The 2009 Redline Time Attack Series hit another new track on the schedule for this year. Round #5 of the series was held at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina this past weekend.
It seems we have been seeing some of the major west coast based teams heading out East for an event or two this season and we saw just that at Carolina Motorsports Park. Arriving un-announced and to everyone's surprise, Las Vegas based FX Motorsports Development brought out their Unlimited RWD Acura NSX which dominated the first two west coast events of the season. AMS Performance was also out in full force fresh off of an overall event win at Round #4 in their AMS Performance/NOS Energy Drink Mitsubishi Evo X. Also in attendance trying to keep their undefeated Unlimited FWD class winning streak going was Chris Rado and the World Racing Scion tC. To mix things up a bit, the Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup car also showed up and was rumored to hold the track's production vehicle lap record.
With a host of fast cars in attendance, everyone was anxious to see how things would stack up in the Unlimited class. The AMS Performance/NOS Energy Drink Mitsubishi Evo X had the fastest recorded practice time from Saturday, but FX Motorsports Development were keeping their practice times a secret. At the end of the day on Sunday it was Billy Johnson and the FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX claiming the overall victory, the Unlimited class victory, the Unlimited RWD division victory, and a new overall track record for a production based vehicle! Johnson piloted the Cricket Wireless sponsored NSX to a blistering 1:30.630 lap. Coming in second overall was the AMS Performance/NOS Energy Drink Mitsubishi Evolution X driven by Mark Daddio with a 1:33.159. Daddio posted that time without a working 5th gear in the Evo X as well! Daddio's time was also good enough for the Unlimited AWD division win closing the points gap on Crawford Performance for the Unlimited AWD Division Championship. Coming in behind Daddio for second place in the Unlimited AWD Division was Phil Grabow in the Element Tuning Subaru STI with a 1:37.775. Rounding out the top three in Unlimited AWD was Alex Grabau in the Pleasure Evo Mitsubishi Evolution with a 1:45.574. For the Unlimited RWD Division, it was overall champion Billy Johnson and the FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX taking the top spot on the podium over previous track record holder Cory Friedman and the Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup car who came across the line with a 1:35.257. It seemed the rest of the Unlimited RWD class had mechanical issues but taking third place and edging out the other wounded cars was Round #4 Unlimited RWD winner Jeff Ricca and the 240SX Motoring Nissan 240SX with a 1:42.153 while down one cylinder on his engine. Chris Rado and the World Racing Scion tC must have scared all of the other competitors in Unlimited FWD away with their dual winged monster as he ran un-opposed in his division. That didn't stop him for going 110% though posting a fast lap of 1:35.989, an incredible feat for a front-wheel drive car to be within a second of a Porsche GT3 Cup car.
The Modified Class saw a lot of familiar faces battling it out once again. Ryan Gates and the Gates311.com/AMS Performance Mitsubishi Evolution X were again dominant against the rest of the field winning the overall Modified Class and Modified AWD division with a 1:38.127. Behind Gates is where the real battle has been going on between James Elterman and the Takata Time Attack Subaru STI and Sharif Abdelbaset and the Forged Performance Nissan R35 GTR. At Round #4 it James Elterman narrowly beat out Sharif's GTR after losing a motor in practice and having to run a back up motor. Still on the back up motor from Round #4, Elterman gave it all he had but this time Sharif Abdelbaset and the Forged Performance GTR came out on top running a 1:40.993 taking second place in Modified AWD behind Gates. Elterman and the Takata Time Attack STI settled for third with a lap of 1:42.890. Although running un-opposed in Modified RWD this event, Scott Bush and the BC Racing/Relentless Autosports team were still a big story. The team started the season in their 350Z, but after mechanical issues at Round #3 they had to miss Round #4. Un-able to get the 350Z fixed the team showed up last minute with their old G35 time attack car that they ran in the 2008 season. Unfortunately mechanical issues plagued this car as well as they lost the use of 5th and 6th gear early on in practice. Bush still posted a 1:48.090 and gained 1st place points in Modified RWD. Another big story for the weekend was in Modified FWD. The winner of the past two events and favorite coming into this event, Ross Miller and the Ptuning Scion tC suffered an unfortunate engine failure in practice ending their weekend early without a chance to compete. The rest of the Modified FWD class was all new faces to the series this season and taking top honors was Patrick Saunders in the WeTodd/Honda Works Honda Civic with a 1:50.367 followed by Chris Sneed in the Sneed's Speedshop/Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine Mini Cooper S with a 1:55.402 for 2nd. Rounding out the top three in Modified FWD was Mark Johnson in his Honda CRX running a 1:57.053.
The Street East Class was once again the Tony Weisenhahn show. Tony put on another incredible display in the Turn In Concepts Subaru WRX winning the Street East Class and Street East AWD Division for the third event in a row with a 1:43.782, faster than most of the Modified Class. Finishing second in the Street East AWD Division was ex-NASCAR driver Bary Bodine in his Royal Purple/Hoosier Tire Subaru STI with a 1:46.028 followed by Marty Grand in the AMS Performance/Switchback Racing Mitsubishi Evolution IX for third with a 1:47.142. The Street East RWD Division saw Round #4 winner Gregory Haye and the Challenge/GTMotoring/Bridgestone Honda S2000 back on top of the podium with a 1:50.288 followed by the Spec Clutch Porshe 911 of David Norton coming in second with a 1:51.428. Finishing in third in Street East RWD was Jeff Bender in the Tri-State Racing Nissan 350Z with a 1:52.551. The Street East FWD Division was once again a tightly contested battle between Doug Wind, Michael Ostby, Gary Fratianne, and now Nick Bender thrown in the mix. Doug Wind and the Forced Performance/Continental Tire Dodge Neon SRT-4 once again came away the victor with a 1:48.262. Coming in second behind Wind once again was Michael Ostby in the Challenge/GTMotoring/Bridgestone Acura RSX with a 1:50.000. Third place however came from Nick Bender in the Tri-State Racing Honda Civic Si who battled with Ostby all last season keeping the battle alive finishing just one tenth of a second behind Ostby with a 1:50.104.
The Street Stock East Class is a new class to Redline Time Attack, started at Round #2 of this season's series. Unfortunately I don't think word has spread about the class yet as only one entrant showed up to Carolina Motorsports Park. That entrant was Round #4 Street Stock East and Street Stock East RWD winner Brian Flanagan in his Fastech/Tracks Unlimited Nissan 350Z. Running un-opposed netted Flanagan another Street Stock East class and Street Stock East RWD win making him points leader for both his division and class. Flanagan's best time for the weekend was a 1:51.927.
Round #5 also saw another Redline Super Session competition, a wheel to wheel 3-lap sprint race where points are awarded for what position you are in when you cross the checkered flag rather than what your lap time was. This event is exciting for both the drivers and the fans and has become a huge hit at the select events they have them at. Entered into this Super Session was overall event champion Billy Johnson and the FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX, Whit Staples and the Fortune Auto Mitsubishi Evolution IX, James Elterman and the Takata Time Attack Subaru STI, and Scott Leer in the Grassroots Motorsports Mini Cooper S. The pace car exited the track and as the cars paced down the front straight the green flag dropped. To everyone's surprise Johnson was somehow in third place halfway through the first lap but quickly made up the positions taking the lead by the time they came back to the front straight to start the second lap. It was all Johnson from there on out but behind Johnson a close battle for second was unfolding between Elterman and Staples. They battled for the full three laps and Staples crossed the checkered flag a half of a car length in front of Elterman for a photo finish! Leer would finish 4th.
Round #6 of the 2009 Redline Time Attack season will the the last East Coast stop before the series heads back out West for the rest of the year. Round #6 will also be the series finals for both the Street East and Street Stock East classes so this will be the first event this season to crown any points champions! Be sure not to miss Round #6 which will be held at E-Town Raceway in Englishtown, New Jersey on August 29th & 30th.
RESULTS:
Overall:
Billy Johnson - FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX - 1:30.630
Overall Unlimited:
Billy Johnson - FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX - 1:30.630
Overall Modified:
Ryan Gates - Gates311.com/AMS Performance Mitsubishi Evo X - 1:38.127
Overall Street:
Tony Weisenhahn - Turn In Concepts Subaru WRX - 1:43.782
Overall Stock:
Brian Flanagan - Tracks Unlimited/Fastech Nissan 350Z - 1:51.927
Unlimited AWD:
1 Mark Daddio - AMS Performance/NOS Energy Mitsubishi Evo X - 1:33.159
2 Phil Grabow - Element Tuning Subaru STI - 1:37.775
3 Alex Grabau - Pleasure Evo Mitsubishi Evolution - 1:45.574
Unlimited RWD:
1 Billy Johnson - FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX - 1:30.630
2 Cory Friedman - Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup - 1:35.257
3 Jeff Ricca - 240SX Motoring Nissan 240SX - 1:42.153
Unlimited FWD:
1 Chris Rado - World Racing Scion tC - 1:35.989
Modified AWD:
1 Ryan Gates - Gates311.com/AMS Performance Mitsubishi Evo X - 1:38.127
2 Sharif Abdelbaset - Forged Performance Nissan R35 GTR - 1:40.993
3 James Elterman - Takata Time Attack Subaru STI - 1:42.890
Modifed RWD:
1 Scott Bush - BC Racing/Relentless Autosports Infiniti G35 - 1:48.090
Modified FWD:
1 Patrick Saunders - WeTodd/Honda Works Honda Civic - 1:50.367
2 Chris Sneed - Sneed's Speedshop/Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine Mini Cooper S - 1:55.402
3 Mark Johnson - Honda CRX - 1:57.053
Street AWD:
1 Tony Weisenhahn - Turn In Concepts Subaru WRX - 1:43.782
2 Bary Bodine - Royal Purple/Hoosier Subaru STI - 1:46.028
3 Marty Grand - AMS Performance/Switchback Racing Mitsubishi Evolution IX - 1:47.142
Street RWD:
1 Gregory Haye - GTMotoring/Challenge/Bridgestone Honda S2000 - 1:50.288
2 David Norton - Spec Clutch Porsche 911 - 1:51.428
3 Jeff Bender - Tri-State Racing Nissan 350Z - 1:52.551
Street FWD:
1 Doug Wind - Forced Performance/Continental Tire Dodge Neon SRT-4 - 1:48.262
2 Michael Ostby - GTMotoring/Challenge/Bridgestone Acura RSX - 1:50.000
3 Nik Bender - Tri-State Racing Honda Civic Si - 1:50.104
Stock RWD:
1 Brian Flanagan - Tracks Unlimited/Fastech Nissan 350Z - 1:51.927
Super Session:
1 Billy Johnson - FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX
2 Whit Staples - Fortune Auto Mitsubishi Evolution IX
3 James Elterman - Takata Time Attack Subaru STI
4 Scott Leer - Grassroots Motorsports Mini Cooper S
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