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PARTNERS
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News For June 13th, 2009
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Back To Blackhawk After A Two Year Hiatus |
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South Beloit, IL – Co-op Racing returned to its former home track of
Blackhawk Farms in Northern Illinois.
It’s been over two years since the team has visited the track and this year Andy Berberich and the Eurosport 944
came away with one first and two second place finishes. The narrow track proved to be a challenge for Berberich,
but the team was very pleased with the first and second place finishes only two weeks after the big crash at
Watkins Glen.
Saturday's race started the excitement early. Angel Blasquez was on pole, Ray Freundt outside pole, Berberich 3rd, Eric Kuhns 4th, and new 944 Spec racer Michael Dalton of |
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Norfolk Medical 5th. An arthritic or bashful starter gave
a "two-step" flag. Kuhns went on the first twitch, getting a great run on Blasquez. With nowhere to go except through
the grass, Kuhns succeeded in making the "pass through the grass". Into the pack of Spec Miata, Kuhns slotted in
behind the 944 Raceworks entry of Freundt. Berberich soon got by Kuhns when he got crossed up avoiding another car.
Berberich & Freundt then went side-by-side, ending up with Freundt going 4 off, but safely getting back on track
without letting up. This allowed Kuhns by Freundt and in hot pursuit of Berberich in the Eurosport 944. After several
laps of chasing Berberich, including one huge tank-slapper in turn 3 that Berberich skillfully saved, Kuhns finally
got a run into turn one and passed for the lead. Berberich made one last attempt in the last turn, which resulted in
an almost wheel-to-wheel finish at the checker. Eric Kuhns earned his first win of the year, who ironically was racing
for the first time since his big crash.
The second Saturday race was a bit more conventional, but featured nose to tail, clean racing between Kuhns & Berberich. The first race finishes determined the starting order. Kuhns got a great start, which put Berberich on his tail for almost the entire race. “Blackhawk is a very tough track for passing.” Berberich remarked. “It’s an older track and is very narrow. Eric and Ray did an excellent job driving defensive lines. This made passing even more difficult. I did use it as a learning opportunity though.” Figuring that his current strategy hadn’t worked yet, Berberich tried a different line through the last turn in order to get a better run on Kuhns. Either the different line or fluid in the turn caused the Eurosport 944 to spin out very late in the race. The spin did not change the finishing order for Berberich, but it did give Kauth and Mayeur owner Michael Benet the opportunity to pass for position and finish third. Benet was pleased with the finish as he was fighting a seized brake caliper all weekend. As the team had anticipated, Kuhns is much more competitive in his former championship winning car. Sunday brought another nice day and more great racing. For the race, Series Director Kuhns opted to shake things up by ordering a standing start. The race started with Berberich and Kuhns literally parked on the front straight awaiting the starter to the throw the second green. Unfortunately for Kuhns, 944's don't make much torque at 3K RPM, and Berberich who got off to a great start left him at the start. (Oh the irony, since Kuhns requested it!). Kuhns was nearly rear-ended by Freundt from behind due to his slow start. Berberich in the Eurosport 944 was able to keep Kuhns at bay by running the same defensive line that he followed for so many laps. This time it was Berberich who drove error-free and went on to win and set a new track record of 1:24.443 in the process. Blackhawk Farms proved to be a banner event for 944 Spec, with the class coming away with the first presentation of the Carillo Pistons "Piston Cup" This was awarded to the class showcasing the best racing to watch at the event. Great racing and great off-track camaraderie is what 944 Spec is all about! Series Director Eric Kuhns contributed to authoring this report. |
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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR RACING PARTNERSEurosport Racing is a premiere Midwest Porsche street and race specialist. They specialize in Porsche service, track support and transport, engine design and rebuilding, dyno tuning, and suspension setup and alignment. They also offer a full line of OEM, aftermarket, and high performance parts and accessories. More information on Eurosport Racing can be found at www.midwesteurosport.comKauth and Mayeur provides the finest import services in Peoria, IL. They offer a wide range of maintenance and repair services for import cars. Specializing in high performance streetcars. Kauth and Mayeur can be reached at (309) 673-1412 or http://www.kauthmayeur.com. |
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