Determined to recover from mechanical gremlins that derailed his championship efforts at VIR, Tony Buffomante stormed to the front of the pack in qualifying for Saturday’s Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race at Lime Rock Park. Sub-one minute qualifying times became the norm for the top Mustang Challenge qualifiers on the 1.53-mile, seven-turn road course in Lakeville, CT.
VIR event winner, Jason von Kluge started from sixth spot, while Dan Aweida filled out the front row. When the green flag fell, Buffomante moved out smartly, while Aweida slipped a spot, putting Richard Golinello into second. A fuel system issue later knocked Golinello out of contention, condensing the field under a yellow flag.
Photos: Wes Duenkel/Mustang Challenge
Rookie Kyle Gimple managed to move into second spot and keep VIR-winner Jason von Kluge in his shadow until the end of the race. Starting from P6, von Kluge captured the final podium spot when the checkered flag fell. For his first visit to Lime Rock, von Kluge was satisfied with the result. “I was pushing pretty hard and ran the wheels off in the dirt a few times!” he explained.
Taking second spot and Rookie of the Race award, Gimple noted, “I was doing everything I could to keep von Kluge behind me so I’m really happy to be up here on the podium.”
Pole sitter Tony Buffomante held on to top spot throughout the entire race, shaking off Gimple’s charge after the yellow period.. Does Buffomante have a secret weapon? Perhaps. “My dad was so good on the radio, as always. He keeps me calm, and I feel like I know everything that’s going on around me with him calling the race.” But, teamwork is a big part of the result as well.
“This feels great because it is the first win for the Capalidi Racing guys in Mustang Challenge, and I have to have these kinds of days with maximum points if we are going to get back into the championship fight,” he added.
Now in its third season, the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is a professional spec-racing series developed by Ford Racing and Miller Motorsports Park and sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association. Based on the Ford Racing FR500S Mustang, the series is run as a support race to major road course events across the country.
The series reaches a fever pitch as the teams move out smartly now to Watkins Glen, NY, for the next round of competition this coming weekend, June 6th.