Midwest Miata Challenge

The 2005 Midwest Miata Challenge was held Saturday, July 9, at the Ohio State Ackerman parking lot in Columbus, Ohio.

Fifty-seven drivers took to the track in sixteen classes for eleven runs on the just over ¾ mile track.  Bruno Tabacci of the OVR/SCCA designed the “Find the MX5” course (the letters MX5 actually visible in an overhead view), making maximum use of the topography resulting in a course with no less than eight off camber corners and three slaloms.  The course was very quick but also technically demanding-missing your marks would cost you dearly in the time sheets. 

Mason Workman of the Buckeye (Columbus) club took FTD in his SCCA DP car, beating Tim Murphy of West Penn (Pittsburg) in an SM2 car, in a great battle that lasted all day.

The closest battle of the day was in  E Stock where Tim Weidner of West Penn beat Buckeye Jim Johnson by .069 seconds in a field of eight entries.

C Stock Race Tire was the largest class with fourteen entries and was dominated by the Northcoast (Cleveland) club, who took the first six places led by Eric Heller.  A close second was Paul Magee .095 behind.

Ladies class winners were Pam Neusser in CSL Race tire, Kathy Rodabaugh in ESL Race, Pam Drone in CSP Race, Patti Murphy in SM2L Race, Jess Gehringer in CSL Street and Gerry Ennis in ESL Street.

The other mens class winners were Orion Fairman in ES Race, Bret Smith in CSP Race, Bud Henthorn in E Mod Race Chris Tonn in ST Street, Bruce Rodabaugh in BS Street, and Paul Krysa inCS Street.

Special thanks must be given to Craig Wollenslegel and to his OVR/SCCA crew for the course design and providing the timing and scoring, and for directing their portion of the entry fee to the Lynn Stanberry fund to help with breast cancer research.