Spec Racer: Black Wins Inaugural Grand Prix De Ste. Croix

21 August 2000

STE. CROIX, Que., Can. (August 20, 2000) - John Black, of Tahoe City, Calif. won Sunday’s inaugural Grand Prix de Ste. Croix, Round Eight of the Pro Spec Racer season. Keith Scharf, of St. Louis, Mo. and Chris Funk, of Kansas City, Kan. completed the top-three.

At the start, under damp conditions from an earlier heavy thundershower, numerous cars went off course in the banked corner one. While the cars rejoined, the lead duo of Scharf and Black pulled out a sizeable lead. The duo were pulling away from the rest of the field when a lap three full-course yellow, for a car in the wall in the second chicane, bunched the field back up. On the lap nine restart Funk, Bobby Sak, of West Bloomfields, Mich. and Jacques Villeneuve, of Quebec City, Que. made contact in corner one. Both Villeneuve and Sak were unable to continue, with Funk rejoining at the rear of the field. As the race progressed both Scharf and Black pulled away from the rest of the field, with a tight battled for third through sixth ensuing behind. On lap 28 Black passed Scharf for the lead going into corner one. Black began to slowly build a lead as Scharf’s tires went away. Black led the remainder of the race en route to a 18.612-seconds margin of victory. The win is Black’s first, third podium in 2000 and moves him into a tie for the points lead.

"It’s great to finally win,” said Black. “When your finishing third, you think winning is so far away. Now that I’ve won one I plan on doing it again and consider the championship a possibility.”

Driving the No. 82Tech Hyper V/Hunt Racing, Scharf got off to a good start on the damp track with his rain tires. As the race progressed his tires began to fad and he encountered brake problems. Scharf managed to hold of Black for the lead until lap 28. The podium finish is Scharf’s first since his win at Pikes Peak earlier in the year.

“It’s great to be back on the podium,” said Scharf. “The team really needed this result after the last few events. The car was hooked up at the start but my tires went away as it got dry and I lost my brakes. I’m real happy for John [Black].”

Funk, in the No. 0 Pearl St. Brewery/Hunt Racing, finished third after a wild race. Funk, who started second was involved in an incident in corner one on the restart. Rejoining the field at the back, Funk moved his way up to the front as the race progressed. The third place finish follows up his win in Memphis.

After the incident on the restart third place is great,” said Funk. To be honest I don’t know how I managed to finish where I did. Everything just seemed to fall into place.”

Completing the top-five was Neil Tilbor, of New Smyra, Fla. and Warren Stilwell, of Hartville, Ohio.

Ste. Croix, Que., Can. - Race results for Sunday's 42-lap, 46.20-mile Pro Spec Racer race at Circuit Ste. Croix, part of Le Grand Prix de Ste. Croix weekend, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out.

 1. (4), John Black, Tahoe City, Calif., Spec Racer, 42.
 2. (1), Keith Scharf, St. Louis, Mo., Spec Racer, 42.
 3. (2), Chris Funk, Kansas City, Mo., Spec Racer, 42.
 4. (5), Neil Tilbor, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Spec Racer, 42.
 5. (7), Warren Stilwell, Hartville, Ohio, Spec Racer, 42.
 6. (14), Kelly Toombs, Prairie Village, Kansas, Spec Racer, 42.
 7. (13), Trevor Hopwood, Prosperity, Pa., Spec Racer, 42.
 8. (11), Steve Rehkemper, Chicago, Ill., Spec Racer, 42.
 9. (3), Carl Harris, Houston, Texas, Spec Racer, 41.
10. (12), Ralph Mayfield, Houston, Texas, Spec Racer, 41.
11. (18), Slim Bryant, Conway, N.H., Spec Racer, 41.
12. (17), Richard Doty, Haddon Heights, N.J., Spec Racer, 41.
13. (15), Robey Clark, Dallas, Texas, Spec Racer, 39.
14. (9), John Bowden, Lawerence, Kansas, Spec Racer, 16, Crash.
15. (6), Bobby Sak, W. Bloomfields, Mich., Spec Racer, 9, Mech/Crash.
16. (10), Jacques Villeneuve, Quebec Canada, Spec Racer, 9, Mech/Crash.
17. (8), Shawn Morrison, Conway, N.H., Spec Racer, 1, Crash.
18. (16), Jeff Sweet, Alexandria, Va., Spec Racer, 0, Crash.

Time of race: 37 minutes, 45.202 seconds.
Average speed: 73.423 miles-per-hour
Margin of victory: 18.611 seconds
Lap leaders: # 82    1- 27  Keith Scharf
             # 17    28- 42  John Black

Fastest race lap: Carl Harris, 0:46.949 (84.346 mph)