

Though his TCKline.com/BMW2002.com/SoloRacer 1989 BMW 325i nearly gave
in to throttle problems, Alex Shchipkov, of New Albany, Ohio, coaxed his
ride just enough to wind up on top of D Street Prepared by 0.040-sec.
over Mike Shields, of Temple, N.H.  While Shields watched Shchipkov
snare the lead by recording his best runs on each course on his final
attempts, he also had to narrowly escape third-place competitor Cliff
Rosenberg, of Chattanooga, Tenn., who nearly slid by Shields; finishing
a miniscule 0.009-sec. behind in the Fastech/Team Underdog 1997 BMW
328is.

 

Danielle Engstrom, of Frankfort, Ill., swept her portion of the Toledo
weekend, taking both the Ladies Challenge and Ladies 2 Class.  In the
Challenge final, Engstrom defeated Paula Whitney, of Magna, Utah, who
bobbled in a borrowed 1995 BMW M3.  The waiver was the deciding factor,
giving Engstrom the Challenge win.  

 

After a rare miscue that saw Beth McClure-Strelnieks, of Austin, Texas,
launch the Mini of Towson 2005 Mini Cooper S she was driving backwards
in her semifinal match up with Whitney, she recovered to beat Kyung
Wootton to claim third place.

 

With the completion of the regular season, all eyes now turn to Forbes
Field, in Topeka, Kan., for The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Finale, which
will decide each and every class points race.  The Finale will serve as
a precursor to The Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships at Forbes,
which will host more than 1100 Soloists over a four-day span beginning
Sept. 13.  

 

For more information, including full results and schedules, visit 
www.scca.com <http://www.scca.com/> .

 

-30-

 

Photo Credit: Karen Kraus

Photo Caption: Danielle Engstrom flies through one of her runs en route
to sweeping the Ladies Challenge and Ladies 2 class in Toledo on Sunday.

Curt K.
_______________
Curtis Kitchen
Public Relations Manager
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Inc.
ckitchen@scca.com  
800-770-2055