2004 Spec Racing Season off to a strong start at VIR, February 21-22

The 2004 Spec Racing season got off to a strong start at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) this past weekend with a quick sprint race and then the tough Valentine's 300. Factory Five employees Jim Schenck and Dave Riha started off the Friday test day with some impressive times to get ready for the weekend. The past two years had showed that the FFR cars could do well (an overall win by Dobyns/Hobbes in 2002 and Elam had a 2.5 lap lead overall before his 2003 wreck.) Schenck and Riha were joined by the team of Harry and Dan Elam with clear goals of a class win. This year, the field was much tougher including Grand-Am Cup cars, former Trans-Am, and the usual American Iron, not to mention the defending champions in a Thunder Roadster. Qualifying for both the sprint race and the enduro was on Saturday. Schenck was the fastest with Riha close behind. Elam blew a head gasket after just 1/4 of a lap which meant Team Elam would start from the back of the field on Sunday thanks to no qualifying time. (Schenck had already replaced a head gasket on Friday evening.) Since Schenck and Riha were skipping the sprint race, the decision was made to put Dan Elam in Schenck's car to get a few laps. The decision was made late and the grid was closed by the time Elam rolled up. So Elam had to start from a standing start in the pits on cold tires and brakes as the field took the green. In just the short 8 lap race, Elam went out and passed 27 cars to get a class win. It was clear that Factory Five would mount a strong challenge on Sunday. The Valentine's 300 is a different kind of race. It's a cross between a regular endurance race and a sprint race. You have to drive the car hard all the time because pit strategy can hurt you, but it can't win for you like in an endurance race. (To wit, the overall winner of the 3.5 hour race was determined by about the width of a bumper!) The start of the Valentine's 300 had Riha and Harry Elam with good starts and picking up many cars even before the first turn. Schenck had power problems (a plug wire was later found to have burned through), but all three drivers drove nice and smooth as they continued to pick off cars. Mayhem broke early when a Honda blew an engine at VIR's famed Oak Tree turn. Oil was everywhere and cars slid all over the place with a Miata hitting Elam and causing suspension, body, and electrical damage. One car caught on fire. Several other cars ended up being in the melee and an extended full course yellow bunched up the remaining field. The Elams were unable to repair the car to get back on the track, but Riha and Schenck had moved up even further in the field. The pit crew included numerous Factory Five enthusiasts and crew chief Mark Dougherty all combined together to support the cars. When Riha and Schenck came in the preparation paid off with two of the best pit stops that anyone had in the entire race. The lack of drivers had meant that Schenck and Riha both had to drive the entire race. With less than 30 minutes to go, dehydration brought Schenck into the paddock, but Riha continued to pull away from the others in the class. The final result? Factory Five scored an impressive class win as Dave Riha picked up his first ever career win! Schenck, despite running on just 7 cylinders, ran strong enough to pick up a third place finish due to the reliability and great gas mileage. Congratulations to both Dave Riha and Jim Schenck for continuing Factory Five's strong performance in this event!