We are set for race two at Sonoma Raceway for TC America. Colin Garrett won yesterday as did Jeff Ricca and Devin Anderson. More drivers looking for the checkered flag today in the upcoming 40 minute dash for cash. It is a pleasure to have your company from a cool, blustery, Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. The new Honda TCX car is showing it's stuff, the Civic Type R TCX. We saw Daijiro Yoshihara in the race yesterday. But gearbox troubles have sidelined the Japanese driver for today's race. Starting from the front will be Jeff Ricca in the #78 GenRacer/Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra in the TC class. In TCA, Devin Anderson won over Spencer Bucknum and Shaoyi Che. Che is on pole in the class.
This grid is very competitive and some great cars. All of the champions from last year have not returned to the championship. We have a melting pot of machinery in the touring car classes. This is the new TCX spec Honda Caivic. It is a detuned TCR Honda Civic missing some of the aerodynamics to balance it with the BMW M2 CS Racing. The Civic is running for just one season this year in 2023 as the new Acura Integra is coming for 2024. Daiyo Shihara is happy to be here and was learning the track and yesterday scored pole and fastest lap. The transmission went bang and they could not find spare parts to continue and he ahs to watch the race from the pit lane today.
He will come back stronger at NOLA, the drifting legend who had fastest electric vehicle time in last year's Pikes Peak Hill Climb car. We are ready to go racing in TC America. Kyle Loh on the pole position flanked by Lucas Catania and Colin Garrett and Adam Gleason on row two. Gren flag. Loh to the lead and now, scrambling, Catania is going to go for it. Jeff Ricca leads the Mini's Michael Hurczyn makes the move on Cristian Perocarpi. Now, Shaoyi Che and Devin Anderson are both being harried by Spencer Bucknum. Look out!
Bucknum pinches Anderson and now Sally McNulty crunches into the tire barriers! Game over! I think Kris Valdez bumped her into the Carousel as Spencer Bucknum forces the issue and now, Devin Anderson and Shaoyi Che really going for it. Bucknum forced the issue but it was a legitimate move. Loh leads Lucas Catania and Kenny Schmied in third place. Sally McNulty has pulled away but she has bodywork dragging all over the shop. That is a secondhand motorcar if ever there was one. We cntinue under green as McNulty is at the starting line of the dragstrip as a safe haven.
OK. Colin Garrett has to push. Garrett finished secnd to Jacob Ruud last year. He won the race yesterday but did not dominate. Schmied has split Catania and Garrett. Kyle Loh was third yesterday on debut. He is a graduate of the HPD Driver Academy/ P.J. Groenke in the Mini and Will Lambros are also pushing hard. TC America is very competitive. Different platforms and the Balance of Performance system works. Kyle Loh leads the motor race well over Lucas Catania in TCX. He is from San Jose, California, not far from Sonoma Raceway.
Jeff Ricca leads the TC class after a dominant win yesterday. He had fastest lap yesterday by 1.4 seconds. Spencer Bucknum bicycles it through turn seven! Yikes! Kyle Loh leads and so you haven't missed anything at the front. The new Honda will debut at the Long Beach Grand Prix in a couple of weekend's time for IMSA and IndyCar. It is a throwback to the old World Challenge days and the battle between Acura and BMW. Those were some classic races back when this series was called the Speedvision World Challenge. Also take a look at the Toyota GR Cup. Some great racing in that championship too, sanctioned by SRO and put together by Toyota Racing Development.
Adam Gleason a race fan before becoming a driver. After high school, he asked his friend's dad what to do and he said "I am a radiologist." He went to radiology school but became a racing driver instead. Alain Lozier is chasing down Mario Biundo. Lozier races an orange Mini up in Canada and does here today. Mario Biundo's sons Enzo and Valentino are working with their father on his race team. Alain Lozier was drinking from a firehose at the Sebring round for SRO America last September but is putting things together.
Gleason's car is the same car that Jacob Ruud drove to the TCX title last year. Fast Track Racing are the customer team for BMW in touring cars both pro and club racing. For many years they were known as Classic BMW. In TCA, Devin Anderson ran down Spencer Bucknum and passed by him. Is there smoke emanating from the tail of the Subaru BRZ? It is possible. We have a long, long way to go yet with just about ten minutes on the board. Make it 11 minutes. Adam Gleason runs wide through the chicane. Gleason in the #21 VMW M2 CS Cup for Fast Track Racing.
Gleason is working with Jacob Ruud, the two-time, back to back TCX champion. He found a team to run for during the pandemic when things were closed down three years ago. He was cold calling teams running well based on what he was watching on GTWorld on YouTube to go racing. He did nudge team boss Toby Grahovec and Toby Grahovec actually got Adam a racing license. Holy cow. How about that. Spencer Bucknum has gotten into a rhythm chasing down Devin Anderson. Jacob Ruud might come back to drive this year. He did race the last couple of seasons and was in school studying for a role in cybersecurity. Of course, Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity company, sponsors SRO America and George Kurtz, the CEO of the company, hired him.
Schmied, Garrett, and Catania in the BMW's are coming after the Honda. Rear wheel drive for BMW and front wheel drive for the Honda I believe. Lucas Catania has six runner-up finishes and now seven. Our pal Calvin Fish in 1982 finished second to Ayrton Senna in junior single seaters. Ricca locks it up as Clay Williams is down the order. Lucas Catania's dad Joseph is also in this race. Spencer Bucknum, son of Jeff Bucknum, grandson of Ronnie Bucknum, a great racing family. Traffic ahead as they close up on debutant Landon Lewis. Meantime, Bunckum straight lines the corner and has to give it up.
Redress the balance. Devin Anderson bailed and played it beautifully getting back to powet to make the pass. Bucknum might have clag and other junk all over the tires. He might have ballooned that gap by mistake. In replay, on the dirty side of the road, at an acute angle, he rallycrosses it over the grass. They had the lapped car of Lambros ahead. Schmied and Garrett in a good battle. Kenny Schmied has not cracked under pressure from Colin Garrett. Garrett makes the pass for a podium place. He has to chase down Lucas Catania as Kyle Loh is checking out, 7.3 seconds to the good over the rest of the TCX field.
Colin Garrett is also racing Pirelli GT4 America in 2023. Good battle in TCA for fifth place and we go to check in on the overall leaders as well. Kyle Loh has performed well and for Spencer Bucknum, he is looking for the first win of his career. Colin Garrett, yesterday, was running down the pit lane after the GT4 race to the touring car race and he will be sprinting again for the second GT4 race. For Kyle Loh, some of the downforce was taken away from this new Honda Civic. The BMW's are staying close and the gap is closing between Loh and Lucas Catania. Mario Biundo has passed William Lambros. Traffic all over the shop for Colin Garrett.
A touch between Alain Lozier and he tags Kenny Schmied! Oh dear! Colin Garrett will chase down Lucas Catania who is reeling in Kyle Loh. Lucas Catania, could this be the day he finally breaks the duck and gets the win. The gap dissipates to three seconds as Cattania reels in Loh. Gleason gains a place in TCX as well. In TCA, it is Devin Anderson being hounded by Spencer Bucknum. Bucknum right on his six being coached by Ryan Eversley, a great driver with loads of knowledge and ability to keep Bucknum focused. Subaru vs. Honda.
Shaoyi Che is being harried by P.J. Groenke for the final podium place. Lucas Catania makes a pass on Mario Biundo who goes off the road and back on having to open his hands in the corner. The Subaru BRZ vs. the Mini is an interesting thing to watch. How is the torque curve of one car vs. another as well as the gear ratios? P.J. Groenke trying to do the over/under, around the outside. Get on the power. Groenke won the TCB title years ago and he went to TCA when the TCB class was discontinued. Groenke's car plastered with several sponsors to fund his efforts.
Groenke follows Loh through and now Shaoyi Che wants a bite of the cherry. Don't use up your competitor. 11 minutes left to go. This is for the final step on the podium. Groenke, the Canaidian, pressing the Chinese racer. This is a chess game. Groenke vs. Che. Groenke has a run on Che and gets the door slammed in his face. The Subaru BRZ is good on the brakes. Strengths and weakness of the different cars through different parts of the track. Horses for courses more or less.
Kenny Schmied is reeling in Adam Gleason and Schmied has to take a drive through penalty, a stop and hold plus 60 seconds. Ouch! That hurts. In replay, Kenn Schmied pinched Alain Lozier into a spin. Kyle Loh is 8.3 seconds to the good over Lucas Catania and Colin Garrett has fallen away from Catania as well. That is a surprise. Adam Gleason is comfortably in fourth in TCX and the overall. In TC, Clay Williams in the Mini is second and LAP Motorsports have cars in TC and TCA and they have cars readying for the Sonora Rally as well.
Clay Williams second yesterday and Jeff Ricca in a league of his own in the Hyundai Elantra TC car. Michael Hurczyn is in a battle over Cristian Perocarpi, son of the team boss Louis Perocarpi. He could have been a mechanic but wanted to be a drive. Don't you understand, I am not a mechanic. I am a driver. Five minutes now remaining as Michael Hurczyn is a TCR champ froma few years ago and now, Groenke is tryuing to make a pass on Shaoyi Che. But Che really has the handle on the Subaru and poor old Groenke cannot quite commit to the pass.
The BRZ is equal to the Mini under braking. Mario Biundo and William Lambros still are fighting ajd Groenke has a run on Che! This is tight right here. Groenke has the spot. Don't overcommit. Great respect between these two drivers. Che a wee bit wide. The front end washes out. Under braking, Shaoyi Che tries it and makes the pass! Wow! Groenke opened the door somehow. Groenke does not have the confidence under braking. White flag is out. One lap to go. The gap is bigger now as Groenke is closing. Out front, Kyle Loh is ging to be on his way to a win.,
Loh put the pedal to the metal and leads this final lap by 13 seconds. No worries about tire degradation. Into turn 11. Kyle Loh is going to sweep at home! Loh wins in TC America! He managed the race perfectly. The fight is on in traffic and Devin Anderson is the winner in TCA over Spencer Bucknum. Colin Garrett third in TCX. For the second straight day Jeff Ricca and Hyundai and GenRacer win the TC class. Break out the broom. It's a sweep! Che holds off Groenke. Lambros holds on as well.
Overall/TCX: #73 Kyle Loh LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCX
TC: #78 Jeff Ricca GenRacer/Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TC
TCA: #22 Devin Anderson TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ TCA
Three wins on the bounce for Devin Anderson after winning the finale of 2022 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Next up for the touring cars is the race weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, at the end of this month. It will be another great weekend of racing as we get ready for race two in Pirelli GT4 America coming up soon. So long for now, everyone.
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