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Race #5 Qualifying Results
Position | Name | Time | Difference | |
1st | Andrie Hartanto | 1:52.186 |
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2nd | Edik Stepanyan | 1:52.515 | 0.329 | |
3rd | Justin Taylor | 1:53.452 | 1.266 | |
4th | Michele Abbate | 1:56.917 | 4.731 | |
5th | Richie Ho | 1:57.538 | 5.352 | |
6th | Steve Rockwood | 2:21.164 | 28.978 | |
Race #5 began with rolling start with the MPTCC field leading the way in NASA's race group C which includes the Honda Challenge, Spec E30 and Performance Touring classes. When the green flag dropped Andrie, Edik, and Justin began to pull away from the rest of the field. Down into the infield Edik took the lead and Andrie stayed hot on his heels. The Prima Racing S2000 was looking fast, but the M-Factory Integra held the top spot in the field for most of the race.
By the halfway point Andrie had made his move and made his pass on Edik for the lead stick. Somewhere along the way he did suffer some rear bumper damage, but that wouldn't’t be enough to completely slow him down. Andrie would make his pass on Edik stick and took the win for Race 5! Edik would hold on to second place while Justin Taylor would hold on to the final podium spot!
Michele Abbate would finish this race, but not without some damage. The front splitter came off the car and caused her to understeer into a track marker. The incident would result in some body damage, but it was nothing serious. Unlike the eventful ending the team experienced at the end of Race #4 in Willow Springs. Miraculously no one had run the APR Performance front splitter over and the team was able to put it back on the Scion Racing tC in time for Race #6.
Steve Rockwood and Richie Ho in the APM Racing Scion FR-S rounded out the rest of the MPTCC Tuner Under field. The APM Racing FR-S would only be able to complete 11 of the 15 laps. Something was definitely not right with the car, as it fell back from the rest of the field with each passing lap. Project G20 on the other hand was looking strong, but just not strong enough to keep up with the leading Hondas.
