The third round of the Stock Trucks series took place last Wednesday at the D shaped oval of Phoenix Raceway. This track is a bit quicker than other circuits we've raced in and the field was amazingly tight. Most drivers managed to get their trucks into the sub 29s bracket at least some of the time.
Katier put in a 20 lap stint in practice that prompted race organiser, Crippy Oh, to extend the race to 45 laps in an effort to force a two stop strategy.
This wasn't as successfull as she'd hoped as afterwards Katier admitted had she been really coy she might have managed a 1 stop race, but only aided by yellows. This was because she drove the entire first stint in 'fuel economy' mode. This started from the go and resulted in her having more fuel from the start.
Up front the top 5 drivers, Suku Ming, Sulla Looming, Crippy Oh, Yuriko and Suzy Cuddihy all started the race with the intention of running flat out throughout and stopping twice. Suku took the early lead from a battle between Sulla and Crippy. Suzy and Yuriko settled into the next two positions with Katier, despite running less than full throttle, still able to just cling to the back of the lead pack.
Jafo, who was suffering badly with an illness started but had to pull out while Nella, lacking in practice, struggled and both had retired by lap 15.
Suku led easilly and pitted on lap 15 a lap later than Crippy and Kiboe. By lap 20 all but one of the drivers had pitted. Katier led and was a lap up on some of the field with Suku on the same lap in second and Sulla having just unlapped herself in third.
Then the yellow flew and Katier's fuel saving seemed to be paying off. She dived into the pits at the earliest chance while, strangely, so did Sulla. Loomings stop was strange because it meant she wouldn't unlap herself from Katier and in fact dropped a lap down on Suku.
So with the first stops finished and the field under yellow Suku led with Crippy Sulla and Suzy sandwhiched between her and second placed Katier. The field, at half distance, still under yellow was Suku, Katier - both on lead lap. then Crippy, Sulla and Yuriko a lap down followed by Suzy being 2 laps down and then Kiboe about 3 laps off the pace.
Yuriko pitted again on lap 23 deciding that she could stretch fuel to 45 but lost time due to not catching up the field before it went yellow.
Suku Pitted a second time on Lap 30 and dropped to 4th briefly then 3rd when Crippy pitted a second time. Sulla's third stop bumped her up to 2nd but she was a lap down on the race leader.
Given her early tactics had worked so well Reitveld decided not to stretch her second stint so, having driven this segment flat out ( equating to about 0.5s/lap better than first stint) she decided to pit as soon as her tyres started to go off.
Unfortunatly a completely amerturish pitstop, bad timing, a Rfactor screwup and general bad driving cost her three places. In short she spun and in flick spinning her car snagged the back of it. Rfactor thus decided to repair her damage ( which she'd told it not to ) and overall she lost probably nearly 25s with a stop.
A second yellow two laps later, which Reitveld could have got to without trouble, meant that had she stuck to the first segment tactic she'd have won by dint of pitting with the field all settled and thus Suku would have been unable to regain the lap she'd lost.
A Final mistake by Reitveld, jumping the re-start, brought out a third yellow when a minor contact between Reitveld and Sulla spun the former and she was collected and suffered a LR puncture. (picture of spin above)
Unfortunatly a messy end to an excellent and entertaining race.
Suku won deservadly from Yuriko who had benefitted from the second yellow as she ran out of fuel. Crippy was third for a season's best result from Sulla and Katier. Katier was left to rue her serious errors as it cost her 3 places. Suzy spun on entry to pits twice and finished 6th ahead of Kiboe.
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