INDIANAPOLIS — In a tight battle for the Spec Racer Ford national championship, Mike Miserendino, took the checkered flag in his MBI Racing machine for the first time since 2009 during the 54th Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Todd Harris finished second for a fifth overall national podium and Scott Rettich snagged third for a 12th overall national podium.
“Crossing the bricks at IMS as a national champion hasn’t set in yet,” Miserendino said with a huge smile on his face. “I actually felt the bricks underneath me every time, but on the last lap it could have been a cobble stone road and I wouldn’t have known; I was just focusing on that flag. It’s awesome to race and win here in Indy. I feel absolutely amazing right now.”
Harris dominated the SRF class leading up to the championship race, setting fast-lap time in all four qualifying sessions. Driving the No. 42 Pro Drive Racing/Flatout car, Harris lost the chance to defend his 2016 title as the lapped-traffic on the final lap played a role in Miserendino’s win.
“The lapped traffic kept things entertaining today,” Harris said. “It helped me take first but in the end, it threw me off because we had traffic four cars long. I chose to draft and Mike took the inside, and he got by. I love racing these guys, though. They race very hard but clean. Everyone played it straight-up today and that is what we want Spec Racer Ford to be.”
The 50-car SRF field started the 19-lap race with Harris inside on the pole and Miserendino completing the front row. Denny Stripling of McKinney, Texas, Rettich and Todd Vanacore of Ormond Beach, Florida, rounded out the top-five starters.
Rettich got the jump on the start and slipped into first before Turn 1, creating a small gap from the rest of the field. However, his momentum was interrupted by a full-course yellow caused by a four-car, Turn 1 incident.
On the restart, Miserendino took the lead, holding off Rettich. Rettich, tight on Miserendino’s tail, seized the front-runner’s position during Lap 16, but not without contention from the 2016 SRF National Champion Harris. Harris completed a bold pass in lapped traffic to take the lead on Lap 17.
Source : speedsport.com
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