Lime Rock isn't traditionally...
Lime Rock isn't traditionally a track where the Mustangs do well. All the drivers had their work cut out for them, including Kurt Kossman and Ken Wilden, who shared driving duties in the No. 11 Emerald Hill Motorsports entry.
After Florida, the next round looked as if it would prove challenging (sorry, couldn't resist) for the Mustang contingent. Lime Rock Park, with its twists, turns, and short straightaways, traditionally favors the BMWs and Porsches, the extra weight of the Mustang often cited as a handicap. As the green flag dropped, championship points leader Bryan Ortiz (in the BMW M3) blasted into the lead, followed by the Porsche 997 of Lonnie Pechnik; the Mustangs struggled to get off to a good start. The quickest was the No. 37 JBS Motorsports entry with Bret Seafuse behind the wheel. During the early stages of the race, as Ortiz stretched his lead further from the pack, Seafuse began chipping away and was running in Fourth place by Lap 20, making steady progress. However, he managed to spin the car on Lap 44 in Turn 6--which proved costly, dropping him all the way down to 11th Place. The other Mustangs weren't fairing any better.
Joe Foster, in the No. 55 Hyper Sport car, collided with Brian Grandon in the No. 52 Rehagen Mustang at the start of Lap 49 in Turn 1. Grandon's car went off the track, but Foster managed to nurse the damaged Mustang around and bring it into the pits. Despite damage, both cars were repaired and returned to the race. It wasn't until two laps later that another collision happened at virtually the same spot--though this time no Mustangs were involved. Spenser Pumpelly in the No. 39 Porsche got bumped by Charles Putman, who also went off, though both drivers managed to steer their cars back onto the course. Still, Putnam was hit with a drive-through penalty.
In the early stages of the...
In the early stages of the race, it was the BMWs that dominated; but a strong effort by Bret Seafuse in the JMS Motorsports Mustang gave American fans something to cheer about.
The Rehagen team also witnessed another off-track excursion and resulting damage when Jack Roush Jr., in the No. 59 Rehagen Racing Mustang, ran into trouble on Lap 59. While pushing to pass one of the Porsches on the inside, the 997 driver closed the door and the two cars banged wheels. Jack tried to regain control but ended up going off the field and hitting the wall, damaging the right-front suspension. On that same lap Seafuse brought the top-running Mustang, the No. 37 JBS car, into the pits to change driving duties with James Gue a lap before most of the field did their swaps. It proved a good strategy, for once Gue saddled up he was able to jump up several spots and was now in a position to start challenging the Top 5. By Lap 116, Gue was lying in Second Place and was starting to catch then-leader Jeff Segal in the No. 9 BMW 3. He ultimately managed to get within 9.6 seconds, but the hard charging started taking its toll and a late-race thrust by Spencer Pumpelly in the Porsche saw him overtake Gue's Mustang on Lap 130 coming out of Turn 4.
However, with just 10 laps to go, Gue managed to say in the Top 3, bringing the car home to secure JBS Motorsports' first podium finish after an excellent drive. The next highest-placed Mustang was one of the Rehagen cars, the No. 60 car driven by Hugh Plumb, which took 13th. Mustangs also finished in 20th (Grandon/Mason--Rehagen No. 52), 25th (Kossmann/Wilden--Emerald Hill Motorsports #11), 27th (Roush/Martin--Rehagen No. 59) and 28th (bringing up the rear of the Ford contingent, 10 laps adrift of the leader, was the Hyper Sport entry of Joe Foster/Scott Maxwell).
Although a Third-Place finish was an excellent result by James Gue, the Mustang contingent left Lime Rock wanting. With the next race on the calendar being Mosport, things would appear to be equally as challenging, though for a slightly different set of reasons.
Every little bit helps and,...
Every little bit helps and, as we all know, a clean race car is a faster race car.
Check out this stylized shot...
Check out this stylized shot of Kurt Kossman at speed. It doesn't get more American than this--a white Mustang with blue racing stripes
On longer circuits, the Mustang...
On longer circuits, the Mustang drivers are able to stretch their legs and take advantage of the 5.0L engines' generous torque. At Lime Rock, such opportunities are preciously few, so driver technique is everything.
At the start you can feel...
At the start you can feel the tension from the stands, never mind imagining what it's like for the drivers as they get ready to do battle.
Lime Rock didn't go particularly...
Lime Rock didn't go particularly well for the No. 55 Hyper Sport Entry, seen here being passed by one of the Porsches. Joe Foster got bumped at the start of Lap 49, damaging the car's suspension. The repairs took time. Although the car did finish, it was 10 laps down on the winning BMW of Jep Thornton.
It may be small, but Lime...
It may be small, but Lime Rock offers some excellent vantage points for photographers and race fans alike.
Prior to the start of the...
Prior to the start of the race, the No. 59 Rehagen Racing Mustang undergoes some final testing. Jack Roush Jr. and Dean Martin found it tough going in Connecticut.
This picturesque scene sees...
This picturesque scene sees Jack Roush Jr. leading a gaggle of Porsches and BMWs. The nature of the tight turns at Lime Rock is fully apparent in this view.
Having sustained damage on...
Having sustained damage on Lap 59 due to going off the track whilst trying to pass another car, the No. 59 Rehagen car hit the wall, causing altered sheetmetal and right-front suspension. Luckily, the car was patched up and soon back out in the thick of the action. Here, it is leading the Emerald Hill Motorsports Mustang.
Of the Roush/Rehagen cars,...
Of the Roush/Rehagen cars, the highest placing was the No. 60 entry. Driven by Mike Canney and Hugh Plumb, the car came in 13th place behind the Turner Motorsport BMW (the car that initially led the race). Lime Rock '08 was unpredictable from start to finish.
Besides the No. 59 car, the...
Besides the No. 59 car, the other on-track incident involving a Roush/Rehagen car centered on the No. 52 machine driven by Brian Grandon. Like the others, damage was repairable. The car was patched up, eventually finishing in 20th position.
In the pits, Jack Roush Jr....
In the pits, Jack Roush Jr. swaps driving duties with Dean Martin. Body rash and dented sheetmetal from the off-course excursion can clearly be seen in the foreground.
After an excellent drive,...
After an excellent drive, a Third-Place podium result was an excellent achievement for Brett Seafuse and James Gue of the JMS Motorsports Team. It proved that even at circuits were Mustangs are traditionally disadvantaged, the cars can still prove mightily competitive.