Alton, VA – The ElginRacing Team finished first overall in the 2014 North Carolina Region SCCA’s Charge of the Headlight Brigade 13 hour endurance race at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, VA. This victory continues ElginRacing’s successful endurance racing record as David Jacobs, Greg Obadia and Todd Lamb were called to the podium for overall and first in class wins. The #00 Ford Mustang BOSS 302R completed 345 laps with a 47.839 second gap ahead of the second place #61 Radical SR3 driven by Graham, Gregory and Latham.
Greg Obadia took the green at 9:15 am, followed by David Jacobs and Todd Lamb as the three Elgin drivers rotated piloting the BOSS 302R at each pit stop for fuel and tire changes throughout the long 13 hours. The lead switched between the Mustang and the favored Taggart Autosport’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car driven by professional drivers Randy Pobst, Tom Long and Jim Taggart at least ten times throughout the race. Attrition ruled the day, eliminating a number of competitors including the #28 Johnstone Supply BMW.
Suspense heightened in the last hour when the Taggart GT3 Cup Car hit the tire wall and the number 61 Radical SR3 moved to second position behind ElginRacing. With a victory close at hand, ElginRacing’s Mustang suffered a rear suspension failure when a bolt sheared, forcing an unscheduled pit stop. The MEATHEAD Racing crew directed by ElginRacing’s Car Chief Jimmy Padgett effected emergency repairs. With strategy dictated by Elgin’s data strategist, Francois Bru, Todd Lamb heroically piloted the compromised racecar across the finish line to earn overall victory in one of the top endurance races in the United States.
“Focus, commitment, attention to the small details, an abundance of heart, a great MEATHEAD crew led by Mike Collins, and the mutual trust shared by the ElginRacing Team allowed us to clinch a huge win against some really gracious and professional competitors. We realize each of those fine racers could be standing on the podium on any given day,” said Ben Jacobs, ElginRacing’s founder. “All of the strategic preparation and a dose of good luck gave us this day.”
The 2014 Charge of the Headlight Brigade 13-Hour represented the second overall endurance win in the BOSS 302R for the ElginRacing Team this year. After previous Class wins at the VIR 13-hour in a Mazda MX-5 three years in a row and breaking multiple track records, the team moved to the Ford Mustang BOSS 302R platform for its endurance racing program. ElginRacing’s BOSS 302R made its endurance debut at the SCCA’s 2014 Devil in the Dark 12-hour race in April. Jacobs, Obadia and Lamb took the overall win and the BOSS 302R the 12-hour race at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).
Today’s win was the culmination of intense preparation by the team, Ford Racing, Roush Yates engineers and the MEATHEAD Racing crew, who worked together in 2014 to ensure the BOSS 302R can stand up to the most intense rigors and demands of VIR’s challenging 3.27 mile, 17-turn track. ElginRacing credits Bruce Smith, engineer at Ford Racing, for developing the solid platform and introducing the team to Jeff Campey at Roush Fenway to help prepare the Mustang for the 13-hour race. Roush Yates Engines performed the engine rebuild and Roush Performance handled the engine tuning. ElginRacing’s partners Radial Tire Co., York Automotive, and OG Racing also played a critical role in supporting ElginRacing’s efforts.
ElginRacing ended a successful 2014 season in which team members have been on the podium in every race entered. ElginRacing’s drivers hold the track records at VIRginia International Raceways, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, NJMP, and Summit Point MotorSports Park. ElginRacing recently won the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series (MARRS) SM5 championship for the second year in a row.
The NC Region SCCA’s Charge of the Headlight Brigade event is considered one of the top events in endurance racing. During Friday night’s qualifying session, Greg Obadia posted the second fastest time putting the car on the outside pole. The top 45 teams from around the country competed on October 25, 2014. ElginRacing has posted updates, images and videos from the race on its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/elginracing. The unofficial race results are posted on https://www.race-monitor.com/Results/Session/5199409.
The ElginRacing Team on podium (pictured above from left to right): [Top row] Ian Brooks, Ryan Vens, David Jacobs, Todd Lamb, Greg Obadia; [Middle row] Kyle Roberts, Jonathan Bergeron, Nick Bruni, Francois Bru, John Chang; [Bottom row] Tyler Dahl, Mike Collins, Glenn Murphey, Jimmy Padgett, Gregg Downer, Kori Joyce and Daniela Mielke. (Photographer: Michael Wheeler)
