The third event of the ABC (Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga) Inter-regional Solo II Series coincided with the Sunday half of the SEDIV Divisional at Chattanooga Auto Auction on August 10, 1997.
Sunday featured the end of the rains. However, the hapless Mod and Prepared group got stuck running first on the drying asphalt. The rest of the groups had a dry track, though the rain had deposited a fine sand all over the track. By the last run group a definite line had developed and the times really came down.
Rob Faulkner and G. H. Sharp shared a Mazda RX7 in SS, both from North Carolina. Sharp took advantage of the dry conditions, today to avenge his poor showing during the third round the day before. But he barely won over teammate, Faulkner by just 1 thousandth of a second. Meanwhile Tommy Pulliam, Avondale Estates, Georgia was just another 2 tenths back in third.
AS was a battle between local ace Brian Flanagan in a BMW M3 who won on Saturday, and Carter Thompson, Kingsport, Tennessee, in a Toyota MR2 Turbo. But Thompson proved the better dry driver to zip to a 1.2 second margin on Sunday and the win.
DS,
the Neon class, is always exciting. Bob Monday of Indiana was
fresh from the win on Saturday over Mark Chiles of Florida.
However, the quickest on Sunday was Mike King of Florida who came
from 4th place the day before to win over both Monday and Chiles
by only 1 tenth.
The six drivers in CS were well acquainted with each other after Saturday. Jon Krogsund took his Porsche 924S to the win on Saturday. But Sunday Joe Anderson, of Florida in a Porsche 944, kept turning quicker times and hauled in the win while Krogsund faded to fourth place. Gerald Street, managed to finish second in his local RX7.
ES saw Brian Priebe, of Ohio, stinging from his near miss (and too many cones) the day before, was determined to get the win. Sunday Priebe DNF'd, hit 5 cones and finally put together a clean last run a tenth faster than Ken Rupp, of Georgia in a Celica, for the surprising win (and agonizing defeat for Rupp).
GS featured a three way battle between local Jamie Blair, Jason Youmans of Georgia and Scott Kempinski of Florida, all in Ford Probes. They were within a half second spread on Saturday with the order Blair, Kempinski, Youmans. But Blair faded to third quickest on Sunday while Youmans pulled out a 7 tenths margin to take the class followed by Kempinski in second.
HS only had two entrants but they battled to one of the wildest races of the weekend. Ron Foley, Georgia, took his Toyota Celica to the win on Saturday. However, Chris Warren, Alabama, drove his Acura Integra to over a second margin win on Sunday to pull a perfect split on points.
The rain for the Prepared/Mods proved interesting as EM was led by a street Thunderbird driven by James Bauman, McDonough, Georgia on Saturday. However, the drier conditions allowed Mitch Hamrick, Georgia to take the slick-tired Chevubishi to a 4 second margin on Sunday and thevictory.
FM was a totally different race on Sunday. Ben Thatcher, of Georgia,scored a dismal 4th place finish on Saturday. Sunday, Thatcher drove to the quickest time by almost 7 tenths and the win. Ken Saffels had the second quickest time on Sunday while McClure had carburetor problems and only managed the fourth fastest Sunday, Jim Murphy of Georgia, stayed a consistent third place both days.
'97 SE Divisional Results
'98
SE Divisional Schedule
'97 ABC Inter-Regional Day 1 '97
ABC Inter-Regional Day 2 '97 ABC Points
Solo II Chattanooga Region
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Created August 23, 1997