Tri-Point happy with top five finishes

Tri-Point Motorsports started the defence of their 2007 champonship titles in the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car season with two top five places at Sebring.
Charles Espenlaub, piloting the No. 73 MAZDA6, narrowly missed the podium in fourth place. Defending champion Jeff Altenburg crossed the line a half-second later to claim the fifth position.

In his Touring Car debut, 2007 MX-5 Cup Champion Jason Saini was the third Mazda to take the checkered flag in ninth place.

Thursday’s 20-minute qualifying session mimicked the practice sessions earlier in the week with Acura and BMW at the top of the time sheet, Charles Espenlaub was leading the trio of blue-and-white Tri-Point MAZDA6s with a 2:22.679 lap, netting him sixth position on the starting grid.

“We’d been struggling a little with the setup leading up to the race, but each session we were learning more, even during qualifying,” remarked Charles. “By the time the race started, we had made some significant improvements and were ready to go after the guys up front.” Teammate Altenburg, wearing the No.1 on his MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development MAZDA6, was first out in qualifying based on points earned last year.

“I left some on the table in qualifying, so I knew I would have some ground to make up in the race. Being first out, I didn’t have a rabbit to chase, and bombing into Turn One at qualifying speed is a small target to hit and I guess I just missed it,” said Jeff, who would starred eighth.

Jason Saini, piloting the third MAZDA6 in Tri-Point’s stable and chasing the Rookie of the Year title, was on track to start the race with his teammates until a late-lap spin ended his flying lap. Flat-spotted tires meant he would start from the rear of the grid in exchange for a fresh set.

When the start lights went out on Friday, Espenlaub and Altenburg quickly got by the MAZDA6 of Chip Herr and Nick Esayian’s BMW and set their sights on PD Cunningham’s Acura TSX a short distance ahead. Once the field settled down from the opening lap shuffle, Espenlaub and Altenburg were able to keep pace with the train of RealTime Acuras cruising in formation ahead, but were only able to seriously challenge for the podium when Cunningham bobbled.

Altenburg had an opportunity to have a look inside his teammate Espenlaub but stayed focused on the larger task at hand. “I had one shot at a pass early on, but as I told Espenlaub after the race, he’s in a blue car now, so I’m a little more considerate at times. After that, I just did what I could to stay with him and help chase down the Acuras and he left no other openings to pass,” recalls Jeff. “The footage of Charles from my Chase Cam should be fun to watch!”

Charles, only a couple of car-lengths ahead, echoed those sentiments. “We were both working hard to stay close enough to draft the Acuras, but we just weren’t able to reel them in,” said Charles of his and Jeff’s efforts. “We were a bit off earlier in the week and it was pretty clear from our race that we made up a lot of ground in the setup on our MAZDA6s, but we still have to find a little more to challenge them for a win at VIR.”

While the action in the top five was limited to the occasional look to the inside, the rest of the field was battling fiercely for the remaining positions. Tri-Point newcomer and series rookie Jason Saini had his hands full right from the start to keep the No. 74 MAZDA6 advancing forward. Saini noted, “Sebring isn’t one of my strong tracks; that, coupled with a spin in qualifying and some setup chasing meant I had to start from the back.”

Eager to make up some positions lost in qualifying, Saini put his head down and concentrated on the start lights. “Doing my first standing start was quite nerve-wracking. I had done some practice launches, but wasn’t really happy with them. As it turns out, the race start was my best launch of the weekend, and I got past quite a few cars right away,” said Jason. He came away from the season opener pleased with his fellow SPEED World Challenge drivers. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the competition during the race, but I’m glad to say that everyone raced clean and tight. I just hung in there and moved up as I could. Ultimately I got tangled up in too many battles to move up as far as I’d like.”

The Tri-Point squad looks ahead to their next SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car battle as they head north to VIRginia International Raceway, April 25-27, 2008. This racing season marks only the second time the series will visit the 3.27-mile circuit in the rolling hills of southern Virginia.