Championship battles take shape in the Spring Mountain Race Series

The Charleston Peak North Course was the configuration of choice for the April race weekend at Spring Mountain Motor Resort & Country Club. Racers readied for a chance to secure their position in the championship, as opportunities are dwindling heading toward the June finale.

Radical Cup Challenge featured several new and returning faces on the grid, adding variety for the weekend.

John Melsom traveled thousands of miles to compete in the Gold class, reminding everyone of his speed and precision as he secured second place. Claiming first place was Mark Rohrwasser, whose victory propelled him to the top of the class championship standings. With 17 points separating the top three drivers, the battle for this title is far from over.

In the Silver class, Brian Reynolds put up a strong fight, narrowly missing the win and finishing second as Nancy Bullock came out on top. With her impressive pace in race two, Bullock set herself apart and earned a well-deserved first-place finish.

The next generation of Bullocks hit the track in the Rookie class, with Anthony Bullock making a strong debut and proving that speed runs in the family by earning pole position in both qualifying races and finishing second overall. But Jason Horwitz continued to lead the class, once again securing first place. Despite claiming first, Horwitz was quick to acknowledge that Anthony’s rapid progress should keep everyone on their toes in the upcoming races.

In the Sports Car Series, swelling grids were the notable takeaway as a wave of fresh talent presented a new challenge to championship contenders.

In the GTL class, Gabriel Giannatassio appeared to hold the advantage over Blake Olsen in Race 1, but a challenging performance in Race 2 resulted in a third-place finish overall. Chad Lancaster clinched second place with a one-point lead, thanks to his relentless drive that has consistently kept him on the podium. Blake Olsen took first, and although he remains the driver to beat, his competitors are closing in, keeping the championship up for grabs.

Cam Lancaster made his GT4 class debut and was in contention throughout the weekend along with Bruce Semler. Unfortunately, both fell just short of a podium finish. Paul Chamberlain secured third place, moving up the class point standings with impressive and consistent performances. At the front, the spotlight once again belonged to the duo of Tom MacMillan and Mike Dean. MacMillan took the win this time, with Dean earning a well-deserved second, and these two remain the class favorites in GT4.

In the GTU class, the line-up of high-powered machines provided some thrilling racing. Chet Luedtke, competing in his first race of the season, narrowly missed the podium, finishing behind Jeff Fraser, who secured third place. Mark Ramsey, usually dominating the field, found himself in second as he didn’t have quite the edge to hold off Benn Godenzi. In his first appearance this season, Godenzi not only claimed the victory from Ramsey but also set a new Sports Car track record for the South configuration in the process.

Championship standings: