Race to Reno results!!!!!!

[solonut]

In the national open wheel class our own Donna Gilleo took 4th overall and 1st in class.........this is after a spin and loosing a bunch of spots!!:D

in the Restricted Regional.......this is overall!!!! and first in Classes!!!!!!
1st....Connie Bogan....Viper comp coupe
2nd....Donna Gilleo.....Acura Integra
3rd.....Lucas Kunze....camero
4th.....Al Locket....Honda Civic


Reno region shined bright this weekend and our thanks go to Dave & Carol Deborde for their hard work to pull this off.....

[S2kreno]

Yay Donna :)

[Mel Torme]

Carol and Dave did an outstanding job in bringing road racing back to northern Nevada!!!!! Reno region should be very proud of the them AND all the region members who helped out.

Fernley's weather cooperated and showcased RFR in the best possible conditions, warm enough to let people know they were in the desert yet comfortable enough (NO WIND) with a light breeze that made for a great Father's Day.

I sat in the grandstands above turn one chicane and was amazed at how many spectators showed up. The real fun for me was in the paddock visiting with several folks from our region and racing friends from all over the country.

A nice turnout from the vintage folks allowed us to witness a beautiful McLaren CanAm car, some amazing Lolas and several other marques including our own Lee Mitchell in his Datsun.

Jim Gandy and I enjoyed watching an awesome dual between a MGB and a high horsepower American Sedan car which lasted for many laps until the big V8 suffered a mechanical and was forced to pit. It was super exciting wheel to wheel dicing between two excellant drivers going on for over 10 laps.

THANKS DAVE AND CAROL!!!!!!!

[solonut]

Carol and Dave did an outstanding job in bringing road racing back to northern Nevada!!!!! Reno region should be very proud of the them AND all the region members who helped out.

Fernley's weather cooperated and showcased RFR in the best possible conditions, warm enough to let people know they were in the desert yet comfortable enough (NO WIND) with a light breeze that made for a great Father's Day.

I sat in the grandstands above turn one chicane and was amazed at how many spectators showed up. The real fun for me was in the paddock visiting with several folks from our region and racing friends from all over the country.

A nice turnout from the vintage folks allowed us to witness a beautiful McLaren CanAm car, some amazing Lolas and several other marques including our own Lee Mitchell in his Datsun.

Jim Gandy and I enjoyed watching an awesome dual between a MGB and a high horsepower American Sedan car which lasted for many laps until the big V8 suffered a mechanical and was forced to pit. It was super exciting wheel to wheel dicing between two excellant drivers going on for over 10 laps.

THANKS DAVE AND CAROL!!!!!!!

I was in turn 23 all weekend. Seeing that MGB tuck up on the rear of the stock car was hillarious....the spec race ford class was excellent also & the cleanest race I've seen them run....and stay on course....Also watching lucas & Al Locket both evade an erratic ITA rx7 and missed him by inches....for those of you who didnt venture out, you missed one heck of a great time....
My hats off to Reno/Fernley raceway for all the safety improvements......it paid off in spades....good job Rich,Jeremey and all of the staff of the track.....Pat

[cplescia]

Just wanted to echo my thanks and congratulations to Dave and Carol for pulling off their first SCCA race (and a National at that!)!

I had a great time and enjoyed the hospitality as well as the track itself. While there were some issue with the bumps, I thoroughly dug the track (once I knew where the heck I was going) and the natural beauty of the area. With the exception of the two formula fords that tangled and nearly ended up in the T5 corner worker box, it was a safe weekend as well. Thanks again to all the volunteers that came out and made it a fun weekend for us drivers. I look forward to next time!

[Braydog]

Unfortunately had to miss this event, but congrats on putting on what is quite obvious as a fun, successful race!

Glad everyone had fun.

[SteveLevin]

I enjoyed the weekend so much I thought I'd toss in 3 spins during the SRF race just to keep the excitement levels up! :)

Things worked really smoothly and hopefully we can see a Double National next year which will hopefully pull in an even bigger group.

Steve
________
AnythingGirl (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/AnythingGirl)

[jim.gandy]

Let’s take a shot at listing how the Reno Region drivers did in the first-ever Charles Schwab Bank Race to Reno…

TOM GARDNER of Reno had a great weekend in his vintage 1971 McLaren Can-Am car. He started from the pole and posted a wire-to-wire win overall in Group 8 (Vintage) and the VFSR (Vintage Formula and Sports Racer) class.

ALAN PRENTISS of Carson City brought his 1973 Crossle home second overall in Group 8 and second in VFSR. In the process, he bettered his qualifying time by 1.3 seconds.

TUPPER ROBINSON of Gardnerville had an eventful run in his 1965 Corvette. He finished fourth overall in Group 8 and first in VP3 (Vintage Production 3) class, but he had to work for it, getting jumped at the start by a Mustang and needing several laps to find a way by. Later, while lapping fellow Reno Region driver LEE MITCHELL (Reno), Tupper’s Vette and Lee’s 240Z thumped sides, leaving both drivers wondering just how it happened. Body contact is a no-no in Vintage racing, so Tupper and Lee both got reprimands and probations from the stewards. Neither car was seriously damaged, fortunately. Lee pressed on to finish 14th overall and third in VP2 class, which may have been enough to keep him in the points lead for VP2 championship in NORPAC.

ERIC JOHNSON of Washoe Valley qualified 12th in Group 8 in his 1970 Corvette, but he could only finish ten of the race’s 17 laps. I don’t know what the issues were. The ten laps were enough for Eric to be classified as a finisher, 19th overall and fourth in VP3.

PAUL GILBERT of Sun Valley is listed as a San Francisco Region driver, but he's been around Reno Region for over 30 years. Way back when, he raced a number of little Toyotas in the small sedan classes, and more recently he's been a dedicated race worker/volunteer. For this race, he rented/borrowed a 1972 Toyota Corolla so he could fulfill a longtime ambition, to race in a Reno Region Club Race. He set a modest pace in the race and came home 18th overall and sixth in VP1 class -- you don't have to go fast to realize a dream.

JOE PRATT, of Reno, was the only Reno Region driver listed in the day’s second race, National Group 5, for Spec Racer Fords. Joe qualified 5th out of 16 cars and appeared to settle into that spot when the green flag dropped, but after completing just one lap, he lost third gear and pulled off the track. Joe’s temperament is usually pretty calm, but he was not a happy camper as he loaded the car into his trailer. There was another Reno resident in the Group 5 race, Rich Kenny, but he was listed as a San Francisco Region member. Rich qualified tenth and finished 8th.

MIKE CESARIO of Reno was the only Reno Region driver entered in the day’s fifth race, National Group 2, for production-based cars. Mike put his ex-Alan Kulwicki 1989 Ford NASCAR stocker on the pole, more than three seconds a lap clear of the next car. But when the green flag dropped, Mike found that he was under constant pressure from the very fast GT-Lite 1972 MGB of Californian Brian Linn. For a dozen laps, it was great fun to watch. At one point, Brian even got alongside of Mike in the esses and 180 at the north end of the course. Finally, though, Mike dropped out (a broken axle?). Things then got worse for Mike – even though he had completed 12 laps, which was enough to be classified as a finisher, he didn’t stop in impound after pulling off the track, so the stewards tagged him with a disqualification. As he was the only entrant in the GT-1 class, that DSQ cost Mike a class winner’s trophy and points.

DONNA GILIO of Carson City had a great race in National Group 1, for the faster formula and sports racing cars. She’s been competitive all year in Chuck Johnson’s yellow-and-blue Formula Enterprises car, and during qualifying she put down a time that was a half-second faster than her usual FE nemesis, Brandon Aleckson. Donna and Brandon started third and fourth in Group 1, and for a couple of laps things looked good for Donna. Then she spun coming onto the main straight and dropped to third in class. She began working her way back, passing the FE car of James Davenport for second, and then she got some racing luck – Brandon’s car gave out at mid-distance, and Donna cruised home fourth overall and first in FE.

The final race of the day was the Regional (no National points awarded) for all production-based cars, and the field was loaded with eight Reno Region drivers. Unfortunately, two of them didn’t make it past Friday’s open practice day. VIC CHALK of Truckee lost the engine in his ITE-class 1997 Honda Civic Friday afternoon and was a scratch for the rest of the weekend. And newcomer STEVE MARTINI of Carson City, who had hopes of competing in his ITE 2002 Ginetta, found that he had overlooked a few of the prerequisites for getting an SCCA racing license.

The remaining six Reno Region drivers made it through to the checkered flag in the Regional, led by CONNIE BOGAN of Reno, who had a great, dominating weekend in her B Production 2007 Viper GT-R to take pole and a wire-to-wire overall win. It was a superb accomplishment for Connie, who came up through Reno Region’s Trails program over the last couple of years.

Second overall in the Regional and first in Improved Touring A class was DONNA GILIO, who hopped directly from her FE-winning drive into the seat of her 1992 Acura Integra, then clicked off 17 smooth laps for her second win of the weekend.

LUCAS KUNZE of Reno, a “product” of Reno Region’s Solo and Trials programs, finished third overall and first in Improved Touring E in his 1994 Camaro. Luke was one spot ahead of Reno’s AL LOCKETT, who took home the second-place ITE trophy in his 1989 Civic. Luke and Al were third and fourth on the grid, too, but Al got a great start and led Luke for a couple of laps before the Camaro powered ahead.

Starting 10th and 11th in the Regional were Reno’s RICHARD FULLER and Sparks’ GARY SMITH, both in first-generation Mazda RX-7s in the ITA class. They both soldiered on in those positions until late in the race, when Las Vegas’ Dale Shoemaker spun his Spec Miata coming onto the main straight and Richard got by to take ninth overall, second in ITA.

That’s what I know (or think I know) about the Reno Region drivers in our first-ever Club Race. If you can add more details, or if I’ve overlooked someone, please don’t hesitate to post the information. If I've messed up something, I apologize and will post a correction if you'll let me know.

I'd like to do something like this for all the Reno Region people who participated as volunteers during the weekend. Want to help? Post what you know or email me at jrgandy@peoplepc.com. Thanks.

Will YOU be part of our next race?

[Joe Harlan]

THANKS DAVE AND CAROL!!!!!!!

This can not be said loud enough, This was a very fun event and you all have a great track on your hands there. We look forward to returning from Oregon next year.

[brian]

Having grown up in Reno you can only imagine how much I hated to miss the frist ever National race. I'm in Chicago awaiting the June Sprints at Road America but you can be sure I'll be there next year. Congratulations to Dave, Carol and all those who made it happen.