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SCCA Pro Trans-Am Miami, Florida 2002
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Posted on Mon, Oct. 07, 2002 | |
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Last-lap breakdown boosts Said to Trans-Am win Hayner loses suspension, hold on race kbaxter@herald.com |
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Boris Said predicted Sunday's Trans-Am Series event would be a race of attrition, but in his wildest dreams, he never could have imagined it would end the way it did.
Said swept past a broken-down Stuart Hayner less than a mile from the finish to win his sixth race of the year, all but locking up the season title.
The tight course and hot temperature took a toll on the 22-car field as nine drivers failed to finish. Some who made it the full 100 miles paid a price, with third-place finisher Randy Ruhlman, sixth-place Butch Leitzinger and others requiring medical attention.
''It was 165 degrees in the car by the end,'' said Justin Bell, a Delray Beach driver who finished second in what was arguably the best race in the three-day Grand Prix Americas weekend.
Temperature aside, the hottest thing most of the afternoon was Hayner, who had entered Sunday with one Trans-Am victory in 45 career starts. He took the lead on the 25th lap, gave it up briefly when he pitted on Lap 49 and was pulling away when he ran into trouble early on the 73rd and final lap.
Braking into a turn, Hayner lost his front suspension. And despite a valiant effort to block his pursuers, Said, Bell and Ruhlman swept by before Hayner limped home fourth.
''I'm very happy. My crew gave me the best car,'' said Hayner, who turned a race-record lap of 69.74 mph in the middle of the race. ``We would have liked to go one more lap. We had the car to win.''
If Haynes had the best car, Said had the luckiest. He avoided the trouble that ruined Paul Gentilozzi and Leitzinger, all but assuring his first season points title.
Gentilozzi, second in points, was charged with a pit-lane violation early, then got collected in the aftermath of a wreck involving Johnny Miller and Mike Lewis on Lap 54.
He went to the pits with a suspension problem for 15 laps and finished 12th, his worst of the season.
Gentilozzi trails by 56 points with 68 points available in the final two races.
''I'd have to be the biggest idiot in the world if I gave it away now,'' Said said.
Accidents knocked out two cars, seven other teams quit early with mechanical problems, and a 10th driver almost dropped out before the green flag.
Miami's Jon Leavy, who has had a difficult time keeping a bare-bones racing team without a deep-pocket sponsor, had to talk his way into a free drum of gasoline, then begged his bank to extend the limit on his credit card so he could buy enough tires to make it to the starting line.
His efforts were rewarded with a career-best seventh-place finish.
''I started last and I picked my way through,'' Leavy said. ``Those guys did not pull away. I was patient.''
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© 2001 miami and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com
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Posted on Mon, Oct. 07, 2002 |   |
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Trans-Am Series race results
At Bayfront Park 1.387-mile temporary street course
Race statistics• Time of race: 1 hour 40
minutes 20.188 seconds. |
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