MARRS I - 2005 - Race Results
The first Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series race of the year saw tremendous swings in the weather, new competition, borrowed competition, a new paint scheme, and a surprise new winner.
The Sisu Racing team spent the winter repairing damage to the Nissan 240sx. Last season was a tough one on the old car. We spent many hours pulling out the bent metal and replacing parts that needed replacing. We also found some small maintenance items to address. However, no major improvements were made.
Having won the ITA Championship last year, we entered the season on a high note and wanting to maintain the momentum into the new season. Last season, the first race of the year was likely the hardest as we were continually hit by an out-of-region visitor (Tom Blaney). This years out-of-towners were faster but also more considerate of our sheet metal.
Determined to strike out on the right foot, we pushed really hard in the first qualifying session on old tires and qualified a respectable 3rd under ideal weather. Unfortunately, the session was held up by a number of questionable concepts of driving from fellow competitors; including a red flag for a car that rolled several times in the carousel. Avoiding all of the stupidity was equally important to gaining a fast time. Nipping at our heals were two very fast Acura Integras from New York. Probably the most shocking was the new entry to the ITA group of Bret DePedro in a Mazda Miata, he was a tenth of a second faster than the Sisu Racing Nissan. Our old nemesis, Gregg Ginsberg in a Honda CRX was on the provisional pole with a 1:29.2, 3/10s faster than the Nissan.Content with our provisional qualifying time, we hoped for a faster track in the afternoon session. The track was definitely not faster as the skies opened up and the ran fell just as we started up the car for the session. Along with most of our competitors, we decided that entering the track would be tracherous and called it a day. The fast times of the morning session would hold.
Over night the weather took a turn north towards the North Pole. Seeing the occasional snow flake saw us wanting to get in our nice cozy, warm drivers suit and get in the car. Trouble was we had to wait for the afternoon. The weather stayed brutally cold...
The race would prove 'interesting'. The first four cars were all different. Honda CRX, Mazda Miata, Nissan 240sx, and Acura Integra - all within 4 tenths of a second in qualifying. At the drop of the green, the Honda covered the inside line and we followed him into the braking zone of turn 1. He never allowed us room to move and the outside was filled by the Miata. Stuck going into one on the inside, the DePedro Miata gave us about 6 inches less room than we needed and contact was made. We both got squirrelly but we both maintained control as the field checked up going into turn 1. Coming out of the turn 1/2 combination it was Ginsberg, Dohne in the Sisu Racing Nissan, DePedro, and the Integra.
Entering turn 5 a little hot, Ginsberg spins the Honda and we get by into first place. That was to be short-lived as the DePedro Miata would show its speed through the carousel and pass the Sisu Racing Nissan coming out of 8 and heading up the hill. The Acura would also get by going down the front straight. We pushed hard to consolidate our position in third place ahead of a battle of last year's season runner-up and a second Acura from New York. The race from there was somewhat uneventful, we stayed close to the Acura but never really threatened for second position. In the closing laps, there was oil put down in the carousel so that pushing real hard was not wise considering that the 4th place car was well back and the second place car was not running for points. All-in-all a good start to the year. We are second in points as we head to Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia in two weeks time. Last year we took a third and first in two races at VIR.
Finishing Position Name Car Laps Fast-Lap 1 Bret DePedro Mazda Miata 16 1:28.162 2 Kirk Dohne Nissan 240sx 16 1:29.198 3 Chris McClary Honda CRX 16 1:29.686 4 Bill Hollinger III Mazda Miata 16 1:29.987 5 Brad Barnhouse Honda Civic 16 1:30.280 6 Gregg Ginsberg Honda CRX 16 1:28.333 7 Sean Christie Honda Civic 16 1:31.479 8 John Cummins Mazda RX3 16 1:31.638 9 Brent Simonson Mazda RX7 16 1:31.365 10 Matthew Yip VW GTI 16 1:31.623 11 Larry Schiro VW Scirocco 16 1:30.600 12 Bill Hollinger Jr Mazda Miata 16 1:32.463 13 Matt Rowe Dodge Shelby Charger 15 1:34.126 14 Mark Johnston Nissan 240sx 15 1:34.197 15 William Weaver Mazda RX7 15 1:34.360 16 Art Jaso Toyota MR2 15 1:35.106 17 William Bifulco Mazda Miata 15 1:34.372 18 Jason Fields Nissan 240sx 15 1:34.607 19 Carolyn Bayer-Broring Nissan Sentra SER 15 1:37.137 20 Alan Hummel Toyota MR2 14 1:41.165 21 Kurt Genatowski BMW 2002 Tii 13 1:33.497