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| NEWS: Thompson scores second Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup win in New Jersey |
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Millville, NJ (September 12, 2009) - It's been a weekend full of challenges for the 26 drivers competing in the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series races at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Today brought a new challenge - dry conditions.
The drivers hit the track yesterday, but all-day rain forced the cars to run on Pirelli rain tires. Today's dry conditions turned the tables on the drivers, as the first of two races this weekend marked the first time that they navigated the 14-turn, 2.225-mile road course on racing slicks.
It was clear when the race started that the drivers would be taking advantage of the dry racing surface to put on a show of speed and fuel efficiency for the fans. Lap times during the race dropped by nearly 10 seconds from qualifying as a result of the new tires, and the passing throughout the field was some of the best seen so far this season.
Polesitter, Andy Lee held on to his position early in the race and built nearly a four-second lead at one point. However, the trio of Jake Thompson, Timmy Megenbier and Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle became a growing presence in his mirrors as the race wore on, and three of the four drivers led laps in the closing moments of the race.
On lap 17, Sierra Lendle passed Lee for the lead going into turn one, but Lee was able to regain his position one lap later. Then, it was Thompson's turn on lap 18, as he dove underneath Lee in Turn 1 to move into the lead with one lap left. The Calgary, Alberta native never looked back before taking the checkered flag in the #19 Oakley car for the second time this season. Lee placed second, and Megenbier came in third for his seventh podium finish of the season.
"What a crazy race today," Thompson said. "My strategy coming it was to be cautious since none of us had been able to run on a dry track this weekend. At first, it felt like I was starting to go backwards, but then guys ahead of me started going off track a lot, so my patience was rewarded. About halfway through the race, it felt like I was stuck in fourth place, but I was eventually able to find a few spots on the track where I was better than the guys in front of me, and I timed my passes really well. After winning during our first race weekend, it's great to finally get back to the top of the podium, and I hope to make the same climb tomorrow."
The race results didn't have a major impact on the Championship points standings. With two races to go, Megenbier has 306 points, which represents a 31-point lead over second place Lee (275). Joey Atterbury (255), Thompson (251) and Pombo (214) round out the top five spots.
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