June Jam Regional
June 19 and 20, 2005

Michael Hartberger (SM) and Will Perry (ITC) traveled to Charlotte to compete in the June Jam at Lowes Motor Speedway. Michael's family from Hilton Head joined him at the speedway while Chuck Fullgraf and Jamie Hamilton provided crew services for Will.

The weather for the weekend was pleasant for the most part although the acres of asphalt in the infield made it seem hotter than it really was. Afternoon thunder storms threatened on Saturday and rain did pass through later on Sunday. I understand the ECR, the last race on Sunday, was started in the rain.

Michael began the weekend on Friday with the test day. Only about 20 cars participated in the test day giving Michael lots of track time and nearly a private track. Team Hartberger rented one of the NASCAR garages to have a comfortable, shady place to paddock for the weekend.

Michael entered the Carolina Cup Pro race as well as the SARRC. He qualified 18th overall, 5th in class for the Carolina Cup race and 11th overall and 10th in class for the SARRC race.

In ITC, there were 5 cars making up six entries for the three IT races (Carolina Cup, SARRC, and ECR). Unfortunately, there were only two ITC entries per race making for a sparse field. Will easily qualified first in ITC for the SARRC race, 4 seconds ahead of the second place ITC car, Derek Ketchie. Will qualified 21st overall in a field of 24 cars. This was the first time in many years that Will had been to Lowes Motor Speedway and it took him a few laps to find the quick way around.

2005 Races

November
   ARRC
July
   Road Atlanta
   Roebling Road
June
   Lowes
April
   Roebling Road
Feburary
   Road Atlanta
   Roebling Road

<< Older            Newer >>
 

 
The Carolina Cup race was held Saturday afternoon. Michael Hartberger spun on lap three dropping him back to 25th overall. Late in the race after his mandatory pit stop he had worked his way back to 17th overall when he spun again in the same place, infield turn 3. Unfortunately, Michael's race was cut short when he lost power only a few minutes from the end of the race. The problem was ultimately diagnosed as a stone in the radiator causing the engine to lose coolant and over heat. The surface temperature of the block was over 320 degrees F even after sitting in the garage of fifteen or twenty minutes! Michael ended up 34th overall and 10th in class. Michael's weekend was over as he DNS'd the SARRC race on Sunday..

Sunday quiet time at Lowes Motor Speedway was listed from Saturday night until noon on Sunday. Supposedly, no internal combustion race engines are to operate during quiet time. Apparently, quiet time did not apply to the Legends cars using the small oval located just outside the NASCAR Turn 3 tunnel. Well, it gave us something to watch until the SCCA racing resumed.

Since the ITC cars were grouped with all of the other IT cars, Will Perry decided to start at the back of the pack and allow the ITS and IT7 cars a chance to mix it up in the first turn well before he got there. Being behind the second place ITC car at the start ultimately was not an issue as Will caught Ketchie during the first lap on the oval before NASCAR turn 3. Will turned consistent lap times throughout the race gaining 4 to 5 seconds a lap on the second place ITC car.

The only mechanical difficulties suffered by Team Perry all weekend were three "spacer" problems encountered in the cockpit of the tow vehicle. All were corrected quickly and efficiently.

- Chuck Fullgraf

© Copyright Notice