National Spec E30 Champ Anthony Magagnoli, pictured here at the NASA National Championships, continued his streak with two victories at the season opener at Mid-Ohio.

Eight cars made the opening round of the 2013 Great Lakes season, with defending National Spec E30 Champ Anthony Magagnoli showing he was still the man to beat by grabbing the pole, with Cameron Bullard right on his heels. The rest of the pack was tightly grouped. The third through seventh grid spots were separated by less than a second.

At the wave of the green for the rolling start, the inside line got a slight jump, putting Magagnoli in the lead as the field went two abreast through Madness. Bullard held onto second, with Michael Osborne in third. Denny Barker and Kyle Smith were able get by Sean Louisin for fourth and fifth when Louisin was forced to take the tighter line under the Honda bridge. A few laps later, Barker took third from Osborne after an outside pass through the right hander at the end of the back straight. The top three began to pull away as Smith and Osborne battled for fourth. Late in the race Bullard’s tires began to go off, but Barker’s clutch started slipping right as he got to his bumper. Magagnoli took the checkered flag followed by Bullard, Barker, Osborne, Smith, Meredith, Fuhrmann, and Louisin.

Sunday saw the clouds open up as a steady rain had hit the track. Unfortunately Barker was caught out by the streams of water running across the kink in the back straight, sending his car into the inside wall during qualifying. Only five cars took the green on a drying track. Magagnoli led green to checkered from pole showing his vast knowledge of the Mid-Ohio track that went from dry to wet and back to dry. Bullard finished second followed by Louisin, Smith.

National Spec E30 Champ Anthony Magagnoli, pictured here at the NASA National Championships, continued his streak with two victories at the season opener at Mid-Ohio.
National Spec E30 Champ Anthony Magagnoli, pictured here at the NASA National Championships, continued his streak with two victories at the season opener at Mid-Ohio.
Image courtesy of Don Wise Jr

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