SCC: Mosport: Subaru Road Racing Team race report

Subaru Team Rockets to 2nd at Canadian Grand-Am KONI Challenge Race

Racing on the same track where he drove his first professional sports car road race in 1986, Kris Skavnes, Sparta, N.J., brought home the Subaru Road Racing Team's #141 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B sedan in second place today, only nine-tenths of a second behind the race winner in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge road race at Mosport International Raceway near Bowmanville, Ontario.

Skavnes took over the driving from Chuck Hemmingson, Des Moines, Ia., 57 minutes into the 2.5-hour race, when Hemmingson pitted the car in 11th place. The ICY/Phoenix team's put crew finished their work in time for Skavnes to leave the pits in third place.

It was the team's best finish since last year's race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, site of the next race in the series, scheduled for next Sunday. "I love this track," said Skavnes, "and I love the color yellow," referring to the four yellow flags that flew during the race, allowing him to catch up to the race leader.

The team's second car, driven by Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, Pa., and Don Knowles, Pittsboro, N.C., finished 14th, 30 seconds out of the win, after a second, precautionary fuel stop.

"We timed our pit stops today just perfect," said ICY/Phoenix team co-principal Joe Aquilante, and Kris did a terrific job driving. He worked very hard to catch the Street Tuner class-leader at the end, but we just ran out of laps."

-credit: srrt