A condensed schedule due to rain meant that the eighth round of the AMP Championship Series only featured two open class races with four Legends cars and six Spec Miatas. The wet track provided a different challenge for drivers and also created some excellent racing.
Race One
Both classes raced at the same time but were staggered at release to split the Legends and Miata drivers. Blake Fabiani started race one on pole and maintained the lead throughout the race. Glenn Stephens was close behind but was never able to challenge for the lead. Further back Bill Miller and Ernie Cole ran wide as they jostled over the last spot on the podium towards the end of the race.
Miller emerged ahead in that battle as Cole was forced to retire. Bill Kring finished fourth while Fabiani took the checkered flag two seconds ahead of Stephens for the win.
During race one in the Legends class, Travis PeCoy and John Holtger immediately pulled away and began battling for the lead. Keegan Hall slotted into third while Lane Facala fell behind in last. PeCoy and Holtger traded positions several times but on the final lap PeCoy overtook Holtger and held on to win at the line by a tenth of a second.
Race Two
Fabiani started the second race on pole but Stephens made a better getaway as the green flag dropped and they swapped positions. Fabiani didn’t waste any time retaking the lead and by the end of lap one, he was back in front.
Stephens continued to fall down the order on lap two and was passed by Miller and Cole. Meanwhile, Fabiani’s lead grew to five seconds before Kring suffered a reliability issue, forcing him to pull to the side of the track at turn six. This brought out a full-course caution which bunched the field together, including the Legends cars.
Fabiani made another poor restart as the race returned to green and Miller jumped into the lead. On the final lap Fabiani went around the outside of Miller into turn one and kept it clean to win his second race of the day. Further behind, Stephens and Cole tangled with Hall who had spun on the final lap at turn one. Stephens recovered to finish third followed by White and Cole.
In the Legends class, Hall shot into the lead and quickly created a gap to PeCoy and Holtger behind. Hall’s lead was also erased by the full course caution and on the restart, he dropped down to third. Hall’s wide entry into six set him up for a good exit to pass PeCoy and Holtger at the exit.
Hall led on the final lap before he spun in turn one and was t-boned by Stephens as he tried to get going again. This gifted the win to PeCoy but Hall still managed to finish second with Holtger and Vacala third and fourth.