ATLANTA, Ga. (May 20, 2008) The unique and exciting Atlanta Doublecross always produces some surprises. In its second appearance on the Tire Rack® SCCA ProSolo calendar, this year was no different, as the final elimination round of the Hawk Super Challenge saw the 31st qualifier paired against a Super Challenge rookie. Entering the Hawk Super Challenge as the 31st qualifier, G Stock competitor Tevin Richardson, of Canton, Ga., had to face Street Touring® S2 winner Mike King, of Jacksonville, Fla., right off the bat. When timing and scoring showed Richardons Mini Cooper S a mere 0.001-second faster than Kings Team Bridgestone/Florida Cars Direct Honda CRX Si, it was clear this Challenge was about to get interesting. Appearing in his second-ever ProSolo event and first-ever Hawk Super Challenge, Street Touring S competitor Tim Smith, of Tucker, Ga., was quickly advancing through the bracket, despite only having lane choice once. Keeping his nose clean while others faltered, Smiths Honda Civic Si was soon lining up next to Richardsons Mini. Richardson crossed the line a few inches ahead of Smith, but Smiths clean driving paid off once again, as Richardson tipped a cone early in the run. As the Honda driver proceeding the farthest through Super Challenge competition, Smith was also declared the Honda Tuner Challenge winner. Smith then pulled a hat-trick, beating Greg Hahns A Stock Team Peculiar Honda S2000 to win the Honda Hot Shoe award and a bonus $250.Tara Johns, of Mufreesboro, Tenn., is building a strong Doublecross record. After winning Ladies 1 in a RealLiving/ABC Plumbing/Tweakit Mazda Miata, Johns advanced to the final round of the Ladies Challenge, which she had previously won in the 2006 Atlanta Doublecross. There, she would have to face the only other Doublecross Ladies Challenge winner however, Karen Kraus, of Frederick, Md. Similar to the Hawk Super Challenge finish, Kraus coned away a close finish in the IAG Performance/Koni Subaru Impreza, handing Johns her second Ladies Challenge win in DoubleCross competition.In the ChaseCam Bonus Challenge, Fred White, of Milton, Mass., piloted an F Street Prepared Honda Civic against the Triad Sports Car Club/RR-AX Mazda Miata of STS2 driver Andy Monfalcone. When the dust settled, it was Monfalcone, of Greensboro, N.C., taking home the $500 ChaseCam product certificate.It seems Georgia events aren't kind to F Stock Ford Mustangs and their swaybar mounts. Like Dixie Tour winner Sam Strano, Doublecross FS winner Kevin Youngers, of Greeley, Colo., went scrounging for a swaybar mounting bracket on Saturday afternoon after breaking one during competition. Fortunately, a fellow FS competitor had an extra to lend Youngers so his CR Racing/Youngers Insights Ford Mustang could compete in the bracket challenges on Sunday.F Street Prepared competitor Ted Visscher didnt have the luxury of there being an extra transmission on hand for his Volkswagen Turbo Diesel Scirocco. Instead, fellow FSP driver George Zimmer offered to drive three hours to his South Carolina home to pick up a spare and help Visscher install it in time for Saturday competition. After only two runs however, Visschers Scirocco blew a head gasket. Zimmer stepped up to the plate once again, offering Visscher a co-drive in his Volkswagen Rabbit. It was a happy ending for Visscher after all, as he took home second place in FSP. Zimmer finished fourth.It was a close ending in B Stock, where Jim Fossum, of Greer, S.C., desperately needed a strong final run in the Mazdaspeed/Kumho Mazda RX-8 if he wanted to beat Carter Thompson, of Murfresboro, Tenn., and his Vettesport/Koni Mazda RX-8. Thompson had dug himself into a hole with two cone penalties on his first right-course run, but Fossum certainly did little to capitalize after coning two of his own right-course runs. Both drivers had clean final runs, but it was Thompson on top by 0.089-second.On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mark Madarash, of Red Oak, Texas, had a walk in the park through E Street Prepared competition. Driving a Pontiac Trans-Am, Madarash took the ESP win by more than four seconds. It came as quite a surprise then when Madarash coned away his chance to advance to the final round of the Hawk Super Challenge when paired against eventual winner Smith.The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Series next heads to our Nations capital for the always popular Washington D.C. ProSolo at FedEx field, June 21. For more information and full results from the Atlanta DoubleCross click the orange Solo tab at the top of the page.
