MGR Racing Returns to PIR for 2007 Season Opener
Phoenix, AZ, February 4, 2007. The New Era of ASC Racing has officially begun… and judging by the lap times recorded at PIR during their season opener, it took teams no time to adjust to it. In fact, it was the most veteran ASC Racing driver at the event, Ed Ochylski from Leo Motorsports, who walked away with two poles and a double win.
This was not one of the ASC Racing events with the largest participation; however, the run to the checker flag was just as exciting as in the previous races that we saw at PIR at the end of last season. Ed Ochylski took the pole on Saturday with a 1:04.512 lap time that also ended up being the fastest official lap of the weekend. However, Jeff Glowniak and David Arnheiter were not willing to let the veteran Arizona driver dominate. Just as impressive was Dustin Dudley, who despite being a “stockcar rookie” racing his #04 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the first time, lapped the 1.5 mile road course just two seconds behind the pole time.
In the newly created ASC-Unlimited class, the anticipated fight between Jim Cooley-Rober Davis Team and Manuel Gil del Real’s new ASC-U Ford Taurus never quite materialized when Gil del Real’s engine dropped a cylinder during one of the practice sessions.
Saturday’s race clearly demonstrated Ochylski’s domination over the rest of the ASC field, however, he had his hands full while trying to outdrive the “big bore” (and also “big horsepower”) top drivers in NASA-Club Racing Arizona’s Super Unlimited Class. In the end, Leo Motorsports #7 Chevy Monte Carlo crossed the checker flag in third place overall, yet in first place among the ASC contenders. Jeff Glowniak took the flag three seconds behind not without a creative display of defensive driving to hold David Arnheiter just three tenths of a second behind him. In the ASC-U class, Jim Cooley earned his first win without much challenge, although he admitted that the seat time alone gave him a great learning experience.
A number of ASC drivers and team owners that could not get their cars ready for this early February event decided to visit and show support to the series around the paddock. Among others, Pete Andreas from WOT Performance was on hand helping Team MGR Racing over the weekend; Steve Carvajal and 2006 2nd Place Finisher Belinda Endress were also answering rumors about their participation as a team this season; Dale Hartman also committed to contacting his group of GTA drivers to join ASC Racing for the rest of the season.
If Saturday drivers and crews ended their day in a party mode that even included a visit to a local indoor Kart racing facility, on Sunday morning everyone was back to business. Although Ed Ochylski won the pole again, this time around both Glowniak and Arnheiter were breathing down his neck with only four tenths of a second separating the three of them. Arnheiter was caught in between shifts when the green flag dropped and that’s all it took for Glowniak to snatch second place from him and start his relentless pursuit of Ochylski. This time around, the other Super Unlimited drivers had no fight left for the top ASC teams.
Ochylski led all the way as he did the day before, yet, this time, the #7 Chevy did not dominate. Glowniak kept constant pressure on him hoping to force the Leo Motorsports driver to make a mistake. But other than both locking up their brakes several times on turn nine trying to outbreak each other while driving a few extra coveted feet of asphalt at top speed, the correct combination of speed, experience and consistency explains why Ochylski won the race. Jeff Glowniak did give it his best effort though, and that resulted in recording the fastest lap of the race with a 1:04.636 – two tenths of a second faster than Ochylski’s own pole time! If anyone thinks ASC Racing is not competitive, they need to visit their local racetrack more frequently.
That local racetrack will be Willow Springs International Raceway where ASC Racing will join SCCA’s Cal Club event for Round 2 of the 2007 season for another display of high speed thunder at the “Fastest Road in the West.” For more information about ASC Racing, please visit www.MGRRacing.com.
This was not one of the ASC Racing events with the largest participation; however, the run to the checker flag was just as exciting as in the previous races that we saw at PIR at the end of last season. Ed Ochylski took the pole on Saturday with a 1:04.512 lap time that also ended up being the fastest official lap of the weekend. However, Jeff Glowniak and David Arnheiter were not willing to let the veteran Arizona driver dominate. Just as impressive was Dustin Dudley, who despite being a “stockcar rookie” racing his #04 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the first time, lapped the 1.5 mile road course just two seconds behind the pole time.
In the newly created ASC-Unlimited class, the anticipated fight between Jim Cooley-Rober Davis Team and Manuel Gil del Real’s new ASC-U Ford Taurus never quite materialized when Gil del Real’s engine dropped a cylinder during one of the practice sessions.
Saturday’s race clearly demonstrated Ochylski’s domination over the rest of the ASC field, however, he had his hands full while trying to outdrive the “big bore” (and also “big horsepower”) top drivers in NASA-Club Racing Arizona’s Super Unlimited Class. In the end, Leo Motorsports #7 Chevy Monte Carlo crossed the checker flag in third place overall, yet in first place among the ASC contenders. Jeff Glowniak took the flag three seconds behind not without a creative display of defensive driving to hold David Arnheiter just three tenths of a second behind him. In the ASC-U class, Jim Cooley earned his first win without much challenge, although he admitted that the seat time alone gave him a great learning experience.
A number of ASC drivers and team owners that could not get their cars ready for this early February event decided to visit and show support to the series around the paddock. Among others, Pete Andreas from WOT Performance was on hand helping Team MGR Racing over the weekend; Steve Carvajal and 2006 2nd Place Finisher Belinda Endress were also answering rumors about their participation as a team this season; Dale Hartman also committed to contacting his group of GTA drivers to join ASC Racing for the rest of the season.
If Saturday drivers and crews ended their day in a party mode that even included a visit to a local indoor Kart racing facility, on Sunday morning everyone was back to business. Although Ed Ochylski won the pole again, this time around both Glowniak and Arnheiter were breathing down his neck with only four tenths of a second separating the three of them. Arnheiter was caught in between shifts when the green flag dropped and that’s all it took for Glowniak to snatch second place from him and start his relentless pursuit of Ochylski. This time around, the other Super Unlimited drivers had no fight left for the top ASC teams.
Ochylski led all the way as he did the day before, yet, this time, the #7 Chevy did not dominate. Glowniak kept constant pressure on him hoping to force the Leo Motorsports driver to make a mistake. But other than both locking up their brakes several times on turn nine trying to outbreak each other while driving a few extra coveted feet of asphalt at top speed, the correct combination of speed, experience and consistency explains why Ochylski won the race. Jeff Glowniak did give it his best effort though, and that resulted in recording the fastest lap of the race with a 1:04.636 – two tenths of a second faster than Ochylski’s own pole time! If anyone thinks ASC Racing is not competitive, they need to visit their local racetrack more frequently.
That local racetrack will be Willow Springs International Raceway where ASC Racing will join SCCA’s Cal Club event for Round 2 of the 2007 season for another display of high speed thunder at the “Fastest Road in the West.” For more information about ASC Racing, please visit www.MGRRacing.com.
