By Pat Griffith

Several WDCR members made the trek to Peru, Ind., Independence Day weekend for the SCCA National Tour at the former alert facility at Grissom Air Reserve Base, and leading the way were Sam Strano and Carrie Snyder, who won in F Stock (FS) and Street Touring Sport (STS) Ladies, respectively.  Ian Baker took home a trophy for his second-place finish in STS.

In FS, the big news was going to be the debut of Sam’s new 5.0-liter 2011 Mustang GT.  Mike Snyder brought his familiar black Mustang GT, and after back-to-back testing and a little tweaking on Friday’s test course, Sam and Mike decided to go with the new car.

Also competing in FS was Lee Piccione, who was on the “arrive and drive” program co-driving with Ohio Valley Region’s Jim Zeisler in his blue 2008 Shelby Mustang.

On Saturday, Lee set the pace with a best of 49.609 that came on his second run.  Sam and Mike were having problems with the new Mustang mysteriously cutting out power in one section of the course.  Sam, who recently switched membership to the WDCR, could only muster a best of 50.009 with Mike about four tenths in back of that.

On Sunday, Sam and Mike switched back to the more reliable Shelby.  Sam’s first run turned out to be his best, a 49.324, which gave him the overall lead.  Unfortunately for Lee, his 49.902 on his first run turned out to be his fastest time.  He coned a 49.5 on his second run that would have given him the win, but Sam finished at the top by less than two tenths.  Lee did end up in second in the only other trophy spot in FS.  Mike held on to finish third overall and complete the WDCR podium sweep in the class.

In STSL, Carrie found herself in second place after Saturday by just under two tenths of a second.  Carrie was driving her 1988 Honda CRX Si and couldn’t match Central Kentucky Region’s Cindy Duncan in a 1991 Mazda Miata.

But Sunday was a different story.  Carrie came out on fire and took the overall lead on her first run.  She knocked off another nine tenths on her second run with a 50.770.  She slowed down on her last run, but Cindy’s best of 51.6 on her last run wasn’t enough to regain the overall lead, and Carrie took home the win by 0.649.

In the CRX-Miata battle in STS, the Miata had the upper hand there.  Ian, driving Carrie’s CRX, had the early lead Saturday, but Indianapolis Region’s Geoff Chambers ripped off a 49.843 to Ian’s best of 50.192.  On Sunday, Geoff and his Miata were again too much as he again set fastest time in class to take the overall win by 0.677 over Ian.

Other WDCR members competing included:

Learic Cramer, 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, fifth, ASP
Andrew Baker, 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, fifth, GS
Holly Schwedler, 1988 Honda CRX Si (Carrie’s, not Ian’s, car) fifth, STSL
Me, 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R, fifth, FSP