BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (May 4, 2011) Despite the rainy, wet weather at the Arkansas Aeroplex, 119 drivers braved the conditions at the Blytheville ProSolo for round three of the nine-race Tire Rack® SCCA ProSolo season. At the end of the soggy weekend, James Wilson, from Houston, Texas, earned the Gumout Super Challenge title. Weather dictated how each driver would attack the course during Sundays challenges, beginning with a damp morning that became a drizzle and finally a full-fledged downpour on the edge of the remarkable line of storms that passed through the south last weekend. While many competitors were debating tire choices at the Arkansas Region-hosted event prior to the Gumout Super Challenge, Wilson didnt have a choice to make. He only had dry tires for his 2011 Gillman Subaru Southwest LCMS.org Subaru WRX, making the decision an easy one. Wilson earned the 13th seed in the 32-car, bracket elimination Gumout Super Challenge after finishing second in the Bump Class 1, behind fellow D Stock driver James Feinberg during Saturdays class runs. Wilson was matched with B-Stock runner-up Aaron Buckley, from Charlotte, N.C., in the opening round of the Challenge. With Buckleys 2010 Folger Subaru/AST/Cornwell Tools WRX STi also an all-wheel drive vehicle, it negated any advantage either would have in the wet conditions and Wilson advanced. With rain now falling, Wilson defeated Adam Deffenbaugs 2006 Shenanigans Racing MAZDA3 in round two and, despite hitting a cone in round three against Andrew Hahns Street Touring Sport 1988 Texas Time Trials One meat One cookie Honda CRX, used the all-wheel drive to advance to the semi finals. Wilson disposed of Street Touring X runner-up Barry Booker in his 2004 Volkswagen R32 in one semifinal match-up and moved on to face Darrin DiSimo in the finals, after the Street Touring R class winner used his 1999 Déjà vu Racing/Thanks DJ and Josh Mazda Miata to beat John Brown in the opposite semifinal. Brown had finished fifth in the Street Touring Sport category during Saturdays class runs in his 1990 ACTion Racing Mazda MX-5. The all-wheel drive Subaru defeated DiSimo in the finals, while Booker topped Brown for third place in the consolation bracket. Winning at Blytheville wasnt a fluke for Wilson in the weather with an all-wheel drive vehicle. Wilson finished fourth in the season opener at Mineral Wells, and is now the leader in the Gumout Super Challenge season-long championship. Wilson was also the winner in dry conditions in 2008 at the Wendover ProSolo. Tara Johns, who finished third in the Ladies Class 1 class on Saturday, captured the Ladies Challenge in her 1995 Tweakit/ABC Plumbing/Prudential Mazda Miata. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., resident topped Laura Harbours 1991 Toyo Tires/The Dark Side Has Cookies Mazda Miata. The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Tour continues with the New Jersey ProSolo, May 21 22 in the parking lots of the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. For full results from the Blytheville ProSolo and more information on all upcoming Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo events, visit www.scca.com/solo. A direct link to results for the Blytheville ProSolo is available at http://www.scca.com/eventresults.aspx?event=17169&hub=3.
