PPIR 4/10 & 4/11
The RMR American Iron Season started at PPIR April 10th and 11th. The ground pounders of NASA RMR started the year with 8 starters for a great weekend of Big Bore Road Racing. What a difference a year makes. This season AI welcomes 2 former Porsche racers both bringing Camaro’s to the already heavily GM Dominated field. However this year we have no Blue Ovals, American Iron and CMC are taking off in NASA's Rocky Mountain region as a field of 13 cars hit the pavement at PPIR for the April opener weekend. Based on the feedback from the show they put on we should have no problem seeing bigger fields in 2011. Among the cars to make the field was Kim McDonald in his AIX prepared 3rd Gen Camaro all the way from Nebraska. Robert Ames in his 02 Camaro Z28 and Shawn Grahams 1998 Camaro Z28. Rookie Jimmy Webb having just passed the competition school made his AI racing debut in the Midlife Motors sponsored 91Chevy Camaro Z28.
Saturday's qualifying: American Iron Tommy Schlender 1:02.382, Raybob Coleman 1:04.246, James Webb1:04.558, Robert Ames 1:04.569, Scott Koerner 1:04.606, Kim McDonald 1:04.649, Shawn Graham 1:05.231, Bill Cherf 1:08.799
Saturday's main race: At the green Schlender gets out in front of Coleman #43 and beat him to T2. Meanwhile Ames is chasing in 3rd. After 2 laps Coleman misses a shift giving 2nd to Robert Ames but the lead stays with Schlender. Coleman’s miss shift bumps him back to 5th. In the 4th Lap Kim McDonald get around Ames. Meanwhile Tommy Schlender set his fastest lap in the second time around and with all the dicing behind him he checked out for an easy win. But the run back to the front was on for Raybob. In the 11th lap he made his move on Koerner’s Firebird and passed him in the esses. The rookie Jimmy Webb maintained his 6th spot. While Coleman set his sights on Robert Ames. The 2 Camaro Z28’s duked it out for 4 laps until Coleman’s 98 Camaro got the run on Ames 02 Z28 and moved into 3rd. With Kim McDonald Having transmission problems in the old 3rd Gen he pulled off with 2 laps to go and Coleman took the 2nd spot but had nothing for Schlender he was gone. Shawn Graham did not start Saturdays Race because of Brake gremlins.
Finishing order:
1st Tommy Schlender #55 Pontiac Firebird
2nd Raybob Coleman #43 Chevrolet Camaro
3rd Robert Ames #99 Chevrolet Camaro
4th Scott Koerner #88 Pontiac Firebird
5th James Webb #50 Chevrolet Camaro
6th Bill Cherf #984 Chevrolet Camaro
7th Kim McDonald #29 Chevrolet Camaro
DNS Shawn Graham #52 Chevrolet Camaro
Sunday's qualifying: American Iron Tommy Schlender 1:02.459, Scott Koerner 1:04.355, Robert Ames 1:04.594, Shawn Graham 1:04.921, Raybob Coleman 1:06.278, Bill Cherf 1:10.516
In the AI field Webb and McDonald did not qualify.
Sunday's AI Qualifying race results: Coleman snapped a Rod in Sunday morning Qualifying causing him to miss the Qual. Race and the Main Race.
1st Tommy Schlender #55 Pontiac Firebird
2nd Robert Ames #99 Chevrolet Camaro
3rd Scott Koerner #88 Pontiac Firebird
4th Shawn Graham #52 Chevrolet Camaro
5th Bill Cherf #984 Chevrolet Camaro
DNS Raybob Coleman #43 Chevrolet Camaro
DNS Kim McDonald #29 Chevrolet Camaro
DNS James Webb #50 Chevrolet Camaro
Sunday's main race: With an Inverted Start AI #99 Ames & AI #55 Schlender charge to T1 through all the AI and CMC cars with Shawn Graham in tow. Bill Cherf’s Camaro takes the green flag in AI as the 5th car getting the AI class the full $$$ from Toyo. Ames stays up front for the AI lead through the first 3 laps of the race while Tommy Schlender works his way around him reeling in Roberts Camaro. By the 4th Lap Scotty Koerner gets around Graham & CMC traffic, which works him to 3rd. By the 6th Lap Ames gets his Camaro around Tommy’s Firebird and stays there for About 3 laps before Tommy takes the top spot back.With about 3 laps left Koerner catches Ames of guard and gets the 2nd spot driving the wheels off of his Firebird until he has run low on fuel. Ames gets back around Koerner in the next lap securing his 2nd place finish in only his 2nd AI race. In the whole mess was Graham lurking to hitch a ride around Koerner almost un-noticed. Congratulations to James Webb for taking his first Green as a Rookie this weekend.
Sundays Main Race Finishing order:
1st Tommy Schlender #55 Pontiac Firebird
2nd Robert Ames #99 Chevrolet Camaro
3rd Shawn Graham #52 Chevrolet Camaro
4th Scott Koerner #88 Pontiac Firebird
5th Bill Cherf #984 Chevrolet Camaro
DNS Raybob Coleman #43 Chevrolet Camaro (Engine)
DNS Kim McDonald #29 Chevrolet Camaro (Tranny)
DNS James Webb #50 Chevrolet Camaro
AI Points for 2010 RMR championship after PPIR 4/10 & 4/11
Tommy Schlender Pontiac 208pts
Robert Ames Chevrolet 175pts
Scott Koerner Pontiac 160pts
Bill Cherf Chevrolet 145pts
Raybob Coleman Chevrolet 90pts
Shawn Graham Chevrolet 85pts
Jimmy Webb Chevrolet 75pts
Kim McDonald Chevrolet 69pts
Where are all the Fords???
Next race: Pueblo Motorsports Park
See you all there!