The Waterfall/Area 81 Racing team ended its 2015 season with
the grit and dedication we’ve come to expect, pulling out two wins as it
participated in its last South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC) race. Both
Area 81 F1000 cars had to move at lightning speed to prep for the “Goblins Go”
race at the Virginia International Raceway after a busy three weeks racing in
Daytona, Florida and Bloomingdale, Georgia.
It was a busy and successful racing season for the Area 81
team with multiple
wins and several personal bests. In the final race of the season, Richard Franklin,
Car 81, qualified on the
outside Front Row and F1000 pole position in the first race. He was in the lead
almost throughout the entire race and improved his best lap time by two seconds.
However, Sunday’s race brought about recurring electrical issues as his Stohr
F1000 came to a stop on the warm-up lap due to battery failure.
“Missed opportunities and mixed emotions pretty much sums up
my weekend at VIR,” said Franklin. However, he added, “Improving my personal
best lap time by nearly two seconds at VIR was very exciting.”
Despite being slowed by lapped traffic throughout the race,
Tim Pierce, Car 18, gained three positions to finish a strong second and third
overall during race 1. In race 2, he had better luck, finishing in first place
for the F1000 class.
“During the race my car handled very well, but I was unable
to get adequate drive out of the turns due to a slipping clutch, and I was
lucky to pull out the win,” said Pierce. “My car is due for a fresh engine over
the winter, so we’ll be ready come March.”
The short turnaround time between races had an effect on the
Area 81 team, leaving little time to fully address mechanical difficulties. The
team will be taking some time off through the holidays to make the necessary
repairs to their cars and further develop their F1000’s. Stay tuned to Waterfall's blog, as well as www.Area81Racing.com and the Area
81 racing Facebook page for updates on the 2016 season.
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