- Kevin Boehm wins both weekend SRO TC races in his HPD Honda Civic Type R
- Carter Fartuch pilots new HPD Honda Civic Si FE1 to TCA class victory on Sunday; podium on Saturday
- Spencer Bucknum continues run of top-five TCA results in the LA Honda World 10th-generation HPD Honda Civic Si
Kevin Boehm continued his near-perfect season in SRO TC competition, claiming his fourth and fifth class victories of 2022 in his Skip Barber Racing School HPD Honda Civic Type R this weekend after close battles in both races at VIRginia International Raceway. Meanwhile, Carter Fartuch piloted his new HPD Honda Civic Si FE1 to the TCA victory on Sunday, plus a podium finish in Saturday’s opening race.
TC Honda Civic Type R
The fifth round of the SRO TC America powered by Skip Barber series started with Boehm on the TC class pole in his Skip Barber Racing School HPD Honda Civic Type R. Although he briefly fell behind Clay Williams halfway through the race, he fought back to the front of the class and then successfully defended his position to the end of the race.
In Sunday’s race, Boehm started behind Ricca and Williams but snuck past the duo through VIR’s climbing esses in the first lap. Boehm and Williams traded places several times before an extended yellow flag, that soon turned red. Shortly after the green flag dropped to restart the race, Williams encountered mechanical issues and Boehm pulled a substantial lead to the finish.
Mat Pombo also performed well on Saturday in his LA Honda World Racing HPD Honda Civic Type R. Pombo raced consistently in the top five—briefly taking third place—and finished fifth. In Sunday’s race, Pombo was joined in the top five by Mike Lamarra in the other LA Honda World Racing HPD Honda Civic Type R, with the teammates placing fourth and fifth respectively.
TCA Honda Civic Si
The new HPD Honda Civic Si FE1—which will be available for delivery to customers late 2022—also had a strong weekend, with Carter Fartuch continuing to prove the all-new model’s strong performance at VIR.
In Saturday’s qualifying, Fartuch set the third-fastest time in the SRO TCA class before an off-track excursion put him in the tire wall. The team quickly repaired the car before the afternoon race. Fartuch leaped from third to the lead in less than two laps after the start and held the lead for the majority of the race’s first half, finishing the race third on the podium.
The action continued Sunday with Fartuch starting fourth, but he took the lead immediately after the race start. Like Boehm in the TC class, Fartuch found himself in a near-constant battle among the top three TCA class positions. 15 minutes into the race, however, Gresham Wagner—second place behind Fartuch—went off the track and into the tire wall, narrowly avoiding Fartuch. Close battle for first continued when Devin Anderson overtook Fartuch in the last lap, but Fartuch managed to retake the lead exiting VIR’s famous Oak Tree Curve and finish victorious.
Spencer Bucknum also achieved a top-five finish Saturday and Sunday in his LA Honda World Racing 10th-gen Honda Civic Si; Bucknum has placed in the top five in every SRO TCA class race this season. Mike Ogren also managed a strong top-five finish Sunday in his Skip Barber Racing School 10th-gen HPD Honda Civic Si.
Fartuch has taken his Skip Barber Racing School machine to a podium finish in all six SRO TCA class races this season, including victories at Sonoma Raceway, NOLA Motorsports Park and now VIR.
Quotes
Kevin Boehm (#9 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type R) TC race winner both Saturday and Sunday, following Sunday’s race: “I’m looking at all the numbers on the dash, and I’ve programmed it to give me information that I need to know what to do, whether it’s looking at temperatures or just trying to feel the car. All those things add up, and in a race like today where it’s really complicated with restarts, it’s really tough. But you just got to go with the flow, and the race becomes shorter, so you can drive a little bit differently, and that’s what it took today.”
Carter Fartuch (#10 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1) TCA race winner Sunday, third on Saturday: “The TCA class puts on some of the best shows possible. It has some of the best drivers, so being able to drive and race against these guys has been such a pleasure.”
Next
The Honda Civic Type R and Civic Si Touring Car teams will head to Watkins Glen International in New York for Rounds 7 & 8 of the 2022 TC America series, July 22 – 24.
TC America presented by Skip Barber Racing School NOLA Saturday Race Results
1st TC - #9 Kevin Boehm, Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type R
5th TC - #37 Mat Pombo, LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type R
7th TC - #42 Ken Fukuda, Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type R
8th TC - #73 Mike Lamarra, LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type R
NC TC - #8 Ruben Iglesias, VGRT Racing Honda Civic Type R
TCA America presented by Skip Barber Racing School NOLA Saturday Race Results
3rd TCA - #16 Carter Fartuch, Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1
5th TCA - #5 Spencer Bucknum, LA Honda World Racing 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
6th TCA - #20 Mike Ogren, Skip Barber Racing School 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
8th TCA - #780 Sally McNulty, VGRT Racing Team 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
10th TCA - #2 Colin Harrison, Skip Barber Racing School 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
TC America presented by Skip Barber Racing School NOLA Sunday Race Results
1st TC - #9 Kevin Boehm, Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type R
4th TC - #37 Mat Pombo, LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type R
5th TC - #73 Mike Lamarra, LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type R
9th TC - #42 Ken Fukuda, Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type R
10th TC - #8 Ruben Iglesias, VGRT Racing Honda Civic Type R
TCA America presented by Skip Barber Racing School NOLA Sunday Race Results
1st TCA - #16 Carter Fartuch, Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1
4th TCA - #5 Spencer Bucknum, LA Honda World Racing 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
5th TCA - #20 Mike Ogren, Skip Barber Racing School 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
9th TCA - #780 Sally McNulty, VGRT Racing Team 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
10th TCA - #2 Colin Harrison, Skip Barber Racing School 10th-gen Honda Civic Si
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