BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. (April 28, 2013) – The SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour has reached the halfway point of the season after wrapping Round Four of eight from Buttonwillow Raceway on Sunday.
Though mechanical problems plagued his No. 12 Goodyear/Cyclo/Redline Oil Jaguar XKR on both days, Mike Lewis, of Poway, Calif., has topped his class in all four races this season. A weekend sweep in GT-2 by Tom Wickersham, of Oakland, Calif., gives him three out of four in the No. 02 Maine Straight Racing Porsche GT3.
Mike Miserendino, of Bakersfield, used his home track knowledge to pick up his third win of the season in Spec Racer Ford. The No. 11 MBI Racing Spec Racer Ford followed the No. 61 machine of TJ Acker for 12 laps, jumping to the point with two laps to go. Acker went back to the lead through Turn One on the final lap, but was swallowed up by Miserendino through the esses.
Acker fought back valiantly, pulling to the inside at the end of the backstraight on the final lap, but couldn’t make the pass. In a Hail Mary move through the last corner, Acker carried more speed than was possible, sliding eight feet wide of the track. He never lifted, but couldn’t close to Miserendino in the run to the checkers. It was the second runner-up finish of the weekend for Acker.
Elliott Skeer earned his fourth win of the season in Spec Miata, hustling the No. 77 RM Auto Sports/Pelican Windows & Remodeling Mazda Miata around the track in a battle with Clement Lee. Skeer led the opening 10 laps when Lee used the run down the long backstraight to take over the top spot.
On Lap 12, Skeer took a big look to the inside in Turn One, stayed behind Lee, and then mirrored Lee’s pass from two laps earlier to reclaim the lead.
Once in front, Skeer stayed there for the final two laps to take the win.
Chris Farrell earned his fourth win of the season by sweeping D Sports Racing in his No. 58 C&M Mfg/GDR Engines/Hoosier Tires/Red Line Oil Stohr WF1/Suzuki. Farrell took the overall win in his group for the second day in a row.
A very excited Terran Swanson cruised to his second Formula Vee win of the season, driving his No. 86 Toad Hall Enterprises Mysterian M4/VW to an 18.312-second win in the class. He was joined in his group by the overall winner, Stan Townes, who piloted his No. 6 Swift DB-1/Ford around Bill Kephart’s No. 37 Vestal 10F/Honda on lap nine of the 15-lap race.
Each of the eight classes running in Group Six saw repeat winners from Saturday.
Tom Wickersham’s No. 14 Maine Straight Racing Honda S2000 took the Touring 3 and overall win for the second straight day. Wickersham ran second for most of the race until Marc Hoover’s No. 98 Hooverspeed/NRA/Necksgen/Red Line Oil Mazda Miata fell out on unlucky lap 13.
The closest race of the group saw Skeer looking for his second win of the day, chasing down the No. 16 Team Dead Horse Racing/Jackson Racing Honda Civic Si in STL. Skeer, running his No. 77 RM Auto Sports/Pelican Windows & Remodeling Mazda Miata in STL configuration, closed to the bumper of Jackson several times in the closing laps, but couldn’t complete the pass. Jackson stayed in front for his second win of the weekend.
The weekend ended with David Ferguson’s third victory of the season in the No. 75 Veracity Racing Data Van Diemen RFS-03/Ford. Ferguson, who held a big lead on Saturday before a mechanical gremlin cost him the win, sailed away for a 16.814-second win to earn a Majors checkered flag.
The Western Conference Majors Tour visits the Pacific Northwest for Rounds Five and Six, moving to Pacific Raceway May 25-26.
More information on the SCCA Majors Program is available at www.sccamajors.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. - Provisional race winners for Sunday’s SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour Round Four at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.
American Sedan: Aaron Bailey, Shasta Lake, Calif., Pontiac Firebird B-Spec: Roy Richards, Boron, Calif., Honda Fit C Sports Racing: Lee Alexander, Las Vegas, Nev., Stohr WF1 D Sports Racing: Chris Farrell, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stohr WF1/Suzuki Formula Atlantic: Parker Nicklin, Henderson, Nev., Elan Pro Mazda Formula Continental: Michael Manning, Dinuba, Calif., Van Diemen RF01/Ford Formula F: Stan Townes, Santa Clara, Calif., Swift DB1/Ford Formula Mazda: TJ Fischer, Portland, Ore., Formula Mazda Formula Vee: Terran Swanson, Petaluma, Calif., Mysterian M4/VW E Production: Aaron Downey, Rossmoor, Calif., Mazda RX-3 F Production: Brian Linn, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mazda Miata H Production: Jason Isley, Cota de Caza, Calif., Toyota Yaris GT-1: Michael Lewis, Poway, Calif., Jaguar XKR GT-2: Tom Wickersham, Oakland, Calif., Porsche GT3 GT-3: Scott Graham, Irvine, Calif., Mazda RX-7 GT-Lite: John Bower, Granada Hills, Calif., Nissan Sentra Spec Miata: Elliott Skeer, Vista, Calif., Mazda Miata Spec Racer Ford: Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, Calif., Spec Racer Ford Sports 2000: David Ferguson, Paso Robles, Calif., Van Diemen RFS-03/Ford Super Touring Lite: Oscar Jackson, Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif., Honda Civic Si Super Touring Under: Rylan Hazelton, Santa Cruz, Calif., Honda S2000 Touring 1: Michael Von Quilich, Pahrump, Nev., Dodge Viper ACRX Touring 3: Tom Wickersham, Oakland, Calif., Honda S2000 Touring 4: Lance Stewart, Miami, Fla., Ford Mustang
Buttonwillow Double Majors 2013 U.S. Majors Tour
