2018 WeatherTech International Challenge Group 4 Feature Race

The Sunday Group 4 (Formula B, Formula Ford/Club Ford, Formula Atlantic, Formula Continental) Feature Race at the 2018 WeatherTech International Challenge Vintage event at Road America.

What a difference 24 hours can make. The rain started immediately after our Saturday race and washed out most of the afternoon groups. We woke up Sunday morning to more rain, even heavier than the day before. But then around 11 AM the clouds parted, the sun came out and the track dried. A decision was made to move the open wheel groups up by an hour so suddenly we were scrambling into our cars to get onto the grid.

The seemly unrelenting heavy morning rain discouraged several folks enough to pack up and go home early, resulting in only 28 cars taking the grid for what turned out to be nearly perfect conditions. I had another good start from the back, aided in part by a minor incident between some of the cars in front of me that cleared a nice path into Turn 1. By Canada Corner I'd passed Alan Lewis, Brent McPhail and Duke Waldrop and was building up my lead until I caught up with David Smoker's blue Brabham Formula B just before the Kink. For the next three laps the Brabham would rocket away on the straights but then I'd catch it at the corners and lose my momentum. I watched in my mirrors as James Buchanan and Duke started eating away at the gap and then on lap 5 James passed me on the run into Turn 5.

I set to work on getting my spot back from James and now free of the Brabham (which mysteriously took off once James passed me) my lap time dropped by two seconds. Alas on the last lap I saw my water temperature pop from 210 F to 240 F and I retired at the entrance to the Carousel.

Even though I had to get towed back to the pits it was still a great shakeout weekend for the Lola's new rebuilt motor and can't wait to return to Road America in September for the VSCDA event.