2010 American Road Race of Champions
The ARRC at Road Atlanta

A late-season discussion between car owner Kirk Knestis and Cameron Conover at Renngruppe Motorsports put Kirk on an airplane from his home in Syracuse, NY to historic Road Atlanta for the season-ending American Road Race of Champions - the ARRC.

Knestis entered the ProIT race and the ARRC sprint race, the latter having come to be thought of as the de facto national championship event for Improved Touring cars. While entries are down in recent years, taking some of the polish off of this event, it's still a great weekend of racing that attracts quality cars in all classes.

Knestis qualified second in ITB for the ProIT, behind Deuce Keane's Honda. Unfortunately for the talented and likeable Keane, his usually reliable Accord suffered mechanical difficulties, leaving the win to Knestis. But that was only the tune-up for the one that really means something.

Knestis follows Keane on the first lap of the ARRC sprint race (Photo courtesy of Joe Moser)

The first sprint race qualifying session saw Knestis 5th in ITB, 2 seconds off of pacesetter (and newly crowned SCCA F Production National Champion) Kevin Ruck (Honda Civic). Ken Haughwout was 2nd in his Audi Coupe, Jeff Underwood sat 3rd in another Civic, and Keane's repaired Accord was 4th. Qualifying session two was wet, leaving the grid unchanged for the start of the race.

Haughwout's race got off to a late start when a flat battery left him stranded in the paddock as the rest of the field gridded for the start. This moved everyone up one place even before the green flag waved. At the start, Ruck, Underwood, and Keane set off on what would be a titanic 3-way battle for the lead. Described by the three drivers and spectators alike as one of the best races of the weekend, this brawl would eventually be decided in Ruck's favor, as Underwood was hit by a backmarker while attempting to lap him.

Knestis drags a locked right rear tire into Road Atlanta's Turn 1 (Photo courtesy of Joe Moser)

And what about Keane? Sadly for him, his luck went from bad to worse, as he went wide up the hill out of the fast Turn 1, eventually bouncing off of the outside wall and substantially damaging his car. This left Knestis as his beneficiary for the second time in as many days, inheriting 3rd in the closing laps after a mostly lonely race.

Both Ruck and Underwood broke the existing ITB lap record in ideal race conditions. However, it was some consolation for Underwood to leave with the new mark (1:45.855), easing the pain of packing up a race car well dented by his run-in with the slowest ITB car on the track.

(Left to right) Underwood, Ruck, and Knestis celebrate the ARRC podium (Photo courtesy of Joe Moser)