Hello, and welcome, everyone to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. This legendary circuit located on Pine Tree Road, was built and opened in 1957. It is a classic. The track hosted races regularly between 1957 and 1974, fell into disuse and disrepair, and then, was revived in the year 2000 and has been going strong for almost a quarter century since then. We are set now to race the first of two events in the SRO TC America touring car category and for the next 40 minutes there will be loads to talk about and loads to describe to you as we join Kyle Heyer, filling in for Ryan Myrehn who is on Formula E commentary duties in New York City this weekend, alongside Calvin Fish, and Amanda Busick as always is our intrepid SRO America pit lane reporter.
All three TC America powered by Skip Barber classes, are present after the summer break. On the pole for this first race of the weekend, well, we'll get there. We had a damp qualifying session. It is Chris Walsh on pole overall and in TCX. Pirelli GT4 America were qualifying in the wet earlier. It is a mixed bag of drivers shuffling the grid. The cars roll of. Christian Perocarpi is on pole in TC and in TCA, P.J. Groenke. We raced at the Circuit of the Americas back in May. Now we return after drivers had a chance to coach drivers or go camping and have leisure time. Ron Zaras is a new driver for the Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TC1. Chris Walsh was late to the grid after Pirelli GT4 America qualifying. So he will start caboose on the field, not on the pole.
Walsh has dominated with half a dozen wins on the bounce thus far. Walsh will have to start from the rear. Tony Callas, from Carrus Callas Racing and the team has been accommodating 30 Gold Star families who have lost their sons and daughters serving in the military. Now, they go racing. We will have a split start. Walsh could regroup into the TCX category grid but now we are on the second of two formation laps. 3.2 miles, 17 corners. We have 14 cars and we have a car on fire! Joey Jordan's Mazda 3 coupe is up in flames! Game over. Such a shame because this team has worked hard and has had four podiums.
They were looking to challenge for a win and now they will need to rebuild. Joey Jordan has escaped the car and is now standing clear behind the fence. Our race start will be delayed but we must start the clock and there is no refueling in TC America so the clock will start as we have an extra formation lap. Such a shame for FTG Racing. Fire is a scary thing in a race car or anywhere for that matter. We are going to see a double file restart, or a single file one. Hard to say if Joey Jordan's fire is fuel or oil related. I think it is petrol because it went up quickly.
There is interest in the Mazda 3 program and they have been developing the car. The touring car teams do not have the resources for development that the GT3 cars do. Team boss Jim Jordan, Joey Jordan's father, used to be the class manager for TC America. Joey Jordan has been living in Europe, traveling back and forth from Paris, France, to the United States. OK. We are set to go and will get the race started. The safety car lights are out down Madison Avenue, the backstretch. None of these braking zones are easy. The electronics for the braking and so forth is much more akin to a road car. Chris Walsh has not joined the front of the TCX field so he will be navigating through the TC and TCA cars.
Here we go. Race one of two for TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School is on! Celso Neto leads over both Christopher DeFreitas and Cooper Broll. Walsh is moving through the field already in the backdrop, look. In TC, Cristian Perocarpi leads in the Mini JCW. They gained more speed and lost 15 kilograms of weight in Balance of Performance adjustments. 15 kilos is a lot especially for lower powered race cars like the touring cars. Jeff Ricca had a tough race weekend last time out and is now making his moves to recover as we see Scott Thomson in the #66 Mini chased by Ruben Iglesias Jr. in the #77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai.
Chris Walsh has a head of steam and is catching up to the field in TCX. We'll have some math to do throughout the race with 34 minutes left on the board. Ron Zaras in the Hyundai is trying to make his move on Scott Thomson. Jeff Ricca as it stands in TC, is just a point ahead of Ruben Iglesias Jr. Thomson goes down a place and now, Sally McNulty has spun in turn three at NASCAR Bend and has clonked into the tire barriers but it seems her car is not damaged. The track is dry but the grass is soaking wet. It is all greass for the runoff area and Ron Zaras was sideways as well. Maybe Zaras' misstep distracted McNulty as they fly down Madison Avenue.
Jeff Ricca closing on Cristian Perocarpi. But Perocarpi is pushing hard. With a shorter wheelbase like the Mini it will help through the twisting corners, but the sweepers, the longer wheelbase car platforms will be more stable. Celso Neto and Cooper Broll in the two Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S sedans are leading the motor race. Jeff Ricca trying the slipstream to pass the Mini while Chris Walsh is doing all he can to make up time but through The Rollercoaster, there is just so much transition that drivers can compromise themselves trying to make passes. Alex Garcia is chasing P.J. Groenke as well in the TC class I believe.
There isn't much of a delta between the TCX, TCA, and TC cars. VIR has a decent mix of slow and fast corners, both. Walsh makes his move on Perocarpi and in the TCA classes, the electronics get fussy with the rumble strips and the Honda and Mini's hazard lights flash. Garcia chasing Groenke. Alan Grossberg in the sister Mini is third. Groenke, Garcia, and Grossberg, it sounds like a law firm, an insurance firm, or an accounting firm. Tee hee. It is different controlling front wheel vs. rear-wheel-drive cars. Now, the Mini is hanging tough with Chris Walsh. The gap is just over ten seconds currently.
Such a great fight in TCA and here comes Garcia side by side with Groenke! Groenke pinches the turn, and it is a braking duel and Groenke hangs on for the moment. Through The Snake and into the climbing esses. These touring cars are as road relevant as you will get. Ricca makes the move on Perocarpi taking the TC class lead through The Rollercoaster and into the last turn at Hog Pen. Ricca has won four races in 2024 but is five points out of the class points lead. Walsh has made his move on Cooper Broll and is now chasing Celso Neto, the Brazilian driver. Perocarpi trying to hold on vs. Jeff Ricca between NASCAR Bend and Left Hook. Walsh, fastest lap of the motor race thus far at 2:01.9.
Through Oak Tree corner they go. Now back down Madison Avenue another time. 2:01.905 is Chris Walsh's fastest lap thus far. Focus on consistent pace. Walsh has only eaten a tenth of a second out of the gap over Neto and he has split the Acura's, both Neto and Broll. Chris Walsh is on offense vs. Celso Neto. Neto has had three third place finishes in 2024. He has had five podiums and is yet to see victory lane but he is in the catbird seat currently as we close in on the halfway mark. Cristian Perocarpi wrestling the Mini around chasing down Jeff Ricca with the red clay, the mud, sticking to the Pirelli tires with a lot of rain here in Virginia.
The front tires are doing a ton of work steering the car and moving it. Again, through Oak Tree corner. Ricca passes Perocarpi so the Mini team is a bit flummoxed with their performance and with electronic issues. They want the rain. It was supposed to rain right now but the weather has mostly missed us save for some of the GT qualifying earlier this morning. Cooper Broll is the cork in the bottle here for Jeff Ricca and Cristian Perocarpi, currently. There is pace in the Mini pulling the draft, the slipstream down Madison Avenue and into The Rollercoaster.
OK. Neto in the lead, Walsh in second place as Alan Grossberg goes off and on at NASCAR Bend. Walsh at 2:01.364 goes purple. 19 minutes to go so about eight more laps left. Oh dear! Mini #63 loads up the nose, dropping a tire in the grass and backing the Mini into the fence. Boom! The tire barriers have absorbed the energy and he continues to roll but go off on that grass and you are going for a ride. Cooper Broll, being a gentleman, allows the battle between Ricca and Perocarpi by, in the scrap for the TC class lead. Ricca and Perocarpi still going for it.
Execute the corner, everything enhanced when you are racing around VIR. With cars around you, maximize what you have and don't automatically open the door for your competitors. Ricca and Perocarpi are still going for it and no chance yet for Ricca to put some daylight between himself and Perocarpi. He is really applying the blowtorch, down Madison Avenue. Keep it clean. Focus forward. Hit your marks. Ricca gained distance through the braking zone. That's fascinating. Ah. 15 minutes to go. Into The Rollercoaster, you are braking in an arc, braking and turning simultaneously.
The Hyundai sedan will be more stable. The Mini will be twitchier, less stable in handling. Battles remain in TCX and TC, and in TCA, Alex Garcia has put distance on P.J. Groenke. Great battle between Ricca and Perocarpi, understeering through Oak Tree and back down Madison Avenue. Perocarpi, cat and mouse up Madison Avenue. No dice. Now through The Rollercoaster. One mistake and Ricca's race can be turned on it's head. Maybe Perocarpi is dealing with understeer, and he overcooked it into The Rollercoaster. Adjust the brake bias, control the corner entry speed. Perocarpi has a wider arc into turn one with some overlap but he cannot get by.
Keep it clean. Be wise. Use your head. When you are behind the wheel, turns two and three are tricky corners. Balance patience and opportunity. Don't get into the rhythm of the driver ahead of you. That is the worst thing you can possibly do as we have 12 and a half minutes of racing left on the board. Chris Walsh continues harrying Celso Neto for the overall lead. Chris Walsh is making progress in his pursuit of Celso Neto, who is doing an incredible job currently. He is running consistent lap times and now, P.J. Groenke is in the pit lane, our TCA championship leader! Oh dear. Alan Grossberg has retired from race one. Game over and he will be back tomorrow for race two.
P.J. Groenke has a broken stud on the wheel, which shouldn't be a big deal. I think it is either two studs, or a hub assembly. I think it is the wheel studs, the lug nuts that have been busted, rounded off. Perocarpi still chasing Ricca who is hanging tough into The Rollercoaster. Ricca is patient and displaying poise at the same time. These cars and these drivers are very evenly matched. Don't overdrive the turn. Through the climbing esses they go with tons of marbles, tire clag, on the side of the road. Ricca rolling a ton of speed through Oak Tree. The tire is squealing through the turn, begging for mercy.
Ricca using a lot of the road through turn two, keeping it tight on corner entry into NASCAR Bend. NASCAR Bend and the Gen 7 Cup cars do not run here. Hmmm. Maybe VIR should be considered for a future NASCAR road course race. Lots to play for in the championship but many drivers including Jeff Rica are focused on the race victory. Ruben Iglesias Jr. could very well pick up the final podium place, the Puerto Rican driver, is going for it and Ron Zaras, the third team car, he has been gaining experience and is fourth in the TC class. Ricca still fighting with Cristian Perocarpi. This has been a racelong battle.
Oh my! Christopher DeFreitas has smashed n into the tire barriers, in the #39 Racer's Edge Motorsports Acura Integra! My heavens! We should see a Full Course Yellow and ought to finish under yellow. It might be too late to restart this race. We'll have to have a Captain Cook at the replay to see what on earth happened to DeFreitas. Just three and a half minutes left on the board now. Alex Garcia leads TCA looking for his third win of 2024. He won the second races at both Sebring and Circuit of the Americas. For Chris Walsh, this is what he needed. But he may need to settle for second place. Celso Neto has had half a dozen second place finishes this year already.
After winning half a dozen races in a row, I think Chris Walsh will be second. No chance of getting this race restarted I don't think. Ron Zaras, Scott Thomson, Sally McNulty, all three of them have rebounded. But at NASCAR Bend a lot of people have had trouble. There is a puddle on the outside, but the puddle has had nothing to do with it. However, once you are off in the wet grass, you have reached the point of no return. The clock has elapsed and after six second place finishes, Celso Neto and Skip Barber Racing School win it! So does Alex Garcia in the TC class!
Overall/TCX: #22 Celso Neto Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S
TC: #78 Jeff Ricca Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra
TCA: #14 Alex Garcia Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1
Cue the dance music for the results. Most cars will be back in action for tomorrow. Sally McNulty's team will be fixing the rear bumper and hopefully the car has not been knocked out of alignment with the bumper being tagged. We'll see you tomorrow for race two and we are going to have more racing coming up throughout the day here at VIR on this Saturday. Stay with us. Stay tuned. So long, for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment