C360R Retains KONI Championship Lead with Seventh Place Finish
Securing the Lead
Jul 24th, 2009 // Article By: Skunk2 Staff // Photographer: Sideline Sports
After a strong team performance during the first half of the 2009 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge season, including a historic podium sweep in New Jersey, Compass360 Racing showed up last week at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama ready for another top Street Tuner-class finish.
Christian Miller looked to retain his championship lead with co-driver Randy Pobst in the Skunk2-sponsored #74 Civic Si. Two Grand Sport-class BMW drivers joined the Compass team for this round, as the GS and ST races were run on separate days. Matt Bell, who impressed in his Turner M3 all season, joined Mesco Rookie of the Year contender Bret Spaude in the #75 Si, while Glenn Bocchino returned to front-wheel drive with Canadian touring car veteran Benoit Theetge in the #76 Honda.
Qualifying proved to be a one-lap flyer, with the normally long-lasting Hoosier tires being at their optimum on the first or second pass across the line. At the end of the 15-minute session, Miller trailed third behind Josh Hurley’s astonishingly quick VW and championship contender Andrew Acquilante in his Subaru. Spaude pushed hard, but his quick laps were spoiled when he touched the grass after the high-speed chicane, putting him in Tenth Place, with Theetge right behind in Eleventh.
Despite threatening weather during practice sessions, Saturday's race was run in the bright southern sunshine and seasonally unusual temperatures in the mid-80s. The track surface remained hot, however, which meant that tire conservation would play an important role in the race. At the start, Miller did well and remained in the top three, while Spaude and Theetge made their ways up the grid.
Crew Chief Ray Lee brought the #76 Si in during an early yellow to switch strategies and Bocchino took over from Theetge. While the strategy likely would have yielded a good result, Bocchino brought the car into the pits mid-race with a blown gearbox, which meant retirement for them.
Meanwhile, the team's other two cars had executed pits stops, with Bell at the helm of the #75 Civic and Pobst in #74. Both cars displayed oversteer tendencies, and Bell in particular was caught by SPEED's cameras putting on a pretty creditable drifting clinic. Unfortunately, that didn't end up being the fast way 'round, and at the checkered flag, Pobst finished Seventh and Bell Tenth.
"Those VWs are just so darned fast," Pobst remarked. "I can honestly say we had nothing for them this weekend."
The Seventh Place result means that Miller retains the Driver's Championship lead, now 18 points ahead (231-213) of the Subaru Road Racing Team duo. Compass360 leads the Team points by the same amount, and the team's amazing run so far means that Honda is ahead of Volkswagen by 20 (249-229). Compass360's other cars are also well-positioned, with #75 in Fourth and #76 in Eleventh.
Christian Miller looked to retain his championship lead with co-driver Randy Pobst in the Skunk2-sponsored #74 Civic Si. Two Grand Sport-class BMW drivers joined the Compass team for this round, as the GS and ST races were run on separate days. Matt Bell, who impressed in his Turner M3 all season, joined Mesco Rookie of the Year contender Bret Spaude in the #75 Si, while Glenn Bocchino returned to front-wheel drive with Canadian touring car veteran Benoit Theetge in the #76 Honda.
Qualifying proved to be a one-lap flyer, with the normally long-lasting Hoosier tires being at their optimum on the first or second pass across the line. At the end of the 15-minute session, Miller trailed third behind Josh Hurley’s astonishingly quick VW and championship contender Andrew Acquilante in his Subaru. Spaude pushed hard, but his quick laps were spoiled when he touched the grass after the high-speed chicane, putting him in Tenth Place, with Theetge right behind in Eleventh.
Despite threatening weather during practice sessions, Saturday's race was run in the bright southern sunshine and seasonally unusual temperatures in the mid-80s. The track surface remained hot, however, which meant that tire conservation would play an important role in the race. At the start, Miller did well and remained in the top three, while Spaude and Theetge made their ways up the grid.
Crew Chief Ray Lee brought the #76 Si in during an early yellow to switch strategies and Bocchino took over from Theetge. While the strategy likely would have yielded a good result, Bocchino brought the car into the pits mid-race with a blown gearbox, which meant retirement for them.
Meanwhile, the team's other two cars had executed pits stops, with Bell at the helm of the #75 Civic and Pobst in #74. Both cars displayed oversteer tendencies, and Bell in particular was caught by SPEED's cameras putting on a pretty creditable drifting clinic. Unfortunately, that didn't end up being the fast way 'round, and at the checkered flag, Pobst finished Seventh and Bell Tenth.
"Those VWs are just so darned fast," Pobst remarked. "I can honestly say we had nothing for them this weekend."
The Seventh Place result means that Miller retains the Driver's Championship lead, now 18 points ahead (231-213) of the Subaru Road Racing Team duo. Compass360 leads the Team points by the same amount, and the team's amazing run so far means that Honda is ahead of Volkswagen by 20 (249-229). Compass360's other cars are also well-positioned, with #75 in Fourth and #76 in Eleventh.
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