PUEBLO, Colo (June 16, 2012) – The first of two days of feature Invitational class races at Pueblo Motorsports Park are complete, with the field battling afternoon winds and thunderstorms on the newly repaved 2.2-mile road course.
Michael Pettiford didn’t qualify during the morning session and started from the rear of the Super Touring Under field in his No. 41 Go 4 It Racing Schools/Hoosier Tire Pontiac Solstice. The experienced Pettiford worked through the pack to pass Anthony Simmers’ No. 45 REBAY RESELLER.com Volkswagen GTI and take the overall win in the first Group.
Bill Tolley (No. 69 Speedracers Miata), Steven Powers (No. 2 Miatacage.com/Standard Machine Miata) and Mark Franklin (No. 25 Rocky Mountain Petrophysics/Race-Keeper Miata) battled early for the Spec Miata lead until issues forced Franklin to an unscheduled pit stop. Tolley and Powers battled the rest of the way, with Tolley taking the victory.
Lisa Noble led Formula Vee in the No. 7 Littlefeat.net Vortech until Tyler Hunter drove his No. 22 Volkswagen Vortech by and cruised away for an 8.485-second win. David Vincent, behind the wheel of the No. 5 XT Racing/Rod End Supply KBS Mk VII inherited the Formula 500 win after early leader Timothy Friest’s No. 86 Citation 88V retired and completed just 12 of 21 laps in the race.
The weather began to change just in time for Group 3, the production cars. What began with darkening skies continued with very high winds kicking up the Colorado dust into visibility-restricting dust storms on lap five. With heavy rain falling, sending spinning cars off track throughout the field, the race was checkered after just 20 minutes and 11 laps due to lightning strikes in the area. John Longwell (No. 38 LEDfoot Motorsports BMW 328is) took the overall and E Production win, with Eric Prill (No. 7 Jesse Prather Motorsports/Hoosier Tire/OS Giken Mazda Miata) winning in F Production and Jerry Oleson (No. 81 Austin Sprite) claiming the H Production gold.
The weather lessened enough to send the Formula Mazda and Formula F machines out just a short time later for a full 21-lap race. Russell Lindemann lapped the field in the No. 16 Rocky Mountain Tire and Auto Formula Mazda to take the overall win, with Doug Stout winning Formula F in the No. 11 DS Masonry Van Dieman.
Saturday’s races concluded with Steve Stansfield taking a 1.996-second victory in Spec Racer Ford, driving the No. 29 Realtec SRF.
The Continental Divide Region-hosted event continues on Sunday morning with qualifying races which will set the field for Sunday afternoon’s features.
Rocky Mountain Majors Invitational
