Clear Skies Over Thunderhill at Western Conference Majors Round 7

April 11, 2015

By Jeffrey Zurschmeide

by Jeff Zurschmeide, for SCCA.com

Round 7 of the Western Conference Majors Tour was run under clear skies and moderate temperatures at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, Calif. A field of 130 drivers in seven race groups ran 30-minute sprint races today, seeking precious points towards Conference class titles and Runoffs qualifications.

High wispy clouds covered the morning sky, keeping temperatures in the 60s for the morning. The cool air delivered a little extra horsepower during the 20-minute qualifying sessions.

“I had a lot of air, but I was running out of gears on the front straight,” said F Production competitor Jess Heitman of Portland, Oregon (No. 47 Maz-Toy Auto Recycling/Jesse Prather Motorsports Mazda Miata).

Racing got underway as the clouds finally burned off shortly past noon. Race Group 3 drew the first green flag, featuring GT-1, GT-2, GT-3, Touring 1, and American Sedan. Veteran GT-1 pilot Frank Emmett of Penngrove, Calif. (No. 45 Red Line Oil Chevrolet Corvette) eased into the lead from pole position and never relinquished the advantage. In GT-2, Erich Joiner of Torrance, Calif. (No. 3 Tool of North America Porsche 997) claimed the win.

Three-time SCCA National Championship Runoffs winner Collin Jackson of Langley, British Columbia (No. 53 BM&M Screening Solutions Nissan 240SX) claimed the GT-3 win over Guy Laidig of Woodside, Calif. (No. 52 Mazda/Hoosier Tire/Fuzzball Racing Mazda RX-7). Marc Hoover of Shingle Springs, Calif. (No. 98 Hooverspeed/NRA/Necksgen/Red Line Oil Mazda Miata) set a new track record during the race, while winning the Touring 1 class. Allison Palitz of San Leandro, Calif. (No. 82 Maximum Motorsports Ford Mustang) ran unopposed in AS.

Group 4 was Spec Miata, and the Mazda drivers provided their usual close racing action, with Tommy McCarthy of Mountain View, Calif. (No. 23 Du-All Safety Mazda Miata) leading from the pole position. But McCarthy’s lead was short-lived as a pack of leaders including Steven Powers of Mesa, Ariz. (No. 145 Amerifirst Financial/miatacage.com/East Street Racing Mazda Miata), Mason Filippi of Alamo, Calif. (No. 40 Cuttings Edge Drapery Mazda Miata), and Marco Gallaher of Santa Rosa, Calif. (No. 8 First Community Bank/PFR/Rossini Racing Products Mazda Miata) traded the lead several times in the first half of the race. Gallaher eventually found the lead on lap six and opened a nine-second gap by the checkered flag. Filippi finished second, and McCarthy settled for third.

“This is my third year in Spec Miata. I’m coming up through the ranks and this is my best year yet. I’ll definitely be at Daytona,” Gallaher remarked in Victory Circle.

Race Group 5 provided excitement in the form of a close race between Joe Huffaker of Petaluma, Calif. (No. 77 Huffaker Horsepower MG Midget) and Jess Heitman in his Mazda Miata. Representing two different generations of F Production car development, the pair ran a close race until Huffaker suffered a spin while leading. Heitman went on to claim the class win and overall first position in the race group.

Group 6 included both the new third-generation SRF3 and the existing SRF cars in roughly equal numbers. Past national champion Mike Miserendino of Bakersfield, Calif. (No. 11 MBI Racing Spec Racer Ford 3) held the pole position, but next to him on the front row was past national champion John Black of Olympic Valley, Calif. (No. 17 CSR Performance Spec Racer Ford 3). Miserendino closed the deal with a 2.637-second margin of victory.

Round 8 of the Western Conference Majors Tour will be held tomorrow, April 12, 2015, at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, Calif. Rounds 9 and 10 will be held May 1-3, 2015, at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, Calif.

Complete race results and further information are available at SCCAMajors.com.

Willows, Calif. — Provisional race winners for Saturday’s Western Conference Majors Tour Round 7 at Thunderhill Raceway. Drivers are listed by class: name, hometown, and car.