Photo Credit: FRSport.com
Tune-In for El Toro ProSolo!
Now that the San Diego Championship Tour is in the books it's time to look ahead to the El Toro Prosolo. We'll be seeing a lot of the same battles we saw this past weekend but with a different surface and different format things should be just as interesting if not more so.
In AStreet, Glen Hernandez and company will be out to prove that you might actually not die in a Corvette on street tires. BStreet at 16 entries could very well be the class to watch. Jeff Bandes and Ryan Buetzer will be piloting two very quick Solsti, while names like Wood, Clement, Goodman and Darden are sure to make the Honda fanboys proud. Also not to be counted out are Brian Coulson and Cal Craner in a '99 Corvette. C Street is hands down the class with the hardest names to pronounce. That being said Adrian Cardenas in his '04 RX8 will be one of the ones to watch. This year DStreet has become almost full spec WRX. Looking to make a case for said WRX will be Max Hayter. In FStreet, Sean O'Boyle could be the one to beat and prove that American muscle might not be the droid Fstreeters are looking for anymore.
STF could be a battle for 2nd as Michael Heinitz has quickly risen to the top of the ranks with his Acura RSX-S. With STS absorbing STC from last year, things will be interesting with the pitting of the rwd Miatas vs the fwd Hondas. Peter Loney and Stephen Yeoh, last year's El Toro STS and STC winners respectively, will be duking it out. Kinch Reindl and Jeff Wong are ready to play spoiler though. STX is another must-watch class with the usual mix of twins, BMW's and Mazdas. Fresh off a convincing win in San Diego, Brandon Parambo will be piloting his 325is against a twin contingent led by Coleman, Spyksma and the brothers Tsang. Times sure have changed for STU. Gone it seems are the days of the boost buggies. Now what we'll be entertained with are the tire smoking launches of the Jonathon Lugod Corvette and Jeff Stuart's 350Z. STR has no shortage of talent as well. Jason Munchhof took the STR title at last year's prosolo but with names like Dietz, Rhoades, Motonishi, Bjoin, Rios, Rock and Balducci a repeat just doesn't seem likely.
ASP will be a fun one to watch as the former ESP WRX of Greg McCance is now going up against the Berry Family Racing Evo. This will be a drag race you won't want to miss! In BSP, Steve O'Blenes could be the one everyone is chasing. If anyone takes him down it could be his codriver, Anthony Porta. Brian Peters will have the ESP bullseye on his back but that's a position he is not unfamiliar with. In SM Peter Bollenbecker will be looking to take advantage of his AWD launches. Michael Yanase could be the one to real him in though once the steering wheels start turning.
The safe bet in KM is Paul Russell while R1 with Christopher, Kiesel and Clements is full of fast and could be anybody's game. R2 will see 13 competitors. Look for Fred Zust and Henry Bjoin to rise to the top.
Last year, Christine Grice handily won L1 and is looking to do it again this year. In L2 Meredith Brown will be working the AWD launch advantage in a DS WRX while Barbara Leroy-Boehme will be piloting a '99 Corvette. The largest ladies class, L3, is full of fast women and fast cars. Shauna Rios is no slouch in her STR Miata but with Jamie Yost, Nicole Wong, Lisa Berry and Catherine Tran all in the same class this one is just too hard to pick.
Be sure to tune in on the action this weekend. It'll be a guaranteed excitefest!
