MAXXIS TIRES SPEEDSF CHALLENGE (ROUND 4) AT SONOMA RACEWAY - JUNE 13, 2021
INTRODUCTION
HUGE turnout for this SpeedSF Challenge - perhaps nearly a month without a Challenge allowed people more time to get ready… or maybe because everyone just LOVES Sonoma Raceway! Either way, with 31 people on the grid for the Challenge, it was definitely going to be an exciting shootout!
CLASS S1
Steve Melson + Patrick Chio w/ daughter, Kayla!
Two entrants, two podium placers! Steve Melson has definitely been tearing it up with the podiums in his R8, and this time was no different. Although it was a 2nd place finish, his 1:47.908 lap time is definitely nothing to scoff at. However, SpeedSF’s own Patrick Chio tore it up in his Corvette C7, throwing down a 1:46.821 lap time - blazing fast! Can we get more challengers in this class?
CLASS S2
From left to right: Ed Susman, Kevin Schweigert, and Doug Makishima
S2 was STACKED this time around, with 10 drivers throwing their hat in the ring and seeing if they could advance themselves in the championship standings. Aside from Kevin, the usual suspects on the S2 class podium were nowhere to be found, with 3rd place Ed Susman putting in a 1:47.822 lap time while behind the wheel of a 2018 Porsche Cayman GTS while 2nd place (and USTCC favorite) Doug Makishima put in a nice 1:46.948 lap time while piloting an E46 M3. Not to be outclassed, 1st place driver Kevin Schweigert took it home with a 1:45.822, posting the fastest lap time out of everyone in the challenge. That 2021 Supra is just something else!
CLASS S3
From left to right: Seigo Ma, Tony Rodriguez, and Gary Wong
We welcome back Gary Wong’s TayTay S2000 after months of being down (though he was having fun behind the wheel of a certain GR Supra for the time being…) , and boy did he make an appearance - he certainly did not skip a beat here! Even though he took 2nd place with a 1:49.745 lap time, he was VERY close to beating out 1st place driver Tony Rodriguez who, in his 2003 MR2 Spyder, put in a 1:49.594 lap time… it was THAT close. Seigo Ma, for his efforts, took 3rd place in his Honda S2000 thanks to a 1:50.369 lap time, very much clear of 4th place Kenneth Yip (2011 BMW M3, 1:51.175). Sonoma favored the underpowered, yet nimble cars, it seems!
CLASS S4
From left to right: Jason Parraga, Nathan Hackman, Artem Rakhov
Speaking of underpowered cars, 1st place Nathan Hackman also built a good case for the Honda S2000, thanks to a great 1:54.808 lap time, setting him JUST AHEAD of 2nd place Artem Rakhov whose 1:54.838 certainly made a case for the 1998 BMW M3. That lap time was just good enough to set him ahead of 3rd place Jason Parraga whose 1:55.050 was set behind the wheel of a 2008 S2000 CR. It’s another close battle in the S4 class and we’re here for it!
CLASS S5
From left to right: Patryk Skowronski-Stec, Jay Lapid, and Wa Huong
Ah yes, the fun group - S5 is MX-5 time! The first two podium places were taken over by these unassuming Spec Miata drivers who set fast Miata-esque lap times here at Sonoma! 1st place driver Jay Lapid’s 1:58.826 put him paces ahead of 2nd place driver Wa Huong whose lap time was a respectable 1:59.296 lap time. That squeezed him ahead of Patryk Skowronski-Stec’s 1:59.631 lap time, which was enough for a 3rd place podium finish. Great stuff from our Miata drivers!
CLASS X
Edgar Lau!
Well, it certainly has been a while, Edgar! A friendly face whose taken to more wheel-to-wheel racing events, it’s still a welcome surprise to see him at our events. This time, behind the wheel of a GT4-prepped Mustang, he laid down a 1:45.280 lap time for his efforts! Since he was the only one that joined Class X for the day, he was all alone on the podium. Something tells us even with some competition, he would have still been up there on the podium steps for sure!
CONCLUSION
Excellent work by the drivers who took their places on the podium! THANK YOU to everyone who participated on this beautiful Sunday in Wine Country! There will be many opportunities to chase podium finishes. This can be achieved with more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track!
Round 5 will be held at Buttonwillow Raceway on June 27. We look forward to more close finishes among the drivers! It’s going to be a hot day so be ready! We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants and we are forever thankful as all of this would not be possible without them.
Thank you to our sponsors Maxxis Tires, Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!
