NA-F2000: PAC: Round four Willow Springs summary

Hyatt Leads from Start to Finish for Victory in Round 4

Rosamond, CA. (April 5, 2009) Max Hyatt used clean start from the pole position to take the lead of round 4 of the Pacific F2000 Series presented by Terminal Velocity Processing. Hyatt earned the pole position earlier in the day with a time of 1:16.974, the fastest of the weekend and the only driver to break the 1:17 second barrier. Driving his #22/Performance Drink/PR1 Van Diemen Hyatt was able to slowly build a lead over Saturday's race winner Robert Podlesni easing away a tenth at a time. Hyatt went on to lead from flag to flag for his first series victory during the course of which he also posted the fastest race lap giving him a total of 34 points for his effort.

Podlesni, #84/Terminal Velocity Processing/Alpinestars/DFR Van Diemen did all he could to stay with Hyatt pushing the car to it's limit and managed to finish a mere 3.788 seconds behind. For all of his efforts, Podlesni never got quite close enough to make a passing attempt.

Just as happened yesterday PR1 Motorsports teammates Shaun Modisette and Scott Rarick battled for the final podium position with Modisette in his #26/Carson Trailers/Van Diemen holding the position initially but was overtaken by Rarick, #34/Van Diemen on lap 4, who managed to edge away to secure third position and with it the Expert (drivers 35-50) Class win.

Modisette seemed content to finish forth and consolidate his lead in the championship but Peter Hastrup, in his #5/Western Building Materials/Nuttal, Brown & Coutts/Van Diemen had a different plan. Hastrup, who claimed he still had to work on his starts, initially lost two positions. By lap 2 Peter had regained the lost places and began his pursuit of Modisette. Hastrup, unlike on Saturday was not only able to stay in touch with Modisette but managed to reel him in, passing for fourth place on the thirteenth of fifteen laps. This battle actually closed the gap to Rarick in third and Hastrup mused that had there been another lap... Hastrup's drive earned him the Masters (drivers 51 and over) Class win just as on Saturday.

Series newcomer Michael Simpson, #48/DFR Van Diemen had another solid drive to finish sixth and the final car on the lead lap.

Michael Murphy #18/Mygale, whose weekend steadily improved and he earned the Williams Racing Development Hard Charger award with his seventh place finish.

Peter West #99/Terminal Velocity Processing/DFR Van Diemen drove consistently and finished eighth.

Contact on lap 2 between Les Phillips, #89/Swiss Implant/Porterfield Brakes/Mygale and Ira Fierberg, #27/Barry I Goldstein/CPA/Sparco/DFR Van Diemen resulted in the loss of the front wing of Phillip's Mygale causing an off-course excursion at turn 5 and his retirement at the end of the lap. Fierberg continued on but later retired on lap 7.

The series now moves on to Buttonwillow Raceway Park for rounds 5 and 6 on May 2nd & 3rd.

-credit: www.pacificf2000.com