SEARS POINT RACE REPORT
- by Stenzo



BOB LEADS TEAM SPEEDLAN THROUGH “WHINE” COUNTRY!

Sears Point Raceway (7/1/00) -- Bob led the four TEAM SPEEDLAN drivers back to the finish line this afternoon, finishing 17th in what proved to be a white-knuckled, adrenaline-pumping, blood-boiling endurance race. Road courses are typically regarded by many drivers as a senseless departure from traditional NASCAR-style oval track racing, and this weekend was no different, as the whines echoed loud and clear throughout the NAPA Valley wine region. Regardless, Bob started his Castrol GTX Ford Taurus in 23rd place, and after surviving several wrecks, scrapes, and 7 caution flags, he managed to bring it home in front of the rest of his teammates, extending his lead to 77 points over Coyote and maintaining his 3rd place points standing.

Speed started from 24th, and raced hard throughout the first half of the race, slowly managing to work his way up to 5th place. Then, while under caution, the front runners pitted and he inherited the lead, which he held for a total of 6 laps. However, he was unable to hold off the thundering herd once the green flag dropped to restart the race, and although he struggled desperately to maintain position, he slowly slipped back through the pack, where he would eventually finish 19th. He was the only TEAM SPEEDLAN member to ever lead the race. This marks only the third time this season he's finished out of the top 10, and the fifth time out of the top 5, and he extended his points lead back to 248 points over second-place Stenzo.

Stenzo had a decent qualifying run and started from 11th, but quickly found himself in trouble by spinning off the track early on, and falling to the rear of the field in 25th place. He had worked his way up to 17th before pitting during one of the several caution periods, then was able to find his way back up through the field again to a race-high 5th position, before another wreck forced him back to the rear of the field once again. He ended up blowing his motor with 4 laps to go, leaving him to settle for 24th place, marking the fourth time this year he's finished 20th or worse.

Coyote started from 25th position, and just couldn't seem to ever find the handle on the track. It seemed he could pass cars for position, but would then slip up and lose them again. This combined with several incidents made for a long day for the defending champion. He ended up wrecking late in the race, bringing out one of the final cautions, and as he limped back around toward the pits, he spun into the pit wall, damaging his car beyond repair and ending his day. He finished 11 laps down in 25th place, marking the ninth time this season he's finished 20th or worse.