Rich Wesorick
Enthusiast
ARCHER WINS FIFTH T1 RACE OF 2002 AT SCCA JUNE SPRINTS
Veteran Viper driver Bobby Archer, an impeccably prepared T1 Viper, and the four-mile monster known as Road America - it reads like a recipe for success… and it was, as Archer notched his fifth T1 race victory of the year at the SCCA June Sprints on June 23, 2002. The June Sprints at Road America is widely regarded as the biggest SCCA “regular” season race and as a precursor of things to come at the season-ending Valvoline Run-Offs National Championship at Mid-Ohio in September. Archer’s win at the June Sprints solidified his position as the front-runner in the T1 class and qualified him for the prestigious SCCA Triple Crown, recognizing a driver who also wins his/her respective Division Championship and the Valvoline Run-Offs.
The Vipers of Archer and his ViperSpeed teammate Dr. Deborah Loth represented two of the eight T1 cars entered in the June Sprints. Both Archer and Loth were eager to drive the long and fast Road America track, and were also excited to see how they would do against the competition from the Corvette camp. A combination of rain and a few mechanical problems made for an auspicious start to the weekend for both Archer and Loth, but Archer’s ViperSpeed crew persevered and had their Vipers ready for the second qualifying session on Saturday. Despite having to go out on brand new tires with new brake rotors and new brake pads, Bobby ran a lap of 2:28:3 on the last lap of qualifying and edged out the Corvette Z06 of Bob Schader for the pole. In her first visit ever to the fabled Road America track, Dr. Loth qualified third ahead of fellow Texan Kevin Mixon in another Corvette Z06, but Deborah felt she could have improved her time with a few more (dry) laps on the track.
Sunday’s race took place under sunny skies and balmy temperatures. A total of 59 cars (T1, T2, AS, SSB, and SSC classes) took the green flag in the race. Bobby got a good start, but so did Schader, and the two leaders began to move away from the rest of the field. After a few laps, Archer was able to put some distance between himself and Schader, while Loth closed in on Schader. Midway through the 13-lap race, the T1 leaders began to encounter traffic from the other classes. As usual, Archer negotiated his way through traffic like a surgeon. The battle for second and third place between Schader and Loth intensified as both drivers worked their way through the traffic. Loth was able to get close to Schader, but could not get around him. By the end of the race, Loth dropped back a bit because she had used up her brakes moving through traffic and trying to catch Schader. Meanwhile, Archer took the checkered flag with a 2.6 second margin over Schader. To the delight of the fans and corner workers in Turn 5, an exuberant Archer did a little tire testing, Alex Zanardi-style, in the run-off area during his victory lap, showing that the Hoosier tires excel at generating smoke in addition to sticking to the track.
With the victory at Road America, Archer reassumed the lead in the points in the SCCA’s Southwest Division. Likewise, Dr. Loth leads her division, the SCCA’s Midwest Division, and will try to extend her lead next weekend (July 6-7) in a National race at Hallett Motor Speedway. Archer, Loth, and ViperSpeed’s newest driver, Dan Knox, will then be competing together in the SCCA Grand Prix of Texas at Texas Motor Speedway on July 12-14. More information on Archer and Loth can be found at www.bobbyarchermotorsports.com and www.viperspeed.com.
Veteran Viper driver Bobby Archer, an impeccably prepared T1 Viper, and the four-mile monster known as Road America - it reads like a recipe for success… and it was, as Archer notched his fifth T1 race victory of the year at the SCCA June Sprints on June 23, 2002. The June Sprints at Road America is widely regarded as the biggest SCCA “regular” season race and as a precursor of things to come at the season-ending Valvoline Run-Offs National Championship at Mid-Ohio in September. Archer’s win at the June Sprints solidified his position as the front-runner in the T1 class and qualified him for the prestigious SCCA Triple Crown, recognizing a driver who also wins his/her respective Division Championship and the Valvoline Run-Offs.
The Vipers of Archer and his ViperSpeed teammate Dr. Deborah Loth represented two of the eight T1 cars entered in the June Sprints. Both Archer and Loth were eager to drive the long and fast Road America track, and were also excited to see how they would do against the competition from the Corvette camp. A combination of rain and a few mechanical problems made for an auspicious start to the weekend for both Archer and Loth, but Archer’s ViperSpeed crew persevered and had their Vipers ready for the second qualifying session on Saturday. Despite having to go out on brand new tires with new brake rotors and new brake pads, Bobby ran a lap of 2:28:3 on the last lap of qualifying and edged out the Corvette Z06 of Bob Schader for the pole. In her first visit ever to the fabled Road America track, Dr. Loth qualified third ahead of fellow Texan Kevin Mixon in another Corvette Z06, but Deborah felt she could have improved her time with a few more (dry) laps on the track.
Sunday’s race took place under sunny skies and balmy temperatures. A total of 59 cars (T1, T2, AS, SSB, and SSC classes) took the green flag in the race. Bobby got a good start, but so did Schader, and the two leaders began to move away from the rest of the field. After a few laps, Archer was able to put some distance between himself and Schader, while Loth closed in on Schader. Midway through the 13-lap race, the T1 leaders began to encounter traffic from the other classes. As usual, Archer negotiated his way through traffic like a surgeon. The battle for second and third place between Schader and Loth intensified as both drivers worked their way through the traffic. Loth was able to get close to Schader, but could not get around him. By the end of the race, Loth dropped back a bit because she had used up her brakes moving through traffic and trying to catch Schader. Meanwhile, Archer took the checkered flag with a 2.6 second margin over Schader. To the delight of the fans and corner workers in Turn 5, an exuberant Archer did a little tire testing, Alex Zanardi-style, in the run-off area during his victory lap, showing that the Hoosier tires excel at generating smoke in addition to sticking to the track.
With the victory at Road America, Archer reassumed the lead in the points in the SCCA’s Southwest Division. Likewise, Dr. Loth leads her division, the SCCA’s Midwest Division, and will try to extend her lead next weekend (July 6-7) in a National race at Hallett Motor Speedway. Archer, Loth, and ViperSpeed’s newest driver, Dan Knox, will then be competing together in the SCCA Grand Prix of Texas at Texas Motor Speedway on July 12-14. More information on Archer and Loth can be found at www.bobbyarchermotorsports.com and www.viperspeed.com.
