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At the start, both Pobst and
Galati get great launches... |
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...Pobst (starting 5th) is
quickly by Fitzgerald (starting 3rd), and rockets onto the rear bumper of
pole-sitter Auberlen... |
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...but when Auberlen moves
right to block Pobst, Randy is forced into a defensive move to his own
right... |
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...which results in
side-to-side contact between Pobst and Phil McClure's Corvette before Randy
can get clear... |
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...Pobst chases Auberlen up
the hill into turn two, with Galati already up to fifth |
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Michael Galati finds himself
boxed in by a trio of BMW's |
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While the RS 6's got
excellent starts, the Sears Point circuit favors the lightest, most nimble
cars, and provides no straights where the Audi's can use their superior
twin-turbo power. Pobst and Galati both fall well back in the pack... |
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...and run nose-to-tail for a
number of laps, defending series champion Galati riding shotgun for current
points leader (going into this race) Randy Pobst |
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Randy Pobst leads Michael
Galati at Sears Point |
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Pobst suspects he has a
puncture on his right-front tire, and during a caution period teammate
Galati moves up to take a closer look at the tire and rim |
 |
Randy didn't have a flat tire
then...but did soon after...not from earlier contact, but simply because his
Toyo tires wore out and burst |
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Galati gets the go-ahead to
try his luck after Pobst is forced to pit, Michael making his way up to a
fine (considering the circumstances) sixth place, his best finish of a
difficult season |
 |
Randy Pobst's outstanding
rocket-start earns him the Remus SportExhaust Power Move of the Race
Award...but Randy was only able to finish 15th on the day |
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"JAZ"...both Champion Audi's
carried the initials of Jerome Zimmerman at Sears Point...Jerome was the
long-time crew chief for Real Time Racing, and died tragically when his
motorcycle was stuck by a car just a week prior to this race. |
 |
Our friend Jerome
Zimmerman...Greatly Respected...Greatly Missed... |
