Northeast Drivers Leave New Jersey With Checkered Flags

MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 26, 2015) – The point championships are tightening up in the SCCA Northeast Conference Majors Tour, as the Championship wrapped round 10 of 12 on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Just one doubleheader race weekend remains in the Championship.

On the track on Sunday, however, the racing remained intense for both those in the title hunt, and those running for race wins.

Formula 1000 opened the day with a thriller of their own. Alex Mayer appeared poised to run away with the win, running lap times comparable to overall and Formula Atlantic winner Garth Rickard’s No. 83 K-Hill Motorsports Swift 016/Mazda. But on lap 13, the chain unexpectedly broke on Mayer’s No. 77 Mayer Motorsports JDR F1000, slowing on the front straight and pulling off course.

That left the battle between Shawn McClure’s No. 37 Hydrocam Corp Stohr F1000 and Saturday winner Jason Slahor’s No. 9 Slahor Racing Citation F1000. Slahor stayed all over the back of McClure for four more laps before spinning in the exit of turn two. Slahor quickly exited his car, and McClure finished the race unchallenged for the win.

A timely (or, for the leaders, untimely) full course caution for a spun car in turn one stacked up the small bore open-wheel battles and led to a shootout for the finish. Though 15-year-old Cameron Das was clear in Formula F for a win in his No. 12 Honda/K-Hill Motorsports Mygale/Honda, David Lapham suddenly got a challenge for the Formula 500 win. Lapham’s No. 89 QRE/Hoosier Invader QC-1/Rotax suddenly found himself under pressure from the No. 62 Renzinta Racing QRE Invader QC-1 of Jay Beckley. Beckley pushed Lapham to the finish, with neither making a mistake to the finish and Lapham staying just in front for the win.

More information, including results, from New Jersey Motorsports Park can be found here. A complete list of provisional winners follows, with class: name, hometown and car.

American Sedan: Amy Aquilante, Phoenixville, Pa., Pontiac Firebird
B-Spec: Brian Audet, Alexandria, Va., Mini Cooper
E Production: Chris Dryden, New Freedom, Pa., BMW Z3
F Production: Charlie Campbell, Corry, Pa., Mazda Miata
H Production: Johannes Krauss, Prattsville, N.Y., Volkswagen Scirocco
Formula 500: David Lapham, Irvington, N.Y., Invader Qc-1
Formula 1000: Shawn McClure, New Boston, N.H., Stohr F1000
Formula Atlantic: Garth Rickards, Mechanicsburg, Pa., Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Continental: Doug Rocco, Sandisfield, Mass., Van Diemen DPO2
Formula Enterprises: Lee Rackley, Clinton, N.C., Formula Enterprises/Ford
Formula F: Cameron Das, Brooklandville, Md., Mygale/Honda
Formula Vee: Roger Siebenaler, North Hero, Vt., Mysterian M-2/Volkswagen
GT-1: Kerry Hitt, Harrisburg, Pa., Chevrolet Corvette
GT-2: Robert Lentz, Sr., Leesburg, Va., Nissan 300 ZX
GT-3: Steve Lustig, Chester, N.Y., Acura RSX
GT-Lite: Bobby Lentz, Chantilly, Va., Nissan Sentra
Prototype 1: Greg Bell, Ottawa, Ontario, Stohr WF-1
Prototype 2: Dennis Hanratty, Mechanicsburg, Pa., West WR-1000
Spec Miata: Tyler Kicera, Manheim, Pa., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford Gen 3: Joseph Sammut, Locust Valley, N.Y., Spec Racer Ford
Spec Racer Ford: Bruce Myers, Geenland, N.H., Spec Racer Ford
Super Touring Lite: Bob Beede, North Hamption, Mass., Honda Civic Si
Super Touring Under: Elivan Goulart, Shelton, Ct., Lotus Exige
Touring 1: David Sanders, Boothwyn, Pa., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 2: Preston Calvert, Potomac, Md., Ford Mustang
Touring 3: Christopher Collins, Darnestown, Md., Mazda Miata
Touring 4: Tom Aquilante, Phoenixville, Pa., Chevrolet Camaro

Image: Shawn McClure came out on top in Formula 1000. Credit: Geoff Hall