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| May 12, 2012 News |
| Prototype Lites: Nunez Completes Weekend Sweep at Laguna Seca |
 | Championship leader Tristan Nunez was a perfect two-for-two in the doubleheader at Laguna Seca
(Photo: Pete Ryan Photography) |
Performance Tech driver Tristan Nunez won for the second straight day in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda series, leading every lap on Saturday (May 12) at Mazda raceway Laguna Seca again to post his fifth victory of the season.
One full-course caution, on lap eight, delayed his run to the checkered. Jim Garrett’s Eurosport Racing Elan DP02 got stuck in the gravel just off turn three, and Daniel Mancini’s Performance Tech Elan DP02 lost power coming up to the Corkscrew.
"I hardly know what to say,” Nunez said. “But it was nice to go through the race with only one caution today. The car felt great and we basically just managed the car throughout the race and were able to come out on top again."
The best battle in the race was for second place, with Charlie Shears fighting with Mikhail Goikhberg over the final 12 laps.
Goikhberg and his JDC MotorSports entry charged from 13th starting spot to fourth, then passed Jon Brownson for third to set up the battle.
Shears, in the Comprent Motor Sports No. 21 car, managed to hold him off at the checkered by nearly a second, but the two were at it hammer and tong all over the track behind the eventual winner.
Shears thought the winner was keeping it close on purpose.
"I think Tristan was just messing with me,” Shears said. “I think he held back just to keep that little rabbit in front of me. And then the real race came when Mikhail came up behind me. He was really fast in the corkscrew and that's how he was catching me. I was waiting for him to come up around 11 and then I was just able to get out of 10 a little faster than he did.
“All in all, it just feels really good getting back into this. I had a great time!"
Goikhberg said that starting so far back meant he couldn’t plan the 40-minute event like a normal race.
“It was a really fun race,” he said. “We didn't really treat it like a race from the beginning, more like a fun practice session. But I set the fastest lap of the race and I probably could have passed Charlie, but he drove a great race and we had a few hairy moments when I tried to pass him.
“I am happy to take third considering where we started."
Scott Tucker won the Lites 2 race for the second straight day, finishing fifth overall in his Level 5 Motorsports West WR1000 and two spots ahead of Michel Chlumecky. Max DeAngelis was third in Lites 2.
"This was a great race today,” Tucker said. “I got hit there at the beginning, which was just a racing incident, and it put me back so we really had to see what the car had. Mike's always there, and he pushed me, so it was a good time!”
Chlumecky ripped the rear section off his 6th Gear Racing West WR1000 at the end of Friday’s race, and used his teammate’s car to race on Saturday.
"Scott ran an incredible race and today I just didn't have enough for him,” Chlumecky said. “I wanted to give him a better run for his money, and I just didn't have it.”
Nunez led every lap of Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda competition over the two days, finishing 3.398 seconds ahead of Shears.
In the overall top-five finishing order, Brownson took fourth place followed by Tucker in fifth (L2).
The next event on the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Series Schedule is the 2012 Grand Prix of Mosport at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont. on July 21-22.
The top-three will be posted following every session on the ESR Facebook page and ESR Twitter page.
Prototype Lites
Round 6 - Race Results
May 12, 2012
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Monterey, California
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Diff. | Fast Time| 1. | Tristan Nunez | Performance Tech Motorsports | - | 1:23.558 | | 2. | Charlie Shears | Comprent Motor Sports | 3.398 | 1:23.585 | | 3. | Mikhail Goikhberg | JDC MotorSports | 5.306 | 1:23.152 | | 4. | Jon Brownson | Eurosport Racing | 19.488 | 1:24.644 | | 5. | Scott Tucker (L2) | Level 5 Motorsports | 30.332 | 1:25.831 | | 6. | Owen Kratz | Ferrari of Houston | 39.663 | 1:26.273 | | 7. | Michel Chlumecky (L2) | 6th Gear Racing | 53.501 | 1:27.295 | | 8. | Lamont Harris | Acadia Racing | 1:14.397 | 1:26.239 | | 9. | Dan Weyland | Eurosport Racing | 1:15.580 | 1:27.632 | | 10. | Max DeAngelis (L2) | 6th Gear Racing | 2 Laps | 1:32.519 | | 11. | Jim Garrett | Eurosport Racing | 2 Laps | 1:26.895 | | 12. | Alan Wilzig (L2) | Wilzig Racing | 3 Laps | 1:37.577 | | 13. | Darryl Shoff | Comprent Motor Sports | 4 Laps | 1:27.457 | | 14. | Richard Fant | Ferrari of Houston | 14 Laps | 1:26.081 | | 15. | Daniel Mancini | Performance Tech Motorsports | 14 Laps | 1:26.991 | | 16. | Ritchie Holt | Performance Tech Motorsports | 22 Laps | 1:28.795 | |
(L2) = Lites 2 class |
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