Posted September 15, 2011 – SPEED
NASA is celebrating 33 new National Champions, who raced their way to the top step of the podium over the weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Annual National Championships presented by Toyo Tires is celebrating 33 new National Champions, who raced their way to the top step of the podium over the weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Besides great head-to-head competition, the secondary story of the weekend was the changing weather conditions. From the drop of the green flag on practice Wednesday through the final checker on Sunday, intermittent rain and drying periods dominated the thought process of the 400 competitors.
Great racing was witnessed in all 11 race groups on Saturday and Sunday. Some of the most heated battles were raged in Honda Challenge and Spec Miata.
“We had an outstanding week of racing,” Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman said. The weather was a factor, but only added excitement to the races. In Honda Challenge 1, the race between Jonathan Meris and Kevin Helms was incredible. They swapped the lead seven times in the 45-minute race and twice on two different laps. A similar scenario played out in Spec Miata, when you thought someone had a lead it was lost a few corners later. The SM race started in the dry, and everyone had a dry setup. However, on the first lap it started to rain. It was an impressive drive by Nathanial Sparks, who spun and bounced off the tire barrier only to charge back to the front of the pack and win. In several classes, the winner had to come through the field after slipping and sliding in the wet to claim his National Championship trophy.
The team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course have a wonderful facility and did a great job all week keeping the track and paddock in great condition. Our team at SpeedCast TV delivered superb live coverage, which allowed our fans at home to experience all the action.
All of our event officials, especially Nationals Event Director, Will Faules, had everything running on time. It was a wonderful week of racing on the track, with camaraderie in the pits to match.”
Notes from the NASA Nationals:
Dean Martin won both the American Iron and Super Touring 2 classes in a Ford Mustang.
Brian Makse won PTE and TTE in his Honda.
Sarah Cattaneao, only female to win at the Nationals in her Mini Copper in PTC.
Manny Coats won Honda Challenge 2 and placed second in PTC.
Troy Lindstrom won STR 1 and took third in Super Unlimited in his Chevrolet Super Truck.
Greg Stasiowski third in Spec Miata and third in PTF.
Fast lap of the weekend was 1:27.731, by Team Nobama/Knoop-Mann Chevrolet.
NASA Nationals Championships presented by Toyo Tires 2011 Champions:
FFR Paul Kaiser/No. 8/Factory Five Racing Cobra
CMC2 Anders Sjoblom/No. 65/Ford Mustang
PTA Scott Perkins/No. 127/Chevrolet Corvette Z06
PTB Derek Whitis/No. 125/Mazda MX5
Super Touring 1 David Pinitaric/No. 40/Dodge Viper
Super Touring 2 Dean Martin/No. 88 Ford Mustang
Super Unlimited Ryan Ellis/No. 01/Superlite Coupe
Spec 944 Tyler Palmer/No. 4/Porsche 944
Spec E30 Robert Grace/No. 74/BMW 325
Spec Miata Nathanial Sparks/No. 12/Mazda Miata
American Iron Dean Martin/No. 50 Ford Mustang
American Iron Xtreme Chris Griswold/No. 71 Ford Mustang
Formula Mazda Darryl Wills/No. 24/Formula Mazda
PTC Sarah Cattaneo/No. 111/Mini Cooper
PTD Brian Shanfeld/No. 64/Honda Civic
PTE Brain Makse/No. 786/Honda
PTF Walter Carlos/No. 881/Mazda RX7
Honda Challenge 1 Jonathan Meris/No. 727 Honda Civic
Honda Challenge 2 Manny Coats/No.72 Honda CRX
GTS1 Edward Baus/No. 112 Porsche 944
GTS2 Scott GoodNo. 333 Porsche 944
GTS3 Joshua Smith/No.148 BMW M3
GTS4 Randy Mueller/No. 0 BMW M3
GTS5 Daniel Wennerberg/No. 68 BMW
STR1 Troy Lindstrom/No. 66 Chevrolet Super Truck
STR2 John Buckert/No.160
TTA Rory Alsberg/No. 53 Chevrolet Corvette
TTR Team Nobama/No. 31 Knoop-Mann Special Chevrolet
TTS James Forbis/No. 69 Chevrolet Corvette
TTU Jarod Hoops/No. 178 Mitsubishi Evo
TTB Benjamin Lesnak/No. 9 Chevrolet Corvette
TTC Dj Fitzpatrick/No186 BMW M3
TTD Bill Brees/No. 138 Mazda Protégé
TTE Brian Makse/No. 786/Honda
TTF Michael Weber/No. 777 Infiniti G20
To qualify for the NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires, NASA competitors must compete in and score points in five regional races around the country. The 2011 National Championship presented by Toyo Tires weekend will feature over 400 competitors racing for the NASA National Champion trophy in 33 racing classes and nine Time Trial divisions around the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
NASA racers competed for over $1,000,000 in prize packages offered by major automotive and motorsport companies this weekend.
Source:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/nasa-national-championships-celebrates-successful-weekend-at-mid-ohio/