Last race weekend of the season, and it’s all to play for as the Top-3 positions in the F1200 Championship were up for grabs, and with three races to be run over Saturday and Sunday, there was a chance of a new race winner.
Daniel was at the track early on Friday for the Test Day, wanting to make sure that the No. 12 MagiSeal / K1 Speed / Scarboro Subaru / F1200 car was in top shape. If there were any gremlins, Friday was the day to find them.
The racing gods had other ideas, as Daniel’s uneventful Friday lead into immediate issues on Saturday. During morning practice, the No. 12 was off the pace, and plumes of smoke could be seen coming out of the engine bay. Since it’s an ‘F-Vee’ and smoking engines are so common, track officials hardly gave it any mind. But upon returning to the VMS paddock, the oil leak was very obvious.
Master mechanics Bill Vallis and Bill Davis knew they could replace the leaking gasket, but not before qualifying. There just wasn’t enough time. The VMS team topped up the oil, hoped for the best, and told Daniel he had 3-4 laps to get ‘er done. After that, low oil could blow up the motor, so he’d have to keep an eye on oil pressure and temperatures while qualifying, and bail out if catastrophe was imminent.
Taking his first pole position of the season was Jason Abrams in the all-while No. 19 VMS F1200 car. Abrams had stiff competition, as multi-time champion Phil Wang was chasing him; Jason took pole by a mere 0.015 seconds!
While the multiple groups of GTs and vintage race cars did their qualifying runs, VMS got to work repairing the No. 12. Starting P3, Demaras would be right behind the leader, and in an excellent position.
Making this weekend extra weird, a race car being towed back to the pits rolled over on the infield camping area. It’s still unclear whether the driver caught a rut in the gravel, or whether the tow rope pulled the open-top car in an unexpected direction. Luckily, the driver was not hurt, but it certainly was a distraction during the lunch hour.
Back on track for Race 1, Daniel was ready for battle. Phil had left his No. 173 Caracal at home, and was racing a red BRD this weekend. With his green helmet, it looked like Christmas had come early to the Wang household.
At the drop of the green flag, Demaras pressured Abrams, making an attempt at overtaking the leader at Turn 3. But Jason kept his cool and kept the lead. The battle continued to the every last lap, where another attempted pass resulted in minor contact between the No. 12 and the No. 19. No matter, Abrams crossed the line P1, taking his first race win of the season.
With practice, qualifying and Race 1 in the books, the drivers packed up early. Sunday would provide another shot at racing glory, as the conclusion of the 2023 racing season approached.
