SBRS: Big scholarship recipient dominates test

Barber Dodge Pro Series Big Scholarship winner Rafael Sperafico dominated the last round of pre-season Barber Dodge Pro Series testing at Sebring International Raceway. For the first time in pre-season testing, a different circuit configuration was used, accounting for the quicker lap times compared to earlier tests.

Sperafico concluded the two-day test quickest overall having been led on both days. The second day proved quickest as he established the standard at 1:04.37 sec. Sara Senske continues to turn in impressive testing times as she prepares for her sophomore campaign in the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Senske finished three-tenths of a second behind Sperafico with a quick lap of 1:04.64 sec.

Fellow Big Scholarship winner Morley finished third quick setting a fast lap at 1:04.74 sec. Morley's test was curtailed slightly with some mechanical problems. He was the quickest driver at the test held a week earlier at Sebring. Next up was Formula Dodge regular Juan Manuel Polar of Peru who turned in quite an impressive test finishing only two one-thousandths of a second behind Morley with a quick time of 1:04.76 sec.

Akihira Okamoto proved that his earlier test times were no fluke. He was the next quickest runner with a fast lap of 1:04.91 sec. Three other drivers managed to get into the 1:04 sec. bracket. Second year driver Marc Breuers was next up stopping the clock at 1:04.96 sec. He was followed by Rhonda Trammell who plans once again to contest the full 2001 Barber Dodge season. Her best lap was timed at 1:04.98 sec. The last to make it into the 1:04 sec. bracket was rookie hopeful David Wieringa who matched Trammell's time with an identical lap of 1:04.98 sec.

Tommy Fogarty, another second year Barber Dodge driver was next up with a quick lap at 1:05.37 sec. Rounding out the test were newcomers Vincent Broerttjes who turned in a fastest lap at 1:05.99 sec and Toshi Shigemitsu who recorded a 1:06.20 sec.

-George Tamayo

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