Gingerman Race weekend was a blast with seven 944-Spec Midwest drivers joining the fray.  The weekend started out with warmer than expected weather.  The 944 compound was convening to discuss pre-qualifying details when mother nature decided to pull up and lift the 944 tent complex, where she then proceeded to throw it at the 944 gang, with Ray Freundt's brand new rig valiantly taking the brunt of the hit.  This may have been an omen of things to come.

Saturday

Qualifying went well with the 944-Spec field posting quick times, many drivers out-pacing the Spec Miata field. Unfortunately on a hot lap in qualifying, Sid Chhikara was engulfed in a cloud of dust in turn 5, and was collected by a spun Spec Miata.
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Race 1:

Neal Agran started on pole with Joel Karns on the outside (his first ever front row start), followed by Freundt, Angel Blazquez, Dan Pina, Sam Grant, and Chhikara.  This race promised to be a corker, with Karns, Freundt, and Blazquez all qualifying within 3/10 of a second of each other and Pina and Grant only a few tenths further back.

Agran was able to maintain the lead in the first three turns and build a gap as the fight for second intensified.  Karns, off to a good start, stayed in second place until he spun in turn 5, which took him from second to the back of the pack.  Pina inherited second and Freundt and Blazquez were in hot pursuit.  The following 30 minutes of the race was a bumper to bumper thrill show, with Freundt eventually getting past Pina in turn 2 and Blazquez benefiting from an off track excursion by Pina in turn 3.

Karns and Pina battled for several laps with Karns passing Pina in turn 11 but then immediately came upon an out of class car which balked both Karns and Pina in Turn 1 / 2 complex with both coming together and spinning.  Pina was able to get back on track faster but Karns chased again and on the last lap in the last turn Pina gave up 4th place to Karns by as Pina lifted as a gesture of good nature due to the previous contact.  Chhikara followed close behind, with Grant retiring 3 laps in with a slipping clutch.  The winners were Agran, Freundt, and Blazquez who took the podium spots.

Sunday

Race 2:

Agran again started on pole, followed by Freundt, Blazquez, Karns, Pina, and Chhikara.  Once again the spread in lap times was impressively close.  Agran was beaten to turn 1 by Freundt, after which Freundt, Agran, and Blazquez broke away in a tight pack.  Blazquez was able to capitalize on a mistake by Agran in turn 3, assuming second position directly behind Freundt.  Unfortunately for Blazquez his transmission failed in turn 8 leading to a high speed off track exit (using old turn 10) which he quickly controlled, leaving Agran to keep Freundt on a very short leash.

Immediately behind the front runners, Karns and Pina diced for several laps with Karns making a successful pass for 3rd in Turn 3 which he never relinquished.  After 25 minutes of nose to tail dicing, Freundt held his lead to the flag with Agran crossing the line on his back bumper.  Karns crossed the line in 3rd only 8 seconds back, with Pina and Chhikara rounding out the field.

Race 3:

The final race of the weekend featured a standing start.  The grid was determined by fastest lap in race 2, putting Agran on the pole, followed by Freundt, Karns, Pina, and Chhikara. Agran fell to third by turn 2, with Freundt and Pina assuming first and second from the outside. Chhikara got a great run on Karns into turn 1 but was unable to finish a pass on the outside and spun.  Agran’s problems compounded when he reprised Karns’ performance in race 1 with an off track excursion on the outside of turn 5.

Freundt and Pina went on to delight the crowd with a close race, with Freundt coming out the victor by a 2 second margin.  Karns followed in third, with Agran and Chhikara coming close behind.

The Gingerman event weekend would not have been such a success if it wasn't for the vigilant efforts of the Bennington Motorsports (www.BENMS.com) team keeping the cars in good condition so that the group could race nose to tail.  944-Spec wants to thank Toyo Tires (www.toyotires.com) for continuing to help support the series and providing consistent and sticky racing tires even in the event of a national disaster in their home prefecture of Sendai Japan.  We also want to thank NASA Midwest (www.nasamidwest.com) for provide the venue and a well run event, and Hawk (www.hawkperformance.com) brake pads.

Sam Grant is awarded the A Part Above - Hard Luck Award for his early clutch slippage issues which lead to an early retirement in Race 1.  Angel with a broken transmission fixed trackside (but not in time for the final race), Freundt with this tent attacked truck, and Nick Miller of BENMS with a blown radiator on the drive back home added to the weekend's toll.

The 944-Spec Midwest's next event is the July 9/10 race weekend at Autobahn Country Club.  That same weekend is NASA Midwest's annual Family Weekend, so bring the kids for fun, game and prizes along with the racing!