Round 16: Decatur

With three races to go, we are at the infamous Decatur track. For the IES championship, the top 4 are within 15 points. With three races left, it is the closest championship with the top 4 in ISCC history. As for the Mountain Dew Junior Series, it's a different ball game. Christopher Bryant has a 61-point gap over Alissa Kirby and 69-point gap rookie Henry Sandfer. The pressure is on as Bryant is in the cat-bird seat. Bryant has killed the motivation as he starts behind mid-pack and scores huge points. Here's the top three.

1. Bryant 425 points, 3 wins
2. Kirby -61, 2 wins
3. Sandfer -69, 1 win

The rest of the field can't comeback from that realistically unless 4th in points Ray Kreiger (126 points down) pulls something from his ass (or someone else). Other than that, this is the final three. I will give out a few scenarios for all three of them. Bryant is controlling the standings, and could clinch the championship after Talladega. Bryant needs to gain 9 points on Kirby and a point on Sandfer--minimum effort is 15th and Kirby and Sandfer don't score. However, I don't think it is going to happen, because he's not much of a road ringer. He somehow pulls points in road courses, but he only scores one top 10 so far. So he better hope his contenders won't score, but Kirby and Sandfer have won a road course race this season. Bryant needs to either do what he did like the past three races, or wait until Talladega.

For Kirby, she can take home the points lead but needs to win and either a bonus achievement--pole or most led laps. She can't do much really but hopes Bryant wrecks out or gets zero points. Like Kirby, Sandfer needs a win but needs every bonus points he gets. That's right a perfect 70. Even he does get 70 points, it doesn't help that Bryant can neutralized Sandfer's point gain on himself. Every point counts. 20 point gain is good. However, going into Talladega with two races to go 40-something points down felts like you are a race down. Let's put it this way: Decatur will determine if Christopher Bryant is going to win the Season 2 Mountain Dew championship. Go big or go home. It can change the momentum in a heartbeat.

As for the race in general, the drivers are very aggressive so far in Decatur. So I got a feeling something stupid will happen in the first lap of the race. It's impossible to get a clean three or four laps with this series now. The field is being very desperate getting a win, but he or she could wreck a championship contender so keep that in mind.

Qualifying will go up tonight.

Qualifying Results

P # DRIVER TIME
1 46 S Nam-gi -R- 1:29.280
2 6 C Valentine 1:29.317
3 99 A Kirby 1:29.427
4 5 J Garcia 1:29.583
5 44 N Norton 1:29.586
6 9 J Dwyer 1:29.740
7 17 R Kreiger 1:29.828
8 16 K Takamoto 1:29.869
9 81 M Bruno 1:29.976
10 20 M Neuwirth -R- 1:29.976
11 25 S Commons -R- 1:29.991
12 41 H Sandfer -R- 1:29.992
13 96 C Kumori -R- 1:30.054
14 3 M Yoshizawa 1:30.221
15 40 P Sparrow -R- 1:30.259
16 22 N McKane 1:30.395
17 43 N Dwyer 1:30.408
18 10 S Johnson -R- 1:30.426
19 12 K Young 1:30.498
20 24 M Holbert 1:30.537
21 36 S Engrits 1:30.550
22 93 P Swanson 1:30.583
23 42 C Davidson -R- 1:30.679
24 1 J Lightning 1:30.688
25 31 C Bryant 1:30.691
26 71 K Rundas 1:30.892
27 4 E Miller 1:30.974
28 18 K Pitt -R- 1:31.033
29 94 J Dalton 1:31.237
30 2 S Young 1:31.293
31 91 E Powers -R- 1:31.337
32 29 R Anderson 1:31.717
33 7 B Strauss -R- 1:31.744
34 88 J Evans 1:31.775
35 77 D Weeks -R- 1:31.783
36 60 J Coleman -R- 1:31.786
37 55 T Delic 1:31.792
38 8 R Simmons 1:32.136
39 01 B Louviere 1:32.167
40 28 B Praxis 1:32.311
41 33 M Cavagnaro -R- 1:33.365
42 00 K Shock Jr. -R- 1:34.259

Rookie Seong Nam-gi gets the pole at Decatur. Alissa Kirby starts in a handy 3rd place. Henry Sandfer starts in 12th. Christopher Bryant starts in the midpack in 25th.

Race might go up tomorrow. MIGHT.

Race is up!



Next race will be at Talladega (with plates, because I don't want to kill anyone).