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The weather was perfect for Thunderhill in mid-May with 80F temperatures and blue skies on Saturday when Macmillan, Massey, Umphenour, and Witherow took to the track to qualify. Umphenour came out on the pole with Massey, Witherow and Macmillan not far behind. AI racers opted for a standing start that would begin with AI behind our fellow racers in the CMC group. That was bound to make the charge for turn 1 fun and exciting. With the CMC field in place the AI group formed up with Massey and Umphenour doing some drag racing burnouts to get ready for the standing start. Umphenour beat everyone else into turn 1 and the racing began in earnest. Racers worked cleanly and gracefully through most of the CMC field by mid-race. Massey was having a hard time catching up with Umphenour when Umphenour suddenly was loose in the high speed kink known as turn 8. This caused a heart stopping track excursion for Umphenour and Massey slipped into the lead while Umphenour was gathering the car up and assessing damage. This was all the more surprising to the field because Massey was driving Cunningham's famous old #42 car after blowing a motor in Friday's test and tune. Getting the 42 car to come back to life had not been easy. Newcomer Witherow had taken third place and was persistently hanging on to it. Massey pulled ahead to a half lap lead and stayed there to take the checkered flag with Macmillan taking second and Witherow bringing home a podium finish his first time out. Umphenour fought damage to his car to bring it in and finish 4th. Sunday our intrepid racers faced the very real threat of rain. Paddock talk turned to serious questions like, "Have you ever raced in the rain?" I think everyone answered, "No." And light showers kept coming and going as ominously dark clouds rolled over the grasslands. Qualifying order saw almost a repeat of Saturdays performance. Umphenour charged onto the pole with Massey in second and Macmillan in third. Temperature had dropped to about 70F for the start of the race. A cool breeze crossed over the field as they formed up. It would be a standing start behind the CMC racers just like Saturday. The CMC field was in place while the AI burnout competition took place. The green flag saw Massey charge ahead of Umphenour only to be pinched off by the back of the CMC field. Umphenour shot to an early lead. The AI race settled into working through the CMC field as fast as possible. Uphenour displayed great timing in getting past a few CMC cars leaving Massey, Macmilan and Witherow back in the field. This continued mid-race until some big fat rain drops start hitting the windshields of our racers. It was just enough rain to make the top of a turn like T9 slippery and the leaders slowed. This let Massey, Macmillan, and Witherow close up on Umphenour. With two laps to go Massey was charging onto Umphenour's bumper. On the white flag lap Umphenour did a masterful job of making the white 73 foxbody as wide as a semi-tractor trailer. Massey tried to get by in T10 and then again in T11 on the outside! By now the crowd was on its feet trying to see what would happen. Massey challenged in T14 and T15 and then the battle continued down the straight with Massey showing greater acceleration off T15. Umphoenour won with Massey's nose just passing his door when the finish line came and went. What a race! Submit Article |
