2015 Mid-Season Competition Update

[blindsidefive0]

If you want a chance to get into COMSCC's event at Palmer Motorsports Park on Saturday/Sunday, August 1/2, you had better be as fast behind the keyboard as you are behind the steering wheel. COMSCC events are selling out like George Lucas so sign-up now...if you can get in: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/pa ... auaHflViko

We should start selling tickets for admission just to watch the COMSCC Time Trials...the mid-season showdown at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park brought in a monster field which showcased the level of talent in the club - a number of Super Class records were shattered and blood-pumping battles persisted throughout the Touring classes. Just 3 events remain (Palmer, Mosport, NHMS), and most classes are still up for grabs.

Thompson Event Results are up: http://comscc.org/events/results/view/?id=2015-07-18
Lap records are updated: http://comscc.org/events/track-records/
Season standings refreshed: http://comscc.org/events/results/view/?id=2015-final
On to the TSMP highlights...

Touring 30 - Mikhael El-Bayeh (2nd) earned his COMSCC license, but he was a tenth behind back-to-back winner Stephen Hosker (1st). John Riopel (3rd) returns with a new powerplant, but Hosker, El-Bayeh, and Perrault top the T30 class championship with a 7-point spread between them.

Touring 40 - Move over T50...T40 is now COMSCC's biggest class. Scott Rosnick (1st) is absolutely ice cold week-after-week, edging out 2014 T40 Champion Derek Tangard (2nd) by just 2 tenths. Robert Ready (3rd) rounded out the podium with Tom Cannon (5th) right behind COMSCC boomerang Matt Daniels (4th). Rosnick has built a bit of a lead in the class championship, but I suspect that Tangard knows what he needs to do.

Touring 50 - Jeff Wasilko (1st) bounces back after NHMS, but Troy Velazquez (2nd) put on a show of his own. Velazquez earned his best finish in T50 and strung together 3 laps within 49 thousandths. Yes, I said thousandths. Dave Lemoine (3rd) was hoping for rain... Jeff Baker (4th) was right there, rounding out the all-instructor class. Wasilko is now in front, but he has his work cutout to maintain the lead over Lemoine...I hear 2014 T50 and COMSCC Driver Champion Chad Fox may grace us with his presence in the final stretch, and 2013 T50 and COMSCC Driver Champion Dave Wittmer should be done unpacking boxes by now.

Touring 60 - The toss-up class... New to COMSCC and PCA racer Jazon Woz (1st) picked up the win and T60 lap record with his Spec Boxster, edging out 2011 Nissan GT Academy Silverstone finalist Andre Gomes (2nd) in his showroom-esque '15 Mustang GT. 2015 class leader Victor Laren (3rd) rounded out the podium and retains his class lead by 4 points, but a long list of competitors could make a late-season run for the championship, including 2014 Class Champion Howard Roundy (DN-Show-up), Health Speckman (4th), Roe Cole (5th), Emilio Arce (6th), and Classroom Instructor Stephan de Penasse (7th). Will we see more of Woz and Gomes down the stretch? Will Laren bounce back at Palmer to extend his class lead? Can Roundy make some magic happen to repeat his class championship? Tune in on ESPN...err...just show up at Palmer.

Touring 70 - Yet another class decided by just 2 tenths or less as Stephen Tise and Jon Cowen put on a show. However, it was Cowen (1st) who executed in the Time Trial for the narrow victory over Tise (2nd). Norbert Martel (4th) and high-horsepower newcomers John McGrath (3rd) and Cary Bentley (5th) all fared well in the large class. This was a big event for Cowen, cutting Tise's season championship lead to 3 points - this should be good...

Touring 80 - Nick Fontana (1st) picks up his 4th straight win with a T80 record of 1:18.2. Perhaps 2-time COMSCC Deutsche Autofahrer Anerkennung winner Nick Derosa will make an appearance...with his "real" car... With a 4th place or better at Palmer, Fontana will lock the T80 championship.

Touring 90 - At the trophy presentation, Laura Fleming (1st) breathed a huge sigh of relief...I guess a 4 second victory and new lap record is a "close call" for Fleming these days. Bob Shake-N-Bake Brooks (2nd) is sick of weddings and is getting comfortable again in his old ride. Nonetheless, a podium for Fleming at Palmer means securing back-to-back T90 class championships.

Touring 100 - Bob Cairns (2nd) was loving his new aero pieces, but it wasn't enough for Donald Piette (1st, lap record) who picked up an extra test day prior the event. With 8 points between them for the class championship, can Bob Cairns make a late season run to defend his 2014 T100 Championship? Piette made the comparison between Hunt and Lauda...sure, we'll go with that...just make sure one of you doesn't beat up a corner worker at Mosport like Hunt did to a volunteer marshall at the same track in '77.

Super D - Greg Hosselbarth (1st, lap record) is putting together quite the season...all he needs now are some more competitors to beat. Any takers?

Super C - Will Martins (1st) bounced back with his first win since NHMS-1, now tying Gordon Andrade (2nd) for the Super C class championship. John Spain (3rd) took the Frankenspec to the podium, and Nick Leung (4th) is back in the game with his ever-developing Integra GS-R. Peter Fontana (DN-Show-up) needs to get his priorities straight, missing a 13-point event after a big win at NHMS-2. Did I mention Super C is all tied up? Essentially starting from scratch, Andrade and Martins have only 3 events to try to best one another.

Super B - Nick Coutu (1st) dusted the old SB record with a 1:17 in the Cayman. Maybe there was a Foosh family reunion that kept the COMSCC-power-family from defending their lap records (Mike, Sarah)? On the season, John French (4th) maintains his class lead, but Daniel Preston (3rd) has cut it to just 4 points as we head to Palmer.

Super A - Butch had to pack it up early, but Tom Greer (1st) didn't mind. Bill McMahon (3rd) had a nice Time Trial, right behind Dana Johnston (2nd). On the season, Greer holds a slim 2-point lead over Johnston, but I'd look for King to make a push at the last few events.

Super Unlimited - Finally, a proper Super Unlimited car...Michael Jacques (1st, obviously) ran a 1:07 in his Formula Atlantic...as in 67 seconds. More, please. It was good to see Dan Darcy (2nd) bouncing back - he's your class leader with a good shot to hang on down the stretch.


OK you track rats, it's finally time to start talking 2015 COMSCC Driver Champion. Unlike class championships, there are no drops. Prediction: 2015 Class Champion will need to sweep the final 3 events. Here are your leaders:

1) 50.75 points, Jeff Wasilko (T50)
2) 50.50 points, Scott Rosnick (T40)
3) 50.00 points, Nick Fontana (T80)
4) 49.50 points, Laura Fleming (T90)
5) 49.25 points, Donald Piette (T100)
6) 48.25 points, Greg Hosselbarth (SD)
7) 45.50 points, Stephen Tise Jr. (T70)
8T) 44.75 points, Will Martins (SC)
8T) 44.75 points, Gordon Andrade (SC)
10) 42.50 points, Jon Cowen (T70)

With that, we head into the latter half of the 2015 season. Also, it's time to start thinking about Mosport: Registration for the August 31/September 1 event (13 points) is now open: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/mo ... au_zflViko

[offcamber09]

Once again- A great write-up Nick- Thank you.
btw: George Lucas would like to have a chat with you.