If you asked any driver out there he would tell you that the new track is brutal.  If you aren’t breaking parts then you are struggling with car setup.  Everyone was battling the track leading up to race day.

After the practice session wrapped up the Rookie race started.  It was quick but painful.  For the first time the newbies felt the pressure that you have when you are racing for points and favorites Tim Dutton and Reggie Barnes didn’t disappoint.  When the green light came on Barnes launched from the second row into Controversy Corner and took the race line effortlessly to gain a solid lead by the end of the first lap.  While Thompson’s new Honda and Nismo’s Tim Dutton kept the pressure on Barnes, Tim’s teammate Frank Adams didn’t even make it past turn one.  He lost his right front wheel and had to limp back to the pits.  By the time he got back on track his only hope was for fourth place and that would only happen if R&H Racing’s Mihir Sanghavi made a major mistake.  “These things happen.  It’s the first race of the season and I will have plenty of chances to get on the podium.”  The frustrated Nismo driver said.  RedLine Racing was happy as their star rookie maintained his lead from the first lap for the win and Dutton and Thompson kept the competition hot to take the remaining spots on the podium.

The Pros weren’t immune to the tracks ferocity either.  Toyota’s Bill Lucas couldn’t even make it to the qualifying heats because of a busted steering knuckle.  “Over the past week I have counted more than 4 knuckles getting broken on this track, I just had the bad luck of it happening to me on race day.”

Some things change while others remain the same.  Straight from the start Santamarina took the lead and Hester was right on his tail going into the hairpin.  These two didn’t waste any time showing the rest of the field that they are just as strong as last season.  “Face it.  Everyone else is racing for 3^rd.”  Said last year’s champ Aland Santamarina.  “Sell it somewhere else” was Ken Morrison’s reply.  After a strong finish last year Morrison was looking for retribution and as the field went into the hairpin he gave Hester a little “don’t forget me” bump sending the NSX into the barrier.  Morrison skated by Hester and exchanged the lead with Santamarina a couple of times during the race until he made a number of fatal flaws allowing the Nismo driver to create a gap that couldn’t be closed by even the new NSX of Russ Hester.  The race leaders set into the groove but it became a real nail biter on the final lap where 3^rd place was won by inches out of the last turn.  It definitely had the crowd on their feet cheering for their favorite driver as Morrison nosed out the yellow Corvette of Stephenson.

Missing from the Pro main was last year’s Rookie of the Year, Keith Schloer.  With other obligations taking priority the Honda driver got very little practice time before race day.  However, the team stayed late after the race to get some practice laps in and to prove that the field will have to keep looking over their shoulders.

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