In an exhilarating display of speed and strategy at Buttonwillow Raceway, 944 Spec drivers showcased their prowess during the weekend’s events.
On Saturday, two-time National Champion Marcelo Vine led the 944 Spec class with precision, clocking a fast lap of 2:06.433 in his black and yellow Porsche 944 sponsored by Pro Low Voltage Inc and Security Specialists. Another multitime National Champion, Charles Buzzetti, followed closely with a time of 2:06.373, 5.883 seconds adrift. Kevin Fry secured third, 25.056 seconds behind Vine, recording a best lap of 2:07.392.
Of course, the big story on Sunday’s race was the fire set in the grass off track early in the race. The fire ended up causing a 20-minute delay, but race control was determined to give them more time to race than a green-white-checkers. The restart had lots of mixed-class traffic and the ensuing action was about what you would expect from a late-race restart.
Josh Cleye had taken the lead early in the race in his green Porsche 944, marking a best lap time of 2:01.832, and he kept it until checkers. Gian Bowles in a purple and orange Porsche 944, sponsored by DJ SirGio, followed at 2.526 seconds behind. Charles Buzzetti maintained his strong performance, ending up third once again.
The weekend races highlighted not only the skills and strategies of the drivers, but also the importance of team support and vehicle reliability, as seen in the minor time differences and consistent lap times across both days.
