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Rhonda Konitzer and Curt LeDuc watch the opening ceremonies |
Once again, warm temperatures and sunny skies greeted the day to open Round 8 of the 2006 CORR Series. After getting in a round of racing on the redesigned track, drivers have settled into a rhythm getting around the track. The hairpin turn claimed a fair number of victims in Round 7 with a number of drivers rolling over after getting into the turn too fast. Pro-2 driver Scott Taylor was one of those getting caught while in the lead. After getting up on two wheels and giving up the lead he slowed and pulled off the track ending his chance at another win. Many of the drivers were out for practice in preparation for Round 8, no doubt still searching for the best line through the hairpin. In a change from Round 7, mandatory yellow flags were eliminated from the sportsman races. Kicking off the opening ceremony once again was the CORR Aerial team. Following the opening ceremonies, the single buggy division started the racing action for the weekend.
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Greg Boyer took the Single Buggy win |
In the single buggy race, Sean Kennedy made it through turn one first to take the early race lead. In 2 nd and 3 rd was John Grossini and Greg Boyer. Boyer quickly took the lead in turn 3 using the inside line to put Kennedy and Grossini each back a position. Grossini held 3 rd through turn 4 but got a little sideways in turn 5 allowing Jeffery Knupp to sneak by for 3 rd. The 1 st and 2 nd drivers stretched out to a lead leaving the rest of the field to battle for 3 rd. The next change for 3 rd position occurred on lap 3 when Vic Bruckmann passed Knupp in turn 5 using the outside line. The action settled down for the next four laps until lap 7 when Grossini regained 3 rd getting by Bruckmann in turns 2 and 3. Grossini held onto 3 rd for the next four laps until rolling in turn 3 giving 3 rd back to Bruckmann.
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The Single Buggies leave the starting line |
Bruckmann soon had pressure from Cory Boyer over the final three laps but Boyer rolled in turn 6 on the final lap giving Bruckmann an easy drive through the final 3 turns. G. Boyer took the win with Kennedy and Bruckmann joining him on the podium in 2 nd and 3 rd. Fastest lap of the race was set by Rick Boyer with a time of 1:17.143.
Single Buggy Winner - Greg Boyer |
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Jerry Whelchel and Scott Taylor battle before the red flag |
The Pro 2 was a “crashtacular” race. The green flag fell and Scott Taylor took the holeshot. Hot on his bumper was Jerry Welchel and Travis Coyne. However, a big pile up in turn 3 involving Travis Coyne and Steve Barlow blocked the track for the rest of the field and the decision was made to red flag the race and do a complete restart. On the ensuing start, Taylor once again jumped out to the early lead but now it was Todd LeDuc and Steve Barlow in 2 nd and 3 rd. The top three got through the first five turns but on turn 6 Evan Evans leapt from 5 th to 3 rd sweeping by Barlow in 3 rd and Carl Renezeder in 4 th. The top four closed up over the next four laps and on lap 5 Evans made the pass on LeDuc in turn 6 for 2 nd on the inside line. Pushing hard, Evans caught up to Taylor on the next lap in turn 3 but cut down hard on the inside colliding with Taylor. Renezeder tiptoed through and took the lead with LeDuc on his bumper moving into 2 nd. Taylor recovered and got underway in 3 rd but ran off the course in turn 5 giving 3 rd to Scott Douglas. The top three were set over the next three laps until the mandatory yellow flat on lap 10.
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Scott Douglas flies off a jump in Pro-2 |
The yellow flag was extended an extra lap to allow the track crew to remove Welchel’s stricken truck and allow Kevin Probst to get rolling again. On the restart on lap 12, Evans and Dan Vanden Heuvel pushed by LeDuc and Douglas turn 3 to move up to 2 nd and 3 rd. Vanden Heuvel only held onto 3 rd through turn 6 when he got sideways and was pushed into traffic by LeDuc. Coyne took advantage of the contact and came out of the turn in 3 rd. On the following lap, Coyne slowed in turn 6 with mechanical problems giving 2 nd to Evans who also had problems and dropped out of the top three. Taking advantage was Probst, who moved into 2 nd, and Mike Oberg, who took over 3 rd. Oberg faced late pressure from Evans, who got running again and moved up to 4 th after passing Rhonda Konitzer. Evans fell back in turn 3 when he got up on two wheels allowing Oberg to put a little distance on Evans. In the meanwhile, Renezeder built his lead and cruised home to victory. Joining him on the podium was Probst in 2 nd and Oberg with his first Pro 2 podium in 3 rd. Renezeder also set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:06.212.
Pro-2 Winner - Carl Renezeder |
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Gary Nierop cruised to the easy win in Super Buggy |
Next up on the schedule was the super buggy division. Gary Nierop got the jump and the holeshot. Following in 2 nd was fellow country man Cory Heynen and rounding out 3 rd was Matt Kross. The top 3 had an uneventful first lap but on lap 2 Heynen rolled twice coming out of turn 4. Kross slid by for 2 nd and Heynen refired and continued on in the 3 rd position. On lap 4, Kross rolled in turn 3 giving 2 nd back to Heynen while Sam Berri moved up to 3 rd. On the following lap, Heynen had a flat rear tire slowing him up. Berri took advantage and made the pass for 2 nd on the front straight.
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Cory Heynen started fast but was sidelined by a flat tire early |
Heynen crippled by the flat tire gave up 3 rd two laps later to Eric Robinson. Six laps later, Jesse Rodriguez took 3 rd from Robinson making the pass on the front straight. On the next lap, Berri and Rodriguez pulled into the hot pits giving 2 nd and 3 rd to Milt Moore and Todd Stemmerman setting the top three for the final two laps. Nierop took the win with Moore coming in 2 nd and Stemmerman rounding out the top 3 in 3 rd. Nierop set the fastest lap with a time of 1:10.441.
Super Buggy Winner - Gary Nierop |
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Scott Douglas leads the Pro-4 field after the restart |
Adrian Cenni lead the Pro 4 field through turn 1 taking the early lead. Scott Douglas followed closely in 2 nd while Rick Huseman rounded out 3 rd. The top five closed up bumper to bumper over the next four laps and on lap five Johnny Greaves made the pass from 5 th to 3 rd in turn 6 using the inside line. On the following lap, Douglas and Greaves used the inside line on turn 6 again to pass Cenni for 1 st and 2 nd putting Cenni back to 3 rd. Two laps later, Greaves broke heading into turn 3 allowing Cenni to take 2 nd and Renezeder to move to 3 rd but honoring a black flag and pulling into the hot pits gave Huseman 3 rd again. The top three remained in order through the mandatory caution lap. Renezeder took advantage of the regroup passing Huseman in turn 5 on the outside. Huseman fought back on the next lap making the pass back in turn 6 but Renezeder kept up the pressure passing back for 3 rd in turn 1.
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Carl Renezeder was fast all race in his Pro-4 |
Still moving up, Renezeder caught Cenni and made the pass for 2 nd in turn 1. On the final lap three laps later, Renezeder caught Douglas in turn 6 and after contact took the lead coming through the dogleg and went on to win. Cenni took advantage of the contact sneaking by Douglas for 2 nd while Douglas was forced to settle for 3 rd. Results are still pending while awaiting a review of the last lap contact between Douglas and Renezeder. Fast lap of the race was set by Renezeder at 1:04.046.
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Jeff Kincaid swept the Pro-Lite division races |
The Pro Lite start once again saw Randy Eller pull the holeshot followed by Jeff Kincaid and Chad Hord. Hord made the pass by Kincaid in turn three to finish the first lap in 2 nd. On lap 2, Eller came into turn 5 too hot and ran off the end of the turn doing an endo. Hord took over the lead with Kincaid and Kyle LeDuc following in 2 nd and 3 rd. On lap four, the race was halted to clear Eller’s truck from the backside of turn 5. The race was restarted with a rolling start. Hord pushed wide on turn 3 allowing Kincaid to sneak by for the lead. Hord moved back to 2 nd while LeDuc maintained 3 rd.
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Randy Eller had the early lead before crashing out |
The top three maintained positions over the next five laps through the mandatory caution lap. On lap twelve, LeDuc caught Hord and made the pass for 2 nd in the dogleg. Hord continued to struggle and one lap later Rob Naughton made the pass for 3 rd in turn 1. The top three finished the final three laps without any changes in position. Kincaid took the win and swept the weekend series. LeDuc finished in 2 nd and Naughton took the final podium position in 3 rd. Kyle LeDuc set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:09.659.
Pro-Lite Winner - Jeff Kincaid |
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Photos by Jeremy Pyatskowit
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