BARBERF: Rookie Scott Poirier moves to the front
pr...@motorsport.com
Championship season on a good note, in high style and dramatic fashion. The
young Floridian clinched second place overall in the series by besting
champion Craig Duerson in two race match-ups at Sebring International
Raceway.
The field of 47 was running on the 3.61-mile "12 hours of Sebring" circuit.
In race 1 group 1 action, Javier Gonzalez won over polesitter Revere Greist
and his father John Greist. J. Greist's podium finish is remarkable for his
having started at the back of the pack. Quentin Wahl ran an
uncharacteristically poor race but would come back later in the weekend with
strong results.
Matt Franc took the win in group 2 race 1 over Scott Poirier and Skip Barber
Instructor Gerardo Bonilla. Robert Pellosie ran a spirited race to finish in
sixth, despite starting in the fourteenth position.
Ray Scott, who has been idle in racing for a few months, tripped the fastest
time of the group en route to his win in group 3 race 1 action. Revere
Greist, on the pole for his second consecutive race, finished in second just
ahead of Charlie Plumb in third.
The day's racing ended with the Ed Roth Memorial, which saw the team of
Bonilla/Argetsinger take the victory over team Franc/Bryant and
Duerson/Waddell. This race was won in the pits as team Bonilla/Argetsinger
was able to execute a perfect driver changeover in pit lane. All teams
featuring instructors started from the rear of the grid.
Day two of racing was held under threatening skies and light rain. The
regional cars were converted over to treads, which portended slower than
usual lap times. Javier Gonzalez started the day as he did a day earlier,
with a win. Gonzalez, who led five of the eight lap race also tripped a
fastest lap time of 2:59.445 sec, well shy of the track record of 2:24.126
sec due to the rain. Quentin Wahl drove a dynamic race to chase down the
second place result. Wahl, who had started from 11th, uprooted Revere Greist
midway through the race. Greist would follow in third. David Harri
solidified his weekend with a sixth place result, which earned him Most
Improved Driver for 2001.
In group 2 race 2, Scott Poirier secured his first win of the weekend over
Craig Duerson and Matt Franc. First year racer Laura Rowe, who shared a
battle with Jay Fuchs and Don Deese, continues to improve her times and
posture around the track. Whitney Bellows showed some of his previous form
by finishing seventh from 15th at the start.
Quentin Wahl picked up the win in group 3 race 2 and set a fast lap time of
2:28.135 sec. in the process. Wahl advanced from fourth, bounding Ray Scott,
Revere Greist and Charlie Plumb along the way. Plumb and Scott came home in
second and third place. From 15th, newcomer Desi Sartelli ran a brilliant
race, passing several to move up and finish in eighth.
Quentin Wahl won a second consecutive race when he narrowly beat Masters
Champion Bud Risser to the checkered flag in the Masters race. The margin of
victory was a thin half-second. Risser set the fastest lap of the group with
a time of 2:30.211 sec. Peter Stolper, who had led the majority of the race,
followed in third place.
In the Sebring Finale Memorial, Scott Poirier won over Craig Duerson and
Scott Presti. Duerson and Presti were seeing double duty as they were
running in the Formula Dodge National Championship races.
Congratulations to Southern Series Champion Craig Duerson, Masters Champion
Bud Risser and all racers, family and friends!
- Andrew Torres
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