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Sunday Zip Racing took a spot on the Podium for the second time in 2002 with a third place finish in the Virginia 500 at VIR.
The race began with Spencer in front of the GT class. Good strategy from the Zip team allowed him to turn a hot lap in qualifying before the already wet track started to puddle. Unfortunately the lead wouldn’t last as Barbosa drove his Mosler into the back of Spencer in turn three on the first lap. The contact forced Spencer off the road and out of the lead, but that was not all. The rear suspension had bent causing the left rear tire to be toed-in about 10 degrees. The car would not handle correctly for the rest of the day and from that point on luck, something that has eluded Zip Racing all year, was no where to be found. Spencer fought to hang on to second place despite the hard charging Ferrari, but he ended up spinning the bent car in turn three and falling back to third. Then the Mosler had a problem, the Ferrari went off course, and it appeared that Zip racing’s luck was back as they were back in the lead, but that was not the case. While leading a caution came out and Spencer was right in front of the race leading Dallara of Didier Theys. This means that the pace car would pick up the leader and Zip racing would be allowed to go around the track and get in the back of the field with almost a lap lead in the GT class. For some odd reason that still cannot be explained Grand Am decided to point the Ferrari and the Acemco Porsche by the pace car as well. Last year at the Glen Short Course this same situation allowed Randy Pobst to put a lap on the field. Why Grand Am decided to change their rules mid stream and not allow us this advantage is not clear. The Ferrari was able to get by on the restart for the lead. They should have been a lap down. Spencer pitted and gave the car to Steve but the team lost second place in the pits. Steve drove a good stint and held on to third place, but once again the car’s rear toe issue caused ill handling and an overheating of the left rear tire. This allowed the Ferrari and Acemco Porsche to get even further ahead. Steve gave the car to Randy Posbt with just under three hours to go. Randy drove a brilliant stint in an ill handling car and strung together an hour and twenty minutes of blistering laps. It appeared that Zip Racing could get a lap back from the Ferrari and Acemco Porsche with good pit strategy and fuel mileage. Randy came into the pits and gave the car back to Spencer. The strategy was perfect. There was just enough fuel to make it to the end and the other cars had to stop. Zip was on the lead lap and could go the distance. And then, just as the car left the pits, a full course caution came out. Once again luck was against the team. The only hope was for the other two cars to make a mistake, and that didn’t happen. The race was a good effort from everyone involved. The car was well prepared, well engineered, and well driven. The car was not lucky, which is what the team really needed for the win. |