SCCA: Cooper takes Speedvision GT opener at Charlotte
1 April 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CONCORD, N.C. Bill Cooper, of Bozeman, Mt., recovered from a poor start to dominate the Speedvision World Championship GT race at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte. Reese Cox, of Marietta, Ga., and Peter Kitchak, of Minneapolis, Minn., completed the top three.
Cooper, driving the No. 01 Les Stanford/Pirate Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5, started from the pole, but fell to third on the series' first-ever standing start, as third-fastest qualifier David Schardt's Porsche 911 GT3 Cup took the point. Following a caution for a turn-one accident, Cooper re-took the lead on lap six and never looked back, taking a 2.993 second win over Cox, averaging 86.594 mph in the 65.25-mile contest.
Cooper almost didn't make the race, as his car was damaged in a qualifying incident after taking the pole.
"We're very lucky," said Cooper, who enjoyed his sixth-career win. "Even though I got the pole, qualifying was a disaster as we messed the car up on the second lap. We're happy to be back. The new car brought a lot of enthusiasm to the team and today it really paid off."
Cox ran fourth at the start and moved to third with the retirement of defending series champion Bobby Archer's Dodge Viper, who suffered an engine failure. Cox followed Schardt until the final lap of the race, when he passed for second. Schardt slid wide in the corner and spun. His stricken Porsche was then collected by the Ferrari 355 of Matt Drendel. Neither driver was seriously injured. Cox's second place was his career best.
"If people knew how hard we worked back in the shop, and what went on there, they'd be amazed we even make it to the races, let alone finish second," said Cox, driver of the No. 98 MTI Racing Corvette C5. "This is awesome. Hopefully a result like this will attract some sponsorship for the team."
Driving the No. 3 Keewaydin/Toad Hall Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Kitchak ran a steady race to finish third. Having finished second in the 1999 Championship by a single point, Kitchak switched to a new car for 2000, and steadily moved up from his sixth starting spot to earn his seventh-career podium finish.
"We've got some work to do on the new car," said Kitchak. "It's a good car, but we've still got a ways to go. The car got very loose in the cornersvery loose in the banking. I actually had to lift in NASCAR turn four because it was oversteering. We're here this year to prove we're the best car. We thought we were last year, but we're going to have to try again this year."
Series rookie Justin Jackson, of Alpharetta, Ga., finished fourth, ahead of Peter Cunningham, of W. Bend, Wis., who earned the Borla Performance Award for his effort.
CONCORD, N.C. Results from the 45-minute, 65.25-mile Round One of the Speedvision World Challenge GT Championship from Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte, with position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car, laps complete and reason out, if any.
1. (1), Bill Cooper, Bozeman, Mont., Corvette C5, 29.
2. (4), Reese Cox, Marietta, Ga., Corvette C5, 29.
3. (6), Peter Kitchak, Minneapolis, Minn., Porsche GT3 Cup, 29.
4. (7), Justin Jackson(R), Alpharetta, Ga., Porsche 993 RSR, 29.
5. (8), Peter Cunningham, W. Bend, Wis., BMW M3, 29.
6. (13), Dale White(R), Las Vegas, Nev., Porsche GT3 Cup, 29.
7. (10), Paul Brown, Omaha, Neb., Saleen Mustang, 29.
8. (23), Jeff McMillin, Erie, Pa., BMW M3, 29.
9. (17), Derek Bell, Pagham Sussex, England, Audi S4 Comp., 29.
10. (9), Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Sherrils Ford, N.C., Lotus Esprit T,
29.
11. (15), Scott Bove(R), Avon Lake, Ohio, Porsche GT3 Cup, 29.
12. (16), David Farmer, Albemarle, N.C., Corvette C5, 29.
13. (39), Danny Kellermeyer(R), Ortonville, Mich., Corvette C5, 29,
Susp.
14. (3), David Schardt, Dayton, Ohio, Porsche GT3 Cup, 28, Crash.
15. (22), Daniel Eastman(R), Miami, Fla., Porsche 993 R, 28.
16. (19), Anthony DeMonte(R), Dix Hills, N.Y., Ford Mustang, 28.
17. (35), Thomas Safar II, Farmingdale, N.J., Saleen Mustang, 28.
18. (32), Mark J. Dixon, Longmont, Colo., PontiacFirebird, 28.
19. (14), Scotty B. White, Puyallup, Wash., Corvette C5, 28.
20. (27), Lynn D. Wilson(R), Westport, Conn., Porsche GT3 Cup, 28.
21. (30), Walter Dethier, Warren, Conn., Saleen Cobra R, 28.
22. (20), Adam Merzon(R), Manhasset, N.Y., Porsche GT3 Cup, 28.
23. (33), Gennady Soykher, Ukraine, Porsche 993 RSR, 28.
24. (31), Phil Lasco(R), Fenton, Mich., Dodge Viper GTS, 28.
25. (36), Bill Black, Greensboro, N.C., Firebird, 27.
26. (34), Carol Hollfelder(R), Covina, Calif., Ferrari 355, 26.
27. (11), Matt Drendel(R), Hickory, N.C., Ferrari 355, 25, Crash.
28. (28), Peter Polli, Menden, Vt., Corvette, 21, n.a.
29. (24), Kelly Bradley, Hitchcock, Texas, Corvette, 20, Mech.
30. (2), Bobby Archer, Ft. Worth, Texas, Dodge Viper GTS, 18, Mech.
31. (12), Butch Leitzinger(R), State College, Pa., Lotus Esprit T, 17,
n.a.
32. (29), Rael(R), Valcourt, Ontario, Lotus Esprit T, 15, n.a.
33. (37), Richard Ford(R), Baton Rouge, La., Toyota Supra T, 12, n.a.
34. (5), John Heinricy, Holly, Mich., Corvette C5, 8, Oil.
35. (18), Terry Lackey, Hitchcock, Texas, Corvette C5, 7, Spring.
36. (26), Jimmy Adams(R), Suffolk, Va., Dodge Viper GTS, 1, Cooling.
37. (21), Cory Friedman(R), Charleston, S.C., PorscheCarreara, 0,
Crash.
38. (25), Henry 'Trip' Goolsby, Murfreesboro, Tenn., Porsche 993 RSR,
0,
Crash.
Time of race: 45 minutes, 12.644 seconds.
Average speed: 86.594 miles-per-hour
Margin of victory: 2.9930 seconds
Lap leaders: Laps 1-5, No. 94 Schardt; laps 6-29, No. 01 Cooper.
Fastest race lap: Bobby Archer, 1:19.872 (101.412 mph)
Fastest qualifier: Bill Cooper, 1:19.390 (102.028 mph)
Cautions: One for five laps.
Text provided by Eric Prill
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