June Sprints is Underway

ELKHART LAKE, June 19, 2009: They say the Chicago Region June Sprints are “not just another race,” and the 54th running of the event at Road America is shaping up to be no different. More than 500 entrants have made the trek to Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine region looking to claim the first jewel in the Chicago Region Triple Crown and get a shot at claiming the SCCA Club Racing Super Sweep.

After a beautiful start to the day, dark clouds began to creep across the Road America acreage late in the afternoon. The rain held off just long enough for Group One, including Spec Miata, Showroom Stock B, Showroom Stock C and Touring 3, to complete their final qualifying session of the weekend.

Richard Fisher, of Glencoe, Ill., came out quickest of the group in a Touring 3 Volkswagen GTi. Fisher paced the field with a 2:42.198 to take the provisional T3 pole. Former SCCA National Champion Toby Grahovec, of Chicago, Ill., claimed the SSB pole in a Classic BMW BMW Z4. Grahovec’s best lap was a 2:47.081. Jim Drago, of Memphis, Tenn., is the provisional polesitter in Spec Miata, posting a 2:46.531 in his Easy Street Auto Parts/E Street Racing Mazda Miata. In SSC, Gino Carini, of Fox Point, Wis., turned a 2:51.391 to claim the provisional pole in a Palermos/Hoosier/Mazdaspeed MAZDA3. Qualifying results from Group Three had still not gone final as this story went to press.

Wisconsin drivers head up the Formula 500 and Formula Vee classes composing Group Two. Bob Giesen, of Sherwood, Wis., is the provisional polesitter for F500 in his Subway/Hoosier Red Devil LD04, turning a 2:27.199, while 2007 Runoffs polesitter Michael Varacins, of Burlington, Wis., in a Speedsport Eng/Veetech/Hoosier Speed Sport AM5 leads the FV qualifiers with a 2:43.299.

After capturing three Triple Crown Awards in Formula Continental, Niki Coello, of East Troy, Wis., has made the switch to Formula 1000. Coello hasn’t missed a beat, leading Group Three qualifying behind the wheel of a PouredFoundations.com Van Diemen RF. Coello paced the 4.048-mile track with a 2:12.613. Also in Group Three, Scott Rettich, of Oxford, Ohio, sits on the Formula Enterprises provisional pole with a 2:16.519 in his Jay PDI/Hippi Racing FE.

2007 E Production National Champion Thomas Trash, of Houston, Texas, currently leads Group Four qualifying. Thrash entered a 2:29.952 in his Car/Longhorn Race/Goodyear Mazda RX-7. F Production was led by Mark Carpenter, of Charlotte, N.C., who turned a 2:35.577 in the Team GGS Racing/Goodyear Acura Integra. Driving a Honda CRX Si, Jim Dentici, of Oconomowoc, Wis., is the provisional polesitter in GT-Lite with a 2:37.821. Another Wisconsin driver, Daniel Meller, of West Allis, set the fastest H Production time in his Core Consulting Honda CRX, a 2:42.300.

Brian Scholfield, of Lakeland, Fla., has the dubious honor of sitting atop the 69-car strong Spec Racer Ford Field. In the first of two Group Five qualifying sessions, Schofield set a 2:38.277 in his PM Racing SRF.

Group One is the sole group to complete both qualifying sessions today. Groups Two, Three and Four are scheduled for their second qualifying sessions Saturday morning. Groups Six through Ten begin qualifying at 9:45 a.m. (CDT) Saturday. Groups One through Four will race Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m.