Mosport Recap & VIR lead-up
- Scott Freehoff
- Jul 7
- 6 min read
By Trek Dusek
Good morning racers! Round one of the Sports 2000 North America Championship at Mosport is officially in the books—and what a start to the season it was! With 16 cars on the entry list, we kicked things off at our northernmost—and only non-U.S.—stop on the calendar. Drivers from north, south, east, and west came together, showcasing the breadth and depth of S2NA.
Looking ahead, nearly 30 drivers have already entered for round two at Virginia International Raceway, where we'll be running as a support series for the Porsche Sprint Challenge series. The weekend is shaping up to be incredible at one of the premier tracks in North America. With a stacked field and plenty of talent, you'll want to bring your best setup and be ready to push hard!
If you haven't registered yet, there's still time. Reach out to Denny Gernert for more information—we'd love to see you on the grid!
Mosport Weekend Recap
Friday:
Friday marked the official start of the weekend, following an optional test day on Thursday that many participants used to shake off the rust and get reacquainted with one of the most challenging circuits in North America. In the first practice session, Mark Coombs topped the S2 timesheets, while Trey Dusek was just a tenth behind in VS2, and Angelo Savoia led the HS2 class. However, it seemed that several of the weekend's front-runners were conserving their efforts—and their tires—for the qualifying session scheduled just after lunch.
Ben Sinnott made an early statement in qualifying, completing an out lap followed by two push laps, with his fastest being a blistering 1:22.458—an unofficial track record that exceeded expectations heading into the weekend. Local newcomer Connor Clubine was the best of the rest in qualifying, rounding out the front row in his Swift DB2. Unfortunately, the session was cut short when Rhett Merriman made contact with the wall exiting Turn 1. Thankfully, Mosport's outstanding safety crew responded quickly, and Rhett received the necessary medical attention. He was back at the track the next day with only minor aches and pains.
The day concluded with the first race of the season, where Brent Gernert put in a strong drive to close the gap on Ben Sinnott, who had built an early lead. The two crossed the finish line just four-tenths of a second apart, with Sinnott securing the season's first win.
Saturday:
Saturday got underway with Race 2, gridded based on the results of Friday's contest. Sinnott started from pole with Gernert alongside on the front row, followed by Clubine and Dusek in row two as the rest of the competitive field slotted in behind. This time, the script flipped—Gernert managed to reel in Sinnott, whose early lead faded as tire wear became a factor, ultimately allowing Gernert to take the win. Dusek's race was cut short on lap 8 due to a loose left front wheel nut, forcing him to retire. That opened the door for Jim Hallman—who had spent all of Friday wrenching on his car after a run-in with the tire barrier—to move into P2 in VS2, trailing only Connor Clubine. Angelo Savoia brought home the win in HS2, setting the stage for Saturday afternoon's highly anticipated first points-paying race of the season.
Race 3 played out in front of a full crowd, with spectators and campervans lining the circuit. This time, it was Gernert on pole, with Sinnott lining up on the outside of the front row. Clubine, starting third, had clearly found his rhythm and was now seriously challenging the front-running Lolas. Unfortunately, drama struck on lap 7 when both Sinnott and Gernert were taken out in an incident, clearing the way for Clubine to claim his maiden overall victory (P1 in VS2). Mark Coombs crossed the line second overall and first in S2, while Savoia took another win in HS2.
The evening wrapped up with a fantastic sponsor giveaway party, where everyone enjoyed pulled pork and pasta generously prepared by Angelo Savoia's wife—a perfect end to an action-packed day.
Sunday:
The feature race of the weekend saw Connor Clubine lead the field to the green flag, while weekend favorite Ben Sinnott started from the back after his Eric Langbein Racing crew managed to piece the car back together in time. Despite the setback, Sinnott charged through the field with a strong drive but ultimately ran out of time to catch Clubine, finishing second overall and first in class—14 seconds behind the leader.
In S2, the podium was topped by Ben Sinnott, with Joe Moran in second and Lee Brahin in third. The VS2 class saw Connor Clubine claim the win, followed by Jim Hallman in P2 and Bryan Gernert rounding out the podium in P3. In HS2, Angelo Savoia once again stood on the top step, taking home the class victory in the feature race.
It was a fantastic weekend for all involved, and we truly missed those who couldn't make it. Be sure to join us for the next round—it's shaping up to be another one you won't want to miss!
VIR Circuit Intro
Coming in as the longest circuit on our 2024 S2NA schedule, VIR is a 3.3 mile lap comprised of 17 corners. First opened in 1957, VIR quickly made a name for itself in the road racing community famously being called “heaven on earth” by Paul Newman. Following its early success, VIR was forced to shut down its operation in 1974 after only 18 years of racing action. For 25 years the track sat dormant and was engulfed by vegetation before two savvy investors had the idea to resurrect the circuit. After much development and repaving, VIR was finally reintroduced to the racing world in 2000 and quickly regained the name it had built for itself so many years ago. Today, VIR is a world renowned facility that hosts, track days, club racing events, IMSA racing, the 2022 and 2023 SCCA Runoffs and more. This is a fantastic Sports 2 track and for those that will be visiting for the first time this spring, I assure you it will not disappoint.
While stringing together all 17 corners is important for a fast lap at VIR, there are a few corners that stand out amongst the crowd, the first of which being the turn 5/5a complex. This combination of corners is what sets you up for a long, not so straight bit of track that, if done right, should be flat out through the Uphill Esses. The most important corner on the track comes shortly thereafter at Oak Tree (12). This corner leads you onto the the very long back straight and a good lap time is dependent upon being on power as early as possible here. There is more track to be used over the exit curbing but if done right, a fast lap shouldn't require the extra tarmac. The final corner that a fast lap is dependent upon is Hog Pen. While you are hustling the car down hill be sure to get the car set and back on power for the long, not so straight front straight. If you can nail these three corners you are bound to have banked a decent lap and can start chasing time around the rest of the circuit.
Below is a video of a very quick lap around the 3.3 mile circuit by a man that has called VIR home for many years. While I will leave it up to you, the viewer, to figure out where he finds a sub 2 minute lap, I will point out that paying attention to his shift points might help those new to the track “short” cut their way to the top of the timing sheet. Good luck and I hope to see you all on track in 1 weeks time!
We hope that all of the members of the VS2NA Club find a venue that works for their schedule and will join in the challenge, fun, camaraderie, and excitement of our racing events. Join now to be included in this season's activities, it's never too late. The membership form can be found on our website under the Members tab (link at the bottom of this email). If you haven't yet, be sure to reach out to Denny Gernert to sign up for our second event of the season with USAC at VIR. Keep it clean and the track stays green!
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