51°µÍø

LINCOLN, Neb. (Sept. 8, 2009) €“ The 2009 Tire Rack 51°µÍø Solo National Championships began without a hitch today with the first of four days of competition that will see nearly 1,200 drivers from across the United States convene on Lincoln, Neb., with aspirations of taking home a coveted title.Tuesday€™s opening day of runs was welcomed by sunny skies over the vast acres of concrete at the new site at the Lincoln Airpark, which replaced Heartland Park Topeka as the host of the 37th annual event. One driver in each of 34 classes can rest a little easier tonight, knowing they hold the lead halfway through their respective competition. Over the course of two days, drivers will make three runs each on two separate courses. The best time from each course is then combined to determine the National Champion.Ten individuals took the early lead in defense of their 2008 class championships, including John Thomas, of Tampa, Fla., who seeks his record 16th open class Championship. This year won€™t be easy for Thomas, though. He and his trusty Zee Racing Datsun 240Z only lead Toby Larsson€™s Elitetint.com BMW E36 by a scant 0.037-second.Thomas€™ lead might as well be an eternity compared to Melanie Pora€™s advantage over Connie Smith in D Street Prepared Ladies. Pora€™s BimmerHaus Performance BMW leads Smith€™s SPE-ED/Customcraft/SKA Volkswagen R32 by only 0.006-second!Other defending Champions leading after day one include: Ryan Buetzer (C Stock), Meredith Brown (E Stock Ladies), Sam Strano (F Stock), Ron Williams (H Stock), Mike Maier (C Prepared), Dan Wasdahl (A Modified), Joey Montelo (Formula Jr. A), Julian Garfield (Formula Jr. B) and Kathy Wolfskill (C Street Prepared Ladies).Wolfskill, of Nederland, Colo., recovered from a DNF on her first run and two cones on her second run to put her Team Tom Terrific Mazda Miata atop the standings in her final attempt on the West course.As was the case in 2008, the battle for Super Stock supremacy again is led by Matthew Braun, of Northville, Mich., and defending Champion Gary Thomason, of Oceanside, Calif. Thomason has switched from a Porsche GT3 to a Dodge Viper, and Braun€™s little Lotus Elise has gotten the best of him thus far two lead by just over two tenths of a second.Wednesday€™s action gets under way at 8 a.m. (CDT) as the drivers from the West Course move East and vice versa. Check www.scca.com for updated results throughout the day.LINCOLN, Neb. €“ The top two runners in each of the 34 classes competing Tuesday and Wednesday in the 37th Tire Rack® 51°µÍø Solo National Championships at Lincoln Airpark with class, leading driver, hometown and car; second place driver, hometown, car and gap behind first place.Super Stock: Matthew Braun, Northville, Mich., Lotus Elise; Gary Thomason, Oceanside, Calif., Dodge Viper, -0.236-second.Super Stock L: Shelly Monfort, Saratoga, Calif., Lotus Elise; Joan Clark, Lehigh Acres, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette, -1.203 secondsC Stock: Ryan Buetzer, Long Beach, Calif., Pontiac Solstice; Daniel Pedroza, Round Rock, Texas, Mazda MX-5, -0.291-second.C Stock L: Sierra Danielle Pedroza, Round Rock, Texas, Mazda MX-5; Mary Bahr, W. Salem, Wis., Pontiac Solstice, -0.440-secondE Stock: Bartek Borowski, Elmwood Park, Ill., Mazda Miata; Jerry Jenkins, Vancouver, Wash., Mazda Miata, -0.212-second.E Stock L: Meredith Brown, Los Alamos, N.M., Toyota MR2; Jodi Fordahl, Bremerton, Wash., Porsche 944, -0.318-second.F Stock: Sam Strano, Knoxdale, Pa., Ford Mustang; Kevin Youngers, Greeley, Colo., Ford Mustang, -0.193-second.F Stock L: Laura Molleker, Granite Falls, Wash., Ford Mustang; Kristi Brown, Des Moines, Iowa, Ford Mustang, -0.865-second.H Stock: Ron Williams, Topeka, Kan., MINI Cooper; Jerry Irvine, Lenexa, Kan., MINI Cooper, -0.114-secondH Stock L: Stephanie Chang, Morris Plains, N.J., MINI Cooper; Tina Williams, Topeka, Kan., MINI Cooper, -1.424 seconds.Street Touring: Jason Frank, Racine, Wis., Honda Civic Si; Bill Bounds, Atlanta, Ga., Honda Civic Si, -0.050-second.Street Touring L: Leslie Cohen, Cardiff By the Sea, Calif., Honda Civic Si; Nicole Nagler, Moonpark, Calif., Honda Civic Si, -1.114 seconds.C Street Prepared: Matt Mccabe, Omaha, Neb., Mazda Miata; Bill Schenker, Corona del Mar, Calif., Mazda Miata, -0.123-secondC Street Prepared L: Kathy Wolfskill, Nederland, Colo., Mazda Miata; Juliann Pokorny, Ft. Worth, Texas, Mazda MX-5, -0.668-second.D Street Prepared: Gilbert De Lose Reyes, Union City, Calif., Subaru Impreza; Ben Martinez, San Jose, Calif., Merkur XR4ti, -0.017-secondD Street Prepared L: Melanie Pora, Arvada, Colo., BMW 325is; Connie Smith, Santa Fe, N.M., VW R32, -0.006-second.C Prepared: Mike Maier, Livermore, Calif., Ford Sheby GT; Todd Farris, Bryan, Texas, Chevy Z28, -0.472-second.C Prepared L: Desiree Padberg, Muskego, Wis., Ford Mustang; Kathy Lang, Mukwonago, Wis., Ford Mustang, -0.152-second.D Prepared: Keith Brown, Des Moines, Iowa, Mazda Miata; Steve Hoelscher, St. Augustine, Fla., Toyota MR2, -1.310 seconds.D Prepared L: Kim Wilson, Bowling Green, Ky., Toyota MR2; Elizabeth Dranow, Park City, Utah, Mazda Miata, -6.352 seconds.F Prepared: John Thomas, Tampa, Fla., Datsun 240Z; Toby Larsson, Anaheim Hills, Calif., BMW E36, -0.037-second.F Prepared L: Beverlee Larsson, Anaheim Hills, Calif., BMW E36; Tricia Jackson, Maumelle, Ark., Porsche 914-6, -3.074-seconds.Super Street Modified: Andrew McKee, San Jose, Calif., Mazda RX7; Erik Strelnieks, Cedar Park, Texas, Mazda RX7, -0.265-second.Super Street Modified L: Jessica McFadden, Broomfield, Colo., Chevrolet Corvette; Sue Eckles, Malcolm, Neb., Honda S2000, -0.452-second.Street Modified: Mike Simanyi, Santa Ana, Calif., BMW M3; Vic Sias, Mountain View, Calif., BMW M3, -0.233-second.Street Modified L: Katy Nicholls, San Diego, Calif., BMW M3; Christine Berry, Alta Loma, Calif., Mitsubishi Evo, -0.659-second.Street Modified FWD: Brett Howell, Roswell, Ga., Honda Civic; John Fessler, Sylvania, Ohio, Honda Civic, -0.463-second.A Modified: Dan Wasdahl, Massilon, Ohio, BBR/Phantom DVS-1; Barry Goldine, San Jose, Calif., Tui BH3, -1.578 seconds.F Modified: Glen Barnhouse, Lolo, Mt., Red Devil F500; Chris Mosley, Otsego, Minn., Red Devil F500, -0.383-second.F Modified L: Beth Smith, Vermilion, Ohio, KBS Mk 4; Michelle Quinn, Oswego, N.Y., Red Devil F440, -0.429-second.Formula SAE: Nick Roberts, Olathe, Kan., U. of Kansas; Michael Stanley, Ijansville, Md., U. of Maryland, -0.238-second.Formula SAE L: Sarah Gerbig, Grand Blanc, Mich., Western Michigan U.; only entrant.Formula Jr. A: Joey Montelo, Schaumburg, Ill., Biesse Exceedingly; Michael Montelo, Schaumberg, Ill., BRM Smokin Fast, -1.353 seconds.Formula Jr. B: Julian Garfield, Mount Airy, Md., CRG Cadet; Carson Garfield, Mount Airy, Md., Intrepid Cadet, -4.542 seconds.Attached: Kathy Wolfskill attacks the course en route to the fastest time in C Street Prepared Ladies at the Tire Rack 51°µÍø Solo National Championships in Lincoln, Neb.Credit: Eric Prill/51°µÍø