TRANS AM: Miller declared Long Beach winner after last lap thrown-out
17 April 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
LONG BEACH, Calif.- Johnny Miller, driving the No. 64 Automationdirect.com/UPS Chevrolet Corvette, scored his first career BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series victory at the Johnson Controls 100 presented by Simple Green, part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, while Chris Neville finished second and Tomy Drissi came in third.
Drissi, driving the No. 15 Drissi Advertising Ford Mustang Cobra, had initially been declared the race winner after surviving a final lap melee that took out Miller, Neville, Lou Gigliotti and Randy Ruhlman, with Willy T. Ribbs and Bob Ruman scored as the second and third-place finishers, respectively. After review of the final lap of the 34-lap, 66.912-mile timed race, it was determined that the 35th lap had occurred after the 60-minute race time had expired, and the official finishing order was decided by the running order at the end of lap 34, at 60:00:01.733.
Upon review of the race at Long Beach, it has been determined that the 60-minute time limit had expired prior to the start of the 35th lap. In accordance with Article 9.4.3 and 9.4.3.2 of the SCCA Pro Racing PRR (rule book), the correct finishing order reverts to the order during the full course caution at the end of lap 34, said John Martinsen, BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series Chief Steward. The elapsed time when car No. 64 (John Miller) crossed the start/finish line at the end of lap 34 was 60 minutes 1.733 seconds.
Specifically, the final green flag was thrown after 59 minutes, 59.040 seconds had elapsed, but by the time Millers car crossed the start/finish line, 60 minutes, 1.733 seconds had elapsed, and the race was officially over (although not declared so at the time, resulting in the additional lap after time had expired). The BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series typically contests lap-count events, but various races each season are conducted as timed events due to external restrictions.
Miller, of Johnson City, Tenn., started the race fourth but ran in third for much of the contest that was slowed by four full-course cautions for 10 laps. When pole-sitter Brian Simo, in the No. 88 Tommy Bahama Qvale Mangusta, was forced to pit with a flat tire on lap 18, Miller advanced to second behind Paul Gentilozzi, in the No. 1 Johnson Controls/HomeLink Jaguar XKR, who had claimed the lead from the opening lap. Gentilozzi dropped from the lead on lap 28 with a broken valve train, elevating Miller to the front position with Neville, in the No. 84 Soenen Motorsports Mustang Cobra, and Drissi following closely behind in second and third, respectively.
On lap 30 the final caution of the race came out, giving Miller his first career victory in 58 starts, as he led the field through lap 34 to a lap 35 restart that was deleted from the final results.
Tomy drove a stellar race, and I empathize with him and the situation, said Miller. But I feel we earned this win. Weve worked really hard to be here and it shows in our race performance.
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Results from Sundays 60-minute timed, 34-lap, 66.912-mile Johnson Controls 100 presented by Simple Green BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out.
1. (4), Johnny Miller, Johnson City, Tenn., Chevrolet Corvette, 34.
2. (11), Chris Neville, Scottsdale, Ariz., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
3. (6), Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
4. (2), Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich., Jaguar XKR, 34.
5. (10), Lou Gigliotti, Dallas, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette, 34.
6. (5), Randy Ruhlman, Greensboro, N.C., Oldsmobile Aurora, 34.
7. (13), Willy T. Ribbs, San Jose, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 34.
8. (17), Bob Ruman, Munroe Falls, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 34.
9. (16), Steve Pelke, Lansing, Ill., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
10. (30), Claudio Burtin, Cartersville, Ga., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
11. (18), John Macaluso, Winter Heaven, Fla., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
12. (23), Peter Shea, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
13. (19), Don Sak, W. Bloomfield, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette, 34.
14. (25), Gary Johnson, Knoxville, Tenn., Ford Mustang Cobra, 34.
15. (21), Mike Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra,
34.
16. (22), Simon Gregg, Jacksonville, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, 34.
17. (1), Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif., Qvale Mangusta, 34.
18. (27), Frank Cioppettini, Far Hills, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 34.
19. (29), C. David Seuss, Charlestown, Mass., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 34.
20. (20), Ken Murillo, Santa Rosa, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 34.
21. (28), Dick Greer, Columbus, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 33.
22. (24), Jerry Kinn, Anchorage, Alaska, Chevrolet Corvette, 29,
n.a..
23. (15), Jack Willes, Cornelius, N.C., Chevrolet Camaro, 28, Mech.
24. (8), Jeff Altenburg, Baltimore, Md., Jaguar XKR, 28, n.a..
25. (7), John Paul Jr., West Palm Beach, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette, 24,
n.a..
26. (12), Mike Lewis, San Diego, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 17,
n.a..
27. (31), Kerry Alexander, Indianapolis, Ind., Chevrolet Camaro, 10,
Mech.
28. (3), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Pontiac GP, 9, Crash.
29. (9), Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 3, Mech.
30. (14), G.J. Mennen, Austin, Texas, Chevrolet Camaro, 2, Mech.
31. (26), Jim Briody, Cherry Hill, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 2, Mech.
Time of race: 1 hour, 1.733 seconds.
Average speed: 66.879 miles-per-hour
Margin of victory: under caution
Lap leaders: laps 1-27, Gentilozzi; laps 28-34, Miller
Fastest race lap: Brian Simo, 1:23.541 (84.806 mph), lap 16
Cautions: four for 10 laps
Drivers Championship Point Standing - Three Race Total
Position, driver, car, points, prize money
1, Chris Neville, Ford Mustang, 77, $34,700
2, Brian Simo, Qvale Mangusta, 75, $47,300
3, Paul Gentilozzi, Jaguar XKR, 66, $25,550
4, Lou Gigliotti, Chevy Corvette, 62, $18,200
5, Tomy Drissi, Ford Mustang, 51, $17,250
6, Bob Ruman, Chevy Corvette, 52, $13,300
7, Randy Ruhlman, Olds Aurora, 42, $12,700
8, Steve Pelke, Ford Mustang, 40, $9,300
9, Johnny Miller, Chevy Corvette, 39, $23,100
10, Willy T. Ribbs, Chevy Camaro, 39, $9,400
11, Gary Johnson, Ford Mustang, 32, $6,000
12, Leighton Reese, Pontiac Grand Prix, 30, $9,750
13, Jack Willes, Chevy Camaro, 29, $10,850
14, Mike Davis, Ford Mustang, 25, $4,800
15, Peter Shea, Ford Mustang, 25, $4,700
16, Simon Gregg, Chevy Camaro, 24, $7,800
17, Jim Briody, Chevy Camaro, 24, $5,900
18, G.J. Mennen, Chevy Camaro, 19, $7,800
19, Don Meluzio, Chevy Camaro, 18, $3,500
20, Jerry Kinn, Chevy Corvette, 17, $3,800
21, Mike Lewis, Ford Mustang, 16, $7,700
22, Bill Bentley, Chevy Camaro, 16, $3,400
23, Jon Leavy, Chevy Camaro, 16, $2,700
24, Claudio Burtin, Ford Mustang, 16, $2,700
25, John Macaluso, Ford Mustang, 15, $3,000
26, Jeff Altenburg, Jaguar XKR, 14, $5,500
27, C. David Seuss, Olds Cutlass, 14, $2,600
28, Don Sak, Chevy Corvette, 13, $5,400
29, Andre Toennis, Chevy Camaro, 12, $1,900
30, Richard La Barbera, Ford Mustang, 10, $1,600
31, Jerry Simmons, Chevy Camaro, 9, $1,500
32, Frank Cioppettini, Chevy Camaro, 8, $2,100
33, Tim Cowen, Ford Mustang, 8, $1,400
34, Bruce Dewey, Chevy Camaro, 8, $1,400
35, John Paul Jr., Chevy Corvette, 6, $2,100
36, Dan Furey, Chevy Camaro, 6, $1,200
37, Steve Ahlgrim, Chevy Corvette, 6, $1,200
38, Ken Murillo, Chevy Camaro, 6, $1,200
39, Kerry Alexander, Chevy Camaro, 5, $2,900
40, Dick Greer, Chevy Corvette, 5, $1,100
41, Stu Hayner, Chevy Camaro, 4, $2,700
42, Monica Kolvyn, Chevy Camaro, 1, $1,000
43, Boris Said, Ford Mustang, 1, $1,000
Text provided by Greg Rubenstein
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos
and racing art, please visit The Racing Image
Galleries and The
Visions of Speed Art Gallery .