NSSCRA 5 RP Thread

[Whittoria]

Hoovana 800k cutoff

[Whittoria]

Full results


OOC: Disregard that little WAC bit at the top

[Whittoria]

Uphill Battle Ahead as Whittoria Engineering Struggles in Hoovana

The Mayor vows not to return as fast track in Marxist Equines yields highest speeds of season



While managing to stay in the top five in points, it was a disappointing day for Alex Whitt and his teammate, brother Zach. Both were involved in on track incidents that took them out of contention for a possible win on the 2.5 mile Hoovana Community Speedway. Zach managed to run in the top five early on, but slowly drifted back after a few cycles of green flag pit stops. One lap after a restart, one of many on the day, the 56 car was involved in a large incident, although he escaped without major damage. The incident in question took out some fast cars that ran high early on, including not one but two cars rolling over multiple times.

"It got crazy out there a lot," Whitt said post race. "I'm just glad that we finished and that everyone is okay as far as we know. I thought we had a top five car, those Havl machines are pretty quick and I don't know that we could have gotten to Calhoun, but we could have done better I guess."

The other Whittoria Engineering team saw an early exit from the Hoovana 800k, as contact with another car sent the 44 Tuttle Monaco into the outside wall, end over end, and up into the catch fence wheels first. The Mayor walked away from the incident unscathed and to our knowledge no spectators were harmed, but Whitt was less than pleased with the incident when interviewed.

"That's just ridiculous. We're out there driving faster than the [open wheeled] Gold Crown cars, hitting 230 miles and hour at the end of the straightaways, and we've got guys just diving in under people like kamikazes? That's awful. That's bull. Most of us out there are trying to go as fast as we can and race clean and race smart, because it was scary fast out there, but then we got a few guys dive-bombing into the corners and eventually somebody's gonna get killed. When you race like that someone's gonna get hurt. I don't care if it's on the schedule next year, but I'm not racing here anymore. Nothing against the owners or the promoters or the people here in Marxist Equines, because they're all great and have been awesome hosts, but unless they do something to make the racing safer here I'm not driving this track.

"Ask anybody else out there and they'll probably tell you something different, but there's not a guy or gal out there who at some point feared for his or her life today."

Crew chief T.J. Justice was not available for comment; he was last seen throwing his headset off the pit box and screaming at an NSSCRA official.

While Whitt doesn't have the power to change the schedule, the speeds at the Hoovana 800k are something to be concerned about. Fortunately all World Stock Car Championship cars are equipped with safety features to protect drivers from serious injury, and there were no major injuries to any drivers or fans (to our knowledge at least). But there may be rule changes if the NSSCRA returns to Hoovana next season, most likely removing downforce, a stricter gear ratio rule, and possibly even restrictor plates.

While second season driver Hank Calhoun won yesterday, there were many rookie drivers who finished well ahead of established veterans. Rick Jango of Bongo Johnson edged out fellow rookie Daniel Classing for second place, and both HorusLand Engineering cars finished in the top ten, bringing the total number of rookie top ten finishers to four. Hometown favorite Fire Streak had a disappointing day, finishing 20th one lap pff the pace.

Next week we'll see the WSCS take on the new Coffee Cakes oval for Drake's Dash as we near the halfway point in the season.

[Havl]

---

Calhoun Dominates Hoovana 800K - It was just a matter of time for Hank Calhoun. The Ilium native had led over 200 laps this season, but that first win was still evading the #19 Western Forza. It had been a season of close calls and bad luck for Calhoun. He spun while leading in HorusLand and crashed after leading a race-high 157 laps at Compolis last weekend. But today Calhoun had the car to beat, and he didn't set a foot wrong en route to his first NSSCRA victory.

Calhoun's former teammate Austin Praffright (#15) scored his second pole position of the season and led an all-Havl front row. Points leader Jack Arroway (#91) started second, and Calhoun had the third fastest time in qualifying to start on the inside of row two. The trio of compatriots pulled away from the field and led all but 50 of the race's 200 laps. Praffright took the early lead, but the Davenport native had trouble early in the race that moved him two laps behind the leaders. Arroway and Calhoun jostled for the lead before Calhoun took over on lap 10.


Calhoun dominated the Hoovana 800K after taking an early lead.

"It's the best feeling in the world," said an ecstatic Calhoun in victory lane. "We've worked really hard to get to this point, and the team deserves the credit." Calhoun became the third driver to earn his debut victory this season, joined by Arroway and Lake Suzgar (#14). The Havl-based Forza and Arthur machines have proven very competitive this season, having combined to score two wins and four poles in five races. Despite a string of less-than-stellar finishes, Calhoun moved up to fifth in the drivers' standings following the win.

Arroway extended his lead on the strength of another top-five finish. Last week's winner Suzgar stands in second more than 75 points behind Arroway. "We're starting to think more about the championship," said Arroway. "We're still going after victories, but it colors the way we look at each race." When questioned if he backed off in the closing stages, Arroway demurred. "When we're in the top-five, I consider that a solid result." said Arroway. "We're watching our competitors and where they're racing and trying to make the right call."


Calhoun celebrates in victory lane.

Fans filled the stands at Hoovana Community Speedway for the second running of the Hoovana 800K race. The event saw unprecedented top speeds in the 230 MPH range. Veteran driver Alex Whitt (#44) vowed never to return to the 2.5 mile oval after a frightening crash saw his Tuttle Monaco end up wheels-first in the catch fencing between turns three and four. The Whittorian was able to walk away from the incident with no major injuries. "That's just ridiculous," said The Mayor after the incident. "We're out there driving faster than the Gold Crown cars." Praffright echoed Whitt's sentiment. "I don't know if they need to put restrictor plates on or what," said Praffright. "Something should be changed before we race here again."

Forza increased its lead in the manufacturer's championship following the Hoovana 800K. Tuttle and Lycoia are ten points behind. Despite the success of the new chassis, there are rumors that Western Motorsports will move to Arthur next season. "The Forza is a great car, that's all I can say," said Rob Melbourne, Calhoun's crew chief. Arthur is expected to field a multiple-car team next season after experimenting with a one-car effort this year. Next week, NSSCRA heads to Coffee Cakes for the third annual edition of Drake's Dash. The action begins next week with flag-to-flag coverage of Drake's Dash on HTVM.

[Whittoria]

Qualifying Cutoff for Drake's Dash

Session: Practice

P	 #	 DRIVER	 TIME
1	 48	 D Pearson	 29.930
2	 56	 Z Whitt	 29.933
3	 44	 A Whitt	 29.956
4	 91	 J Arroway	 29.965
5	 15	 A Praffright	 29.969
6	 7	 J Klianiota	 29.984
7	 88	 B Sawyer	 29.986
8	 19	 H Calhoun	 30.005
9	 14	 L Suzgar	 30.028
10	 77	 i Toralmintii	 30.063
11	 89	 M Dougly	 30.066
12	 81	 C McClendon -R-	 30.095
13	 17	 R Curwin	 30.097
14	 4	 M Nickeys -R-	 30.098
15	 24	 A Clarke	 30.102
16	 94	 S Michaels	 30.107
17	 33	 R Jango -R-	 30.110
18	 62	 S de Aurelonts -R	 30.111
19	 97	 S Xavier -R-	 30.114
20	 95	 J Ross	 30.120
21	 2	 L Murakami	 30.124
22	 98	 C Robertson	 30.150
23	 41	 G Woodard	 30.150
24	 11	 T Dashoni -R-	 30.150
25	 69	 M Blatte -R-	 30.154
26	 96	 M Rossini -R-	 30.155
27	 1	 G Arndham -R-	 30.155
28	 13	 F Streak	 30.165
29	 93	 K Lidstrom -R-	 30.185
30	 99	 J Rand	 30.214
31	 12	 A Lidvine -R-	 30.240
32	 07	 D Classing -R-	 30.253
33	 70	 K Howara -R-	 30.256
34	 36	 A Asudai -R-	 30.287
35	 85	 J Kelsey	 30.315
36	 40	 F Yuma -R-	 30.341
37	 3	 T Grant -R-	 30.365
38	 6	 A Geratu -R-	 30.387
39	 8	 A Beltingway -R-	 30.401

Weather: Cloudy, 84 °F, Northwest 6 mph



Session: Qualifying

P	 #	 DRIVER	 TIME
1	 17	 R Curwin	 29.697
2	 15	 A Praffright	 29.707
3	 91	 J Arroway	 29.708
4	 88	 B Sawyer	 29.726
5	 7	 J Klianiota	 29.813
6	 19	 H Calhoun	 29.843
7	 95	 J Ross	 29.848
8	 56	 Z Whitt	 29.902
9	 94	 S Michaels	 29.921
10	 81	 C McClendon -R-	 29.937
11	 14	 L Suzgar	 29.946
12	 4	 M Nickeys -R-	 29.946
13	 41	 G Woodard	 29.949
14	 69	 M Blatte -R-	 29.976
15	 89	 M Dougly	 29.977
16	 44	 A Whitt	 29.977
17	 98	 C Robertson	 29.999
18	 77	 i Toralmintii	 30.004
19	 24	 A Clarke	 30.010
20	 13	 F Streak	 30.026
21	 33	 R Jango -R-	 30.035
22	 2	 L Murakami	 30.036
23	 48	 D Pearson	 30.045
24	 96	 M Rossini -R-	 30.046
25	 6	 A Geratu -R-	 30.076
26	 85	 J Kelsey	 30.079
27	 11	 T Dashoni -R-	 30.088
28	 1	 G Arndham -R-	 30.149
29	 12	 A Lidvine -R-	 30.174
30	 36	 A Asudai -R-	 30.177
31	 07	 D Classing -R-	 30.186
32	 8	 A Beltingway -R-	 30.193
33	 97	 S Xavier -R-	 30.195
34	 70	 K Howara -R-	 30.236
35	 99	 J Rand	 30.295
36	 3	 T Grant -R-	 30.304
37	 40	 F Yuma -R-	 30.347
38	 93	 K Lidstrom -R-	 30.489
39	 62	 S de Aurelonts -R	 30.611

Weather: Cloudy, 84 °F, Southwest 4 mph



Session: Happy Hour

P	 #	 DRIVER	 TIME
1	 19	 H Calhoun	 29.918
2	 14	 L Suzgar	 29.944
3	 15	 A Praffright	 29.972
4	 56	 Z Whitt	 29.997
5	 91	 J Arroway	 30.004
6	 7	 J Klianiota	 30.031
7	 2	 L Murakami	 30.034
8	 44	 A Whitt	 30.051
9	 88	 B Sawyer	 30.056
10	 48	 D Pearson	 30.062
11	 89	 M Dougly	 30.073
12	 97	 S Xavier -R-	 30.112
13	 17	 R Curwin	 30.134
14	 95	 J Ross	 30.139
15	 81	 C McClendon -R-	 30.142
16	 41	 G Woodard	 30.143
17	 77	 i Toralmintii	 30.144
18	 94	 S Michaels	 30.157
19	 69	 M Blatte -R-	 30.157
20	 24	 A Clarke	 30.166
21	 98	 C Robertson	 30.185
22	 1	 G Arndham -R-	 30.186
23	 12	 A Lidvine -R-	 30.215
24	 13	 F Streak	 30.222
25	 96	 M Rossini -R-	 30.224
26	 62	 S de Aurelonts -R	 30.241
27	 4	 M Nickeys -R-	 30.244
28	 99	 J Rand	 30.259
29	 70	 K Howara -R-	 30.262
30	 11	 T Dashoni -R-	 30.264
31	 07	 D Classing -R-	 30.276
32	 93	 K Lidstrom -R-	 30.293
33	 36	 A Asudai -R-	 30.302
34	 85	 J Kelsey	 30.304
35	 40	 F Yuma -R-	 30.316
36	 8	 A Beltingway -R-	 30.389
37	 33	 R Jango -R-	 30.393
38	 3	 T Grant -R-	 30.407
39	 6	 A Geratu -R-	 30.468

Weather: Cloudy, 84 °F, Southeast 4 mph

[Whittoria]

RP Cutoff for Drake's Dash

[Whittoria]

Full Results

[Havl]

---

Praffright Wins Drake's Dash - It was pandemonium in the #15 pitstall when Austin Praffright crossed the line ahead of Jack Arroway (#91) to take his first NSSCRA victory. "It's incredible," said Praffright's crew chief, Andrew Laird. "This team has worked so hard this season to get Austin into victory lane." Praffright's First International Bank Arthur was quick all weekend, and the Davenport native started on the front row for the fourth time this season. An emotional Praffright broke into tears during the post-race celebration. "I'm just so happy," he said. "I have so many people to thank; all the people who pushed me and made this win possible."

Praffright hasn't been a stranger to the front of the pack this season. He leads the league with two pole positions, and his three top five finishes are second only to championship leader Arroway. But this first win has proved elusive for the 24-year old brother of SuperFormula winner Nara Praffright. Driving the illustrious FIB livery has been a source of pressure for the young driver. "It's been the albatross around my neck," said Praffright. "I felt like the only guy in the world who couldn't take this car to victory." After holding off former teammate Arroway, Praffright joined the long list of drivers to find victory in the pale blue checkered paint scheme. "Maybe it is lucky after all," said Praffright.


Praffright leads Arroway on the last lap.

The victory in Coffee Cakes marks the first NSSCRA win for Arthur. The marque entered NSSCRA competition last season. "Maybe we expected to be too good too fast," said Harris Reed, Athur Motorsports' team principal. "There's more competition here than we expected, that's for sure. So we decided to focus on one car instead of four and see if we could do better." The one-car operation has already proven itself a great improvement over last yea's effort. Praffright has quadrupled the number of top ten finishes from last season, and he's on pace to earn the team's best championship finish. "It's such a thrill," said Praffright after the race. "Everyone is expecting so much from us, and we're starting to live up to the hype."


Praffright celebrates in victory lane.

Havl drivers continued their dominance of the season. Praffright, Arroway, and Hank Calhoun (#19) have combined for three wins and four poles in six races. "Must be something in the water," remarked Zach Whitt (#56) after the race. The Whittorian driver fought a hard battle with Calhoun for fourth in the closing stages of Drake's Dash. The Havl driver took the position for good with a questionable pass on the apron of turn four. "Those guys should reread the rulebook," griped Whitt. The Funkmaster had some choice words with Calhoun in the pitlane after the race, and officials had to separate the two drivers. "Oh, him?" said Calhoun when questioned on the incident. "Funkman was complimenting me on my driving skills. I might give him some tips before the next race."

Arroway continues to lead the drivers' championship by almost 100 points over Lake Suzgar (#14), and Praffright's victory moves him into third. With two cars finishing in the top five, Forza extends its lead of the manufacturer's championship over Arthur. Tuttle trials Forza by fourteen points with Volpi and Lycoia not far behind. Next week, NSSCRA heads to Bakaro International Speedway in Sucrati for the Phoenix Performance Systems 500 presented by Liberty Tires. The action begins next week with flag-to-flag coverage of the Phoenix Performance Systems 500 presented by Liberty Tires on HTVM.

[Whittoria]

Almost forgot! Qualifying shortly for the Phoenix Performance Systems 500 pres. by Liberty Tires.

[Whittoria]

Session: Practice

P	 #	 DRIVER	 TIME
1	 94	 S Michaels	 31.124
2	 15	 A Praffright	 31.211
3	 91	 J Arroway	 31.236
4	 56	 Z Whitt	 31.278
5	 1	 G Arndham -R-	 31.290
6	 14	 L Suzgar	 31.312
7	 17	 R Curwin	 31.326
8	 48	 D Pearson	 31.326
9	 89	 M Dougly	 31.331
10	 2	 L Murakami	 31.338
11	 44	 A Whitt	 31.345
12	 19	 H Calhoun	 31.348
13	 24	 A Clarke	 31.352
14	 88	 B Sawyer	 31.356
15	 7	 J Klianiota	 31.379
16	 77	 i Toralmintii	 31.431
17	 4	 M Nickeys -R-	 31.431
18	 70	 K Howara -R-	 31.436
19	 62	 S de Aurelonts -R	 31.461
20	 41	 G Woodard	 31.467
21	 99	 J Rand	 31.471
22	 07	 D Classing -R-	 31.477
23	 96	 M Rossini -R-	 31.477
24	 95	 J Ross	 31.482
25	 97	 S Xavier -R-	 31.486
26	 69	 M Blatte -R-	 31.524
27	 11	 T Dashoni -R-	 31.526
28	 12	 A Lidvine -R-	 31.527
29	 98	 C Robertson	 31.533
30	 81	 C McClendon -R-	 31.537
31	 13	 F Streak	 31.588
32	 33	 R Jango -R-	 31.604
33	 36	 A Asudai -R-	 31.632
34	 85	 J Kelsey	 31.634
35	 6	 A Geratu -R-	 31.647
36	 8	 A Beltingway -R-	 31.660
37	 40	 F Yuma -R-	 31.667
38	 93	 K Lidstrom -R-	 31.676
39	 3	 T Grant -R-	 31.737

Weather: Clear, 87 °F, West 10 mph



Session: Qualifying

P	 #	 DRIVER	 TIME
1	 15	 A Praffright	 30.784
2	 91	 J Arroway	 30.835
3	 56	 Z Whitt	 30.933
4	 17	 R Curwin	 30.985
5	 12	 A Lidvine -R-	 31.022
6	 4	 M Nickeys -R-	 31.058
7	 88	 B Sawyer	 31.082
8	 14	 L Suzgar	 31.100
9	 19	 H Calhoun	 31.106
10	 94	 S Michaels	 31.110
11	 41	 G Woodard	 31.116
12	 77	 i Toralmintii	 31.124
13	 89	 M Dougly	 31.154
14	 95	 J Ross	 31.176
15	 13	 F Streak	 31.179
16	 96	 M Rossini -R-	 31.190
17	 48	 D Pearson	 31.198
18	 81	 C McClendon -R-	 31.207
19	 2	 L Murakami	 31.219
20	 70	 K Howara -R-	 31.222
21	 7	 J Klianiota	 31.233
22	 07	 D Classing -R-	 31.234
23	 69	 M Blatte -R-	 31.241
24	 97	 S Xavier -R-	 31.276
25	 36	 A Asudai -R-	 31.338
26	 1	 G Arndham -R-	 31.353
27	 85	 J Kelsey	 31.369
28	 99	 J Rand	 31.374
29	 98	 C Robertson	 31.377
30	 33	 R Jango -R-	 31.389
31	 62	 S de Aurelonts -R	 31.402
32	 40	 F Yuma -R-	 31.429
33	 93	 K Lidstrom -R-	 31.471
34	 8	 A Beltingway -R-	 31.495
35	 3	 T Grant -R-	 31.551
36	 6	 A Geratu -R-	 31.552
37	 44	 A Whitt	 31.728
38	 24	 A Clarke	 31.750
39	 11	 T Dashoni -R-	 31.884

Weather: Cloudy, 87 °F, Southwest 10 mph



Session: Happy Hour

P	 #	 DRIVER	 TIME
1	 7	 J Klianiota	 31.073
2	 91	 J Arroway	 31.131
3	 24	 A Clarke	 31.197
4	 15	 A Praffright	 31.200
5	 56	 Z Whitt	 31.233
6	 48	 D Pearson	 31.247
7	 44	 A Whitt	 31.265
8	 19	 H Calhoun	 31.275
9	 14	 L Suzgar	 31.289
10	 88	 B Sawyer	 31.303
11	 2	 L Murakami	 31.319
12	 85	 J Kelsey	 31.334
13	 69	 M Blatte -R-	 31.335
14	 62	 S de Aurelonts -R	 31.358
15	 17	 R Curwin	 31.391
16	 98	 C Robertson	 31.393
17	 89	 M Dougly	 31.411
18	 1	 G Arndham -R-	 31.419
19	 77	 i Toralmintii	 31.423
20	 70	 K Howara -R-	 31.443
21	 81	 C McClendon -R-	 31.452
22	 13	 F Streak	 31.453
23	 93	 K Lidstrom -R-	 31.455
24	 11	 T Dashoni -R-	 31.457
25	 99	 J Rand	 31.467
26	 41	 G Woodard	 31.476
27	 4	 M Nickeys -R-	 31.479
28	 94	 S Michaels	 31.498
29	 12	 A Lidvine -R-	 31.498
30	 97	 S Xavier -R-	 31.500
31	 96	 M Rossini -R-	 31.508
32	 95	 J Ross	 31.512
33	 33	 R Jango -R-	 31.535
34	 36	 A Asudai -R-	 31.541
35	 3	 T Grant -R-	 31.571
36	 07	 D Classing -R-	 31.573
37	 8	 A Beltingway -R-	 31.631
38	 40	 F Yuma -R-	 31.673
39	 6	 A Geratu -R-	 31.681

Weather: Clear, 75 °F, Northwest 11 mph

[Whittoria]

RP Cutoff for the Phoenix Performance Systems 500 pres. by Liberty Tires

[Whittoria]

Full Results! Sorry, couldn't get the screen grab this time

[Havl]

---

Domination! Arroway Laps the Field in Sucrati - It was euphoria in the garage when Jack Arroway (#91) crossed the line a whole lap ahead of teammate Hank Calhoun (#19) and compatriot Austin Praffright (#15) to take his second NSSCRA victory of the season in the Phoenix Performance Systems 500. "I'm ecstatic," said Arroway in victory lane. "The team gave me the best car I've ever driven, and it's awesome to lead a Havl one-two-three to the checkers." Arroway's Shrubs Light Forza was quick all weekend, and the Harleston native started on the outside pole with a lap less than a tenth slower than Praffright's pole time. Calhoun joined his teammate in the post-race celebration. "If I can't win it, I'm glad it's Arroway [who wins]" Calhoun said. "That #91 was quick out there today, just unbelievably quick."

Arroway dominated the 1.5 mile Bakaro International Speedway in Sucrati, leading all but 25 of the race's 335 laps. Praffright and Calhoun were the only other leaders in a race that saw Arroway lap the field. Only nine drivers finished within a lap of Arroway. "He really feels comfortable on these kind of speedways," said Arroway's crew chief, Jim Kennerbaugh. "The funny thing is that Jack keeps quiet on the radio for most of the race. He wants to hear from his spotters, and we plan pit stops, but otherwise it's like radio silence." Praffright led 22 laps from his third career pole position before the Western Motorsports Forzas took the lead. Calhoun led briefly during early pitstops, but then it was all Arroway to the finish. "The car ran best in clean air," said Arroway. "Hank drafted and helped me get out ahead, but then I was able to get out and basically just focus on a safe run and try to stay out of trouble."


Arroway leads the field by a lap under the lights.

The victory in Sucrati makes Arroway the first repeat winner this season. Arroway and his Havl compatriots have combined for four wins in seven races, with Forza taking three wins as the dominant manufacturer. "We all expected to come in at the top level last year," said third-place finisher Praffright. "When that didn't happen, I think it pushed us to try harder this year. We're used to winning races and championships back home, and I think we almost needed last season to show us that we still had work to do." Juracai Klianiota (#7) and Lake Suzgar (#14) were the closest competition for the Havl trio at Bakaro International Speedway, but the Vilita & Turori Motorsports drivers finished fourth and fifth a lap behind Arroway. There was an audible groan from the stands when the clutch on Sucrati driver Michael Dougly's #89 Lycoia burned out on lap 139. Dougly's teammate Greg Woodard (#41) managed an eighth-place finish in front of his home crowd.


Arroway celebrates in victory lane.

NSSCRA insiders wondering if last week's tiff between Calhoun and Zach Whitt (#56) would carry over to the Phoenix Performance Systems 500 got their answer on lap 309. The Funkmaster qualified third and was keeping up with the lead pack for much of the race before the #56 and the #19 touched going into turn two. The drivers maintained control and traded paint for the remainder of the lap. Coming out of turn four, Calhoun closed the door on Whitt, causing the #56 to dip two tires onto the apron. The Funkmaster managed to bring his spinning Tuttle to rest on the infield grass, but he was unable to restart the car after the spin. "We were running in the top five, top ten pretty consistently up until that point," said an incensed Whitt after the race. "It would be one thing if he was a rookie, but he oughta know better than to pull something like that." Calhoun refused to comment further on the incident, claiming that is was "only racing."

As the only driver with two wins, Arroway continues to lead the drivers' championship by more than 200 points over Lake Suzgar. The top four drivers remain in place on the standings after top five finishes for Arroway, Suzgar, Praffright, and Calhoun. With its first one-two finish in NSSCRA, Forza extends its lead over Arthur in the manufacturer's championship. Volpi moves ahead of Tuttle by two points with Ford and Lycoia not far behind. Next week, NSSCRA heads to Greenville Spartanburg International Speedway in Whittoria for the The Roger Milliken 500. The action begins next week with flag-to-flag coverage of the round eight of the NSSCRA season on HTVM.



(OOC: 1000th post! What a way to do it!)

[Whittoria]

Cutoff for the Roger Milliken 500