SOLO: ProSolo Wendover summary

Thomason Tops Gumout Super Challenge at Wendover Tire Rack ProSolo

WENDOVER, Utah (May 26, 2010) -- The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo0x00ae National Series returned to action at the Wendover (Utah) Airport, May 22-23. Though 178 entries began the weekend hoping for the prize, it was Gary Thomason, of Oceanside, Calif., who claimed the overall Gumout Super Challenge after also earning the Super Stock class crown.

Despite winds blowing consistently at 20 -- 30 mph, and temperatures only reaching the low 50s, the Utah region welcomed an enthusiastic group of competitors who were greeted with a Friday night welcome party to begin the weekend, and a challenging, fast, very difficult course layout on Saturday morning.

Thomason, driving a 2004 Kumho Tires Porsche GT3, earned his spot in the 32-car Gumout Super Challenge bracket with a 0.638-second win over Kevin Dietz, of Seattle, Wash., in the Super Stock class. Three wins in the bracket competition paired him with Kevin Youngers in the semi-final.

Youngers, of Greeley, Colo., made his way to the semis by winning Bump Class 1 in an F Stock 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby over Abe Potter, of Renton, Wash.

In the opposite bracket, Andy Hollis, of Austin, Texas, drove his 1989 Soulspeed/GRM/PowerCurveDyno Honda Civic Si to a Street Touring0x00ae win in the nine-car class to meet Street Touring X class winner Will Kalman, of Northridge, Calif., in the semi-finals.

Kalman finished a close second his 10-car class to Heyward Wagner, of Oakland, Calif., in a borrowed 1994 Berry Family Racing BMW 325i that he drove for the first time at Wendover. Kalman had clearly learned the car in time for the Super Challenge, setting up his final four showdown with Hollis.

Hollis and Thomason each advanced to the Super Challenge finals, setting up a dramatic finish to the weekend. A veteran ProSolo racer, Thomason trailed Hollis in the tight head-to-head match-up. Listening to the public address broadcast on the FM radio in his car, Thomason heard "Hollis appears to be ahead!" and threw caution to the wind through the final element of the course, taking the overall win.

In addition to his runner-up finish in the Super Challenge, Hollis took the top spot in the Honda Tuner Challenge and broke out to win the Honda Tuner Shootout against STX class winner Wagner.

Jeff Kiesel, of Poway, Calif., was the top Gumout Super Challenge qualifier in his 2008 Goodyear Tire/Carvin Guitars KFR Turbo Sprite and put in an epic round that has all the makings of ProSolo legend. In the second round of the Super Challenge, Kiesel knocked over a cone early, and amazed the crowd with a run through the rest of the course to overcome the two-second penalty and win the round. Cone penalties in quarter-finals became too much to overcome in his next round battle with Youngers.

Jay Yost's Bonus Challenge win may have made him the least popular person in his own home, as his first-round match-up saw him defeat his wife, Jamie Yost, of Windsor, Colo.

Christine Berry, of Alta Loma, Calif., won the Ladies Class 2 before winning the Ladies Challenge at the second-straight ProSolo Tour event.

The next round of the Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Series takes place June 5-6 with the Blytheville ProSolo at the Arkansas Aeroplex. For full results from the Wendover ProSolo and more information on the Blytheville ProSolo, visit www.scca.com/solo.

-source: scca