The Great Lakes and Midwest regions ended the season with a crossover event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The weekend format was two races on Saturday for Regional Championship points and one race on Sunday for Toyo and Hawk contingencies.
Todd Rogers in the Maple Grove Equipment and Services Mustang qualified on pole. Mickey Remen in the Pioneer Tool and Die Mustang was second, followed by Todd Davis in his Buick Grand National and Jason Lakomiak in the GLPL Mustang.
Wind and rain rolled in after qualifying and made the track slick for the first race Saturday. At the start of the race, Lakomiak got a good lead and a good line through Madness. This ended quickly when he lost the rear end down the hill and wound up in the grass. Rogers took the lead ahead of Remen, but then went wide in the middle of the Carousel while Remen and Lakomiak passed him. Rogers then pushed down the back straight ahead of Lakomiak, chasing after Remen. Lakomiak got into the gravel at the end of Thunder Valley. He made it out while still keeping third position.
Remen held on at the end for the win, Rogers was second and Lakomiak held on for third. In Spec Iron, Audrey Zavodsky got the win. Alex Wright, who still breaking in his new Poe Motorsports Spec Iron Mustang, came in second.
Rainfall was much harder for the second race Saturday and the fog was thick. Davis got the win in the steady rain and Lakomiak came in second. In Spec Iron, Audrey Zavodsky got the win, her 12th of the year.
Sunday’s weather was sunny and dry. The club course configuration was used with the chicane at the end of the front straight. Race length was 45 minutes, 10 minutes longer than normal. No season points were awarded for this race but contingency money was on the line. Everyone was fighting for their Toyo and Hawk bucks!
Qualifying was a wet/dry track with conditions greatly improving at the end of the session. Rogers was on pole, followed by Remen, Lakomiak, Davis and Fisher. John Jung was in front of the AI cars and Spec Iron was behind.
The start of the race was very busy with out-of-class cars in front and not able to get their tires working. For the first three laps, the AI cars were trying to work their way through the field – bumper to bumper! Remen had a great jump at the start, but picked the wrong car to follow in Thunder Valley. Rogers then took the lead followed by Lakomiak and Remen. Remen had a hard time getting out of the Keyhole and was passed by Lakomiak at the end of the back straight. He then got on Rogers’ bumper, who was held up by a Viper. They stayed glued to the back of the Viper until the pit straight.
At the exit of Turn 1, Lakomiak got inside of the Viper and Rogers was on the outside. Lakomiak got into the Keyhole first and took the lead, closely followed by Rogers, who pursued for the next few laps, getting the car completely sideways each time at the exit of the Keyhole. Accidents at the entrance to Thunder Valley caused a double yellow.
At the restart, Lakomiak picked the wrong line of cars to follow. Rogers and Fisher passed on the outside of the Carousel. Lakomiak then got behind Fisher. Rogers got a little gap, but Fisher and Lakomiak were battling for second. Lakomiak got along side of Fisher and rode it out until the club course chicane. Fisher then got into the gray and Lakomiak got ahead. Fisher remained in pursuit of Lakomiak and ran an AI Club Course track record lap time of 1:38.400 for his very last lap!
Rogers got the win, with Lakomiak in second and Fisher just behind in third. In SI Alex Wright got the win. In AIX, series champion John Jung got the win and ran an impressive 1:32.622!
Regional Champions for the Great Lakes and Midwest regions:
American Iron, Great Lakes:
Champion: Jason Lakomiak
Second: Todd Davis
Third: Elliott Fisher
In American Iron, Midwest:
Champion: Todd Davis
Second: Jason Lakomiak
Third: Team Sarsfield
American Iron Extreme, Great Lakes:
Champion: John Jung
Second: Jeff Henderson
American Iron Extreme, Midwest:
Champion: Jeff Henderson
Second: John Jung
Spec Iron, Great Lakes and Midwest:
Champion: Audrey Zavodsky
