VTEC Club Lets Loose at Buttonwillow
Daily Slideshow: Running Buttonwillow in reverse leads to some spicy action in SoCal.
Hot S2000 Action
For fans of anything and everything Honda, there's no greater track action than SoCal's VTEC Club. Hitting a different circuit each time around, this wide open gathering always features some of the most competitive amateur racing you can lay eyes on. The most recent meetup at Buttonwillow was no exception. And thankfully, Super Street was there to capture all the action on film.
Monkey Wrench
Credit VTEC Club for always keeping things interesting by throwing little monkey wrenches into their outings, too. This time, participants got to run Buttonwillow in reverse, which led to some interesting battles. Not to mention a couple of crashes.
Best Event Yet?
Thankfully, the group decided to shorten its season this year down to five races. That way, drivers have a little more time to work on their cars in between events. Buttonwillow is the third race of the season, and it might just be the best one yet.
Even Tougher
Driving a track that VTEC Club members are very familiar with counter-clockwise might not seem like such a big deal at first. But it is. Not just because you have to essentially relearn a track that you've already become accustomed to, but also because Buttonwillow's various complex turns are even tougher backward.
Heated Competition
The third race of the season proved to be extra spicy for a couple of other reasons, too. For starters, record heat meant an extra strain on both car and driver. And this outing also provided the season's first "NoCal vs. SoCal" round, which added a little extra competition.
Don't Lose It
To no one's surprise, lots of cars had trouble running the track in reverse. Quite a few folks found themselves in the dirt, including one S2000 driver that overcooked his brakes, flew off turn 1, and lost his bumper, which split into two pieces!
Who Needs a Bumper?
But that was only minor damage compared to one particular Civic hatch, which smashed into the pit wall after oversteering through the final corner. That car looked like a total loss, though our S2000 was thankfully able to soldier on sans body parts.
Suck It Up
The heat claimed as many victims as the track, causing multiple engine failures, various mechanical issues, and sucking away precious traction. But those who didn't crash or blow up soldiered on to some pretty impressive times.
Sweet Victory
That included Billy Jang and his no. 369 Winmax Brakes S2000, which recorded a best lap of 2:03.583 to secure victory in Group N. Not only that, but he ran the entire day without a single issue.
Escape with Your Lives
Other notable S2000 finishes include Ryan Lafontaine's 2nd place in Group N, Gerry Prieto with a 2nd place finish in Group A2, and Son Vo with a runner-up in Group A. But we'd say everyone that escaped this brutal event intact is a winner in our book!