
Jimmy Sykes
Tomy Drissi leads the pack during his run to victory ahead of RJ Lopez on Thunderbolt Raceway.
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MILLVILLE — Defending SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series champion Tomy Drissi captured his third career victory at the N.J. Motorsports Park on Sunday.
Race fans witnessed the 2010 rebirth of the Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing Trans-Am as the series kicked off SCCA’s 43rd year of competition over the weekend under clear skies and strong winds.
During the Vintage SCCA competition, NJMP’s own Joe Volpe, director of motorsports activities, won the race piloting his Mustangsplus.com-prepared 1965 Ford Mustang, taking the lead on the first lap and never relinquishing it. The same thunderous V-8 racecars that 45 years ago graced the former 9-turn Vineland Speedway, only a few miles from the Millville facility, returned to Cumberland County for this SCCA Professional racing series.
NJMP recorded two notable events. It was the first race weekend with live timing allowing race fans to monitor the race results in real time online. Also on Saturday, 15-year-old Sean Rayhall of Comprent Motorsports became the youngest SCCA Pro Racing winner in the Sports Car Club Association’s history. On Sunday, Rayhall made it a perfect weekend by again taking the lead from the pole position during the second series race and never letting go of his first place position. He was joined on the podium by Hippi Racing’s Scott Rettich and Robinson Motor Sports’ Matthew Mair.
Also on Sunday, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle earned his first career Jetta TDI Cup victory after going wire-to-wire as he led the field in each of the race’s 19 laps. Two Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup rookies, Arie Ouimet and Chris Wehrheim finished second and third respectively.