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Race 2 - COT Pro 2 Results for August 5th, 2009

Another week and another new winner, as Eric Monaco avoided all the carnage and mayhem to take the checkered flag!

Welcome back, racing fanatics! Flashpoint's COT Pro 2 produced some great driving this Wednesday, along with some bad luck. Eric was able to survive the wrecks and catch himself a win!

This week's race brought us to Pocono Raceway for the CP2 Pennsylvania 500. 2.5 miles and 3 turns of madness, ready for a wall to claim a victim.

Practice: It appeared we were using the setup provided by Tim in the e-mail earlier today. I had practiced with the default fast setup and I didn't see the e-mail until right before the race. I would have liked more time before the race, but I'm not complaining (much, lol). Keep on creating those setups Tim. Much appreciated :)

Qualification: Eric got the pole. This would be an indicator of things to come.

Race: Green Flag, as 11 drivers revved up for 80 'Tricky Triangle' laps. Everyone immediately got to single file and concentrated on making those turns. Dusty had to leave for work so boss duties went to others.

Lap 3 our first caution of the day occurred, when both Phil and Andy got loose in turn 3. Phil on the outside got some wall action which kept him facing forward, but Andy on the inside had no wall to help him (that's a good thing, right?), and went for a spin. This reporter went low and just barely missed Andy. Pitting all around, except for Tim who stayed out.

Lap 6 Green Flag! Everyone settles in for single line racing and passing. Around lap 8, Phil goes wide in turn 3 and a whole mess of cars pass him. He scrapes wall then turns into the pits and retires. No reason apparently, as his car is still good. Race stays green.

Lap 15 sees our second caution when Andy gets too close to Matt W. in turn 3 and gives him a bump. Matt W. scrapes some wall and saves it, but the bump messes up Andy's momentum and he loses it, getting some wall too. Pitting for all, as both of them got their bodywork repaired. Though I am in 4th, I decide to stay out to lead a lap before pitting.

Lap 20 Green Flag! The top 3 of Eric/Tim/JJ start pulling away, leaving the rest of us to fight individual battles behind them. By lap 29 JJ takes 2nd away from Tim, only to get loose in turn 3 and almost lose control, as Tim drives right by again. The mighty wall saves JJ, with a little damage of course, as he gets going again, and race stays green as Eric continues to lead. Eric would eventually lead the most laps.

Lap 32 Lady Unluck strikes, as Troy falls victim to her spell. He goes in turn 1 wide, barely misses the wall, then loses 3rd gear. Not good, since everyone here is using it. He continues on in 4th gear, relearning how to navigate the turns.

Lap 46 the caution flag flies as misfortune befalls another driver, when Matt W's engine blows up coming out of turn 1. He parks it on the grass and retires. Reason for engine blowing up is apparently a camshaft issue. Pitting for all.

Lap 52 Green Flag, with Tim leading the way! Turn 1 gets hairy, when Matt S. and Andy get together and instantly separate, leaving me a hole in the middle. I have no choice but to go 3-wide, and I concentrate in staying in the middle. Andy has lost momentum so I have the outside lane free now. Close call! Eric starts making his way up to the front again, and in doing so he gets the fastest lap of the race. Not bad. He has the pole, he has most laps led, and now the fastest lap. Wouldn't it be the icing on the cake to add a win to that list. We all know the answer to that question, lol.

It's crunch time, and another 3-wide situation occurs on lap 53, as JJ on the inside and JB on the outside go into turn 3. Andy's momentum carries him to the outside of JB and Andy lets off before the he meets the wall. It's getting wild now! Eric retakes the lead from Tim.

Lap 57 another caution flies, this time for the leaders. Eric gets loose in turn 3, brakes, Tim gets to his bumper and brakes, then it looks like Eric will get going but he brakes again and this time Tim cannot avoid him. They both take a spin, with both getting some wall, however Eric gets righted while Tim spins out. I was behind them and just came upon them as Eric got going again, but all I saw was smoke. Luckily Eric got going again, because I was headed for him, lol. Pitting for all.

Lap 62 Green Flag! I am leading JJ, who is giving me no easy ride. Turn 1 sees a little action as Scott slides up a bit and puts Eric in the wall, but Eric keeps it straight and continues on. By lap 63 I start noticing my gas pedal is keeping a little gas revved up when I let off of it. The consequence is that I keep sliding up in the turns. I slide up one final time in turn 3 and scrape wall, enough to lose speed for another caution. I drag my ass into pits with my gas pedal now just giving a tiny bit of gas, and I creep into the pits. I call it quits. It's too bad, as I had absolutely no damage up til now. Pitting for some except the leaders.

Tim is leading. Somewhere during the caution, another calamity hits, when Andy loses 2nd gear. Not a big problem. He just will suck on the restart.

Lap 68 Green Flag! JJ almost runs over Andy and his lost gear, but swerves to the inside and takes 2nd. JJ makes an inside move on Tim before the tunnel turn. They bring out the caution when JJ touches the apron, goes just a little to the right as Tim squeezes down hard. Tim takes the brunt of it as his car flies to the right, hits the wall hard, spins, and Eric gets into him and smacks him around, as Eric got a little wall but kept it straight. Not a good night for Tim. Andy and Scott got a piece of that incident, as this looked like the 'big one' for the race, with a lot of spinning going around. The only ones not affected, JJ and JB, stayed out while everyone else pitted for some tires.

Lap 73 Green Flag! JJ took off like a bullet, while Eric started passing to get up there. It didn't take long, and by lap 74 Eric was putting on the heat. JJ felt it and that's what brought out the final caution of the day.

Lap 74 JJ is apparently driving using his rearview mirror, and goes in to hot in turn 3, sliding up into the wall and spinning out, as Eric takes 1st again. Scott takes a little spin trying to avoid JJ. Leaders stay out obviously. JJ retires from the race.

This is a 2-lap shootout!

Lap 79 Green Flag! Do or die! Eric takes off and leaves them all in the dust. Absolutely no heat as he crossed the finish line and took the checker! The finish line was mighty dusty as he smoked the tires in a victory burn!

Congratulations Eric! See you all next week!

Starting Lineup - 11 drivers