Kendall Holds off Schroeder for 7th Straight Trans-Am Win (with Results)
13 July 1997
KENDALL STILL PERFECT; HOLDS OFF SCHROEDER FOR SEVENTH-STRAIGHT AT CLEVELAND CLEVELAND, Ohio - Tom Kendall continued his record Trans-Am season-opening win streak, claiming his seventh-straight victory at the Cleveland Preformed Line Products Trans-Am Challenge. Kendall, driving the No. 11 All Sport Body Quencher Ford Mustang Cobra, finished 0.719-second ahead of Dorsey Schroeder to score his 22nd career win, becoming the first Trans-Am driver to earn over $1,000,000 in career winnings ($1,016,180) in the process. Schroeder, in the No. 12 Raybestos Mustang Cobra, started the 42-lap, 99.54-mile race on the pole after qualifying at a record 1:12.071 (118.38 mph), breaking Kendall's 10-race streak of consecutive fastest-qualifier efforts. Brian Simo started second, followed by Kendall, Mike Borkowski and Paul Gentilozzi. Simo and Gentilozzi were quickly out of the front pack as Gentilozzi gave Simo's No. 22 Valvoline Mustang Cobra a nudge at turn one on the opening lap, spinning Simo back to 20th and causing a multi- car incident as the 30-car field tried to make it by. During the ensuing yellow, Gentilozzi was penalized to the 21st position, while the order at the front was Schroeder and Kendall 1-2. At the lap six restart, Kendall went wide into turn one, building momentum for a successful run for the lead, which he secured two turns later. "I cooked up that wild routine in the motorhome beforehand," said Kendall. "I was thinking about it on the start, but I was trapped inside. I figured all the trouble would happen on the inside because it's so wide, but it's also very dirty there, and it's hard to get a car stopped. I though I'd drive down to the outside, brake there and have a pretty good shot getting off the corner." Once in the lead, Kendall was there for good despite a race-long challenge by Schroeder, who posted the day's fastest race-lap, 1:12.956 (116.820 mph) also a record. "I've got to take my hat off to my team - they're working so hard," said Schroeder. Obviously everyone knows the frustration level of trying to catch Tommy all year. Tommy did a fantastic job. We finally had a knockdown drag-out race - we ran those cars as hard as you could run them for the whole race. If we could refuel them, we'd go do it again. You hate losing in a situation when you're that good." Simo recovered to finish third, earning the DynoMax Turn On the Power Award, and R.J. Valentine earned the CIPA Mirrors Pass Of the Race Award for his re-pass of Bob Ruman to secure his 10th-place finish. Borkowski finished fourth, winning the Raybestos Rising Star Of the Race Award, followed by Jon Gooding in fifth and Gentilozzi in sixth. "I called my crew on the radio and told them I'd be back in fourth in 10 laps," said Simo. "I think I did it in six. Then the rest was just trying to keep up with these guys (Kendall and Schroeder), which was a next-to-impossible feat. They were running real strong nose-to-tail. I tried to stay with them for a while, but it seemed like a wasted effort, so I just kind of settled back and hoped they'd take each other out and I'd be able to drive to the finish. It didn't happen." Jim Briody earned the OPTIMA Batteries Quick Charger Of the Race Award for advancing nine positions to finish 16th. After seven races Kendall leads the Drivers' Championship standings with 236, followed by Schroeder, 163; Simo and Gooding, 153; Greg Pickett, 149; Borkowski, 143; Gentilozzi, 126; Michael Lewis, 109, John Miller IV, 103; and Bill Saunders, 97. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Ford leads Chevrolet by 39 points, 63 to 24. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Results from Saturday's 42-lap, 99.54-mile Preformed Line Products Trans-Am race at the Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport, with finishing position, starting position driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out (if any). FP SP Driver, Hometown Car Laps Reason ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 3 Tom Kendall, Santa Monica, Calif. Ford Mustang Cobra 42 2 1 Dorsey Schroeder, Osage Beach, Mo. Ford Mustang Cobra 42 3 2 Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif. Ford Mustang Cobra 42 4 4 Mike Borkowski, Middlebury, Conn. Ford Mustang Cobra 42 5 6 Jon Gooding, Longwood, Fla. Ford Mustang Cobra 42 6 5 Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich. Chevrolet Camaro 42 7 8 Michael Lewis, San Diego, Calif. Ford Mustang Cobra 42 8 7 Greg Pickett, Alamo, Calif. Chevrolet Camaro 42 9 30 John W. Miller IV, Johnson City, Tenn. Chevrolet Camaro 42 10 12 R.J. Valentine, Hingham, Mass. Chevrolet Camaro 42 11 19 Bob Ruman, Monroe Falls, Ohio Chevrolet Camaro 42 12 13 Randy Ruhlman, Greensboro, N.C. Dodge 42 13 14 Don Meluzio, York, Pa. Chevrolet Camaro 42 14 21 Larry Merricks, Keymar, Md. Chevrolet Camaro 42 15 25 Jim Briody, Cherry Hill, N.J. Chevrolet Camaro 40 16 26 Ed Hinchliff, Ypsilanti, Mich. Ford Mustang Cobra 40 17 15 Peter Shea, Newport Beach, Calif. Chevrolet Camaro 38 18 16 Craig Shafer, Somerset, Penn. Chevrolet Camaro 37 19 28 Ted Sullivan, Hampton, Corners, Can. Chevrolet Camaro 37 20 24 Todd Sprinkle, Mechanicsburg, Penn. Chevrolet Camaro 36 Trans 21 9 Bill Saunders, Dallas, Texas Chevrolet Camaro 35 22 27 Frank Cioppettini Jr., Morristown, N.J. Chevrolet Camaro 32 Mech 23 29 Jerry Simmons, Ancaster, Ontario, Can. Chevrolet Camaro 26 Crash 24 17 Don Sak, West Bloomfield, Mi Olds Cutlass 25 Mech 25 23 Rick Dittman, Prairieview, Ill. Chevrolet Camaro 20 Mech 26 10 Bruce Nesbitt, Chicago, Ill. Ford Mustang Cobra 10 Crash 27 22 Claudio Burtin, Rosario, Argentina Ford Mustang Cobra 1 Crash 28 11 Max Lagod, Barrington, Ill. Chevrolet Camaro 0 Crash 29 20 Ray Genick, Waterford Mich Chevrolet Camaro 0 Crash DISQ 18 Kerry Alexander, Indianapolis, Ind. Chevrolet Camaro Time of race: 1 hour, 5 minutes, 45.823 seconds. Average speed: 90.816 mph Margin of victory: 0.719-second Lap leaders: laps 1-5, No. 12 Schroeder; laps 6-42, No. 11 Kendall. Fastest race lap: Dorsey Schroeder, 1:12.956 (116.947 mph)
