# 23 Amy Ruman 2nd and # 4 Paul Fix 3rd as newcomer # 50 Andy Lally storms to win at Watkins Glen

Corvette drivers that ruled the roost were once again outmatched.  The winner this time was # 50 Andy Lally driving a new Tony Ave chassis with a Camaro TA body made by ACP Kerry for Claudio Burtin’s Go Share team. (more on that later).

Corvette front runner # 41 Vinnie Allegretta had an “off day” finishing 7th while # 99 Larry Lapurage was 5th in just his third race.  Benefiting from chassis setup by Tony Vecchio from nearby Syracuse NY. 

Lally ran off with the lead but had to pit on lap 3 to replace a deflating right rear tyre.  Re-starting 17th he sliced through the field up to 3rd.  Closed the gap via a caution and then a red flag to collect Mark Boden’s # 46 Porsche TA3 that was punted over the guardrail in turn 9A.  The outcome was never in doubt after that.

# 98 Ernie Francis Jr Mustang, and Lally were in a class by themselves.  Francis broke his rear suspension but still holds a huge championship points lead.

It appears that Claudio Burtin will hang up his # 7 Corvette after trying in vain and devote the Go Share team to the new Camaro that is tearing up the track in the hands of Lally and Martin Ranginger, both seasoned pros.

Tony Ave needed to “expropriate” the # 8 Corvette he fields for Tomy Drissi in order to fulfil a promise to Paul Fix for this one-off race not far from Buffalo, the home of Paul’s Stop Flex business.  Paul was up to the task and could have finished 2nd before Amy Ruman passed him on the final lap.

Results compiled by Wayne Ellwood

Photos by Rich Martin and Chris Clark

Next up is VIR on Sept 24.