Tag: Spring Mountain

Spring Mountain Race Series kicks off 24-25 season with new and familiar faces

Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club waved the green flag on its first race of the 2024-2025 season last month on September 13 th and 14 th. Races one and two of the race season featured Radical Cup Challenge and Sports Car Series drivers …

Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club waved the green flag on its first race of the 2024-2025 season last month on September 13th and 14th.  Races one and two of the race season featured Radical Cup Challenge and Sports Car Series drivers competing on the 3.23-mile full-track configuration of the Charleson Peak circuit.

IndyCar veteran and Toyota Atlantic Champion Richie Hearn is back by popular demand for race director duties.  A lead driving instructor at Spring Mountain, Hearn’s racer perspective is embraced by the series participants as they relish hearing him remind folks to “just drive better!”

After a day of practice on Thursday, members were ready to start the season with the first race on Friday and first up was the Radical Cup Challenge presented by Dakine and Vertra. Fifteen racers from three classes set the tone for the season.

The competition was elevated in the Gold Class, with familiar faces returning to the track. Miguel Grillo and Mel Johnson, who hadn’t raced in a while, made impressive comebacks in the middle of the pack. Joining them was last year’s Silver Class Champion, Sean Mason, moving up to the Gold Class for the first time.

But it was Mark Rohrwasser who came out on top, securing first place for the weekend. Doug Ramirez and Gregg Gorski had a spirited battle, ending in a tie for second place. According to the tie-break rule, Ramirez settled for third, as Gorski’s finishing position in the second race edged him out.

In the Silver Class, Rahul Patel made a strong return after having raced only one weekend last year, claiming P1. Hot on his heels was the returning Iron Man, Brian Reynolds, followed by newly graduated rookie, Chris Hinojosa.

A special shoutout goes to Hinojosa, whose lap times are quickly improving. His pace was approaching that of seasoned veteran Brian Reynolds, setting the stage for exciting competition ahead.

Two new drivers made their debuts in the rookie class this weekend, with Sohaib Kureshi finishing ahead of Jason Horwitz.

Thirteen drivers took part in the opening round of the Sports Car Series presented by Safe Life Defense.

In the GTU class, it was nothing but clean and fast racing. Mark Ramsey found himself on the top of the box, setting a new track record for the GTU class in the process. Right behind him Michael Reynolds and Brian Reynolds rounded out the podium, showcasing their consistent pace.

In the GT4 class, Teddy Landau took first place, while Roc Capobianco followed closely in second. Both drivers delivered exceptional performances, but Capobianco’s standout moment came as he raced even faster than his qualifying pace in both races!

In the packed GTL class, it was quite a family affair with three Wonnenbergs on the track. Karen Wonnenberg took the lead among them, finishing third in her new Miata. Ahead of her was Gabriel Giannatassio, also in a new Miata, who finished second. But it was Blake Olsen who stole the show, charging from the back of the pack in both races to claim first place—an impressive performance from the reigning class champion.

Championship Standings

Radical Cup Challenge
Gold PTS.
1 Mark Rohrwasser 55
2 Doug Ramirez 54
3 Gregg Gorski 54
4 Mel Johnson 38
5 Brandon Rambo 36
6 Sean Mason 35
7 Nick Groat 31
8 Jon Hirshberg 27
9 Miguel Grillo 19
Silver PTS.
1 Rahul Patel 74
2 Brian Reynolds 62
3 Chris Hinojosa 54
Rookie PTS.
1 Sohaib Kureshi 73
2 Jason Horwitz 63

 

Sports Car Series
GTU PTS.
1 Mark Ramsey 74
2 Michael Reynolds 62
3 Brian Reynolds 54
GTL PTS.
1 Blake Olsen 72
2 Gabriel Giannatassio 55
3 Karen Wonnenberg 42
4 Chad Lancaster 40
5 John Saroyan 38
6 Michael Wonnenberg 33
7 Randy Wonnenberg 32
8 Mark Soroyan 27
9 Tony Grillo 17
GT4 PTS.
1 Teddy Landau 74
2 Roc Capobianco 62

 

LaPaglia wins first TA2 race at Spring Mountain

Michael LaPaglia earned his second CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series victory of the season in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship’s race one at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. After starting second, trouble for early leader …

Michael LaPaglia earned his second CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series victory of the season in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship’s race one at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. After starting second, trouble for early leader Tim Barber opened the door for LaPaglia to win in a tight battle despite last-lap trouble. The victory allows LaPaglia to maintain the points lead in an incredibly competitive title hunt, as just two checkered flags remain in the Western Championship’s 2024 season.

Tim Barber took the green flag from the pole position in his No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang, leading handily for the first six laps of the race. However, his day came to an abrupt halt as he experienced a transmission issue on lap seven, forcing his retirement. Michael LaPaglia, who started the race second but had dropped back to third in his No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang, was in a more advantageous spot when Barber unexpectedly slowed, allowing him to pass second-place Barry Boes (No. 32 Accio Data/TRB Autosport Ford Mustang) and take over the point position.

Following a brief caution period, LaPaglia led Boes, Tim Carroll (No. 46 CRDMFG.com Chevrolet Camaro), Jared Odrick (No. 77 BLACK Underwear Ford Mustang) and JC Meynet (No. 28 B-Bar Ranch/Killer Shrimp Chevrolet Camaro) to green, but it quickly became a two-man race between LaPaglia and Boes. On lap 12, Kyle Kelley, who nearly missed the start of the race due to damage in qualifying, entered the top five in his No. 80 PK+k Properties/UPRacing.com Ford Mustang after starting last. Odrick exited the race with air box damage on lap 15, and on lap 17, Kelley made his way around Carroll, taking over third place.

LaPaglia and Boes remained in control of the race, with Boes closing in tightly on LaPaglia but not able to make the pass. As the race clicked by, the Pirelli tires showed their resilience, with drivers setting their fastest laps of the race in the last five laps. In the final turns of the final lap, LaPaglia put two tires off the racing surface and spun, but Boes also spun behind him independently. While LaPaglia was able to right himself without losing the lead, Kelley was able to pass Boes, and the top three drag raced to the finish line. LaPaglia crossed first, followed by Kelley, Boes, Carroll and Meynet.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1479]

“Everything really worked out well for us today,” said LaPaglia atop the podium. “We qualified P2, which, historically, I have been a pretty bad qualifier. It’s good to start up front and just try to drive a smart race. The car was kind of going away from me there toward the end of the race, and I just tried to hold on to it. I knew Kyle [Kelley] was coming, I knew Barry [Boes] was on me, because he was riding my rearview mirror the whole time, so it was super stressful. He’s been racing a lot, and racing a lot in the National Championship, so I knew he was going to be there in the end. I knew I had to get the car to the finish line. I almost didn’t there for a second, with about 30 seconds to go, but kept it together and held on. I’m just happy to get a win for the team. Brody Goble came out to give me a little extra help, and the guys are here from Howe Racing; my dad’s here, and everyone from Papini’s Garage, and it’s just great to have the team out, and to get a win for everybody.”

David Hampton in the No. 14 AR Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport was the only competitor in the SGT class, but he still had an interesting race while competing with the much faster CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series cars. Holding his own, he had a great battle at the end of the race with Jim Guthrie in the No. 27 Guthrie’s Garage Ford Mustang, almost passing him in the closing laps. When the checkered flag waved, Hampton earned his second SGT victory and seventh win of the season, having already captured the GT championship with five victories.

“I have to say that it is really fun to run with these [TA2] guys,” said Hampton on the podium. “They’re so dang fast, and I’m just trying to hold my own with them. I got really close to passing this guy in front of me; we were working it, working it, working it, and I was right there, but I just couldn’t quite pull it off. Pretty soon, my front tires just gave way, and that was about it. So, a really fun, great day. Thanks to Trans Am. You guys put on a heck of a program. The track was fantastic today without the wind and the dust and all that. Thanks to my team, AR Motorsports. These guys are just absolutely awesome. My wife, who’s here, my lovely wife, thank you for coming. Thanks a lot, everybody.”

Race two of the Spring Mountain SpeedTour is Sunday at 11:10 a.m. PT. Teams will have the opportunity to practice from 9:00-9:25 a.m. PT.

RESULTS