Up and coming star Cory Lewis looked set to cap off a dream debut in the Radical Cup at Autobahn Country Club, July 26-28, with a dominant win, after qualifying on pole and setting a new lap record. However a mechanical issue with a lap to go left Saturday’s other star, guest celebrity driver David Heinemeier Hansson (2nd in the LMP2 class at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans), to steal the show. On Sunday it was the series’ regulars turn to shine as Gerhard Watzinger took his second SR8 win for the weekend and John Falb reclaimed the SR3 championship lead with a superb victory.
Saturday – Round 9
Having never seen the Autobahn circuit until he rolled out of pitlane, Lewis had perhaps been passed off as outside chance by SR8 Championship points leader Gerhard Watzinger and rival Jim Booth. However, after eight laps of practice Lewis confirmed it was them who might not stand a chance, lapping nearly two and a half seconds quicker.
Watzinger (2:16.552) responded in qualifying to lower the deficit. However Lewis, who was recently selected by APR Motorsports to race in Grand-Am’s Continental Challenge series, took his maiden Radical Cup pole position easily with a 2:15.318.
In the race Lewis’s superior pace- which scored him a bonus point for the fastest SR8 lap- allowed him to stretch out an impressive lead. That was until the final lap when wisps of smoke left him no choice but to pit to protect car owner Ari Straus’s machinery.
The heartache was evident and while it cost him the outright and SR8 class win, no one could deny his dominant debut performance.
His demise left Gerhard Watzinger to take the SR8 win from Jim Booth and John Morris, and David Heinemeier Hansson to claim an impressive outright victory.
In passing the entire SR8 field the guest celebrity driver recorded the outright fastest lap, marking the first time an SR3 driver has done so this season.However the man who was second at Le Mans this year in LMP2 didn’t have it all his own way.
After being relegated to third on the grid for missing the morning’s drivers’ briefing, John Falb quickly slipped by Tony Bullock on lap one and immediately found himself next to Heinemeier Hansson. The pair than began intimidating each other, coming within inches of touching, and running side by side for nearly a third of a lap, with Falb eventually winning out.
Kurtz then capitalized on a backmarker to relegate Bullock to fourth, before Falb ran wide, dropping back to though the pack. This released Heinemeier Hansson, while the battle for the other two steps of SR3 podium continued to rage.
Falb quickly fought his way back into contention, dispatching Mark Allan and Bullock with relative ease before going wheel to wheel with Kurtz for a number of laps. Again Falb found himself drag racing, running next to Kurtz through the last corner, down the entire start/finish straight and all the way through turn one before finally securing second. Kurtz then fell back into the clutches of Bullock, but held on to take third in the SR3 class.
Critically John Falb’s second place finish moved him back into the lead of the SR3 championship, by just a single point over Tony Bullock.
Sunday – Round 10
Sunday saw Cory Lewis step aside to allow car owner Ari Straus to make his first series return since Road Atlanta. It also allowed points leader Gerhard Watzinger to reassert his dominance on the SR8 field.
In qualifying Watzinger all but matched Lewis’s time from Saturday, impressively turning a 2:15.833 in much cooler conditions to take his seventh pole position of the season from Booth (2:19.540) and Morris (2:19.635).
Similarly without Heinemeier Hansson, and perhaps spurred on after reclaiming the lead in the championship, Falb stepped up the pace setting a 2:18.326 to take the SR3 class pole from George Kurtz (2:19.442). Interestingly Tony Bullock seemed to struggle most of the session and it was only his final flying lap that yielded him a sub 20-second time (2:19.818).
Then appropriately it was the two class championship leaders, Watzinger and Falb, who starred during Sunday’s race, eventually driving off into the distance and leading the field to the checker.
However, the race started with drama. Amongst a cloud of tire smoke and brake lock-ups, the first and second rows of the SR8 field dueled through turn one with John Morris losing out.
Behind them the mood was just as tense as the SR3 field came across the start line, with Tony Bullock critically following John Falb through turn one to take second place away from George Kurtz.
The top four SR3s, which included Mark Allan, then quickly dispatched the slower SR8s, and as Falb drove off to chase down Watzinger all eyes turned to the battle for second in the SR3 class between Bullock and Kurtz.
Kurtz pushed hard, even running off while he closed the gap, but Bullock never faltered. Then with three laps to go Kurtz picked up his pace substantially, reeling off low twenties and high nineteens. However, Bullock again absorbed the pressure to take a strong second place finish.
Mark Allan again picked up a solid result with fourth in class. Jay Torres was fifth, while nothing separated his brother Gary and Niko Karavites as they crossed the line for sixth and seventh in the SR3 class.
However the day well and truly belonged to Falb and Watzinger, who both picked up perfect point scores on Sunday by also taking the bonus points for pole position and fastest race lap.
Joining Watzinger on the SR8 podium was Ari Strauss and John Morris, who were both promoted a position on lap two after a brake failure took Jim Booth for a wild ride consisting of multiple three-sixties.
Todd Slusher (SR3) was the race’s only other non-finisher due to a mechanical issue, ending a miserable weekend of two DNFs.
Watzinger’s (251 points) continued success gives him a strong lead in the SR8 points from Booth (196) and Adam Merzon (168), while Falb (223) is now a mere seven points clear of Bullock (216) for the SR3 title. The big points mover was Kurtz (138), who leaped ahead of Slusher (118) for fourth in SR3 points, and is now in striking distance of Mark Allan (152).
The inaugural Radical Cup championships and prizes, including the chance to race in the Radical Masters Euroseries and test a top European LMP2 car, will now come down to the season finale at Monticello Motor Club, Sept 6-8. The series will be joined by NARRA’s US GT Championship for what promises to be another action packed weekend.
Source : NARRA