SCRRC: 2006 News Archives

GAINESVILLE, Ga., November 11 – At the 2006 running of the American Road Race of Champions, Kenny Liesfeld won the battle, but Steve Graham won the war.

The victory was the second straight win at this race for Kenny Liesfeld. Liesfeld was the winner the last time the LMSC road racing stock cars appeared at the SCCA’s annual fall Road Atlanta bash in 2004, but that year he inherited the win after the front-runners were taken out in a mid-race mishap. This time, he left no doubt as to who had the faster car, taking the lead from pole-sitter John Goodson on lap eight and driving away to the win.

This year, the horsepower-limited LMSC cars would share the track with a huge 45-car field, including GT-1 Corvettes and Mustangs, and unlimited horsepower stock cars, spotting those cars as much as 300 horsepower on the high-speed Road Atlanta course.

Liesfeld’s Monte Carlo took the green flag from 19th overall starting position. From there it was a long way up to LMSC pole sitter Goodson’s Ford in 12th overall. Right behind Liesfeld were third LMSC starter Jack Finch in his Dodge Charger (14th OA) and fourth-place starter brother Chris Liesfeld (15th OA) in his Monte Carlo. Bobby Reuse would go off fifth in LMSC (27th OA), with Steve Dunn sixth LMSC (33rd OA) and Steve Graham seventh LMSC (39th OA). Due to clutch difficulties, Roger Reuse had to start from the back of the grid in 45th overall.

Steve Graham came into the race leading the season points standings, but Steve Dunn still had just a slim mathematical chance of snatching the season points championship away from Graham if he could pull off a fourth-place or better finish, while Graham would have to run into trouble and finish last.

At the drop of the green flag, Kenny Liesfeld had a lot of ground to cover, and he didn’t waste any time doing it. He was coming, and by lap three, there was only one car between his Chevrolet and Goodson’s Ford Fusion. By lap four, Liesfeld was there, right on the Ford’s rear bumper.

Goodson wasn’t going to go without a fight, and for three laps, he held Liesfeld off; but on lap eight, the Monte Carlo came around in first place, and from there on, Liesfeld was gone.

A lap earlier, brother Chris Liesfeld took possession of third place from Jack Finch, and now there were Liesfelds in first and third place.

For a short time, it looked as if Steve Dunn’s long shot at the championship might come true. Steve Graham’s championship run was turning into a nightmare, as his car just wouldn’t go. Graham was languishing in eighth place while Dunn got by Bobby Reuse for fifth spot. On lap seven, Dunn was one pass – or one misfortune to one of the top four – away from enough points to steal the championship.

But on lap nine it all came to an end against the guard rail, as Dunn’s rear suspension broke in the downhill esses, sending him into the tire barrier and ending his day.

After starting from the back, Roger Reuse was headed for the front. Fast Roger knocked off 16 cars in the first four laps alone and by lap eight was up into fifth spot, passing brother Bobby to take that position. But brotherly love only goes so far, and on lap 12, Bobby returned the favor, retaking fifth, where he would finish.

At the checkered flag, it was Kenny Liesfeld coming across with a healthy lead, followed by Goodson, Chris Liesfeld, Jack Finch, Bobby Reuse and Roger Reuse.

A season of consistency paid off for Graham with the series championship, as he nursed his ailing Ford around to finish seventh in LMSC. But it was more than enough; his win at Rockingham the previous month had provided the cushion he needed to prevail over Steve Dunn, who held on to second place in points. Rounding out the top five in the points chase were Roger Reuse, John Goodson and Bobby Reuse.

Car 14 ROCKINGHAM, N.C., October 21 – Hand it to Steve Graham; he picked the best of all possible times to grab his first stock car road race victory. After taking the championship points lead last race at Nashville, (also for the first time in his career) Graham pulled off the win at North Carolina Motor Speedway to build his points lead with only one race to go in the season.
But it didn’t come easily.
Running with the National Autosport Association at Rockingham, a thin field of LMSC cars took the green flag Saturday, and the eventual winner would have a long way to go through the field.
After a practice crash took out John Goodson’s Ford, the clear favorite based on past performance would be Roger Reuse’s Chevrolet. The five-year veteran of the series put his Monte Carlo on the LMSC pole and first overall of the twenty-odd car field of stock cars and sports cars. Right behind was Roger’s brother Bobby, also in a Chevrolet. Steve Dunn’s Monte Carlo would go off third in LMSC, seventh overall. Graham’s Ford was fourth LMSC, but all the way back in 10th overall, after being stuck in traffic in the short qualifying session.
But the pole sitter would never take the green flag. When the command was given to start engines, Roger Reuse’s car refused to fire and the field moved off without him. Suddenly, before the race even started, brother Bobby found himself in first place for the first time in his life.
At the green flag, Bobby made it clear that he intended to stay there. Pulling the second place Porsche around the banking and into the infield, Bobby built up a 15-length advantage in three laps. But on lap four, Reuse missed a downshift entering the infield and spun to the outside. He re-entered the race in 19th position.
Behind Reuse, Steve Graham had been busy. At the drop of the green, Graham used his Busch Series experience from Rockingham and went all the way up to the wall in NASCAR one and two, passing

seven cars on the outside before the field reached the infield entrance for the first time. He was now third, and looking for the lead. But on lap four, at the same time Bobby Reuse spun, Graham had his own troubles at the same corner, going straight and missing the infield entrance.
Graham was able to re-enter the race far ahead of Reuse. But Reuse was faster, and began climbing back through the field. Would he have time to catch Graham?
The answer was ... “almost”. As the race progressed, Graham could see Reuse getting bigger in the mirror, but in the end, Bobby ran out of time. At the checker, Steve came across in fifth overall, first LMSC. Reuse was less than seven lengths behind him in eighth overall, second LMSC.
Steve Dunn, took third watching from the sideline after dropping out with electrical problems.
Graham’s win gives him a 60-point lead in the championship points over Steve Dunn, who managed to hang on to second in points despite his troubles at the Rock. The Reuse brothers, Roger and Bobby, sit in third and fourth while Goodson dropped to fifth.
As the series moves to the finale at Road Atlanta’s American Road Race of Champions in three weeks, the championship is still up for grabs between Steve Graham and Steve Dunn.
Graham is on a roll, but Road Atlanta has historically been kind to Dunn. Who will win?

RESULTS: ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina Motor Speedway
POS.	NO.	NAME	LAPS	BEST

1	71	Steve Graham	16	01:04.782
2	4	Bobby Reuse	16	01:03.492
3	7	Steve Dunn	9	01:04.953
4	8	Roger Reuse	—	—
5	96	John Goodson	—	—

Car 14 NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 8 – In his first drive of the year in Jack Finch’s Dodge Charger, Aaron Dudley won round four of the 2006 Stock Car Road Racing Championship at Nashville Superspeedway, but he had to fight off a determined Kenny Liesfeld to do it.
Ten cars took the green flag Saturday night for the series’ first visit to the Nashville high banks. Dudley’s Dodge started from pole, followed closely by Kenny Liesfeld in a Chevy Monte Carlo and John Goodson’s Ford Fusion. Kenny’s brother Chris went off fourth, Richard Kohler fifth and Marshall McLeod sixth, all in Chevrolets. Steve Graham’s Ford started seventh, and the Monte Carlos of Steve Dunn, Roger Reuse and Bobby Reuse rounded out the field.
The field didn’t stay at ten cars very long. At the green flag, as the field filed into the one-lane 180-degree hairpin second turn, Richard Kohler made an impossible banzai dive into the inside, drilling the third-place Ford of Goodson, knocking both cars out of the race almost before it started.
While this was going on, Kenny Liesfeld was slipping by Dudley for the lead as the Dodge slid wide on a corner in the tight infield. The battle for the lead that would last the entire race was joined.

For the entire race, it seemed Liesfeld was faster through the infield but the experienced circle-track racer Dudley could outrun Kenny on the oval track banking. Dudley soon retook the lead from Liesfeld by passing him on the oval banking, only to see Liesfeld slip back past him in traffic in the infield portion. Said Dudley; “I could get away from him in NASCAR three and four, but in the infield he’d catch right back up.”

Meanwhile, Roger Reuse and Marshall McLeod were having their own fight for fourth place, and Bobby Reuse and Steve Dunn were doing the same for seventh. Chris Liesfeld in third appeared to make a run at the leaders at one point, but was never able to quite close the gap.

By race end, Dudley had opened up a lead of several lengths and came across the line the winner. The Liesfeld brothers, Kenny and Chris, came across second and third. Roger Reuse got away from McLeod for fourth when McLeod’s clutch began to slip, relegating him to fifth. Steve Graham came home sixth, Bobby Reuse held on for seventh and Steve Dunn was eighth.

Steve Graham’s fifth place was enough to vault him into the series points lead after four rounds, followed by Steve Dunn, John Goodson and Bob Davis. Only 45 points separates the top four places in the points standings, making the championship still a wide-open race.

The next round is at Rockingham in October.

Car 19 Danville, Va., May 12 – Bob Davis took the second round of the 2006 US LEC Stock Car Road Racing Championship after pole-sitter and race leader John Goodson’s Ford was crashed out of the race by a lapped car five laps from the end of the contest.
The US LEC Late Model Stock Cars(LMSC) ran on this weekend at the SCCA’s annual SAARC/MARRS Challenge at Virginia International Raceway. Davis, in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo started second in the LMSC field, took over the lead after Goodson’s mishap and cruised on to the win.

Chris Liesfeld’s Monte Carlo finished second, close behind Davis. Starting deep in the field, Liesfeld was able to catch leader Davis in the final laps, but was unable to get by.

Though Steve Graham, in a Ford Fusion, started shotgun on the LMSC field and 37th overall, he negotiated the heavy traffic to finish third in LMSC, winning the Hoerr Charger award along the way. Steve Dunn came fourth in his Monte Carlo, after also being punted by a back marker.

The win gave Davis the series points lead, while Steve Dunn moved into second in points.

The series’ next stop is Lowe’s Motor Speedway,
June 17-18.

J.P. Morgan had to come from fourth place to win at Road Atlanta.

GAINESVILLE, Ga., March 18 – J.P. Morgan began the 2006 season the way he ended it, with a win ... but it wasn’t easy.
As the US LEC Stock Car Road Racing Tour began the year running with a huge field of National Auto Sport Association (NASA) cars at Road Atlanta. Morgan started fourth in Late Model Stock Car (LMSC) and had to fight his way past the first three qualifiers to take the win.
The 2006 opener marked the series’ first race with NASA since 2002. The LMSC cars ran with the NASA “big bore” race group, which started over 60 cars.
Bob Davis put Ron Fariss’ Monte Carlo on the LMSC pole, managing to wind his way through the heavy qualifying traffic fastest. John Goodson’s Taurus negotiated the qualifying maze of Mustangs, Camaros, Cobra kit cars and various others second-fastest and Jack Finch in a Dodge came third. Morgan could manage only fourth-best qualifying, followed by Marshall McLeod, Steve Dunn, Roger and Bobby Reuse and Steve Graham.
On the start, Davis got away cleanly, while Jack Finch got by Goodson for second. Within two laps, the leaders were already into the rush-hour traffic of slower cars.
But in the crush of traffic, Morgan was coming. He got by Goodson on lap three; shortly after that took Finch for second, then set off after Davis in the lead.
Once Morgan got up to Davis, it took him several laps to get by. In the meantime, Goodson had passed Finch for third and began slowly running down the two leaders.
Further back, Marshall McLeod had to take evasive action to avoid someone else’s incident, and Steve Dunn slipped by in the cloud of red clay dust. Steve Graham had succumbed to clutch trouble early.

Though Morgan had been able to get by Davis, he wasn’t able to get very far away in the heavy traffic. Davis dogged Morgan lap after lap, looking for an opportunity.

On the white flag lap, Goodson caught the lead pair going into the turn six/seven combination on the back of the course. All three cars got together entering turn seven, and Morgan and Davis exited the corner side by side. As they raced down the back straight, looking for a way through another group of backmarkers ahead of them, the cars touched several times, then hit hard. Morgan managed to save his car and continue, but Davis had less track to work with to his right. He went for a wild ride in the dirt, but managed to save his car as well and would go on to finish third behind Goodson, who got by while Davis was off track.

Bob Davis returned to the series to score an impressive second-place finish.

At the checkered flag it was Morgan coming across first, followed closely by Goodson. Davis came third and Jack Finch fourth. Behind Finch, Steve Dunn drove to a fifth-place finish and Roger Reuse took the final paying position in sixth.

In post-race tech inspection, Goodson’s car was found to be over on horsepower and was disqualified. Davis moved up to second, followed in order by Finch, Dunn, McLeod, Roger Reuse, Bobby Reuse and Steve Graham.

The series’ next stop is Virginia International Raceway May 12-14.

Cars
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Jan. 18 – It was announced today that the opening race of the 2006 US LEC Stock Car Road Racing Championship season has been moved from Sebring to Road Atlanta, March 18-19, following a decision by Historic Sportscar Racing to not allow Late Model Stock Cars to run at HSR events. Three 2006 US LEC Tour races had been scheduled to run on HSR weekends at Sebring, Virginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park.
The Road Atlanta race is at a National Auto Sport Association (NASA Southeast) sanctioned weekend event, March 18-19. The LMSC cars will run in the NASA “Big-Bore” class race.
The move leaves two open slots in the 2006 seven-race season, which the series is expected to move quickly to fill.
About the Road Atlanta date, US LEC Tour series director John Goodson said: “We’re excited about running again with NASA, especially at Road Atlanta. They’re a class organization and they put on a great show.”
Absent the HSR races, the 2006 schedule for the US LEC Stock Car Road Racing Championship remains as previously announced.
Highlights of the schedule, marking the series’ fifth year, include:

A new venue and a return to night racing for the first time in four years, at Nashville Superspeedway

A return to racing with the National Autosport Association for the first time in three years

Two SCCA-sanctioned events

The fourth annual Stock Car Shootout at BeaveRun in Pittsburgh, traditionally the series’ most action-filled and unpredictable event.

Following the Road Atlanta opener, the series moves to Virginia International Raceway May 13-14, for the SCCA Al Fairer SAARC/MARRS Challenge. This annual SCCA event always starts a large number of SCCA GTA and SPO stock cars. How the leaders negotiate traffic of slower classes will play a big role in the race outcome.
Following a second one-month break in June, the US LEC teams will travel to a new venue for the series, Nashville Superspeedway. This new event on July 7-8, which will also feature two races for the American V8 Supercar Series, will see a return to night racing on Saturday night.
On August 5-6, the bar fight at BeaveRun resumes. The Stock Car Shootout at BeaveRun returns to the Pittsburgh area track for its fourth installment (or is that fourth round?). This wild annual event on the tight, narrow 1.5 mile BeaveRun course never fails to be the schedule’s most exciting. In four years, this annual bash has seen three first-time winners, the pole-sitter has never won and the unexpected is the norm. As one competitor put it, “NASCAR has Bristol. We have BeaveRun.”
The season concludes November 10-12 at the American Road Race of Champions at Road Atlanta. This SCCA-sanctioned championship event will start a huge field of as many as 60 cars in several classes, including LMSC, GTA, SPO, SPU and Corvette Challenge. At the series’ last visit to this event in 2005, the first and second-place LMSC runners were both taken out in traffic, so the US LEC drivers know that managing slower cars will be critical.
At the end of the 2006 season, the series champion will have had to master six of the toughest tracks in the East and seven fields of America’s fastest professional road racing stock cars.
Speeds have increased and lap times have dropped each year as development continues on these ever-quicker LMSC Road Racing Stock Cars. The series regulars will return for another shot at the championship, and new teams will enter, hoping to grab a win in their first year.
Both have reason for optimism. Each of the series’ four previous campaigns have seen at least one first-time winner, and there has yet to be a repeat champion.
Who will this year’s be?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Jan. 12 – The 2006 schedule for the US LEC Stock Car Road Racing Championship was officially announced today. The seven-race schedule begins in March at Sebring International Raceway and concludes in November at Road Atlanta.
Highlights of the schedule, marking the series’ fifth year, include:

A new venue, and a return to night racing for the first time in four years, at Nashville Superspeedway

Three dates with the Historic Stock Cars at Historic Sports Car Racing (HSR) races.

Two SCCA-sanctioned events

The fourth annual Stock Car Shootout at BeaveRun in Pittsburgh, traditionally the series’ most action-filled and unpredictable event.

The series’ return to Sebring after a year’s absence.

The season kicks off the first weekend in March at legendary Sebring International Raceway, one of the most famous road racing venues in the world. The event is the first of three to be run with Historic Sports Car Racing, where the US LEC Late Model Stock Cars (LMSC) will share the track with Historic NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series racers.
After a month off, the series moves to Virginia International Raceway, May 13-14, for the SCCA Al Fairer SAARC/MARRS Challenge, the first of two visits the series makes to VIR. This annual SCCA event always starts a large number of SCCA GTA and SPO stock cars, and how the leaders negotiate traffic of slower classes will play a big role in the race outcome.
Following a second one-month break in June, the US LEC teams will travel to a new venue for the series, Nashville Superspeedway. This new event on July 7-8, which will also feature two races for the American V8 Supercar Series, will see a return to night racing on Saturday night.

On August 5-6, the bar fight at BeaveRun resumes. The Stock Car Shootout at BeaveRun returns to the Pittsburgh area track for its fourth installment (or is that fourth round?). This wild annual event on the tight, narrow 1.5 mile BeaveRun course never fails to be the schedule’s most exciting. In four years, this annual bash has seen three first-time winners, the pole-sitter has never won and the unexpected is the norm. As one competitor put it, “NASCAR has Bristol. We have BeaveRun.”
After four weeks to replace their cars’ fenders following BeaveRun, the US LEC Tour teams will make their second visit of the year to the long straights and sweeping turns of Virginia International Raceway September 1-3. Labor Day Weekend at VIR is becoming a tradition for the series, but this year’s race will be a little different. The prior two years have been a track-promoted weekend, the VIR Stock Car Spectacular. For 2006, the Labor Day event becomes an HSR-sanctioned race, where the US LEC LMSC cars will share the race with the Historic Stock Cars.
The series’ third race of the year with HSR takes place October 12-15 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. This will mark the series fourth visit to this new facility, one of the most beautiful race tracks in America.
The season concludes November 10-12 at the American Road Race of Champions at Road Atlanta. This SCCA-sanctioned championship event will start a huge field of as many as 60 cars in several classes, including LMSC, GTA, SPO, SPU and Corvette Challenge. At the series’ last visit to this event in 2005, the first and second-place LMSC runners were both taken out in traffic, so the US LEC drivers know that managing slower cars will be critical.
At the end of the 2006 season, the series champion will have had to master six of the toughest tracks in the east and seven fields of America’s fastest professional road racing stock cars.
Speeds have increased and lap times have dropped each year as development continues on these ever-quicker LMSC Road Racing Stock Cars. The series regulars will return for another shot at the championship, and new teams will enter, hoping to grab a win in their first year.
Both have reason for optimism. Each of the series’ four previous campaigns have seen at least one first-time winner, and there has yet to be a repeat champion.
Who will this year’s be?