Steve Streimer and Ernie Francis, Jr., collect TA3 and TA4 victories at Brainerd
Gar Robinson and Paul Fix celebrated the Fourth of July weekend in style with race victories at Brainerd International Raceway( BIR). Steve Streimer and Ernie Francis, Jr., were also victorious with wins in TA3 and TA4 classes.
The weekend featured two 100-mile Trans Am races around the 2.5-mile competition course at BIR: The Ryan Companies Muscle Car Challenge, an independent TA2 race, and a TA, TA3, TA4 multi-class race, the Ryan Companies Independence Day Classic, with both comprising Round 5 of the 2016 Trans Am Championship.
For Robinson, in the No. 74 Pura Vida Tequila / 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, the TA2 race saw him start fourth and make his way up to the front of the field over the first 15 laps, while fending off challenges from Justin Haley, Lawrence Loshak and Tommy Archer over the second half of a race that saw the top eight cars nose-to-tail for the vast majority of the time. Robinson would hold the lead until the 35th lap when the course went under yellow for a multi-car incident.
For Robinson, the defending TA2 champion, the victory is his second of the year and pushes him into first position in the championship points standings as the season approaches the halfway mark. Robinson was joined on the podium by Tommy Archer, driver of the No. 54 ECC / KolarChev. com Chevrolet Camaro, and Dillon Machavern, in the No. 24 Heritage Motorsports Ford Mustang, who finished second and third, respectively.
The TA2 top five was completed by Lawrence Loshak, in the No. 5 Pennzoil Platinum / MOMO / ETE Reman Chevrolet Camaro, and Tony Buffomante, in the No. 34 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The top 10 also featured Shane Lewis, Adam Andretti, Keith Prociuk, Cole Carlson and John Atwell, in that finishing order.
Paul Fix, behind the wheel of the No. 50 StopFlex. com / TheCarCoach. com / Chevron Techron Chevrolet Corvette, started the multi class race in sixth position and quickly surged through the field claiming second position after only two laps of green racing— settling into a race-long pursuit of pole sitter Cliff Ebben, in the No. 36 Stumpf Ford / McMahon Group Ford Mustang, that lasted until the final lap. With barely a minute remaining in the race, the No. 36 of Ebben, who then had a second gap on Fix, began to smoke and slow, leaving Fix to make the pivotal pass in turn four on the final lap en route to the checkered flag.
Fix was joined on the podium by Ebben, who was able to maintain second position until the checkered flag, and David Pintaric, in the No. 57 Kryderacing Chevrolet Corvette, who finished second and third, respectively. The podiums marked the second of the year for both, with Ebben now holding second in the points with 110 and Pintaric in third with 107.
The TA class top five was completed by Jim McAleese, in the No. 03 McAleese & Associates Chevrolet Corvette, and Simon Gregg, in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, finishing fourth and fifth. The top ten saw Kerry Hitt, Claudio Burtin, Tim Rubright, Amy Ruman and Mickey Wright, all feature in that finishing order.
Ruman maintains the championship points lead with 137 to her name despite a ninth place finish, the result of a pit stop after having lost power steering due to an impact from another car on the first lap.