The 60+ Racing Adventures League kicked off it’s 12 race Season
3 at Watkins Glen (Classic Boot) with live broadcast and Youtube video by RaceSpot
TV on Wednesday, June 14. (760 YouTube
views as of 06/15/17)
The
winner in the first “Group 1” race was UK’s 61 year old Andrew Fidler from
Sheffield. Starting from P3, Fidler stayed
in the lead pack for the entire race and managed to hold off Canada’s Bill
Lawrence for the win. He dodged a bullet early in the race tangling with Italy’s
Remigio Di Pasqua on the first lap. The contact spun Di Pasqua who collected
Scott Dick, ending Dick’s race.
Racing was super close and competitive. On lap 10, with
Bruce Poole (57) leading the 4 car pack of leaders into T4, Polesitter Donald
Strout (8) went off into the grass and hit the wall, ending his race. Fidler (20) and Lawrence (6) would pass Poole
to take the lead soon after.
The 60+ Racing Adventures League is limited to drivers 60
years old or older. The terms “Geezer” or “Grandpa” is taken a badge of honor
and many have a great deal of real life and sim racing experience. These guys can be quick, even though their
reaction time cannot match that of a 25 year old. (The
lone qualifier pole time set by Strout for the race at 1:42.03 compares
favorably with the 2016 iRacing Time Trial World Record of 1:42.63.)
The format for the series is during each event there is a
30 minute Group 1 Race, followed by a “second chance” 30 minute Group 2 Race
open to all except the Top 3 Finishers (Podium) in the Group 1 Race.
Racing in the Group 2 race was also full of close, exciting
racing as seen here as the lead pack of Donald Strout (yellow/white), John Unsbee
(yellow) and Mark Robertson (red/white) fly thru T5. Strout and Unsbee were
wheel to wheel—inches apart at 100+ mph. Strout would go on to win the Group 2
Race.
The series maintains a Driver Championship and a Team
Championship. Team assignments are
determined by the League Organizer to pair up 3 or four drivers that together
have a “fair” chance compared to other teams.
In other words, less experienced or accomplished drivers are paired with
the more experienced so each team is deemed to have a “fair” chance to win the
Team Championship that pays $100 to the Winning Team with $50 to 2nd, and $25 to 3rd for the Season.
Team #9 is known as the Turtle Italian Team—shown below with Gianni Raspaldo and Paolo Bonasera in team colors.
Team #9 is known as the Turtle Italian Team—shown below with Gianni Raspaldo and Paolo Bonasera in team colors.
The
leading team after the first race of the season at Watkins Glen, with 49 points
is Team #1 comprised of Bill Lawrence (Canada), who finished 2nd in
the Group 1 race, along with Steven Carkner (Canada- P4 in Group 1 Race) and Mark
Robertson (Florida-P11 in Group 2 Race) Close behind with 44 points is Team #7 comprised of Bruce
Poole (Canada), Joel Martin and Jay Freels (both from Texas)
 |
| Mark Robertson (43) and Stevcn Carkner (75) of Team #1 aka SBM Sim Racing , also with Bill Lawrence (6) above. |
The next race for the league is Monza on 6/21. The next
RaceSpot TV Broadcast for the series is Wed, July 12, 19:00 GMT at Laguna Seca.
