WRPMotorsports Driver Willie Phee would start on pole, set two track
records and claim first in two out of three races during the ARRC
Championship weekend held at Road Atlanta on November 1st and 2nd
November 1-2, 2014 – Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
Third outing in the WRPMotorsports Acura TSX and Willie Phee would start on pole for both of
the CCPS races, set a track record on Friday and lower the track record on Sunday. Phee would
also lead the Championship ARRC race before retiring with electrical problems on Saturday.
“The performance
of the car improved
considerably and it
was great to get
two wins and two
track records over
the course of the
weekend. I was
also pleasantly
surprised to lead
the ARRC
Championship race
for the first few
laps” said Phee.
“The team was
able to make
significant
improvements in
the suspension
during the test day
which really help me to get more comfortable in the car.”
Friday would start out with two ARRC qualifiers, a CCPS qualifier and the first of two CCPS
Championship races. Phee would end up qualifying third in class and fifth overall for the
Saturday ARRC Championship race and 1st in class and second overall for the CCPS
Championship race scheduled for later in the afternoon.
The format for the CCPS race included a mandatory two minute pit stop during the 45 minute
timed race. Phee would hold on to first in class and second overall until lap six when he would
inherit the overall lead when the leader mad his mandatory pit stop. Phee would continue to
lead overall until lap 19 of the 22 lap race. A full course caution would come out on lap 11 for
five laps and would bunch up the field erasing Phee’s overall lead.
“When the double yellow came out I hadn’t made my pit stop yet so it effectively allowed
everyone to make up the gap I had” said Phee. Phee would make his pit stop on lap 19 and
would drop back to 14th overall but still finish first in class.
“It was great to
have such a strong
first race of the
weekend, I think if I
hadn’t been caught
out by the double
yellow I had a good
shot at the overall
win” said Phee,
“plus setting the
track record in ITS
for the CCPS race
was something that
surprised me”.
Saturday’s ARRC
Championship race
would start at 9:30
so it was very
important to get some heat in the tires as the early start would be in lower temperatures than
the previous day’s race. With his fifth overall qualifying position Phee would line up on the
inside and at the start would move into third going into turn one and into the lead going into
turn six. Phee would hold the lead for the next four laps, drop back to second until lap six when
the car started to lose power. Phee would hold on to a strong third until lap nine when the
exhaust header broke and the car started to misfire.
“It was relay disappointing the go from leading the race to dropping out on lap 10. The car felt
like it was losing power about five laps into the run and when the header broke I knew I was
finished” said Phee. “Once I got back to the pits the crew diagnosed the power issue as a failing
alternator.
Sunday’s race schedule would start with qualifying for the second CCPS Championship race with
the race start at 3:00 that afternoon. Phee would again qualify first in class and second overall.
For the start Phee would line up on the outside of row one and lead the pack through turn one.
Phee would lead the first five laps and make his mandatory pit stop early in the 45 minute timed
race. Phee would rejoin the race in 13th place and steadily move up as the other competitors
made their pit stops. At the end of the race Phee would again finish first in class and set
another lap record for the ITS class.
“After getting caught out
in the Friday race I
knew I was going to
make an early pit stop
just in case there was
another full course
caution” said Phee. “I
was also surprised at
setting another lap
record having just set
the record on Friday, but
I guess the conditions
were right and I
certainly was getting
more comfortable in the
car”.
That concludes the 2014
race season, so now it’s time to work on setting up the car for the 2015 season that will start in
March at Virginia International raceway.
The next race is scheduled for March 7-8, 2015 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA.
The WRPMotorsports team is sponsored by Optima Batteries, Sparco USA and OPM Autosports.
Photos by Clark McInnis of Motorsports Photography http://cmcinnis.wordpress.com/
Race
Results
Copyright: WRPMotorsports.com
