Palmer-2 Competition Update

[blindsidefive0]

While it’s hard to believe, only 2 COMSCC Time Trial events remain in 2015. This has been one of the most exciting seasons in memory with 10 COMSCC Class Championships still up for grabs and 7 drivers still in the hunt for the 2015 COMSCC Overall Driver Championship. Needless to say, if you want to win, Mosport is mandatory…but that’s not a bad thing. While Palmer is a true gift to New England racers, it’s no Mosport. If you’ve been to Mosport before, there’s a good chance it’s your favorite track on earth. Mosport has 8 corners that you won’t find anywhere – Jackie Stewart said that Turn 2 is one of the most challenging corners in the world. Keep in mind that Mosport has no sound limit, the opportunity for 2 days of instruction, and more track time than you can handle (guys have racked up 500+ track miles at prior events). Register now: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/mo ... b9XGflViko

COMSCC’s 2nd event at the new Palmer Motorsports Park saw some mid-summer heat and event hotter class battles. Classroom Instructor Stephan de Penasse commented that this was the “Best weekend ever racing at Palmer.” It’s hard to disagree - event results, updated lap records, season standings, and highlights below…

Palmer-2 Event Results: http://comscc.org/events/results/view/?id=2015-08-02
Lap records: http://comscc.org/events/track-records/
Season standings: http://comscc.org/events/results/view/?id=2015-final

Super Unlimited – good friends Dan Darcy and Mark Stellato photo finished with Stellato (1st) getting the better of Darcy (2nd) by 45 thousandths of a second. You have to go back a couple years in the history books to find a closer finish. Darcy still maintains a sizeable SU Class Championship lead, but if Stellato makes the trip to Canada, he could have a shot at the SU Championship at the NHMS finale in October.

Super A – Aubrey Bout (1st) made his 2015 debut in style with a win, but Dana Johnston (2nd) made the biggest impact in the season standings, taking the lead from Thomas Greer (DQ). Johnston takes his 7 point margin to Mosport, but there’s just enough time left on the clock for Greer to make a push for the championship.

Super B – John French (2nd) dropped 4 seconds off of his Palmer 1 time, but it wasn’t quick enough to hang with Daniel Preston (1st) who earned his first COMSCC TT win and lap record. French and Preston will head to Mosport with just 2 points between them and David Coutu’s Cayman not far behind.

Super C – Pete McParland (1st) finally found some decent tires and put the hurt on Super C for the lap record. 2nd through 4th were separated by less than 1/4s with John Spain (2nd), Gordon Andrade (3rd), and Peter Fontana (4th) all driving hard. Andrade will carry a narrow Super C Championship lead over the border, but Pete McParland’s lodging is already booked and Chief Instructor Will Martins will be back for his favorite track.

Super D – Greg Hosselbarth (1st) improved on his lap record, Luke Skywalker-ing his own father (Bill, 2nd) and Mark Swinehart (3rd) in the process. Greg Hosselbarth will be the Super D Class Champion, but that’s not stopping him from going to Mosport to try to extend his streak of 8 consecutive wins.

Touring 100 – Badass Bob Cairns (1st) strikes back, putting down an FTD and T100 record setting time of 1:43.5. Donald Piette’s (2nd) GT-R had a funky steering column issue in the TT, but he still managed a 1:45…not sure how. Piette’s T100 Championship lead is down to 6 points, but Canada doesn’t have enough freedom for Cairns – a win for Piette and no-show by Cairns at Mosport would mean a T100 Class Championship for Piette.

Touring 90 – Laura Fleming (1st) almost tried to suggest that someone else might be a bigger sandbagger than she… Nice try, Laura. Fleming nipped her old track record, dipping into the :45’s, and securing back-to-back COSMCC T90 Class Championships. However, let’s not forget about David Reddington (2nd) and Bob BBQ Brooks (3rd) who fought for 2nd place with just 18 thousandths between them.

Touring 80 – Nick Derosa (2nd) made a good showing, driving his BMW in a COMSCC TT for the first time in over 12 months. However, it was Nick Fontana (1st) who got the win with a 1:44-flat, missing another Palmer FTD by ~1/2s. The battle for the final podium spot was decided by 64 thousandths of a second with Brew Charles (3rd) edging out newly licensed Nelson Barros (4th). Fontana has locked T80 for the season, but both he and Derosa will be at Mosport for some fun.

Touring 70 – Monster field, but an even bigger finish for Stephen Tise Jr. (1st), setting a lap record 1:46.7 and getting the win over Jon Cowen (2nd) by exactly 1 second. DJ McArdle (3rd) was back and put together a good TT to round out the podium, edging Porsche drivers Norbert Martel (4th, 944T) and Alex Kuklov (5th, 997 GT3). Tise now has to pack his bags for Mosport if he wants to complete the comeback against Cowen. With the drop, these two guys are actually tied – it will literally come down to Mosport and the NHMS season finale. Grab the popcorn.

Touring 60 – Victor Larin (1st) picked up his 3rd win with a low 1:51 in what is becoming an impressive rookie season. Roe Cole (2nd) and Health Speckman (3rd) were also in the :51’s with only 54 thousandths between them…another photo finish for a podium position. Larin now holds an 8-point lead, but Speckman, Roundy, and Cole are still in the mix – I’m guessing we’ll see these guys in Canada.

Touring 50 – Jeff Wasilko (1st) edged out his old track record with a 1:49.3 and extended his T50 championship lead. Dave Lemoine (2nd) was also in the :49’s with Troy Velazquez (3rd) registering a low :50. Despite winning 4 events this year, Wasilko knows that no lead is safe in T50. Chad Fox hopes to rest between sessions at Mosport in his fancy 2014 Driver’s Championship chair, possibly with corresponding trophy on display. Also, Dave Wittmer will likely take out frustrations surrounding his “new” dud tires on the competition.

Touring 40 – Somehow he gets better every single event: Scott Rosnick (1st, 1:52-flat) beat the competition, and his own track record, by over a second. With a few more point-bys in group 2, perhaps Derek Tangard (2nd) could have found the pace to close the gap. Rosnick controls his own destiny for the T40 Championship, but Tangard is hungry for a win at Mosport – Tangard got the best of Rosnick the last time COMSCC ventured out of New England; can he do the same in Canada?

Touring 30 – These guys are easily having the most fun in the entire club. John Riopel (3rd) found his way back to the podium, but it was COMSCC TT rookie Mikhael El-Bayeh (1st) with the win over Stephen Hosker (2nd) after El-Bayeh improved his own record with a 1:56. DJ Steve Cohen (4th) is booked up for the rest of the season – see you next year, Steve! As for the T30 championship, El-Bayeh’s win cuts Hosker’s lead to just 2 points. With Hosker owning the tie-breaker, El-Bayeh needs back-to-back wins to keep Hosker from completing a championship repeat – it’s like a made-for-TV movie or something.

As COMSCC competitors dig through drawers to find their passports, here’s how the Driver Championship points are shaking out. Now there is no question: the 2015 COMSCC Driver Champion will need to win both Mosport and the NHMS finale.

1) 62.2 points: Jeff Wasilko (T50)
2T) 61.4 points: Scott Rosnick (T40)
2T) 61.4 points: Nick Fontana (T80)
4) 60.4 points: Laura Fleming (T90)
5) 59.4 points: Greg Hosselbarth (SD)
6) 58.2 points: Donald Piette (T100)
7) 57.0 points: Stephen Tise Jr. (T70)


Those are your COMSCC Palmer-2 highlights and updated Driver Championship standings. Just for fun, here’s the full IMSA race held at Mosport just a couple weeks ago:

Signed-up yet? In case you don’t feel like scrolling up, here’s the registration link one more time: http://www.motorsportreg.com/events/mos ... b97JvlViko

See you in Bowmanville…

[Bobc]

Another great job Mr Fontana your updates never fail to entertain. BTW Thanks for putting the perfect "for my car " line thru turn one on display that was huge, so indirectly you may have beaten your self for FTD at palmer......
Thanks
Bob Cairns

[Stise]

Good read Nick, thanks for posting.

[blindsidefive0]

Thanks, guys!

Bob, you earned that FTD fair and square...you drove the damn lap!

[breakaway500]

Yes indeed. Bob earned it tenth by tenth.Sweat and grease. He put it all together at a tough challenging track. Being pitted next to Bob and Laura made me appreciate what a lot of hard work and desire can accomplish. Well done!
(..and good to see a Corvette at the top of the Corvettes of Massachusetts car club event too!)

[Rotary-Amuse]

Great write up Nick

Congrats to all the top finishers!

[ED9man]

Awesome!