By Bill Bell, Finger Lakes Region, Race Announcer

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 15, 2007) – The 59th running of the Glen Nationals, dating back to the original street races in 1949, attracted 320 competitors to the 2007 edition presented by the Finger Lakes Region, SCCA, based in Rochester, New York. Some of the best national drivers, from Maine to Florida, and parts of the Midwest, came to test their skills at one of the most famous and historic road courses in the United States.

Saturday was devoted to practice and qualifying sessions for each of the seven race groups. Veteran driver Randy Canfield has a mechanical failure which put his HP Sprite into the guardrail; he was unable to participate in Sunday’s race.

Following practice and qualifying, an open Town Hall meeting was held with SCCA president Jim Julow. The evening concluded with a picnic supper for all participants.

The first of Sunday’s seven 14-lap, 47.6-mile races was for T1, T2, T3, SSB, and SSC. John Buttermore, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., took the overall and T1 win in his Chevrolet Corvette, with a time of 2:05.688. Robert Hahn, of San Diego, Calif., took second on the next to last lap in his Corvette. David Pintaric, of Canfield, Ohio, driving a Dodge Viper, finished third. Other class winners were T2, Bill Ziegler/Stamford, Conn./Mitsubishi Evo; T3, Joe Aquilante/Chester Springs, Penn./Chevrolet Cobalt; SSB, William Fenton/Keene, N.H./Acura; SSC, John Heinricy/Royal Oak, Mich./Chevy. New track records were set in SSB by Richard Cullen/Marshfield, Mass. (Mini Cooper/2:21.184) and Joe Aquilante/Chester Springs, Penn. (Cobalt/2:15.922).

Forty-three Spec Racer Fords took the green at the start of Race Two. Lee Hill was the early leader followed by Mark Eaton. Hill took over the point on Lap 6, but one lap later, Herb Sweeney, Jr., took the lead with Hill now back in fourth position. Lap 9 saw a new leader, Mick Robinson, followed by Derek Defonce and Eaton. This held for four laps of full-course yellow. At the finish, it was Mark Eaton, of Eau Gallie, Fla., Derek Defonce, of New Preston, Conn., and Mick Robinson, of Melbourne, Fla.

Race Three was for FA, DSR, CSR, FB, FC, S2000, and FM. The start was delayed by two extra pace laps due to slippery course conditions. On Lap 5, a full-course yellow was called for four laps, and the race continued on Lap 9. At the finish, it was two Formula Atlantics in first and second position; Paul Lecain, of Dandown, N.H, driving a Ralt Toyota in front, followed by Ahsen Yelkin, of Austintown, Ohio. Jean-Luc Liverato, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was third overall and first in DSR in a Stohr Wf1. Other class winners included: CSR, William Goldkind/Holbrook, N.Y./Viking; FB, Jeremy Hill/Toronto, Ont., Canada/PhotonVD; S2000, David Dullum/Falls Church, Virg./Lola; FM, Jeremy Grenier/Point of Rocks, MD/Star; FC, Mauro Fauza/Auburn Hills, Mich./VanDiemen; and FE, Justin Hoffman/Herndon, Virg./VanDiemen. Four new track records were set by Liverato (DSR/1:51.311), Hill (FB/1:54.621), Huffman (FE/1:59.171), and Hans Peter (FA/1:45.074). The drive of the race was by pole sitter Hans Peter. He was held in the pits, started dead last, and still finished fourth overall.

Race Four started in rainy conditions as 34 cars spread among EP, FP, GP, HP and GTL took the green. Early race leader was Mark Carpenter in his FP Acura Integra. The lead group was scrambled on the second lap when several cars were involved in an incident in the section of the course known as “the toe of the boot”, taking out Harold Flescher’s FP Austin Healy and Don Girven’s EP Mazda RX3. When the green came out again on Lap 7, the course was clear and dry. Leading the race was Chris Dryden, of Middletown, Del., in an EP Mazda RX7. On Lap 10, Kevin Leigh, of Harrisburg, Virg., took the lead in his Caterham 7, displacing Dryden. Leigh pulled away and won by five seconds, winning overall and EP. Mark Carpenter was third overall and first in FP. Other class winners: GTL, Howard Gerstein/Lancaster, Penn./Miata; GP, Bob Lentz II/Chantilly, Virg./Nissan; and HP, Ron Bartell/Madbury, N.H./Midget.

The big-bore cars of GT1, GT2, GT3, and AS gave their show for Race Five. Simon Gregg, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., won GT1 and overall, in a Chevrolet Corvette, leading from start to finish. He was slowed only by three laps of a full-course yellow. At the finish, the Camaro of Michael Brockman, of Milford, Conn., was second and the Oldsmobile Cutlass of Jack Busch, of Torrington, Conn., finished third. Paul Newman, of Westbury, Conn., was fourth, just holding off William Rozmajzl at the finish line. Other class winners: GT2, Robert Thumel/Denver, Colo./Porsche 996; GT3, Ric Bushey/Virginia Beach, Virg./Nissan; AS, John Heinricy/ Royal Oak, Mich./Pontiac.
Race Six combined FF, F500 and FV. Laps 7 through 9 were under yellow with a restart on Lap 10. Robert Albani, of Hicksville, N.Y, driving an FF VanDiemen, was in the lead but Stephen Oseth, of Leesburg, Virg., got the lead on the last lap to win FF and overall by a car length over Albani. Other class winners: F500, Jim Schultz/ /, who set a new track record; FV, Roger Siebenaler/Williston, V.T./Mysterian.

Twenty-five Spec Miatas took the green, and ended the weekend with an incident-free race. For the first three laps, Steven Gorriaran, of Providence, R.I., Charlie Campbell, of Corry, Penn., and Ken Zainer, of Fallston, M.D., were in first, second and third positions. On Lap 8, Zainer took and held the lead until he suffered engine failure on Lap 12, leaving Gorriaran, Mark Cefalo, of Pittston, Penn., and Campbell in the top positions at the finish.