Racing Review of Pueblo Day 2 for SCCA U.S. Majors Tour
PUEBLO, Colorado (May 29, 2016) – The second day of SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Mid-States Conference competition saw continued dominance by some drivers, as well as a few new faces on the victory podium’s top step at Pueblo Motorsports Park.
Drivers in the Formula Vee Class put on an incredible show both Saturday and Sunday on the 2.2-mile, 10-turn road circuit. Robert Neumeister and Tyler Hunter fought it out each day for a win with neither driver taking a flag-to-flag victory. On Saturday, Tyler managed to come across the finish line first. Then Sunday it was Neumeister that triumphed.
“At the end of the straightaway on the last lap Saturday, I caught Robert after a draft and ended up holding him off while he got caught in lapped traffic,” Hunter recalled. “Sunday was kind of a mirror image of Saturday, but this time I got caught in lapped traffic and he got by me.
“Robert and I run together a lot,” Hunter continued. “He makes me step it up a notch to perform better. Great competition makes you rise to a higher level. It’s wonderful.”
Winning three of four races he competed in during the weekend, Robert Schader was almost able to claim the sweep in both Touring 3 and Super Touring Under. But Sunday in the Touring 3 Class it was Derek Kulach in a Nissan 350Z that won a shortened race.
“It’s always crazy when you’re flying through a corner and see lightning strike,” Kulach said after the race as the wind picked up, a storm cell darkened the sky and rain began coming down. “It was a shortened race, but Schader and I had a great time.”
Another driver able to overcome setbacks Saturday to claim a win Sunday was GT-Lite pilot Jonathan Goodale in a Mazda MX-5 Miata. He has not yet had the chance to put his personal car back together from a wreck in Daytona at last year’s SCCA National Championship Runoffs, but pulled together a deal earlier in the week to run a friend’s car at Pueblo Motorsports Park this weekend.
“A fellow competitor in F Production loaned me some tires because I was running DOT ones Saturday,” Goodale said. “I can’t wait to see what my lap times are because I know I’ve got to be faster than yesterday. But I’ve got a couple more races ahead before going to Mid-Ohio for the Runoffs.”
Round Nine and Round Ten of the Mid-States Conference 12-round schedule are now complete. Next up for Mid-States competitors is the Conference final event of the year July 2-3 at High Plains Raceway in Deer Trail, Colorado. More information about that event and the entire SCCA U.S. Majors Tour can be found at SCCA.com/majors.
Below are provisional race results from Sunday’s SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at Pueblo Motorsports Park with Class: Name, Hometown and Car.
-E Production: Paul Pineider, Colleyville, TX; Caterham 7
-F Production: Bill Hingston, Aurora, CO; Mazda Miata
-Formula 1000: Kevin Roggenbuck, Woodinville, WA; Firman RFR 1000
-Formula Atlantic: Dwight Rider, Aurora, CO; Ralt RT-41
-Formula Continental: Barry Gilbert, Englewood, CO; Van Dieman RF-03
-Formula F: John LaRue, Muncie, IN; Vestal FF
-Formula Vee: Robert Neumeister, Pueblo, CO; Lynx Querida
-Formula Mazda: Larry Howard; Kansas City, MO; Formula Mazda
-GT-2: Jim Valdez, Denver, CO; BMW E46
-GT-Lite: Jonathan Goodale, Conifer, CO; Mazda MX-5 Miata
-Prototype 1: Kirk Kindsfater, Eaton, CO; Speads RS11
-Prototype 2: Chuck McConica; Longmont, CO; Radical ProSport
-Spec Miata: John Harms, Plano, TX; Mazda MX-5
-Spec Racer Ford 3: Mike Davies, Aurora, CO; SRF Gen 3
-Spec Racer Ford: Jim Tibor Jr., Silver Plume, CO; Enterprise SRF
-Super Touring Lite: Scott Bettinger, Haysville, KS; Mazda Miata
-Super Touring Under: Robert Schader, Lafayette, CO; Lotus Exige
-Touring 1: Michael Pettiford, Louisville, CO; Chevrolet Corvette Z06
-Touring 2: James Leithauser, Westminster, CO; BMW M3
-Touring 3: Derek Kulach, Albuquerque, NM; Nissan 350Z
-Touring 4: Jeff Jensen, Monument, CO; Acura RSX-S
Photo: Derek Kulach didn’t win T2 Sunday, but used the same car to bring home a T3 victory.
Photo Credit: Sports Car Club of America Staff
