ProVee: Moroso Race Report

The Valvoline ProVee Series Presented by ADPAC and Low-E Insulation January 27, 2000

First Race of 10th Anniversary Season Moroso Motorsports Park January 15-16, 2000

After a two-year absence, the Valvoline ProVee Series, presented by ADPAC and Low-E Insulation, returned to Moroso Motorsports Park near West Palm Beach, Florida. A stellar group of 36 drivers was on hand January 15-16 to help the Valvoline Vees kick off their 10th anniversary season.

Six drivers stood out because of their accumulated five ProVee and eight SCCA National (Valvoline Runoffs) Formula Vee Championships. Jim Kearney, 1992 SCCA Runoffs winner, captured the pole driving his Valvoline/Hoosier Tires Protoform. Outside first row went to Roger Siebenaler, the 1999 SCCA Runoffs champion, in the Autowerks/Hoosier Tires Mysterian M-2. Bill Noble, five-time Runoffs winner and 1994 ProVee champion, anchored the second row in his Valvoline Oil/Hoosier Tires Caracal. Outside second row was Donnie Isley driving the Agitator Race Car. Rounding out the top five starters was two-time SCCA Runoffs winner Stevan A. Davis in his Quaker State Oil Racer's Wage.

Greg Bruns was ninth on the grid in his Vector GB4; Bruns won the 1997 ProVee event at Moroso to jump-start his ProVee championship season. The 1996 ProVee champ, Michael Jones, was 11th fastest in qualifying driving the DomaNet Internet Services/Feel 21.com/Caracal D.

The action-packed first lap was a mad scramble with position changes galore among the leaders. Noble got a good start and passed Kearney on the back straight to lead the first circuit; Davis and Isley also got around the front row starters. Davis, with Isley in tow, drafted by Noble to take over the top spot on the second lap. Isley took the point on the third lap, just moments before a full-course yellow came out behind them.

Steve made one final try for the lead coming off the last turn of the last lap. He dropped low but Donnie held him off and won by a half-car length. Bruns passed Noble on the lap 12 and held on for third, with Bill fourth. Siebenaler was running eighth on lap 12 but fought back to finish fifth.

ProVee also features the Eagle 1 series -- a "series within a series" - designed to attract regional-level drivers into National and Pro competition. Eagle 1 drivers compete for a separate purse in every ProVee event. Any driver who has never accumulated ten or more SCCA National points in any one season and has never held a SCCA Pro License is eligible for Eagle 1 awards. The top three Eagle 1 finishers at Moroso were Greg Ira, Hugh Sutton (driving the Republic Inc./Vector GB4), and Tom Guthrie in his Pooh Bear Racing Protoform.

ProVee Promotions used Moroso to introduce a new East-West divisional format, which includes three races in each division and a season ending $10,000 shoot-out at St. Louis in August. A driver must compete in at least two of the three races in their division to be eligible for the shoot-out.

For more information on participating in the series as either a driver or a sponsor, contact ProVee Promotions: Cathy Heintz at (314) 963-0757, or Dermot Ennis at (888) 814-7792.

Randy Fisher <sccacrip@swbell.net>