The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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Provisional point standings (after 6 of 12 rounds): 1. Westphal, 163; 2. Podlesni, 162; 3. Modisette, 118; 4. Freytag, 113; 5. Hyatt, 102; 6. Rarick, 89; 7. Hastrup, 80; 8. Hulse, 75; 9. Kodenko, 70; 10. Fierberg, 67; 11. Peter Hansel, 57; 12. James Hakewill, 33; etc. Next races: Rounds 7 & 8 at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif., July 5/6.
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The Pacific F2000 Championship Presented by Hankook Tires Podlesni and Westphal Share Pacific F2000 Honours at Buttonwillow The battle between talented young Californians Jeff Westphal and Robert Podlesni for the Pacific F2000 Championship Presented by Hankook Tyres intensified during the third double-header race weekend of the season at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Podlesni, 20, from California, maintained his perfect sequence of pole positions at the challenging 2.89-mile road course by securing the fastest time in qualifying on each day. But he had to share the race wins when Westphal, 21, from San Carlos, Calif, countered Podlesni's Saturday victory by taking the lead at the first corner the following afternoon and holding a narrow advantage until the flag. With each driver claiming an additional two points for fastest race lap during the weekend (Westphal on Saturday and "Poodles" on Sunday), Westphal saw his five-point advantage in the championship eroded to just a solitary marker as the season reached its halfway stage. "This is Robert's track," declared Westphal on Sunday afternoon, alluding to his rival's previous record of six poles and five race wins at Buttonwillow. "On the out-lap [before the start] I thought to myself, 'This race is going to be won at the start,' and I think I got the perfect start." Indeed he did. Podlesni, who led from flag to flag on Saturday in Dave Freitas Racing's #84 Terminal Velocity/Alpinestars Van Diemen, was obliged to slot in behind Westphal's #39 Cacci Construction/TNT Demolition/PR1 Motorsports Van Diemen at the first corner and was never able to breach Westphal's defenses. "It was still a great weekend," concluded Podlesni. "I got two poles, one win and one fastest lap, so I'm not disappointed at all. It was a hard race and he just ended up taking it today. That's the way it goes." The top two championship contenders eclipsed everyone else, although there were plenty of entertaining and hard-fought battles taking place in their wake. On Saturday, PR1 Motorsports teammates Max Hyatt, from Santa Fe, N.M., Shaun Modisette, from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., and Nick Freytag, from Paradise Valley, Ariz., enjoyed a race-long battle that was decided in that order with the trio separated by less than a second at the finish. Behind them, Bob Negron, from San Jose, Calif., made a successful return to the series by fending off Madera, Calif.'s Peter Hastrup to snare the Masters class honors (for drivers over 51). Negron was helped in his task when a close-following Jeremy Shaw, from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., made a mistake under braking for the Star Mazda turn and inadvertently took out both himself and fellow Masters contender Chuck Hulse, from Yorba Linda, Calif. Ira Fierberg, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., took the Expert category (for drivers 35 to 51) in his Sparco/DFR Van Diemen, finishing ninth overall after a protracted battle with youngster Nick Kodenko, from Santa Paula, Calif. Sunday's race was equally exciting. Modisette and fellow second-row starter Freytag were embroiled in another tight contest for third which finally went Modisette's way. "We were pretty far off the front two yesterday," noted Modisette. "It was pretty embarrassing. But we got it together and closed the gap today. We were only a few tenths of a second behind them in lap times. Nick and I had a couple of great races. It was fun." Hyatt's hopes of joining the battle were thwarted by a broken gear linkage on the first lap. He eventually finished a couple of laps in arrears after a lengthy pit stop. Shaw made a strong start to run fifth in the early stages with his #65 GS610 Maximum Performance Brake Fluid/Comar Performance Van Diemen but never could shake off the attentions of Hulse as the pair fought mightily for Masters honors. After several exchanges of position, Hulse secured the position and was relieved to be able to cruise to the flag after Shaw spun while challenging at the final corner just over one lap from the finish. "That was a great battle. I worked my butt off," said Hulse after winning the Masters class for the fourth time this year in the #21 Silicon Salvage/Dave Freitas Racing Van Diemen. Fierberg again won the Expert class, finishing a strong seventh overall behind the recovered Shaw. RESULTS -- Rounds 5 & 6 (of 12), Buttonwillow Raceway Park, May 3/4, 2008: Saturday qualifying: 1. Robert Podlesni (Van Diemen DP08), 1m43.149s; 2. Jeff Westphal (Van Diemen RF05), 1m43.613s; 3. Max Hyatt (Van Diemen RF05), 1m45.310s; 4. Shaun Modisette (Van Diemen RF05), 1m45.334s; 5. Nick Freytag (Van Diemen RF06), 1m45.342s; 6. Bob Negron (Van Diemen RF99), 1m45.743s; 7. Chuck Hulse (Van Diemen RF03), 1m45.781s; 8. Jeremy Shaw (Van Diemen RF02), 1m45.926s; 9. Peter Hastrup (Van Diemen RF02), 1m46.264s; 10. Scott Rarick (Piper DF5), 1m46.422s; 11. Ira Fierberg (Van Diemen RF05), 1m46.423s; 12. Les Phillips (Mygale SJ04), 1m47.114s; 13. Nick Kodenko (Van Diemen RF05), 1m47.226s; 14. Michael Murphy (Mygale SJ04), 1m49.355s; 15. Bill Kincaid (Van Diemen RF03), 1m50.121s; 16. Richard Lai Fatt (Mygale SJ04), 1m50.666s; 17. Chris Hundley (Van Diemen RF03), no time. (All use Zetec/Quicksilver engines.) Round 5 (15 laps): 1. Podlesni, 26m17.440s; 2. Westphal, 26m17.726s; 3. Hyatt, 26m42.323s; 4. Modisette, 26m42.845s; 5. Freytag, 26m43.102s; 6. Negron, 27m13.641s; 7. Hastrup, 27m16.013s; 8. Rarick, 27m17.014s; 9. Fierberg, 27m22.741s; 10. Kodenko, 27m23.911s; 11. Hundley, 27m30.520s; 12. Murphy, 14 laps; 13. Lai Fatt, 14 laps; 14. Phillips, 8 laps, not running/fuel; 15. Kincaid, 8 laps, not running/spin; 16. Shaw, 5 laps, not running/accident; 17. Hulse, 5 laps, not running/accident. Winner's average speed: 98.932
mph. Experts class winner
(35-50): Fierberg. Sunday qualifying: 1. Podlesni, 1m44.345s; 2. Westphal, 1m44.385s; 3. Freytag , 1m45.062s; 4. Modisette, 1m45.107s; 5. Hyatt, 1m45.995s; 6. Hulse, 1m46.215s; 7. Shaw, 1m46.317s; 8. Rarick, 1m46.653s; 9. Fierberg, 1m47.111s; 10. Hastrup, 1m47.270s; 11. Negron, 1m47.412s; 12. Phillips, 1m47.763s; 13. Kodenko, 1m47.809s; 14. Hundley, 1m47.931s; 15. Lai Fatt, 1m51.555s; 16. Murphy, 1m51.833s. Round 6 (14 laps): 1. Westphal, 24m44.879s; 2. Podlesni, 24m45.191s; 3. Modisette, 24m54.624s; 4. Freytag, 24m54.947s; 5. Hulse, 25m13.241s; 6. Shaw, 25m22.715s; 7. Fierberg, 25m27.219s; 8. Rarick, 25m27.525s; 9. Hastrup, 25m29.235s; 10. Negron, 25m29.869s; 11. Kodenko, 25m42.427s; 12. Phillips, 25m44.708s; 13. Hundley, 26m03.815s; 14. Murphy, 26m11.164s; 15. Lai Fatt, 26m22.487s; 12. Hyatt, 12 laps. Winner's average speed: 98.093
mph. Experts class winner: Fierberg.
Westphal Powers to Pacific F2000 Double at Willow Springs Jeff Westphal had a point to prove when the Pacific F2000 Championship Presented by Hankook Tires visited historic Willow Springs International Raceway this weekend. After an electrical gremlin robbed him of a potential clean sweep in the season opener at Auto Club Speedway last month, the 21-year-old from San Carlos, Calif, bounced back to score a maximum 68 points -- two poles, two race wins and two fastest race laps -- in rounds three and four. "We had a strong car right off the truck and just put our heads down and went session to session," related Westphal modestly, "and fortunately we came out on top." Westphal posted a new lap record in qualifying on Saturday, at an average speed of 115.045mph. His #39 Cacci Construction/TNT Demolition/PR1 Motorsports Van Diemen was never headed during the 17-lap race. Robert Podlesni, from Thousand Oaks, Calif., qualified the #84 Terminal Velocity/Alpinestars/Dave Freitas Racing Van Diemen less than a tenth of a second slower and again couldn't quite match Westphal's pace on Saturday afternoon. The 2006 series champion had to be content with finishing second, almost five seconds adrift. Shaun Modisette, from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., finished an unchallenged third in the #26 Carson Trailer Van Diemen, followed by PR1 Motorsports teammates Nicky Freytag, from Paradise Valley, Ariz., and Max Hyatt, from Sante Fe, N.M. Hyatt did well to battle through from 12th on the grid after experiencing a brake master cylinder failure in qualifying. Peter Hansel, from Huntington Beach, Calif., won the Experts (over 35) class with a strong sixth-place finish aboard the #65 GS610 Maximum Performance Brakes/Comar Performance Van Diemen. Chuck Hulse, from Yorba Linda, Calif., claimed Masters honors (over 51), finishing seventh in the #21 Silicon Salvage/DFR Van Diemen. Strong winds made life difficult for the drivers on Sunday but nothing could deflect Westphal, who once again showed a clean rear wing to his pursuers en route to a 9.374-second victory. "It was a good weekend to recoup some points from the first race of the season when the car failed to start," said Westphal. Indeed, Westphal's pair of wins have catapulted him into the championship lead. He now holds a slender five-point advantage, 106 to 101, over Podlesni, who once again took runner-up honors. "We didn't come here to finish second," said Podlesni, "but sometimes you just have to take what the car gives you. That was the case for us this weekend." Freytag, the youngest driver in the field at just 16, produced another polished performance to earn his second-ever podium finish. The result enabled him to draw level on points with Modisette, who survived an off-course excursion while chasing Podlesni and had to settle for 10th after a precautionary visit to the pits. One of the best performances of the weekend came from perennial hard-worker Nick Kodenko. The Fresno State undergraduate doesn't have the benefit of a full-time crew or a fancy transporter. He prepares the race car himself, with help from his father, Paul, and travels to the races in a 1983 truck, towing his race car on an open trailer. Despite the humble approach, Kodenko drove a heady race and was rewarded with a magnificent fourth-place finish. "The day of my life," declared a justifiably delighted Kodenko. "It was amazing. I think the key was to come in early during qualifying to save the tires for the race. I think it was a good strategy and it really paid off." Kodenko made a series of impressive passes, including one on the final lap when he took advantage of a slight slip by Masters winner Peter Hastrup at the final corner and won the drag race to the finish line by a scant 0.18 seconds! Hulse also was a part of the action, finishing just a half-second back in sixth. "We should have been fourth," lamented Hastrup, from Madera, Calif. "I messed up in Turn Nine and Nick just got me. But we were competitive, so that's what matters. We struggled [in testing] on Friday but my crew chief, Jason Byal, and the Dave Freitas Racing team just did a great job to get us back up to speed. It was fun." Hansel again won the Expert category, finishing seventh, despite a couple of "offs" in the early stages.
Westphal Earns Maximum Points with Win for PR1 Motorsports Jeff Westphal completed a sweep today with his win for PR1 Motorsports by capturing the pole earlier today and recording the races fastest lap. Jeff led from the green flag virtually uncontested as he gradually increased his lead with each successive lap in his TNT Demolition/Cacci Construction, Van Diemen in the Pacific F2000 Series Presented by Hankook. "When I began to pull away from Robert, I was able to get into a rhythm and maintain the gap." He continued, "There were no problems today and no incidents so it was a fast clean race." The 34 points received moved Westphal from fourth to second in the points, four points behind series leader and second place finisher Robert Podlesni. Podlesni in his Dave Freitas Racing, Terminal Velocity/Alpinestars Van Diemen, was edged at the start by Westphal and by the end of the first lap and established himself in a solid second place. Robert soon had little hope catching Jeff, "He was .2 of a second faster consistently so by midrace I would have had to make up .4 of a second just to catch him and resolved myself to consolidate second place." He added "We will make some changes to the car and should have something for him tomorrow." Shaun Modisette, PR1 Motorsports, Carson Trailers Van Diemen, had another solid outing to finish in third and give PR1 Motorsports two of the three steps on the podium. "I had an opportunity at the start, but I did not want to possibly take out my teammate so I was a little cautious and maintained my third place," he said. Shaun's 22 points keep him in a joint third place with teammate Max Hyatt who finished fifth in his PR1 Motorsports, Performance Drink Van Diemen. Starting eleventh due to his qualifying brake problem, Hyatt quickly moved through the field to secure the fifth spot and was closing on the fourth PR1 Motorsports, G-Phactory/Sodi Kart Van Diemen of Nick Freytag. Hyatt said, "I think I took too long getting through the field which kept me from catching Nick." Hyatt drive also earned him the "Hard Charger Award" Freytag had another solid performance to finish fourth and give PR1 Motorsports four of the top five places. Nick was disappointed to miss the podium but with the solid driving he has displayed, it is only a matter of time. Finishing in sixth and earning the Expert Class Victory was Peter Hansel in his Comar Performance Inc., GS610 Maximum Performance Brake Fluid Van Diemen just ahead of Masters Class winner Chuck Hulse driving for Dave Freitas in a Silicon Salvage Van Diemen who finished seventh overall. Hulse was part of the most exciting group in the race with positions changing and some very close racing for most of the race. The group included Scott Rarick, Piper/Fast Forward/Red Line Oil Piper in eighth place, Peter Hastrup, Dave Freitas Racing, Western Building Materials Van Diemen ninth and Nick Kodenko, Kodenko Racing, Red Line Oil Van Diemen in tenth. Kodenko has limited experience with the Zetec powered car having transitioned from FC and Pinto power and is adapting quickly. Rounding out the field were James Hakewill, Van Diemen in eleventh, Dennis Gaughary, Carbir in twelfth, newcomer Pierre DeMartines in thirteenth and Ira Fierberg in fourteenth with Richard Lai Fatt being the only non- finisher having suffered a puncture on the third lap. The racing throughout the field is intense with most drivers lapping from 1:19.0 to 1:20.9 maintaining the competitiveness of this series which continues with Round 4 tomorrow getting a green flag at 1:25pm local time. -credit: pacific f2000
Podlesni Converts Pole into Win in Round 1 at Fontana Robert Podlesni completed the sweep, Pole, Win and Fastest Race Lap to earn maximum points in his return to the Pacific F2000 Series yesterday(Sunday). The start was somewhat confused when Jeff Westphal's PR1 Motorsports, TNT Demolition/Cacci Construction Van Diemen refused to fire on the grid and by the time it did, he was more than half a lap behind. This should have left a gap in the outside of the front row. Instead Scott Rarick in his Piper/Fast ward/Red Line Oil Piper DF5 lagged behind Max Hyatt in the PR1 Motorsports, Performance Drink, Van Diemen, creating a single line start with the outside row having a clear run at the green allowing Shaun Modisette, PR1 Motorsports, Carson Trailer's, Van Diemen to move from fifth to third. The order at the end of the first lap was Podlesni in his Terminal Velocity/Alpinestars Van Diemen for Dave Freitas Racing leading from Hyatt, Modisette, Rarick, Nick Freytag, PR1 Motorsports, G Factory/Sodi Kart Van Diemen, Chuck Hulse, Silicon Salvage Van Diemen, Peter Hansel, Comar Performance Inc., GS610 Maximum Performance Brake Fluid Van Diemen, Ira Fierberg, Dave Freitas Racing, Personal Injury Law/Sparco USA an Diemen, Dave Freitas Racing Teammate Peter Hastrup, Western Building Materials Van Diemen and James Hakewill, Van Diemen in the first ten positions. Hyatt passed Podlesni for the lead on lap two and Fierberg spun and dropped to fifteenth with only the unlucky Westphal behind him and he began a spirited drive passing five cars to finish in tenth place. After two laps, Podlesni retook the lead which he held to the end and lead pack of four cars began to slowly inch away from the rest of the field. Podlesni said this was a difficult time of the race as he was unable to break far enough ahead and stated "At Fontana you need to have a gap of 1.1 seconds to be able to keep a driver behind but Max was only .7 back so I had work hard to keep him behind". "I also think that the four of us were a little faster when I was leading and enabled us to break away from the rest of the field". Max hounded Robert throughout the race and the first four cars continued in this order nose to tail until lap thirteen when Rarick got past Modisette for third place and the final step on the podium. When the checkered flag fell these four finished within 2.035 seconds. Hyatt said, "I had several opportunities to try to pass Robert, then three laps from the end I got loose in turn eight and Robert got a big enough advantage to hold me off". Rarick was satisfied with his third place after the jumbled start which caught him out a bit, "I mistook Max for the second place qualifier and expected him to take his place next to Robert at the start and I stayed behind him, when I should have been next to him, which cost me some at the start". Behind the leading four was another group of three cars in their own battle for fifth place which Nick Freytag secured three laps from the end with a pass of Chuck Hulse who said "We raced hard for that position, side by side at times, I made him work for it". Nick said he was satisfied with fifth in his first race with PR1 Motorsports, "I had a lot of fun racing with Chuck and in the end I was only .3 of a second off Podlesni's best lap, so it is a satisfactory beginning." The third car in this group was Peter Hansel who finished seventh and was the Expert Class winner. For his efforts in sixth, Chuck Hulse claimed the Master's Class victory. Rounding out the top ten were Peter Hastrup in a lonely eighth place followed by James Hakewill and Ira Fierberg. The final five finishers where Nick Kodenko, who had an impressive run to eleventh in his third race of the series, Les Phillips, back in the series after a year layoff in twelfth, Bill Kincaid, thirteenth, Richard Lai Fatt, a rookie in fourteenth, the unfortunate Jeff Westphal, fifteenth and Dennis Gaughary sixteenth.
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