Posted (11/11/2006) -
Ray and Rob returned to the 2006 edition of the ARRC with the goal of being on the podium in all 4 races entered. Three 1st place finishes, and One 3rd place finishes achieved the goal of the weekend.
Rob Huffmaster arrived at the 2006 edition of the ARRC with unfinished rookie business. In 2005 the young talent took to the track in the ITS division with a second place result. This year Rob faced stiff competition in the 26 cars in the ITS class. Rob started the weekend off well, putting the SpeedSource built Mazda RX-7 on the pole position, by over a second.
After Qualifying, Rob had these words to say:
"The Whole Year, the team has been working towards this race. This is the pinnacle event for all Improved Touring racers. So it feels great to be on the pole for the ARRC Championship."
From the pole position Rob held off stiff competition all day long to score his first ARRC victory. Along the way, Rob set fastest race lap. Within the race, the faster TCC/Corvette class competed, and Rob was able to even beat several of the higher horsepower machinery, finishing 7th overall.
"This is the same Mazda RX-7 that SpeedSource built me back in 2000," commented Rob's proud father, Ray. "Not only was this an amazing drive by Rob, but it is a testament to SpeedSource that this car came here six years later, performed flawlessly, and captured the victory."
Not to be outdone by his son, Ray also scored a victory in the ITU class driving a SpeedSource built Mazda RX-8. Ray started the race from pole position and drove the RX-8 to a commanding victory. Along the way, Ray set fastest race lap, recording a new lap record.
"Dad drove a great race. To score two sprint races on Saturday was amazing. This was a real special moment for the whole Huffmaster family."
- stated Rob Huffmaster
With victories in both sprint races, the Huffmaster family now had the endurance event on Sunday to prepare for. The enduro event would see Rob and Ray share the track at the same time. Qualifying saw the two qualify on the pole position for their respective classes. Additionally, they were second and third overall, split by less than a second. The race saw Ray and Rob score strong finishes. Rob capped off a fantastic weekend with a victory in ITS. Ray scored a 3rd place in the ITU class.
"We are very pleased with the performance by the Huffmaster family at the ARRC," commented Sylvain Tremblay of SpeedSource. "Rob is very talented young driver and his performance both at the ARRC and in the Grand Am Cup series has proven that he is a rising star in the sportscar racing world."
"What a fantastic season. We couldn't have achieved these results without great partners as SpeedSource and AIM Tuning. Several times during the season, AIM Tuning went above and beyond to ensure we had the best cars on the track. A great example of this was an all nighter they pulled to get Rob back on the track at Mid-Ohio. This effort was instrumental in Rob winning the SCCA Great Lakes Region Central Division Championship." - stated Ray Huffmaster
Stay tuned for more updates this fall on the Huffmaster family's exciting plans the 2007 Racing Season.
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