Info: Greg Franz 949.851.4731
gfranz@competentms.com
Pirelli Drivers Cup USA Race 6
Bieker/Flori Deliver Classic Battle
MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK, SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Saturday, May 9, 2009 Nary a tear was shed when the Snow disappeared for Race Six of the Pirelli Drivers Cup USA. In this case, the Snow was collective speak for Martin and Melanie Snow who seem to have a secret shortcut around Miller Motorsports Park, their home track. The front row now filled by the extremely well-prepared Porsche GT3 Cup Cars of Paul Flori on pole, and his previous-race nemesis, Galen Bieker (Werks II).
An interrupted qualifying session resulted in some of the all-Porsche Cup Car field being gridded on a first-come-first-served basis. This “Southwest Airlines” approach to gridding made the start extremely entertaining to the many spectators at MMP.
The Flori/Bieker match up was expected to be a race-long battle and it did not disappoint. Bieker got a great start but by the end of lap one had only a slim six-tenths lead that was not to be taken for granted.
Behind the leaders Bob Rodriquez (Werks II) led a short train of Brian Wong, Brent Holden (GMG) and Wes Hoaglund (Gruppe Orange). Nick Parker (Gruppe Orange) Bret Curtis (GMG) and John Kreig continued to impress as their knowledge of the busy MMP three-mile course increased.
Mysteriously mid-pack was Amadeo Quiros (AASCO) who drove an incredible Race Five earlier in the day and Steve Goldman who continued to struggle with the many bugs in his recently re-tubbed 997.
The lesser-horsepowered but well-driven 996 Cup Cars of Brooks Potter and Bob Murillo had their own great race despite the fact that MMP favors the higher horse power 997 Cup Cars.
This, being the second race of a long day, the biggest concern of most was the potential for mental error. Pirelli Drivers Cup Chief Driving Instructor, Craig Stanton, had coached all of the drivers with tips of how best to keep the focus and as a result both spectators and drivers were treated to a surprisingly clean race.
It was Don Pickering’s turn to charge through the field and he did so from tenth to fourth where a rock solid Brent Holden was finally rattled with a turn-five pass putting Pickering in podium position with 8 laps to go.
Meanwhile up front, the once robust six-second Bieker lead was being slimmed faster than a former TV star at Jenny Craig. Paul Flori had closed to within a half-second and as the white flag proclaimed, “last lap” he drafted Bieker down the long MMP front straight with visions of turn-one sugarplums in his helmet. But Bieker, now fully attentive to this unusual situation, responded by making his car wider than Kirstie Ally, keeping Flori in his mirror. But Flori remained hopeful, perhaps a bit more hopeful than controlled and at turn-five an ill-advised dive to the inside resulted in a coordinated pirouette that, while artistic to watch, nearly knocked both cars off of the podium. Pickering and the Rodriguez Soul Train bore down, drool moistening their balaclava.
But alas, the two leaders were able to regain their composure and traction to finish Bieker first, Flori second Third over-all.
The fact that Bieker and Flori are actually in two different PDC Groups meant a Hollywood ending where both were winners.
“This close racing is exactly what Pirelli Drivers Cup USA is all about,” stated Greg Franz begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, co-founder of Competent Motorsport and the Pirelli Drivers Cup USA series. “When you are lucky enough to have a title sponsor with a great product like Pirelli, the expertise of Craig Stanton as Chief Driving Instructor and the support of these talented drivers, it makes me extremely proud and optimistic about the future of this series.”
Pirelli Drivers Cup USA moves next to Laguna Seca (Mazda) Raceway) in Monterey, CA for Races Seven and Eight, June 19-21.
Pirelli Drivers Cup USA results by Group, Race Six:
Group A 996 cars: Brooks Potter, Bob Murillo
Group B 997 (05-07): Galen Bieker, Bob Rodriguez, Wes Hoaglund
Group C 997 (08-09): Paul Flori, Nick Parker, Don Pickering
####
