WRPM Race Update
November 5-6, 2021 – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia
WRPMotorsports driver Willie Phee Wins the American Road Race of
Champions for the Second Year in a Row at Michelin Raceway Road
Atlanta in Braselton Georgia.
Round’s one and two of the 2022 SARRC Championship series was held at Michelin
Raceway Road Atlanta and WRPMotorsports driver Willie Phee would finish first in race
one, win the Championship Race the following day and have fastest race laps each
day.
Qualifying for the Friday SAARC race was Friday morning and Phee would qualify
second in class and second overall. “I thought I had a good enough lap to put the car
on pole but
David Spillman
would put in a
low 1.42 in his
Datsun 240Z and
get pole
position. I just
couldn’t get
going and traffic
was a problem
for the entire
session and
ended up second
on the grid” said
Phee.
In the Friday
afternoon race
Phee would lead going into turn one and lead from start to finish. Phee ran consistent
laps for the entire race but with two laps to go Phee would have an exhaust failure.
The header had broken off at the collector. In spite of this problem Phee would hold
onto the lead and would end up setting the fast lap of the race on the 11
th
of 12 laps.
The pole sitter David Spillman would maintain second the entire race and finish just
one second behind Phee at the finish. “I knew if I could get a good start and get into
the lead early, I could hold off Spillman. I wasn’t sure what the problem was on lap
10. The car felt like it was losing an axel or having a transmission problem. I really
thought the car was blowing up. But I managed to hold on to the finish and just hold
off Spillman” said Phee.
The ARRC Championship race was set for Saturday morning and Phee was second on
the grid. At the start Spillman would get the jump going into turn one and would start
to pull a gap. The gap was 3.1 seconds by lap four when a full course caution would
come out and bunch up the field. The restart would take place on lap seven and Phee
would hound Spillman until lap nine when Phee would move into the lead. Phee
would pull out fast
lap after fast lap
with his and the
race’s fast lap on
lap 17 at 1.42.7.
Phee would steadily
pull away and
would cross the
finish line with a
6.9 second gap
over Spillman. “I
wasn’t concerned
when Spillman pull
the gap early in the
race. I figured he
would use up his
tires and brakes
and I’d have a
chance to get by later in the race. Fortunately, the full course caution eliminated his
lead and I had the opportunity to get by at the mid race point”.
“Once I got by, I just tried to put in qualifying laps and get a gap on him. I managed
to keep him behind me and pull out a small gap each lap. Spillman was right there
the entire race and but I knew if he got by, I had a better top end for the run down
the back straight and could make a pass going into turn 10A’ said Phee.
“To win this race two
years in a row is special
and I have to thank
Ryan, Tristan and all of
the OPM crew. Tthey
were able to give me a
car capable of winning
the event especially
after the exhaust
problem on Friday. I
also have to thank Sam
Nelson of Nelson
Engines for providing
me with a great engine
package”.
The next race is scheduled for March 12-13, 2022 at Virginia International Raceway in
Alton, Virginia.
The WRPMotorsports team is sponsored by GLoc Brakes, Sparco USA, Total
Lubricants, MCS Suspension and OPM Autosports.
Photos courtesy of pbowe Photography and Clark McInnis Photography
http://motorsports.clarkmcinnisphotography.com/motorsports/SCCA/index.html
Race
Results