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SCCA Communications
http://www.scca.com
10/11/2007 - 07:00 PM
Topeka, Kan.
The S2000 SCCA National Championship Podium. (Eric Griesinger photo) ยป More Photos
John Fergus, of Powell, Ohio, captured his fifth Sports 2000 SCCA National Championship with a last lap pass on Nick Mancuso, of Libertyville, Ill., at the 2007 SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by AT&T at Heartland Park Topeka. Mancuso would go on to finish third, behind Marc Mercer, of Aurora , Colo.
Starting second, Fergus took the lead from polesitter Mercer on the start and led the first three laps in his No. 0 Carbir CS-2, with the No. 06 Lola 91/90 of Mercer and the No. 61 Lola T90190 of Mancuso in tow. Fergus relinquished the lead to Mercer on lap four with a spin going into Turn 10.
"Mark bobbled at the start and I was able to get by," Fergus said. "I thought that this was going to work out just fine. I got this big lead and then I made a mistake going into the chicane. I went wide and out into the grass and Mark got by. Then, a few laps later, I screwed up going into two and Nick got a flyer and got by me."
Once in the lead Mercer was able to open up a 3.308-second lead by lap 13. Then, it was Mercer's turn to make a mistake, spinning and relinquishing the lead to first-time Runoffs competitor Mancuso, followed two laps later by Fergus.
On the white-flag lap, the three entered the final corners in a tight pack. Contact between the nose of Fergus and the bumper of Mancuso sent the No. 61 into a spin in Turn 14.
"We came into the last lap and were real close," Fergus said. "I was as surprised as Nick was, but my tapes will show and so will my data that I was at the same speed in the corner as I had been. I don't know what happened, but we were out of the turn past the apex when he just slowed. Then pop, we got together; I just can't explain it, it just happened. It was an unfortunate end to what had been a fabulous race."
Fergus recovered to take his fifth S2000 National Championship, while Mercer, who took evasive action to avoid the incident ahead of him, was able to come home second. Mancuso got it straightened out quick enough to cross the finish line in third. Michael Bautz, of Machesney Park , Ill. , and Jay Messenger, of Muleshoe , Texas , finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Rick Johnson, of Bend , Ore. , was the Sunoco Hard Charger, advancing four positions during the race.
Bovis Drives Flag-to-Flag To Capture First GT-Lite National
Championship
Local
In the second race of the morning under overcast skies, Bovis grabbed the early lead from the polesitter Kristensen heading into Turn One, followed by Zekert. Driving the No. 18 Goodyear Honda CRX, Bovis used his home track knowledge to keep both Kristensen and Zekert behind him early.
On lap four, Zekert motored his No. 45 BOOBLE/RedLine/Goodyear Nissan 200SX past Kristensen for third place, while Bovis opened up nearly two second lead. By lap six, the leaders were more than 22 seconds ahead of the field.
For the next two laps, Zekert and Kristensen were locked in an intense battle for position until Kristensen drove his No. 24 Kristensen Auto Development Acura Integra deep into Turn Three retaking second place.
With his sights set on the leader, Kristensen managed to cut Bovis' lead to under a second with three laps left in the 18-lap race. Unfortunately for Kristensen, the first and only caution of the race came out on lap 17 to remove Dan Hall's No. 77 Dan Hall & Auto Machine Shop Nissan 200SX from the Turn 14 wall.
The race ended under caution giving Bovis his first SCCA National Championship.
"Our strategy was to push Joe and wear his tires out, but we got by him at the start and then Joe was pushing me trying to get me to wear my tires out," Bovis said. "Things looked good in the mid part of the race, but towards the end, I was getting a little bit slower and we were going the same speed unfortunately. It got awful tight. The yellow flag came out and it is hard to say if I could have held him off. Joe was running awful fast and I want you to know that he raced me totally clean. I have to thank him for that."
Zekert, who had run up front most of the race, fell off the pace late in the race due to a broken gear box leaving him with only the first three gears.
Four-time SCCA National Champion Jim Dentici, of Oconomowoc, Wis., was the Sunoco Hard Charger. He advanced 25 positions throughout the race, from 29th to fourth. William Pintaric, of Youngstown, Ohio, finished fifth.
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