ACRL: Sears Point race report 2001-10-27

Sonoma, CA October 27, 2001 Peter Zarcades continued his winning ways at Sears Point Raceway on Saturday, the first half of a double-header weekend for the American City Racing League. Zarcades was clearly fastest from the first official practice session on the new, abbreviated Sears Point 1.92 mile, nine-turn temporary course, setting pole time and leading wire to wire in the Saturday race, dubbed the "Stars and Stripes Forever" race in support of America's efforts against terrorism. Behind him, Las Vegas teammate Brad Pierce got the jump on Fresno's John Ostlund at the start. While Zarcades motored away, it was all Pierce could do to keep Ostlund at bay, as the pair ran nose to tail for the entire race. Hollywood's John Lombardo was right with the pair until lap seven, when his transmission locked in gear, forcing him to retire. His teammate, Fiorenzo Tirinnanzi, was fighting handling problems and ran a distant fourth for the rest of the race. Brad Krause of Team Fresno rounded out the top five, the last car on the lead lap at the checker. San Diego's Margie Smith-Haas finished sixth after a tremendous early-race battle with Denver's Marvin Jones. The fight ended when Marvin coasted to a halt on lap six with a blown transmission. Team Salinas driver Dave Jansen then moved into seventh, holding that class position to the checker, but dropping behind the Sports 2000 leaders for overall position.

The Sports 2000 battle was for supremacy in season points as well as for the race win. David Ferguson of Team Salinas scored two points for taking the class pole by a scant .034 second, moving him to within one point of Denver's Jeff Littrell for the S2 title. Ferguson led the entire way, setting the fastest race lap, while behind him Las Vegas driver and leading S2 Rookie John Fujii got the jump on Littrell at the start. Littrell stayed right on him for most of the race, but faded toward the end, his Hoosier R45's beginning to show some wear. Denver's Doug Ota took fourth in class, followed by Hollywood's Joe Casanova and Rookie Fred Michael of Team Fresno. John Faulkner sat on theSports 1600 pole, and opened up a gap on Las Vegas driver Paul Schroeder by the mid-race point. However, a couple of spins proved his undoing, and Schroeder flew by the whirling Boston car on lap 16, holding the lead to the checker.

By virtue of Zarcades and Pierce's one-two finish and Fujii's eighth, Las Vegas grabbed their fifth consecutive City Cup just ahead of Team Fresno.

The American City Racing League Western Division, using a unique team racing concept, races Cosworth-powered Super Sports 2000, Aerocell-sponsored Sports 2000, and Toyota-powered Sports 1600 cars, with drivers required to run Hoosier ACRL-stamped R-45 compound tires and Union 76 110 octane Racing Fuel.

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