Sunday started out cold with temps below freezing but the racing was going to be HOT with 16 944-SPEC race cars on track.

The drama started early the #76 of Dave Dirks elected to skip qualifying due to engine problems that turned out to be only minor issues .  "Capt Oveersteer"  #67 earned His first pole of the year with a 1:50.721.   The racing would be tight in the middle and back of the pack with 5 cars in the 1:52 range and 4 other cars in a 1 second window.

The plan for the field was a full invert putting Saturdays winner Chuck Taylor at the back of the pack not the pole as earned,  it was not to be .  The field grided up in earned starting positions putting the #67 at the front and last years champion #76 "Der Kommissar" at the back! 

Chuck was able to jump out to a small but constant lead as if waiting for someone... on lap 4 the #76 of Dirks had made it up to 2nd place and then the race started for those two cars!  A tight battle was fought for 4 laps with Dirks never more than 2 car lengths back!

Then going into Turn 7 a little too hot Taylor "The Captain"  the back end kicked out. I went wide to save it, going off the track Dirks was able to drive by with a little queens wave.  As the rev limiter declared in protest the "#67 was going to get that back"!

Just a little further back the #2 of Chris Venturini was able to get by the #44 and cruise (tom ?) into third place.  But the battle for 4th was a different story . 

The #16 of Eban Bell traded places with the #22 , the #44 and the #96! That's "right" , a four way battle for fourth place with the cars staying on top of each other for nearly the entire race !

8th place was also a hot spot with 6 cars locked in battle the #47 "LeeRoy" and #85 of Phil Obrien seemed to lead the pack most of the time with the #43 of Micah Thompson moving up and back .   Michelle Dirks was not lifting going through 10 and at times was lifting BOTH right side tires!  A close battle between Kasim Esmail in the #24 and Cullen Winter in the #87 was a high light of the show! 

I have no idea how the #43 slipped in that tight gap but at times he led the pack through 10.

The #37 of CJ Botts was locked in the tight battle for 8th most of the race but a glitch within ended his victory too soon.

Video of Sunday's main start to Turn 1 

The #32 of Bruce Bell suffered clutch problems and was running hard till lap 6 when he was forced to retire.

Back at the front the #76 started to stretch out a small lead while turning the new track record lap of  1:48.776 in lap 9.  Taylor also turned his fastest lap of the race in lap 9 a 1:50 .  Norman Hamden was thrilled to find out we were improving the breed and he looks forward to defending his track record at Miller Motorsports Part this fathers day.

As the laps started to count down it became clear to Taylor that lap traffic was going to be a factor in this close race .

Dirks was able to surge past a SM and a SE30 with ease but the lead GTS 2 car was to prove more problematic.  Approaching the white flag with just 11 turns to go "IceMan" Dirks made his one mistake of the race . Following the GTS2 Race winner through Turn 10 Dirks was forced to lift when the GTS2 car braked lightly, this gave Chuck (who was pushing the gas pedal through the floor ) a small 3 MPH advantage coming out of the turn onto PMP's long front straight.  With a fake to the left and a Dive to the right the #67 would not be denied and as Dirks had learned from last year Taylor was not one to try an outside pass on!  So as both cars Screamed down the front stretch neither driver willing to lift and Dirks heavly crowding Taylor nearly onto the pit out access road There Side Mirrors TOUCHED at over 110 MPH but dirks was forced to yield and duck in behind Taylor with less than a lap to go!   At this point the #67 was not going to make a mistake but with the faster straightaway speed the GTS2 car was now my problem. Could Dirks squeeze into a gap and use the GTS2 car to get back around ...

67 v 76 battle video

NO .   

    With 3 or 4 daring efforts any one of which Dave could had punted the lead car but after a sideways turn 9 the 2007 Champion would lose again to the 2006 Champion. The rewards of second while not as sweet do seem to have "special recognition"  a second place kiss? 

The Money winners for the day were:

in 10th Michelle Dirks $50 from CDOC

5th Weston Pawlowiski $75 from DARTAUTO.com and $25 from Toyo.

4th Doug Grande $50 from Toyo

3rd Chris Venturini $75 from CDOC and $75 from Toyo .

2nd Dave Dirks $100 from Toyo, $100 from CDOC and for passing 13 cars $75 from Dart Auto for the race hard charger award!

And once again with a Victory margin of just over 1 second Chuck Taylor Earns his second first place finish of the year .   $150 from CDOC , $150 from Toyo and $100 from Dart Auto!  

When asked how it was Cullen said "after that much excitement there is just one thing left to do"? 

Thanks for reading my tall er I mean long tale and We can't wait to get over to Gateway and take another track record and pair of firsts from the MidWest region. 

Next year at the season opener how about 35 944-SPEC racers !