Ever since our big crash at last year’s June Sprints and putting Elana back together for the Runoffs, we’ve struggled just a bit in getting the set-up back where we wanted it to be. We never quite got the desired pace from her at the Runoffs, however, tricky track conditions at VIR played into our hand to give us a car good enough to win, with the exception of the one position penalty imposed on us for incidental contact in the opening lap. Plus, we continued to fight a porpoising effect at the end of very long straightaways. So, we decided to come to Road America early for two test days prior to the start of the Sprints weekend to try and sort things out.
Mother nature had other ideas than cooperating with our plan, though, and dry track time became very scarce because of all the rain throughout both test days and the first two days of the official event. We even qualified in the rain on Saturday where we developed a shifting issue from water getting into the wrong place. The one lap I did get in before the shifting problem started was good enough for the P1 pole and 4th in our run group behind a few P2 cars. The Saturday race started with a dry track, but rain was forecast at some point during the race. Almost every competitor started on slick tires.
I easily got around the P2 cars before the first corner and led until the last lap when rain started falling and created tricky conditions. Going into turn 1, I backed off a bit in the damp conditions which opened the door for the P1 defending Runoffs champion, Todd Vanacore, to make a bold move in his Elan DP02 and execute a great pass. I chased after him and the race was on as I drafted alongside of him into turn 5. The track was definitely getting wet now and we both slowed early and did pretty well side by side until Todd hit the gas just a bit too much on exit and started to spin right into my path. I had nowhere to go so we made fairly light contact and were stuck together for a while until I could get my car fired up and into reverse. We both motored away and I still finished 3rd in P1 and Todd was 4th. It had all the makings of a great race to the finish but not to be this time. See highlight reel below for close action with Vanacore on the last lap of race 1. Note the mph shown in the data is incorrect due to an Aim camera glitch.
Jason and crew fixed the minor damage on Elana overnight. On Sunday morning, the sun finally made a lasting appearance and a great day of racing lay ahead. Many of the run groups that ran before our late afternoon starting time had extended double yellow flag conditions and many races were even cut short due to a lot of wrecks. The last thing we wanted in group 8, our run group, was to spoil the gorgeous day with a lot of on track carnage. Thankfully, our group did a great job and we had only one double yellow lap, and all the rest were green including the last nine.
We started in the 3rd grid spot and had to fight our way to the front with Todd outside front row and John Mcaleer on pole. James French, the young pro driver and P1 Runoffs champion in 2020 at Road America, was alongside me. We had a closely contested start, but I held station and was in a great position to fight forward. I quickly passed Vanacore going into turn 5 and Mcaleer into 12 and led the first lap and the rest of the way home while also setting the fastest lap of the race. So, my highlight reel from my front facing camera only lasts about two minutes for the opening lap action, but just behind me the action was hot and heavy with first French on my tail and then Vanacore all the way to the end. Ultimately, Vanacore finished 2nd, followed by Mcaleer, while French retired early with car problems.
A Sunday win at the June Sprints is second in importance only to the Runoffs and so it’s a huge boost for the team and confirmation that Elana is back to her old self. Jason’s genius and creativity finally solved our porpoising issue, most of our handling difficulties, and a niggling fuel pickup problem that can occur in the high-speed carousel corner at Road America. We have just one more minor handling thing to work out for Elana and then we will feel very confident for our chances at the Runoffs when we return to Road America later this year. In the meantime, we will relish winning the 69th running of the June Sprints that just so happens to match my age!