It still wouldn’t have been enough, however, as Nagler, who finished second
in STL the last two years, brought home
her first championship with a total time
of 138.619. Rios was only 0.309sec
behind, and Kathy Grunenwald
rounded out the podium positions.
John Hunter
Street Touring Roadster
Competitors came out in droves to create the newest official, and
the largest, class of 2011. Top talent
including seven former National
Champions flocked to STR, which
resulted in the closest margin of
victory and arguably the most exciting
battle for the top spot. The field
numbered 64 cars, the largest Street
Touring class ever, and the third-largest class in Solo Nationals history –
and it got to begin the day Thursday
running on the East Course. It would
be all MX-5s and S2000s, plus one
lonesome two-driver Solstice, at the
sharp end of the grid.
Day one began with a cautious tone,
but the tempo increased as James Yom,
last of the first drivers, set the bar high
with a dirty 65. 6. Nick Barbato would
be the first to answer Yom’s raw time
and launched himself into the lead on
his second run with a day’s best of
65.798. Yom followed with a 65. 9.
Yom again spoiled a potential FTD
run on his third attempt with another
pylon penalty. Flying under the radar
was Robert Thorne, who took third
place with a 66.0, seemingly playing
the conservative role as the only driver
in the top three with all clean runs.
The stage was set for a West Course
showdown. Yom felt his S2000 CR was
the machine to have, but when asked
about his chances overall, Thorne
stated, “I like coming from behind.”
Both would have to run down Barbato,
who came to Nationals as a late entry
after trying a number of different cars
just weeks before making the trip.
On day two, Yom again started quick
but dirty, coning a 69. 3. Yom and
Barbato pushed harder on second runs,
STREET TOURING ROADSTER
1. Robert Thorne Colo Honda S2000 CR 135.822
2. Nicholas Barbato NEng Honda S2000 135.824
3. James Yom Guam Honda S2000 CR 135.834
4. Matthew Glagola Atl Honda S2000 135.873
5. Max Hayter CSCC Mazda MX- 5 135.981
6. Robert Rockefeller ArzB Honda S2000 136.316
7. Colin Fiedler Milw Honda S2000 136.735
8. Kevin Dietz Nwst Pontiac Solstice 136.819
9. Peter Loney CSCC Honda S2000 136.862
10. Marc Pfannenschmidt CKy Honda S2000 CR 136.905
11. Michael Lillejord Nwst Pontiac Solstice 136.908
12. Annie Bauer Nwst Honda S2000 CR 137.094
13. John Rogers SBnd Mazda MX- 5 137.189
14. Jacob Dawson RioG Honda S2000 137.266
15. Michael Wootton LnSt Mazda Miata 137.339
16. Shaun Bailey CSCC Mazda MX- 5 137.386
17. Guy Ankeny CSCC Honda S2000 137.521
18. Bob Endicott/CSCC (Honda S2000); 19. Eric Gebhardt/CFla ( Toyota MR2
Spyder); 20. Jay Balducci/Ariz (Mazda MX- 5); 21. Michael Casino/Atl (Mazda
S TREET TOURING ROADS TER obert Thorne Colorado Region SCR Performance/ Autoparts Warehouse Honda S2000 CR
STREET TOURING
ROADS TER LADIES
Kyung Wootton
Lone Star Region
Mazda Miata
visibly overdriving sections of the
course. Thorne barely made the top
five on his second run, leaving just one
more run to decide the victor. Robert
Rockefeller, who’d finished the first day
in 11th, had little to lose and so went out
and blasted a 69.441. It would hold up
for FTD and lift him to sixth place. He
MX- 5); 22. Chris Harvey/SBnd (Mazda MX5); 23.
Lance Keeley/Milw (Mazda Miata); 24. Mark
Melchior/Colo (Honda S2000); 25. Nelson Ireson/
Ark (Mazda MX- 5); 26. Darrin DiSimo/Fla (Honda
S2000); 27. Morris Green/Ore (Mazda MX- 5); 28.
Mark Davis/Atl (Honda S2000); 29. James Dunham/
WDC (Mazda MX- 5); 30. David Crusoe/Neb (Honda
S2000); 31. Jeff Schaadt/RdRv (Mazda MX- 5); 32.
David Barkley/Ark (Mazda MX- 5); 33. Geoff Walker/
Tenn (Honda S2000 CR); 34. Mark Mays/CKy
(Honda S2000); 35. Jon Nwanagu/SCar (Honda
S2000 CR); 36. Bill Fisher/ArzB (Honda S2000); 37.
Dave Roberts/CKy (Honda S2000); 38. Jerrett Jan/
Tex (Mazda MX- 5); 39. Jon Caserta/Phil (Honda
S2000); 40. Des Toups/N wst (Honda S2000); 41.
Christopher Lin/ WDC (Mazda MX- 5); 42. Erich
Schwaller/Rio G (Honda S2000); 43. Carl Huffman/
Chi (Honda S2000); 44. Andres Rodriguez/Fla
( Toyota MR2); 45. Justin Lau/NEng (Mazda MX- 5);
46. Mike Taylor/Atl (Honda S2000); 47. Mark
Baruth/CKy (Honda S2000 CR); 48. Ruben
Manrique/Milw (Mazda MX- 5); 49. Jayson
Woodruff/CSCC (Mazda MX- 5); 50. Matt Feeney/
BlRg (Mazda MX5); 51. Ken Lord/CSCC (Mazda
MX5); 52. Joe Blaha/NeOh (Mazda MX- 5); 53. Chris
Carris/Haii (Mazda MX- 5); 54. Jason Minehart/ Tex
(Mazda MX5); 55. David Nolan/Chi (Honda S2000);
56. Mike Cavanaugh/ TnnV (Mazda MX- 5); 57. Clark
Walker/Chi (BM W Z3); 58. Marty Urbanc/CIll (BM W
Z3); 59. Larry Burrow/Ariz (Mazda MX- 5); 60.
Matthew Leach/ Tex (Honda S2000); 61. John
Kvetko/Ark (Mazda MX5); 62. Joe Calder/Milw
(Mazda MX- 5); 63. Eric Bertrand/Milw (Mazda
MX5); 64. Jimmie Stewart/ Tex (Mazda MX- 5).
S TREET TOURING ROADSTER LADIES
1. Kyung Wootton LnSt Mazda Miata 138.789
2. Victoria Benya Phil Honda S2000 144.911
3. Jean Schaadt RdRv Mazda MX- 5 147.020
4. Jenna Rederus/ArzB (Honda S2000); 5. Mandy
Owen/Ariz (Mazda MX- 5); 6. Mitzi Burrow/Ariz (Mazda
MX5); 7. Caitlyn Entriken/Sal (Mazda MX- 5).
