33 replies to this topic

[Johnny D]

Qualifying:
Wednesday, March 18, 4:20 p.m. (EDT)

Start:
Race 1: Thursday, March 19, 9:10 a.m. (EDT)
Race 2: Friday, March 20, 7:45 a.m. (EDT)

Race Length:
45-minute timed race.


Track Records:
Qualifying Lap: 2:29.195 (89.303 mph), Elliott Skeer, 2012
Race Lap: 2:29.059 (89.360 mph), John Dean, 2014
Margin of Victory: 0.045-second, John Dean over Elliott Skeer, 2012


Previous Winner:
2014:Kenton Koch (Race 1)
John Dean (Race 2)
2013: Christian Szymczak (Race 1)
Elliott Skeer (Race 2)
2012: Stevan McAleer (Race 1)
John Dean (Race 2)

Media Notes: Results are available on the AP SportsWire, via e-mail and on the Internet at www.mx-5cup.com.


Timing/Scoring: Live Timing & Scoring and lap notes via the SCCA Pit Board are available for all sessions through www.mx-5cup.com.

Florida Following
One driver in the field will go to battle on the soil of his home state. John Dean, of Sebring, Florida, is not only the local boy, but the last Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup driver to stand on the top step of the podium at Sebring after winning the second race of the week in last season. Dean also heads Sebring-based Sick Sideways Racing, which will field two other cars at the doubleheader event.

If any of the three Sick Sideways pilots can find their way to victory lane, it would be an extremely popular victory with the hometown fans. But if Dean is once again able to win at his home track, it would make the race weekend that much better for the local spectators.

Story Leads
The SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires begins the 2015 campaign with a mixture of old and new. New series colors, thanks to brand new title sponsor Battery Tender, are the most eye-catching. However a crop of new drivers are going to test their mettle against series veterans, who in some cases have been around since the inception of the series in 2006. The close finishes, and the nimble Mazda MX-5 on which the series is based, are a few of these things that attracts these drivers to the series.

The 2015 season is also the last which will be run using the current generation of MX-5s. In 2016, the new-generation MX-5 will take to the track at circuits around the world. North America will be part of a larger plan to take this affordable and ultra-competitive form of sports car racing worldwide. The Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup will serve as a template from which to build. The worldwide nature of this class of racing will result in the first-ever MX-5 Cup World Championship to be held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Leading the hometown charge will be Sick Sideways Racing, led by John Dean, of Sebring, Florida, in his No. 16 Projections Research/PPG MX-5. He is one of the defending race winners at this track, having won the second race of the weekend in 2014. Also on the team will be Dean's long-time teammate Nathanial Sparks, of Spanish Fort, Alabama, in his customary No. 8 Bimmerworld MX-5 and rookie Drake Kemper, of Toluca Lake, California. Kemper took home the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge Championship, earning him the Mazda Motorsports Development Scholarship and an invite to run the Cup series. As such, Kemper will be running the Mazda colors in his No. 99 Royal Rugby/Mazda Motorsports/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5.

ALARA Racing wins the award for having the most number of entries at this weekend's event. Team principal Ara Malkhassian, of Houston, will lead a cadre of 10 cars in his No. 11 ALARA Racing MX-5. The cast if full of veteran drivers with a couple new faces mixed in. Timothy Paul, of Mahopac, New York, is set to return for his second season in the series, at the controls of his No. 6 ALARA Racing/Cellmark MX-5. Brent Mosing (No. 10 ALARA Racing MX-5), of Lafayette, Louisiana; Zach Lee (No. 12 ALARA Racing MX-5), of San Antonio, Texas; Tim Probert (No. 26 ALARA Racing MX-5), of Houston, and Harrison Williams (No. 00 ALARA Racing MX-5), of Houston, make up the veteran core of the team. Devin Jones, of Mooresville, North Carolina, is returning to the series after a successful rookie season but is moving to ALARA Racing from CJ Wilson Racing, as he will be driving the No. 35 ALARA Racing/Veristor MX-5.

Sarah Montgomery (No. 14 ALARA Racing/Travel Lafayette, LA/Acadian Pawn MX-5), of Lafayette, Louisiana, will be making her first Cup start with ALARA Racing, who has captured the two most recent championship titles. Also making their series debut in ALARA Racing machines will be Keith Jensen (No. 32 ALARA Racing MX-5), of Dallas, and Matt Koskinen (No. 34 ALARA Racing MX-5), of Harper Woods, Michigan.

Atlanta Motorsports Group will bring a group of four hot shoes to Sebring as part of their team. Patrick Gallagher and Peter Portante, both former winners of a Mazda Motorsports Development Scholarships, will drive for the Georgia-based team. Gallagher, of Thornville, Ohio, will be at the wheel of the No. 44 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5, while Portante, of Plainville, Connecticut, will pilot the No. 24 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5.

Rounding out the squad will be Sebastian Landy, of Great Falls, Virginia, in the No. 49 Excitations.com/Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5 and Kyle Loustaunau, of Vacaville, California, in the No. 4 Mazda Motorsports Development/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5. Landy showed consistently improving pace throughout last season, finishing the season third in the championship and also completing the event sweep at the last race weekend of 2014 at Road Atlanta. Loustaunau is the most recent Mazda Club Racer Shootout winner and will measure himself against some of the most competitive sports car racing fields in North America.

A new team, McCumbee McAleer Racing, running under the ModSpace Racing banner, have thrown their name in the Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup hat with a three-car effort. Owners Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer are seasoned professional racecar drivers in their own rights, with McAleer having been crowned the Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion in 2012. While both take part in other forms of sports car racing in their personal careers, their experience should allow them to help the three drivers they are fielding. Leading that group is series veteran Charles Paquin, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at the wheel of his No. 72 ModSpace MX-5. Joining the fray will be rookies Nick Igdalsky (No. 27 ModSpace MX-5), of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, and Aurora Straus (No. 28 ModSpace MX-5), of New York.

Copeland Motorsports is the final multi-car team planning to race at Sebring. Last season, Dean Copeland, of Bowie, Maryland, captured double wins at Road America. Driving his No. 7 Copeland Motorsports/Sync Speed Inc. MX-5, Copeland will try to break through for his first career Mazda MX-5 Cup win at Sebring. Scheduled to join Copeland for the Sebring, as well as the remainder of the 2015 season, is rookie Hernan Palermo, of Houston. Palermo will be at the wheel of the No. 77 CMS/Brimtek/Sync Speed Inc. MX-5.

Two single-car teams are slated to round out the field at Sebring. Series veteran, and fan favorite, Beth Chryst, of Herndon, Virginia, will be at the controls of her No. 2 Studio Rhoad Marketing/Chryst Brothers Construction MX-5. Also fielding a single car will be Christian Tetzlaff, of Athens, Georgia. He is set to drive his No. 23 Lanier Technical College/MAZDASPEED MX-5.

In the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge, returning drivers Ben Albano, of Greenwich, Connecticut; Bryan Hixon, of San Antonio, and Robby Foley, of Randolph, New Jersey, will have to contend with a field of four other drivers vying for the Mazda Development Scholarship, which will be awarded to the season-ending point leader.

Stay up to date on the series at www.mx-5cup.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @MazdaMX5Cup.

Event Entry List
#, Driver/Hometown, Sponsors, Car
2, Beth Chryst/Herndon, VA, Studio Road Marketing/Chryst Brothers Construction MX-5
4, Kyle Loustaunau®/Vacaville, CA, Mazda Motorsports Development/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5
6, Timothy Paul®/Mahopac, NY, ALARA Racing/Cellmark MX-5
7, Dean Copeland/Bowie MD, Copeland Motorsports/SyncSpeed MX-5
8, Nathaniel Sparks/Spanish Fort, AL, Bimmerworld MX-5
10, Brent Mosing/Lafayette, LA, ALARA Racing MX-5
11, Ara Malkhassian/Houston, TX, ALARA Racing MX-5
12, Zach Lee/San Antonio, TX, ALARA Racing MX-5
14, Sarah Montgomery®/Lafayette, LA, Travel Lafayette, LA/Acadian Pawn MX-5
16, John Dean II/Sebring, Projections Research/PPG MX-5
23, Christian Tetzlaff/Athens, GA, Lanier Technical College/MAZDASPEED MX-5
24, Peter Portante/Plainville, CT, Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5
26, Tim Probert/Houston, TX, ALARA Racing MX-5
27, Nick Igdalsky®/Berwyn, PA, ModSpace MX-5
28, Autora Straus®/New York, NY, ModSpace MX-5
32, Keith Jensen®/Dallas, TX, ALARA Racing MX-5
34, Matt Koskinen®/Harper Woods, MI, ALARA Racing MX-5
35, Devin Jones®/Mooresville, NC, ALARA Racing/Veristor MX-5
44, Patrick Gallagher/Thornville, OH, Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5
49, Sebastian Landy/Great Falls, VA, Excitations.com/Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5
72, Charles Paquin/Ottawa, Ont., Can., ModSpace MX-5
77, Hernan Palermo®/Houston, TX, Copeland Motorsports/Brimtek/SyncSpeed MX-5
99, Drake Kemper®/Toluca Lake, CA, Royal Rugby/Mazda Motorsports Development/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5
00, Harrison Williams/Houston, TX, ALARA Racing MX-5

61, Ben Albano/Greenwich, CT, SBMX-5
62, Kieron O'Rourke/Grand Cayman, SBMX-5
63, Bryan Hixon/San Antonio, TX, Blackmore Partners/xBorder Foods SBMX-5
65, Robby Foley/Randolph, NJ, SBMX-5
67, Sam Adams/Richfield, WI, SBMX-5
68, Nikko Reger/Houston, TX, SBMX-5
69, Chris Beaufait/Freeland, WA, Blackmore Partners/xBorder Foods SBMX-5

[Johnny D]

All the best Kyle !!!
J~

4, Kyle Loustaunau®/Vacaville, CA, Mazda Motorsports Development/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5

[Johnny D]

Gallagher Fastest in Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Practice One at Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. (March 18, 2015) – Patrick Gallagher, of Thornville, Ohio, took the top time in the opening practice of the SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires as part of the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida, at Sebring International Raceway. Peter Portante, of Plainville, Connecticut, and Dean Copeland, of Bowie, Maryland, completed the top three positions, in that order.

Driving the No. 44 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5, Gallagher proved to be the class of the field, thus far, after holding the top position for much of the opening 30-minute session. Gallagher stopped the timing clock with a best lap of 2:30.866 (89.244 mph) at the 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit.

"The guys at Atlanta Motorsports Group have this thing hooked up," Gallagher said. "I have no complaints. It is only practice, so we have one more after this and then it's time to qualify. I would like to be on pole after qualifying, but it's only worth a couple points. At this track, you can win from 10th place if need be.

"Paired with the fact that John Dean wasn't out there keeps me from reading into the results too much"

Portante finished second in the session with a fast lap time of 2:48.644 (89.047 mph), at the controls of his No. 24 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5.

"The car is awesome," Portante said. "The boys are awesome. This is my first time on the track with new tires. So, I'm just trying to get used to it.

"Practice is good, but qualifying and the race is where it counts. Anyone can be quick in practice. Maybe that's why we're quick."

Copeland, in the No. 7 Copeland Motorsports/Sync Speed Inc. MX-5, logged the third-quickest lap time of the session. Copeland's fast lap was completed in 2:31.207 (89.043 mph).

"The car was decent," Copeland said. "We're struggling with our chassis setup a bit. The car is lacking forward bite in the slower, harder corners. We're going to make some changes and see where that puts us. Right now, we are a little behind the eight ball. But, everything will change come race time."

Nathanial Sparks, of Spanish Fort, Alabama, captured the fourth position after turning a lap of 2:31.222 (89.034 mph), in the No. 8 Bimmerworld MX-5.

Timothy Paul's lap of 2:31.374 (88.945 mph), in his No. 6 ALARA Racing/Cellmark MX-5, was good enough to lap him in the fifth position. Paul looks to be picking up where he left of last year, clawing his way toward the top of the time charts.

In the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge, Robby Foley, of Randolph, New Jersey, finished in the top position after clocking a lap of 2:35.880 (86.385 mph). Foley is said he is working to stay ahead of the changing track conditions in order to stay at the front of the field in his No. 65 SBMX-5

"The car is good," Foley said. "I did about five laps in that session. We tweaked the shocks a bit from the test sessions, yesterday. This afternoon, for qualifying, the track will change and get a little more greasy and slick. We'll have to adjust to those conditions, but that session was pretty good.

"I think this morning's session was a bit of a tease. The track was in great condition, with the cool temperatures, this morning. Later in the day things will change, and we'll just have to stay on top of it."

Completing the top three positions in the class were Nikko Reger, of Houston, with a lap of 2:55.457 (86.296 mph) and Sam Adams, of Richfield, Wisconsin, with a fast time of 2:56.524 (86.159 mph).

The SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires takes to the track once again for its second practice session at 12:45 p.m. (EDT), with qualifying slated to start later in the day at 4:20 p.m. (EDT). The opening race of the season is set to take the green flag for Round One on Thursday at 9:10 a.m. (EDT). Round Two is set for Friday at 7:45 a.m. (EDT).

Like the series on Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaMX5Cup, and follow the series on Twitter @MazdaMX5Cup.

SEBRING, FL - Results from practice session One for Friday's SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires race, part of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway, with position, class, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, MX, (44), Patrick Gallagher, Thornville, Ohio, MX-5, 2:30.866, 89.244.
2, MX, (24), Peter Portante, Plainville, Conn., MX-5, 2:31.200, 89.047.
3, MX, (7), Dean Copeland, Bowie, Md., MX-5, 2:31.207, 89.043.
4, MX, (8), Nathanial Sparks, Spanish Fort, Ala., MX-5, 2:31.222, 89.034.
5, MX, (6), Timothy Paul, Mahopac, N.Y., MX-5, 2:31.374, 88.945.
6, MX, (99), Drake Kemper®, Toluca Lake, Calif., MX-5, 2:31.376, 88.944.
7, MX, (49), Sebastian Landy, Great Falls, Va., MX-5, 2:31.610, 88.806.
8, MX, (14), Sarah Montgomery®, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:32.228, 88.446.
9, MX, (12), Zach Lee, San Antonio, Texas, MX-5, 2:32.255, 88.430.
10, MX, (54), Casey Britt, Inverness, Ill., MX-5, 2:32.278, 88.417.
11, MX, (35), Devin Jones, Mooresville, N.C., MX-5, 2:32.315, 88.395.
12, MX, (4), Kyle Loustaunau®, Vacaville, Calif., MX-5, 2:32.409, 88.341.
13, MX, (26), Tim Probert, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:32.546, 88.262.
14, MX, (34), Matt Koskinen®, Harper Woods, Mich., MX-5, 2:32.964, 88.020.
15, MX, (77), Hernan Palermo®, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:33.243, 87.860.
16, MX, (32), Keith Jensen®, Dallas, Texas, MX-5, 2:34.510, 87.140.
17, MX, (10), Brent Mosing, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:35.357, 86.665.
18, MX, (27), Nick Igdalsky®, Berwyn, Pa., MX-5, 2:35.514, 86.577.
19, MX, (00), Harrison Williams, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:36.675, 85.935.
20, MX, (23), Christian Tetzlaff, Athens, Ga., MX-5, 2:37.453, 85.511.
21, MX, (72), Charles Paquin, Ottawa, Ontario, MX-5, 2:37.634, 85.413.
22, MX, (2), Beth Chryst, Herndon, Va., MX-5, 2:38.544, 84.922.
23, MX, (28), Aurora Straus®, New York, N.Y., MX-5, 2:43.670, 82.263.
24, MX, (11), Ara Malkhassian, Houston, Texas, MX-5, no time.
25, MX, (16), John Dean, Sebring, Fla., MX-5, no time.

1, SBMX, (65), Robby Foley, Randolph, N.J., SBMX, 2:35.860, 86.385.
2, SBMX, (68), Nikko Reger, Houston, Texas, SBMX, 2:36.020, 86.296.
3, SBMX, (67), Sam Adams, Richfield, Wis., SBMX, 2:36.269, 86.159.
4, SBMX, (61), Ben Albano, Greenwich, Conn., SBMX, 2:36.861, 85.834.
5, SBMX, (63), Bryan Hixon, San Antonio, Texas, SBMX, 2:38.646, 84.868.
6, SBMX, (62), Kieron O'Rourke, Grand Cayman, , SBMX, 2:39.253, 84.544.
7, SBMX, (69), Chris Beaufait, Freeland, Wash., SBMX, 2:42.932, 82.63.

[Bench Racer]

Need to homer root for SBMX Sam Adams, Richfield, Wisconsin.

[Johnny D]

Need to homer root for SBMX5 Sam Adams, Richfield, Wisconsin.

https://www.youtube....h?v=y6W07hmCGV0

J~

[Bench Racer]

^ Johnny's back and in full form!!!!

[ToddW]

I'm homer rooting for:

12, MX, (4), Kyle Loustaunau®, Vacaville, Calif., MX-5, 2:32.409, 88.341.

[Johnny D]

Dean Captures Top Spot in Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Practice Two from Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. (March 18, 2015) – John Dean, of Sebring, Florida, was the fastest driver during the second practice in preparation for Round One of the SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires, part of the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway. Patrick Gallagher, of Thornville, Ohio, finished second, followed by Sebastian Landy, of Great Falls, Virginia.

Dean, at the controls of his No. 16 Projections Research/PPG MX-5, needed only four laps to set the bar high during the second 30-minute practice. Dean ripped off a lap of 2:31.191 (89.053 mph) around the 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit. On top of that, Dean has been battling food poisoning since yesterday, and required a trip to the raceway medical center to receive intravenous fluids after coming off track.

"All day yesterday, I was sitting at home thinking about everybody out here and trying to get myself psyched up while recuperating," Dean said. "I was really eager to get out here for the first time in a long time. I just felt really focused yesterday, before getting to the track. All I could do was stare at the ceiling, so I just thought about what I would do in the car.

"When I got in the car, the outside things just kind of fade away. I did as many laps as I felt I could physically do, which wasn't many. I don't think I'll change anything to the car. I just need to make the most of it."

Gallagher, again, put his No. 44 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5 near the top of the time charts. He ended up second in the session with a fast time of 2:31.360 (88.953 mph). Gallagher said he has high hopes as qualifying and two races loom on the horizon.

"We worked on balance the whole time," Gallagher said. "We showed what we are capable of this morning. John [Dean] is obviously back and very fast, but we knew that was going to happen.

"Qualifying will be interesting. We learned some stuff in that last session, but didn't put together a whole lap. The car's better, and we learned some things. We'll throw some tires at it and see what happens."

In the No. 49 Excitations.com/Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5, Landy picked up the pace since the morning session by setting a best lap time of 2:31.870 (88.654 mph). Landy attributed the increased pace to a complete car swap.

"In terms of changes to the car, it was a completely new car," Landy said. "It was a good right out of the box, which was a plus. We were able to use the old tires and just got a quick time in, early.

"The track is going to change a lot between qualifying in the late afternoon and racing in the morning. Overall, the car is good. So, hopefully it will stay consistent."

Peter Portante, of Plainville, Connecticut, was also back in the mix after setting a lap time of 2:32.075 (88.535 mph). That was good enough to place him fourth in the No. 24 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5.

Dean Copeland, of Bowie, Maryland, rounded out the top five. He piloted his No. 7 Copeland Motorsports/Sync Speed Inc. MX-5 to a best time of 2:32.176 (88.476 mph).

In the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge, Robby Foley, of Randolph, New Jersey, was on top once again, after setting a lap of 2:35.950 (86.335 mph). He is hoping to ride the momentum of fast lap times through to qualifying and the two races remaining on the schedule.

"We made a few changes from practice one, after thinking about it," Foley said. "I wanted to accommodate the change in weather. We made some shock changes to deal with that, and it seemed to have worked. The car is really balanced, and I was able to match my time from the morning with the current, less favorable conditions.

"Going to new tires, the car will change a little bit. The car tends to tighten up on new rubber. So, we'll have to counteract that. Overall, the car is really good and I'm looking forward to qualifying."

Finishing second in class was Sam Adams, of Richfield, Wisconsin, with a best lap of 2:36.411 (86.335 mph). Completing the top three positions was Ben Albano, of Greenwich, Connecticut, with a 2:36.621 (85.965 mph) in his No. 61 Project Yellow Light/Manfredi Jewels SBMX-5.

The SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires is set to set the staring field at 4:20 p.m. (EDT). The opening race of the season is scheduled to take the green flag for Round One on Thursday at 9:10 a.m. (EDT), with Round Two slated for Friday at 7:45 a.m. (EDT).

Like the series on Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaMX5Cup, and follow the series on Twitter @MazdaMX5Cup.

SEBRING, FL - Results from Practice Two for Thursday's SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires Round One race, part of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway, with position, class, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, MX, (16), John Dean, Sebring, Fla., MX-5, 2:31.191, 89.053.
2, MX, (44), Patrick Gallagher, Thornville, Ohio, MX-5, 2:31.360, 88.953.
3, MX, (49), Sebastian Landy, Great Falls, Va., MX-5, 2:31.870, 88.654.
4, MX, (24), Peter Portante, Plainville, Conn., MX-5, 2:32.075, 88.535.
5, MX, (7), Dean Copeland, Bowie, Md., MX-5, 2:32.176, 88.476.
6, MX, (6), Timothy Paul, Mahopac, N.Y., MX-5, 2:32.742, 88.148.
7, MX, (8), Nathanial Sparks, Spanish Fort, Ala., MX-5, 2:32.755, 88.141.
8, MX, (11), Ara Malkhassian, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:32.814, 88.107.
9, MX, (99), Drake Kemper®, Toluca Lake, Calif., MX-5, 2:33.052, 87.970.
10, MX, (4), Kyle Loustaunau®, Vacaville, Calif., MX-5, 2:33.127, 87.927.
11, MX, (14), Sarah Montgomery®, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:33.180, 87.896.
12, MX, (12), Zach Lee, San Antonio, Texas, MX-5, 2:33.191, 87.890.
13, MX, (35), Devin Jones, Mooresville, N.C., MX-5, 2:33.283, 87.837.
14, MX, (54), Britt Casey, Inverness, Ill., MX-5, 2:33.387, 87.778.
15, MX, (34), Matt Koskinen®, Harper Woods, Mich., MX-5, 2:34.076, 87.385.
16, MX, (77), Hernan Palermo®, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:34.885, 86.929.
17, MX, (26), Tim Probert, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:34.992, 86.869.
18, MX, (27), Nick Igdalsky®, Berwyn, Pa., MX-5, 2:35.158, 86.776.
19, MX, (72), Charles Paquin, Ottawa, Ontario, MX-5, 2:35.610, 86.524.
20, MX, (23), Christian Tetzlaff, Athens, Ga., MX-5, 2:35.866, 86.381.
21, MX, (00), Harrison Williams, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:36.193, 86.201.
22, MX, (32), Keith Jensen®, Dallas, Texas, MX-5, 2:36.235, 86.177.
23, MX, (10), Brent Mosing, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:36.360, 86.109.
24, MX, (2), Beth Chryst, Herndon, Va., MX-5, 2:36.837, 85.847.
25, MX, (28), Aurora Straus®, New York, N.Y., MX-5, 2:41.474, 83.381.

1, SBMX, (65), Robby Foley, Randolph, N.J., SBMX, 2:35.950, 86.335.
2, SBMX, (67), Sam Adams, Richfield, Wis., SBMX, 2:36.411, 86.081.
3, SBMX, (61), Ben Albano, Greenwich, Conn., SBMX, 2:36.621, 85.965.
4, SBMX, (62), Kieron O'Rourke, Grand Cayman, SBMX, 2:36.724, 85.909.
5, SBMX, (68), Nikko Reger, Houston, Texas, SBMX, 2:36.964, 85.777.
6, SBMX, (63), Bryan Hixon, San Antonio, Texas, SBMX, 2:37.237, 85.628.
7, SBMX, (69), Chris Beaufait, Freeland, Wash., SBMX, 2:41.741, 83.244.

[Team Nitro]

Kyle 4th. highest ® Great Job !!!!!!!

[Jamz14]

Kyle 4th. highest ® Great Job !!!!!!!

Where do you get 4th? I see him qualifying 10th.

[Johnny D]

Gallagher Grabs Pole Position for Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Round One at Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. (March 18, 2015) – Patrick Gallagher, of Thornville, Ohio, snatched the first starting position for Thursday's Round One of the SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires. Timothy Paul, of Mahopac, New York, and Nathanial Sparks, of Spanish Fort, Alabama, completed the podium starting positions.

Gallagher took the pole in convincing fashion, clearing the rest of the field by 0.4-second. At the wheel of his No. 44 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5, Gallagher turned a lap of 2:31.071 (89.123 mph) around the 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit.

"We had to go out with the second group," Gallagher said. "There were a bunch of the Skip Barber cars, so it made finding open track a little difficult. The fact that you can't draft in qualifying made the situation that much tougher.

"I'm happy to be on the front row for both races, if nothing else but for the points. At this track you can win from anywhere, including the back of the pack, if you play your cards right. It's nice to be on the pole and know we have the pace, so we will just see how the race shakes out."

Paul will start Thursday's race in second, at the controls of his No. 6 ALARA Racing/Cellmark MX-5. His best lap stopped the timing clock at 2:31.511 (88.864 mph) during the second 15-minute qualifying group.

"It was a harrowing start," Paul said. "With 10 cars to prep, I think it took a little longer than everyone was planning. We got to the grid late and missed our qualifying group. They let us go out in the second group, but held us a lap. So, we didn't have much time to put in a good lap. It handicapped us a little, but it was just time to buckle down and put in a good lap.

"I didn't even know, until we came into the pits, where we had finished. It was fun. This is what we're all here for...standing on the podium. Hopefully, at the end of the race we will still be here, able to do this again. This gives us a great shot to do just that."

In the No. 8 Bimmerworld MX-5, Nathanial Sparks, of Spanish Fort, Alabama, will start third. As part of the first qualifying group to hit the track, Sparks held the provisional pole when the first checker flag flew. Gallagher and Paul were able to make the most of being the second group on track as they surpassed Sparks when he could do nothing to answer the challenge.

"The car was really hooked up," Sparks said. "I had been on old tires up to this point, so I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to put the new tires on. The new tires didn't hurt the handling at all, so we were able to stay consistent.

"The new two-group qualifying caught me out a bit. I came into the pits knowing I was on the pole. I felt pretty good, until I realized that there were still some pretty fast guys in the second group. Throughout the session my time fell to third, but I feel really glad about where we ended up. I'm happy to start where I am since it puts me with the leaders, but I'm not the front guy with a big target on my back."

In his professional racing debut, Mazda Motorsports Club Racing Shootout winner Kyle Loustaunau, of Vacaville, California, will start his first race in fourth. He piloted his No. 4 Mazda Motorsports Development/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5 to a best lap of 2:31.741 (88.730 mph).

Drake Kemper, of Toluca Lake, California, will start Thursday's race in fifth. His best time was logged at 2:31.767 (88.715 mph).

In the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge, Robby Foley, of Randolph, New Jersey, has the makings of a good weekend. After setting the fastest times in his class for both practice sessions, Foley captured the class pole for Thursday's race with a best lap of 2:35.791 (86.423 mph).

"The track was a little greasy this session, but some of the changes we had made before going out on track allowed us to stay ahead of it," Foley said. "The car wasn't perfect, but it was close enough to put in two nearly-identical laps.

"Starting on pole is, of course, ideal. In these 45-minute sprint races, a lot can go wrong to hinder your run. It's just going to be about being smart and smooth early. It will also be important to pick your spots early to make sure you're still there at the end."

Bryan Hixon, of San Antonio, Texas, will start on the outside pole in his No. 63 TheHotelContessa.com/7DevilsLodge SBMX-5 with a qualifying time of 2:36.066 (86.271 mph). Nikko Reger, of Houston, Texas, will complete the top three starting positions after turning a lap of 2:36.109 (86.247 mph).

The SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires will hit the track for Round One of 2015 Thursday, at 9:10 a.m. (EDT). The green flag for Round Two is slated for Friday at 7:45 a.m. (EDT).

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SEBRING, Fla. - Starting lineup for Thursday's SCCA PRO Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires Round One race, 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway, with position, class, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, MX, (44), Patrick Gallagher, Thornville, Ohio, MX-5, 2:31.071, 89.123.
2, MX, (6), Timothy Paul, Mahopac, N.Y., MX-5, 2:31.511, 88.864.
3, MX, (8), Nathanial Sparks, Spanish Fort, Ala., MX-5, 2:31.710, 88.748.
4, MX, (4), Kyle Loustaunau®, Vacaville, Calif., MX-5, 2:31.741, 88.730.
5, MX, (99), Drake Kemper®, Toluca Lake, Calif., MX-5, 2:31.767, 88.715.
6, MX, (49), Sebastian Landy, Great Falls, Va., MX-5, 2:32.021, 88.566.
7, MX, (24), Peter Portante, Plainville, Conn., MX-5, 2:32.086, 88.528.
8, MX, (7), Dean Copeland, Bowie, Md., MX-5, 2:32.129, 88.503.
9, MX, (16), John Dean, Sebring, Fla., MX-5, 2:32.199, 88.463.
10, MX, (54), Britt Casey, Inverness, Ill., MX-5, 2:32.248, 88.434.
11, MX, (35), Devin Jones, Mooresville, N.C., MX-5, 2:32.309, 88.399.
12, MX, (11), Ara Malkhassian, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:32.442, 88.322.
13, MX, (34), Matt Koskinen®, Harper Woods, Mich., MX-5, 2:32.590, 88.236.
14, MX, (12), Zach Lee, San Antonio, Texas, MX-5, 2:32.979, 88.012.
15, MX, (14), Sarah Montgomery®, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:33.294, 87.831.
16, MX, (77), Hernan Palermo®, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:33.830, 87.525.
17, MX, (27), Nick Igdalsky®, Berwyn, Pa., MX-5, 2:33.860, 87.508.
18, MX, (26), Tim Probert, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:34.301, 87.258.
19, MX, (23), Christian Tetzlaff, Athens, Ga., MX-5, 2:34.322, 87.246.
20, MX, (10), Brent Mosing, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:35.094, 86.811.
21, MX, (32), Keith Jensen®, Dallas, Texas, MX-5, 2:35.730, 86.457.
22, MX, (2), Beth Chryst, Herndon, Va., MX-5, 2:35.872, 86.378.
23, MX, (00), Harrison Williams, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:36.244, 86.173.
24, MX, (28), Aurora Straus®, New York, N.Y., MX-5, 2:42.933, 82.635.
25, MX, (72), Charles Paquin, Ottawa, Ontario, MX-5, no time.

1, SBMX, (65), Robby Foley, Randolph, N.J., SBMX, 2:35.791, 86.423.
2, SBMX, (63), Bryan Hixon, San Antonio, Texas, SBMX, 2:36.066, 86.271.
3, SBMX, (68), Nikko Reger, Houston, Texas, SBMX, 2:36.109, 86.247.
4, SBMX, (61), Ben Albano, Greenwich, Conn., SBMX, 2:36.403, 86.085.
5, SBMX, (67), Sam Adams, Richfield, Wis., SBMX, 2:36.451, 86.058.
6, SBMX, (62), Kieron O'Rourke, Grand Cayman, SBMX, 2:38.279, 85.065.
7, SBMX, (69), Chris Beaufait, Freeland, Wash., SBMX, 2:43.060, 82.570.

SEBRING, Fla. - Starting lineup for Friday's SCCA Pro Racing Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires Round Two race, part of the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway, with position, class, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, MX, (6), Timothy Paul, Mahopac, N.Y., MX-5, 2:31.623, 88.799.
2, MX, (44), Patrick Gallagher, Thornville, Ohio, MX-5, 2:31.625, 88.798.
3, MX, (8), Nathanial Sparks, Spanish Fort, Ala., MX-5, 2:31.886, 88.645.
4, MX, (99), Drake Kemper®, Toluca Lake, Calif., MX-5, 2:32.075, 88.535.
5, MX, (4), Kyle Loustaunau®, Vacaville, Calif., MX-5, 2:32.097, 88.522.
6, MX, (49), Sebastian Landy, Great Falls, Va., MX-5, 2:32.222, 88.449.
7, MX, (24), Peter Portante, Plainville, Conn., MX-5, 2:32.297, 88.406.
8, MX, (16), John Dean, Sebring, Fla., MX-5, 2:32.298, 88.405.
9, MX, (35), Devin Jones, Mooresville, N.C., MX-5, 2:32.342, 88.380.
10, MX, (11), Ara Malkhassian, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:32.632, 88.212.
11, MX, (7), Dean Copeland, Bowie, Md., MX-5, 2:32.876, 88.071.
12, MX, (54), Britt Casey, Inverness, Ill., MX-5, 2:33.052, 87.970.
13, MX, (12), Zach Lee, San Antonio, Texas, MX-5, 2:33.106, 87.939.
14, MX, (14), Sarah Montgomery®, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:33.318, 87.817.
15, MX, (34), Matt Koskinen®, Harper Woods, Mich., MX-5, 2:33.928, 87.469.
16, MX, (77), Hernan Palermo®, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:34.076, 87.385.
17, MX, (27), Nick Igdalsky®, Berwyn, Pa., MX-5, 2:34.496, 87.147.
18, MX, (26), Tim Probert, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:34.952, 86.891.
19, MX, (10), Brent Mosing, Lafayette, La., MX-5, 2:35.134, 86.789.
20, MX, (23), Christian Tetzlaff, Athens, Ga., MX-5, 2:35.405, 86.638.
21, MX, (2), Beth Chryst, Herndon, Va., MX-5, 2:36.588, 85.983.
22, MX, (00), Harrison Williams, Houston, Texas, MX-5, 2:37.146, 85.678.
23, MX, (28), Aurora Straus®, New York, N.Y., MX-5, 2:44.379, 81.908.
24, MX, (72), Charles Paquin, Ottawa, Ontario, MX-5, no time.
25, MX, (32), Keith Jensen®, Dallas, Texas, MX-5, 2:36.561, 85.998.

1, SBMX, (65), Robby Foley, Randolph, N.J., SBMX, 2:35.886, 86.370.
2, SBMX, (63), Bryan Hixon, San Antonio, Texas, SBMX, 2:36.237, 86.176.
3, SBMX, (68), Nikko Reger, Houston, Texas, SBMX, 2:36.669, 85.939.
4, SBMX, (61), Ben Albano, Greenwich, Conn., SBMX, 2:36.747, 85.896.
5, SBMX, (67), Sam Adams, Richfield, Wis., SBMX, 2:36.885, 85.820.
6, SBMX, (62), Kieron O'Rourke, Grand Cayman, SBMX, 2:38.483, 84.955.
7, SBMX, (69), Chris Beaufait, Freeland, Wash., SBMX, 2:43.723, 82.236.

[Johnny D]

Where do you get 4th? I see him qualifying 10th.

The mans got a crystal ball or something, now his 4th ^^^

Starting 5th for the race on Friday I believe.
J~

[Jamz14]

Ah, nice job Kyle!

[Ron Alan]

Not a bad debut with some experienced guys in cup cars!! Congrats Kyle! Many Homers out here will be watching!

 

Can someone explain how the 2nd race grid is figured?

 

Also, any coverage other than race monitor?

[RazerX]

Exactly.  Way to go Kyle.  

 

any live coverage? 

[Johnny D]

I only see the race tmrw 3/19 is at 9:10 Florida time
7:45am on 3/20, wow early bird special.
http://www.mx-5cup.c...l-raceway-2015/
 
I think Ron's got it with race monitor.
 
Tran Am is supposed to be on CBS Sports but that's not helping right??
http://www.scca.com/...x.cfm?cid=52325

 

All I got.

Chim in if you know something..

J~

[Bench Racer]

Tran Am is supposed to be on CBS Sports but that's not helping right??
http://www.scca.com/...x.cfm?cid=52325

 

All I got.

Chim in if you know something..

J~

 

My homer in TA2 is Loshak in the Raybestos #5 Mustang. 

First time ever in a TA2, was a rented Charger, on the pole at Mid Ohio end of 2014. First race for 2015 took 3rd in his own Mustang.

 

SCCA 5 time National Champion.

[Team Nitro]

Kyle 6th today ?

[Mark]

Looks like Race Monitor was having issues as there are three results for shown race 1. The first two results show up to lap 6 and 10 respectively. The last results show the results up to lap 15. It looks like Kyle had some issues and did not complete the race if RM is correct as it shows him completing only 12 of 15 laps and finishing in P 27.

 

Mark

[Duane Polsley]

A little late but live audio coverage here, but you can catch the next race.

 

http://www.radiolemans.com/