SCC: Homestead: Kenetic Motorsports race notes

Kinetic Motorsports Bocchino/Lamb Fifth at Homestead

March 18, 2009 - BUFORD, GA - Hoping for redemption after the season-opening Koni Sports Car Challenge event at Daytona, Kinetic Motorsports returned back home to Atlanta from Homestead-Miami Speedway this past weekend with mixed results. The upside of the weekend was a fifth place finish by Glenn Bocchino and Todd Lamb in the #32 GS Cybernation/Cobalt Friction/Traqmate BMW M3. Lee Davis and Russell Smith drove the #33 GS Kinetic/Luna-C BMW M3 to a 15th place finish, while Lance Willsey and John McMullen were unable to start the race in the new #80 GS Exelixis e92 BMW M3.

Glenn Bocchino and Todd Lamb started their Grand Am Fan Appreciation Weekend in the #32 GS Cybernation/Cobalt Friction/Traqmate BMW M3 with high expectations, but several setbacks during practice relegated them towards the bottom of the speed charts each session. However, Bocchino, from Delray Beach, FL, showed that he can get the job done when the chips are down, qualifying with a sixth place starting spot for the race. Bocchino ran in the top ten his entire stint, before handing over the car to Atlanta native Lamb at the race's first and only caution on lap 33. Lamb spent the remainder of the race clawing his way up to third place, but fell back to fifth as a tire began losing pressure and caused the handling to go away.

Todd Lamb: "We knew that testing new parts during a race weekend could be a risky scenario, but we felt the e46 needed all the help it could get to offset the straight-line speed of the other cars. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong did, but the Kinetic crew kept after it all weekend and by race day we had a really good car. Glenn did an amazing job in qualifying getting us a 6th place starting spot and we got everything out of the car we could in the race. It's all about points the rest of the season."

Lee Davis and Russell Smith, in the #33 GS Kinetic/Luna-C BMW M3, were very close to their best ever finish in Koni competition. Davis, from nearby Fisher Island, FL, qualified 26th and moved steadily up through the field before handing the car over to Smith. Smith, from Buford, GA, continued to move forward and was in 8th place before running out of fuel just two laps from the end of the race, finishing in 15th. Davis also debuted his Luna-C clothing line as a vendor in the paddock, taking advantage of the spectator turnout during the Grand Am Fan Appreciation Weekend .

Russell Smith: "It was a huge disappointment to run out of fuel so close to the end. We knew we were playing it tight with the fuel mileage and the guys worked hard to get us our best Koni finish, but we came up a splash short. A big thanks to Lee for having a dry Luna-C shirt waiting for me after the race - it was hot out there!"

The new #80 GS Exelixis e92 BMW M3 of Lance Willsey and John McMullen showed a lot of promise for having a good inaugural event, but the light rain that dampened the track in the practice session prior to the race put an end to things before they began. McMullen, from Hasbruck Heights, NJ, qualified 25th in his first start with Kinetic. Willsey, from Chestnut Hill, MA, was making a few recon laps in the car during the final practice session and spun off the damp track into the grass in turn one. Willsey was waiting for traffic to clear before continuing, but a Porsche driven by Darren Law also got caught out by the rain and slammed into Willsey's BMW. Neither car was able to be repaired in time for the race, but both drivers were unhurt thanks to physical conditioning and safety equipment.

John McMullen: "It's a shame that we weren't able to race, but the main thing is that everyone is ok. It was a big hit - we'll have to get the car back to the shop and stripped down to see if it can be repaired. First Kinetic had bad luck with their new BMW Daytona and now this; it seems like the e92's are cursed!"

Kinetic Motorsports will return to Koni Sports Car Challenge racing action on May 1-2 at Thunderbolt Raceway in Millville, New Jersey.

-credit: km