Kotyk Takes Second Win as More Rain Falls!

 Braselton, GA

April 20, 2019

The green flag flew and Goikhberg pulled into the top spot. By the time the field reached turn 10a it was Kotyk taking the lead with fellow K-Hill driver Bryce Aron following. For the start of the race the track was dry, the overcast remained heavy but it seemed the rain had ended.

By the start of the third lap, it was Kotyk, Goikhberg, and Aron spacing themselves from the pack. Christain Lall Dass, Ryan Bjerke, and Tim Dunn comprised fourth through sixth. The Pelfrey entries of Josh Green and Ayrton Ori were mired in eighth and ninth.

Overall, the demeaner of the competition was composed, perhaps the relief of a dry track had calmed the nerves of the competitors. Out front, the battle however was fierce. The two K-Hill drivers of Kotyk and Aron seemed content to let Goikhberg lead, but lap times fell as the three pushed hard. Behind them Christian Lall Dass and Ryan Bjerke had made a pack of their own and for the time being they seemed safe battling amongst themselves for the fourth and fifth spots. That said, a few second behind, Zachery Vanier started posting the fastest times overall and should Dass or Bjerke not respond they could find themselves with a third member of their party.

Fourteen laps to race and the top three remain nose to tail, still it appears that the K-Hill drivers are content to follow. Vanier’s pace paid off as Bjerke appears to have faltered somewhere and fell sixth, though they still remain some four seconds ahead the Pelfrey drivers behind.

Small drops of intermittent rain have begun to fall again, not enough to slow the pace in a substantial way, but it could be signs of more serious weather lurking above. The lead pack with Goikhberg, Kotyk and Aron continues to lead, though Aron must have made an error somewhere as his grip on the front two is slightly loosened now. The fight for fifth continues with Vanier and Bjerke and it gave Dass lots of breathing room for him and his Piper chassis. His pace matches that for third place, but with a three second gap he will have the claw that back on merit alone, there will be no draft to aid him.

Passing the half way mark those droplets have turned into full fledged drops. Times are now starting to slow something like a second a lap, but Goikhberg and Kotyk have nearly broken the draft from Aron.

The rain gaining even greater intensity now it’s a full fledged downpour. The drivers, competing on hot slick tires will certainly be in for a challenge. The top three come through, nine laps left, no change in position. The field maintaining an excellent amount of composure given the difficult conditions they are once again experiencing.

Goikhberg and Kotyk hammer on, Bryce Aron perhaps has thought the better of the conditions and dialed it back, he’s now a solid three seconds off the leaders. Christian Lall Dass holds steady in fourth. The middle of the pack has been shaken up now, Vanier holds fifth, but Josh Green has wedged himself in behind displacing Ryan Bjerke to seventh. Ayrton Ori continues to put the pressure on at the back of that pack.

With five laps to go, Kotyk is taking his turn leading the pack, but the race gets interrupted as a car spins into the turn 10a gravel trap and the full course yellow is brought out. With four laps to go the session is finished behind the pace car. The last lap show down will have to wait for another day. That leaves Kotyk with the win, Goikhberg in second, Aron in third, Christain Lall Dass in fourth, and Josh Green in fifth. Gord Ross completed the master's hat trick having won all three races, Scott Rubenzer came home second in master's, and Mike Scanlan third in the category.