Pro Spec Racer Grand Rapids Race Resuts

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (August 27) - Neil Tilbor, of Smyma Beach, Fla., took his first Pro Spec Racer win of 1999 in surprising fashion as the leaders crashed on the last lap. Warren Stilwell, of Hartville, Ohio and Chris Funk of Kansas City, Mo., completed the top-three. Tilbor, who started fourth in the No. 8 Tilbor marketing & Development Spec Racer, took the lead in corner nine of the last lap after leaders Jack Willes and Keith Scarf collided and went into the tire barriers. Tilbor passed the leaders and raced Stilwell to finish line for a 2.106-second victory. The victory pushed Tilbor into a tie for the Championship lead with Jack Willes at 79 points. "I really like this track. I was on the podium last year," said Tilbor. "At the end I thought that I had finished third, but the leaders took each other out. I didn't see who was stopped when I got to the mess so I didn't know I had taken the lead. I didn't know that I was fighting Warren for first. He passed me through the mess, but I got on the throttle a bit faster and passed him. But I didn't know I had won until I was being interviewed on television." Stilwell, driving the No. 28 Stilwell Racing Spec Racer, finished second after starting from the pole and dropping back to as far as sixth. Stilwell gave up the lead in the first corner of the race and settled into a battle for third and fourth as the leaders pulled away. Stilwell inherited the lead when the leaders crashed, but lost it in the following corner while trying to avoid cars involved in the incident. The second place finish moves Stilwell into second in the Championship with 78 points. "I was kind of disappointed at my race. I had qualified on the pole but fell back early. Finally I found my comfort zone. My car was about 95 percent of its best," said Stilwell. "When I came up on the crash I didn't really know it was the leaders. Neil and I both struggled to get through and he just got going a little bit quicker." Carl Harris, of Houston, Texas, finished fourth, and John Black, of Olympic Valley, Calif., was fifth.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Results from Friday’s 32-lap, 50.56-mile Pro Spec Racer series race, part of the West Michigan Grand Prix, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, laps and reason out. All drivers in identical Spec Racer sports racing cars.

1. (4), Neil Tilbor, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., 32. 2. (1), Warren Stilwell, Hartville, Ohio, 32. 3. (10), Chris Funk, Kansas City, Mo., 32. 4. (6), Carl Harris, Houston, Texas, 32. 5. (8), John Black, Olympic Valley, Calif., 32. 6. (21), Steve Rehkemper, Chicago, Ill., 32. 7. (17), Darren Pritt, Seattle, Wash., 32. 8. (15), Jeff Tillman, St. Louis, Mo., 32. 9. (11), John Bowden, Lawrence, Kan., 32. 10. (14), Greg Farrar, Claskston, Mich., 32. 11. (12), Doug Farrar, Neenah, Wis., 32. 12. (9), Keith Scharf, St. Louis, Mo., 32, Crash. 13. (24), Clint Lindburg II, St. Louis, Mo., 32. 14. (27), Wells Dickson, Des Moines, Iowa, 32. 15. (19), Andy Bentinck-Smith, Duxbury, Mass., 32. 16. (13), Gary Phillips, Berkeley Lake, Ga., 32. 17. (20), John Annis, Tampa, Fla., 32. 18. (30), C Peter Pope, Hickory, N.C., 32. 19. (7), Jim Goughary Jr., Jupiter, Fla., 32. 20. (5), Jack Willes, Cornelius, N.C., 31, n.a.. 21. (16), Kelly Toombs, Prairie Village, Kan., 31, n.a.. 22. (23), Martin Waalkes, Grand Rapids, Mich., 31. 23. (18), Andy Carlino, Palm Beach Garden, Fla., 31. 24. (31), Amy Ruman, Washington, D.C., 31. 25. (34), Orval E. Brown, Dallas, Texas, 31. 26. (35), Jay Carll, Grand Rapids, Mich., 31. 27. (25), Mark Hutchins, Lincoln, Neb., 31. 28. (36), David Watson, Bloomington, Minn., 30. 29. (40), Neil Brown, Tulsa, Okla., 30. 30. (39), Mike Jacobs, 29. 31. (38), John Carroll, Jersey City, N.J., 27. 32. (2), Johnny Meriggi, The Woodlands, Texas, 21, Crash. 33. (3), Robert Sak, West Bloomfield, Mich., 13, n.a.. 34. (26), Niki Ruman, Washington, D.C., 11, Crash. 35. (22), Kevin Clark, 11, n.a.. 36. (33), Richard Doty, Haddon Hts, N.J., 11, Crash. 37. (28), Doug Campbell, Niles, Mich., 8, Crash. 38. (32), Kevin Clark, N. Coawy, 1, n.a.. 39. (29), Rod Scharf, Greenwood, Ind., 1, n.a.. 40. (37), Amid Shayesteh, Richmond, Ind., 0, n.a..

Time of race: 55 minutes, 39.489 seconds. Average speed: 54.504 miles-per-hour Margin of victory: 2.1059 seconds Fastest race lap: Keith Scharf, 1:27.775 (64.802 mph) Lap leaders: laps 1-11, No. 77 Meriggi; laps 12-23, No. 49 Willes; lap 24, No. 82 Scharf; laps 25-31, No. 49 Willes; lap 32, Tilbor

Source: SCCA/SCCA Pro Racing