Solstices @ 2009 SCCA Nat'l Champ. Runoffs

[DaveOC]

As many are aware, the SCCA is holding their National Championship Runoffs this week at Road America in beautiful Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

There are 5 Solstice GXPs entered in the T2 Class and 1 Solstice (base) entered into the SSB class.

Qualifying has been taking place last Tuesday (rainy), Wednesday (overcast) and today (partly sunny). By the end of today, the grids will be set for all races.

The T2 race is tomorrow, Friday, September 25, at 10:30 AM.

The SSB race is Saturday, September 25 at 8:30 AM.

[DaveOC]

Solstice GXPs are qualified as follows:

Don Knowles, Pittsboro, NC, is number 2 on the grid, .3 seconds off the pole.

Andy Wolverton, Papillon, NE, is number 4 on the grid, a bit more than a second off the pole.

Michael Pettiford, Louisville, CO, is number 8 on the grid, another 3 seconds back.

Scott Oliphant, Colorado Springs, CO, is 14th (last) on the grid a bit more than 15 seconds off the pole.

William Moore, Chagrin Falls, OH, is not currently listed on the qualifications data, though he is shown on the entry list.

The race is 10:30 tomorrow morning.

[DaveOC]

If anyone is planning on attending the T2 race, admission to the track is $20 on Friday.

I will be watch from the top of the hill at the concession stand above turn 7.

From there you can see turn 6, 7, Hurry Downs, turn 8, and the start of the Carousel.

I don't expect a lot of spectators to be there for the runoffs, so look for my ride near the top of the hill.

[DaveOC]

Dennis Aubuchon, Arnold, Missouri has the sole Pontiac Solstice entered in the SSB race. He is qualified 17th out of 21 qualified entries.

The race is at 8:30 AM Saturday morning.

[DaveOC]

While driving in to the track and making my way to the big hill where I planned to watch the T2 race, I spied a red racing Solstice, along with a transporter and a camper. I stopped to say hi, but no one was home.

Later after the T2 race, I stopped again to say hi, and had a chance to meet and talk with Dennis Aubuchon, the sole Solstice driver in the SSB race (qualified 17 out of 21).

Dennis is a really nice guy. Our whole conversation can be summed up by his saying that Road America is a "horsepower" track, and us poor NA drivers just don't have the horses to do it. He wishes he wasn't 5-6 seconds down on the leaders, but can't do anything to make it up at this track.

Good luck tomorrow, Dennis!!

[jimbo]

So the Solstice is a has-been in SSB already? What car is cleaning up in SSB if only one Solstice is being campaigned there? I would have thought that more Solstices would be racing in SSB well beyond 2010. Here it is only 2009, and already drivers are abandoning the Solstice in SSB. Boo hoo. I would like to have seen them remain competitive.

[DaveOC]

Originally Posted by jimbo So the Solstice is a has-been in SSB already? What car is cleaning up in SSB if only one Solstice is being campaigned there? I would have thought that more Solstices would be racing in SSB well beyond 2010. Here it is only 2009, and already drivers are abandoning the Solstice in SSB. Boo hoo. I would like to have seen them remain competitive.

It's the same old cast of characters, BMW Z4, Honda Civic Si, Acura RSX Type-S. The Solstice NA is still competitive at short, tight tracks due to it's handling, but is at a big horsepower disadvantage at long, high-speed tracks like Road America.

[Krazed Kanary]

Besides the NA being "heavily" (pun intended) handicapped by SCCA after winning in 2006, 2007 IIRC.
GM doesn't support the SCCA and SCCA racers, Honda and BMW does.