For all the Colorado F-body Racers,

July 21st & 22nd with temps predicted to be in the high 90’s to 100. The ground pounders of NASA RMR converge on PMI in Pueblo, Colorado for another hot weekend of Big Bore Road Racing. What a difference a year makes. Last year at the Pueblo July event we had 3 American Iron cars making the field. While it was an exciting race, it just didn't meet the definition of a thundering pack of V8 pony cars. However this year, American Iron and CMC are taking off in NASA's Rocky Mountain region as a field of 12 cars hit the pavement at Pueblo Motorsports Park for the July 21--22 weekend. Based on the feedback from the show they put on we should have no problem seeing 20+ car fields in 2008.
Among the cars to make the field were newcomers Malcolm Morrison in his AIX prepared Mercury Capri, Bill Harding in his 1998 Mustang Cobra and Matt Ratcliff's vintage prepared 1967 Camaro Z28 which he ran in AI.

Congrats to Rookie Kyle Shaw having just passed the competition school made his CMC racing debut in the KSR Motorsports sponsored 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS.

Saturday's qualifying: American Iron & American Iron Extreme
Tommy Schlender 1:44.5 1995 Pontiac Formula Firebird
Raybob Coleman 1:46.150 1996 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Malcolm Morrison 1:46.509 1979 Mercury Capri
Johnny Ellis 1:49.511 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Bill Harding 1:51.449 1998 Ford Mustang Cobra
Kent Thornberry 1:55.38 1991 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Kevin Rogers failed to Qualify 2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R

Missing AI this weekend was;
Corey Andersen 1991 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Mike Kapp 1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS

Camaro Mustang Challenge
Cody Powell 1:49.33 1996 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Chris McComb 1:49.70 1995 Ford Mustang GT
Dave “Fez” Fessenden 1:53.195 1991 Pontiac Trans Am GTA
Kyle Shaw missed qualifying 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS

Missing CMC this weekend was;
Shane Mulleavy 1985 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Shaun Grossnickel 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

Saturday's main race: At the green flag Morrison #23 AIX gets out in front of Coleman #43 and beat him to T1. Meanwhile Schlender #55 is chasing in 3rd. After 4 laps Morrison going off in T10 giving Coleman #43 the lead until Schlender reels him in with only a couple laps left. With the multiple lead changes up front there’s a 3 car battle of Ellis #141, Rogers #41 & Harding #08 racing for 3rd in AI with Thornberry #93 holding his spot in the back with engine gremlins. Behind the AI race there’s the CMC cars, lead by Powell #22, followed closely by McComb #35 and Fessenden #12. Rookie Kyle Shaw #20 brings up the rear of the field. In the last laps #35 CMC has contact with rear of # 22 CMC and #08 has brake issues and goes straight off at T1 and comes in early but has a blast.
Finishing order:
Tommy Schlender #55AI Pontiac Firebird
Raybob Coleman #43AI Chevrolet Camaro
Malcolm Morrison #23AIX Mercury Capri
Johnny Ellis #141AI Chevrolet Camaro
Kevin Rogers #41AI Ford Mustang
Cody Powell #22CMC Chevrolet Camaro
Chris McComb #35CMC Ford Mustang
Dave Fessenden #12CMC Pontiac Trans Am
Kyle Shaw #20CMC Chevrolet Camaro
Kent Thornberry #93AI Chevrolet Camaro
Billy Harding #08AI Ford Mustang

Sunday's qualifying: American Iron & American Iron Extreme
Tommy Schlender 1:44.357, Malcolm Morrison 1:47.348, Johnny Ellis 1:49.216
In the AI field Thornberry and Rogers did not qualify. Raybob Coleman snapped a spindle in Sunday morning practice causing him to miss the qualifying session and the qualifying race.
Camaro Mustang Challenge
Chris McComb 1:48.695 besting Cody Powell 1:49.047, Fez 1:50.782, Shaw 1:56.763.
Congrats to Dave Fessenden for coming up to speed with what CMC leaders where doing in March.

Sunday's heat race results: Schlender AI, Ratcliff AI, Ellis AI, McComb CMC, Powell CMC, Fessenden CMC, Shaw CMC and Morrison AI.
Due to the extreme heat some cars sit out the heat race to save it for the main.

Sunday's main race: With an Inverted Start AI #43 Coleman & AIX #23 Morrison charge to T1 through all the AI and CMC cars with Schlender, Rogers, Ratcliff and Ellis in tow. Rogers 2000 Cobra R Mustang takes the green flag in AI as the 5th car getting the AI class the full $$$ from Toyo a first in the new Rocky Mountain Region. Coleman stays up front for the AI lead through the majority of the race while Tommy Schlender works his way around the field reeling in Raybob’s Camaro. With about 4 or 5 laps left Schlender catches Coleman and tries the hail marry pass in T9 sending him off in the pasture. Driving the wheels off of his Firebird Schlender catches Coleman again with 1 to go and beats him out of T10 for the lead and his 2nd AI victory of the weekend. In CMC Cody Powell #22 and Chris McComb #35 again dicing back and forth for the entire race, with Dave Fessenden not far behind and Kyle Shaw putting in clean race to get 2 signed off in his provisional book. Johnny Ellis and Matt Ratcliff battle for 3rd in AI while Coleman and Schlender were up to their usual antics in the front. All the while Malcolm Morrison watching from a close 3rd to earn his 2nd AIX win for the weekend.

Congratulations to Malcolm Morrison for all but clinching the RMR AIX Championship.


Finishing order:
Tommy Schlender #55AI Pontiac Firebird
Raybob Coleman #43AI Chevrolet Camaro
Malcolm Morrison #23AIX Mercury Capri
Matt Ratcliff #567AI Chevrolet Camaro
Johnny Ellis #141AI Chevrolet Camaro
Cody Powell #22CMC Chevrolet Camaro
Chris McComb #35CMC Ford Mustang
Dave Fessenden #12CMC Pontiac Trans Am
Kyle Shaw #20CMC Chevrolet Camaro
Kevin Rogers #41AI Ford Mustang


Matt Ratcliff's #567 Camaro moved down one spot for not reporting to impound after the race. Everyone likes their trophy beer glasses and mugs.


Next race: Hastings, Nebraska with (hopefully) some of the Midwest AI cars

See you all at Hasting,
Raybob,

http://americanironracing.com/
http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com/