Wild and Wonderful: James Davison Wins in Wacky Mid-Ohio Race Two Finish

Racer to Crew: Did I Just Win This Thing?

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

Wade Cunningham (L), James Davison and Pablo Donoso at Mid-Ohio race two. Photo: AndySallee

The winner radioed his crew in the pits asking "Did I just win this thing?" in a wacky, wet and wonderfully wild Mid-Ohio 100 Race Two on Sunday (July 20th).

In harmony with its recent past history of gripping and frankly unbelievable finishes (remember the closest professional racing victory ever at Chicagoland last year?) the Firestone Indy Lights Series served up what looked at times like a 'Keystone Cops' caper; but at its close provided more drama than the 'Dark Knight' ever dreamed.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports' James Davison reversed has ill-fortune on the oval at Nashville only one week before to win this rain-delayed slippery-noodle of an auto race after Kiwi Jonny Reid, a battle-tested and gifted open-wheel veteran, mistakenly pulled onto the pit road prior to the start/finish line, giving up a hard-fought victory to the surprised Australian.

"He made a mistake," said Davison of the last-lap faux pas in which Reid apparently mistook a backstretch flag station for the finish and backed off the throttle approximately one half mile from the actual mark.

Thoroughly convinced of his win, Reid pulled off the track without even taking a victory lap, failing to cross beneath the checkered flag of a race he clearly had won. "I feel badly for Jonny," said Davison, "he's such a good racer; but maybe the gods of racing were looking out for me today."

Davison faced plenty of rain-influenced drama of his own in the early stages of the race when a freshly-soaked race course that had recently been treated to seal the surface proved as slick as an ice-skating rink for the field of twenty-six competitors.

James skidded into the gravel trap nearly axle-deep early in the race, falling into fourteenth place before getting back on-track.

"Cars were going everywhere, dropping off the track. It was impossible to stay on," he said.

Wade Cunningham and Pablo Donoso Complete Race Two Podium

Alliance Motorsports' driver switch paid off handsomely for the Brownsville-based team as newcomer (to the team, not to the series) Wade Cunningham brought the second-place trophy home to the mantle.

Race winner James Davison. Photo: AndySallee

"I'm happy with second," the 2005 Indy Lights champion said. "I threw positions away at the first, then inherited some at the end. We had a 'dry' setup on the car despite the rain-tires; and the car really came on strong at the end (as the racing line dried)."

Wade was one of the first to identify the newly-sealed racing surfaces of the 2.258 mile road course as treacherous to speeding open-wheel racecars. "I think everyone knows that rubber and water don't mix very well," he said wryly from the podium afterwards.

Team Moore's Pablo Donoso finished third.

"It was a really hard race," said Donoso. "I had to be careful and just finish."

American Spirit Racing recorded its best finish of the season with Cyndie Allemann (overcoming multiple spins and trips into the grass) on fourth; while Davison teammate Ana 'Bia' Beatriz drove steadily (despite a looping spin down the frontstretch in front of the pits near mid-race) for fifth.

Championship points leader Raphael Matos of AFS Andretti Green Racing and series chief contender Richard Antinucci overplayed their hands multiple times trying to throw a knockout punch at each other. Rafa spun early, then again (this time into Bobby Wilson) and finally parked the bent car in frustration for eighteenth place.

Antinucci, easily on pace to retake the points lead with margin from his Brazilian counterpart, pressed to improve his position and spun twice before finally veering off-track in a three-car pileup with Logan Gomez and Robbie Pecorari (an altercation that yielded fisticuffs before it was broken-up by safety workers).

Antinucci finished fourteenth, enough for him to reclaim the series' points lead by a single slim point.

Race Recap

Rainshowers delayed the start of the race for one hour, washing the grip away, and predictably sending the cars at speed skittering across the asphalt. Brent Sherman was first to fall victim, spinning on the parade lap and dropping to the rear.

Roostertails flew as Reid pressed his pole advantage on Antinucci, and Raphael Matos spun, collecting Cyndie Allemann (who became stuck off-track, requiring an assist to move back on-course). Wade Cunningham also got loose and into the gravel trap as the green flag flew.

Arie Luyendyk Jr then spun in Turn 13, off course and stuck in the grass as well before track workers put him back right.

Jonny Reid leads in the wet. Photo: AndySallee

Up front Reid looked comfortable as Antinucci settled into second and Perera hung to third ahead of Jeff Simmons and James Davison.

After a brief yellow Bobby Wilson and J R Hildebrand went off course, while further down the circuit Franck Perera lost control, giving up third place. Davison then ran into the gravel as the caution flag flew again.

Reid took advantage of the next restart to pop further ahead of Antinucci as Jeff Simmons and Daniel Herrington ran off into the tire barriers, forcing retirement for both, in Turn 1 and Turn 2 respectively.

Again under yellow, Matos spun and forced Bobby Wilson off as both drivers retired with broken suspensions.

Lap 8 brought another restart, with Bia spinning down the front straightaway while Reid and Antinucci pressed on at the front. Behind them Mitch Cunningham passed Pablo Donoso, then Antinucci went off and re-entered the fray in fourth, then passed Donoso to claim third.

Perera spun a second time and retired, and Luyendyk spun to a halt as well, forcing another yellow flag for removal of cars from the race course.

The rain delay mandated a forty-minute time limit on the event (rather than the customary one hour limit of Indy Lights racing) and with ten minutes left, on Lap 11, the running order stood Reid, Mitch Cunningham, Antinucci, Donoso and Logan Gomez.

The race restarted on Lap 13 with the track drying somewhat. Antinucci attempted to pass M. Cunningham off the racing line, and spun falling out of the top ten. Allemann went off again into the gravel, then got back on, as Donoso claimed third, Davison moved up to fourth and Sean Guthrie took over fifth.

Yellow again, and sunshine overhead now, bringing Lap 15 when the racing resumed.

Reid charged ahead with M. Cunningham in tow. Cunningham dove inside of Reid to take the lead on this the first full lap of green flag in the race.

Three minutes left, and the racing line (but not the passing line) dry, Cunningham pulled away from Reid both on the rapidly-wearing rain tires. Behind them Antinucci went off again, then back on, losing more track position from eighth.

The leader Cunningham then spun unpressed, hit the tire barrier, and retired giving Reid the lead with one lap remaining.

Antinucci's day ended in frustration in Turn 4, on Lap 18, off the course in the grass with Logan Gomez and Robbie Pecorari.

The race ended fittingly under yellow again, timed out at 40 minutes on Lap 20 of a scheduled 40, with the order Reid, Davison, Wade Cunningham, Donoso and Allemann.

No, wait a minute, Jonny Reid slowed thinking the finish was at the same place on the backstretch as the flag station that marked the start; and after pulling onto pitlane with the race still underway, your winner is James Davison of Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

Reid Finishes Ninth in Confounding Result

Jonny Reid, an A1GP World Cup of Motorsport twice runner-up who has a sterling racing pedigree reaching into formula series back to his childhood, could only lament the lost opportunity with words of consolation. "I am really disappointed," he said. "I just came into the pits. There was no excuse for it."

"The yellow came out at the end, so I thought the race was over; it was done."

Reid blamed the confusion in part on a malfunctioning radio that succombed to electrical problems during the downpour that began the day, and a lack of communication with his crew that might have averted disaster.

"What confused me most was when the safety-car came onto the track, and then came off again," Jonny continued. "I dropped into first gear to follow it, then pulled off. I didn't know what to do."

"I lost, but it is going to make me hungrier for a win than ever before."

Championship Race Nearly Level at Conclusion of Round Twelve

Richard Antinucci (376 points) and Raphael Matos (375 points) go to Kentucky (the next event on the schedule, two weeks hence) with the Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver holding a one-point lead in the contest for the 2008 Firestone Firehawk Cup.

"I should have won this race five times today," said Richard. "It was hard, but we're still in good shape for the championship, and we'll go out and attack every race the rest of the way."

"It was very difficult today," added Rafa. "I couldn't see anything," behind the spray kicked up by cars ahead.

Ana Beatriz moved closer to the frontrunners, picking up thirty points for fifth place in the race and solidifying her hold on third in the championship chase, now only 44 behind on 332 points with two road courses and two ovals remaining.

RLR Andersen's J R Hildebrand (325 points) and Arie Luyendyk Jr (316 points) are fourth and fifth respectively.

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Mid-Ohio 100 Race Two Winner James Davison Interview

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Firestone Indy Lights Series Mid-Ohio Race Two Results

Firestone Firehawk Cup 2008 Cumulative Results