CalSpeedMagMarch2018

U nlike the opening pair of events, round #3 for the 2018 IronMan Series would race under clear skies and warm temperatures, with 35 drivers taking to the course across both classes. Sportivo would be the battleground on this occasion, the Series switching back to the clockwise direction after a month heading the other way. The run of first time winners in 2018 would continue in the sport class, while the Pro Class would see a recent winner not have to wait long for victory #2… Michael Wojdat would lead the entirety of the IronMan Series up the hill and into turn number one after the green, the Pro Class drivers immediately gapping themselves from the sport karts via their VLR 206 rides. His time at the front would be short-lived however, as round #2 winner Alexander Bermudez made the move to take over the top spot on lap four. Unlike the past couple of races where things became pretty spread out, the leader would be unable to shake his chasing foes, with Wojdat staying right with him, while series newcomer Charles Eichlin joined up a few laps later. For Eichlin, dispatching last month’s runner-up Jetson Lieser was the first item of business, with Lieser electing to make his stops a short while later. Unfortunately for him, the draft was playing a big role in the outcome, and with the lead three trading fast laps with that draft help, Lieser would not stay in the fight. While Jetson made his stops on laps 9 and 11, the lead group stayed out for several laps before making their first trip down pit lane, with Bermudez the first to blink on lap 20. Eichlin would follow suit right away, while Wojdat electing to using the ‘clean air’ for a few circuits, staying out until lap 26. With the first stop in the books, the trio would meet back up again, with Bermudez leading over Wojdat and Eichlin. The biggest factor in their position would indeed be traffic; Bermudez’s added experience in this regard really gave him the upper hand, but he still was not able to pull away from his dutifully chasing rivals. The final pit stops would take place with about a third of the race left, this time seeing Wojdat in first, and Eichlin ducking in last of the three; again, the trio stayed close. This time however it was Eichlin up to second and applying the pressure, and looked to have a shot at the lead a few times. Wojdat’s bid for that win would end about 15 minutes prior to the checkers, as he clipped the wall at the apex of the Monaco Hairpin, spinning himself out of contention. Now just two, the battle for the win came right down to the end, with Bermudez bring it home for two in a row by just .164 at the line. Round 3 March 31 PRO RESULTS 1 8 Alexander Bermudez 2 16 Charles Eichlin 3 5 Jetson Lieser 4 15 Tony Wika 5 12 Michael Wojdat

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