FOUNTAIN, Colo. (July 18, 2012) – With wildfires that threatened the area around Pikes Peak International Raceway earlier in the month now contained, competitors turned out for the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour at the raceway for one of the few remaining tune-ups for September’s National Championship.
The site’s triangular shape allows fast and fun elements to an autocross course, and with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, the event drew competitors from all across Colorado and points beyond.
Mike McShane made his visit from Desoto, Texas, well worth it, driving the Endura Tech Suspension Mazda MX-5 to a 0.460-second win in the Street Touring R class over Mark Milchior’s Honda S2000. The class hosted some of the stiffest competition of the weekend, with defending National Champion Robert Thorne finishing third in the 3RAuto.com/CorsportUSA.com Honda S2000.
Sean Grubb and Kevin Murphy towed the iZoomGraphics Mitsubishi Evolution from Tulsa, Ok., to compete and Street Touring Ultra, but there may have been even more to discuss on the ride home. The two co-drivers ended up competing with each other for the class win at Pikes Peak, with Grubb ending the weekend with a combined time 0.419-second faster than Murphy’s.
Three-time Solo National Champion Andy Hollis and his wife, Ann (herself a four-time champ) have spent the Summer trying to dial in their new-for-2012 Street Touring FWD-class GRM/AST/PowerCurveDyno/FTW MAZDA2. If the Colorado National Tour was any indication, the car will be just fine when the Tire Rack National Championship event visits Lincoln, Neb., as Andy drove to a 2.549-second win in the class at Colorado. Brandon Clayton finished second in a Ford Focus SVT, with Ann third in the open class.
The Road Tire classes continue to draw competition at each National Tour stop on the schedule. Ted Kaminski, from Aurora, Colo., won in Road Tire RWD; Michael Hill came from Peculiar, Mo., to compete in Road Tire FWD, but his win in a Mini Cooper was anything but; and Tom Reynolds scored victory in Road Tire AWD driving the sorenomoreusa.com/intdent.com Subaru WRX.
The Tire Rack Solo National Tour gets one final tune-up before the 40th Tire Rack Solo National Championships when it heads to the Peru National Tour, August 4 - 5, at the Grissom Aeroplex in Peru, Indiana.
The concrete runways in Peru closely mirror the runways and the Lincoln Airpark, where the National Champions will be crowned Sept. 4-7. More information on the SCCA Solo program is available at SCCA.com/solo.
2012 Colorado National Tour
