Six Spec E30 drivers converged on Autobahn Country Club for Round 2 of the 2014 NASA Midwest Spec E30 season, including Robert Schmitt who had taken the 2013 season off. Also in attendance were the GTS veteran, Luke Perkowski, and the rookie, Cliff Pearce, who where tied atop the season standings after Round 1.
Saturday’s qualifying found Perkowski edging out Kieran Gobey of Team Big Hears Racing by .1 second with a 1:42.6. Pearce rounded out a top 3 covered by only 1 second. Schmitt would start his return race from the back after he failed to record a qualifying time. In Saturday’s race, Gobey and Perkowski jumped out to an early lead. Gobey gave up the lead to Perkowski late in the race when he lost a wheel. Meanwhile, Pearce and Schmitt had their own battle going which was settled when Pearce momentarily left the traditional racing surface. The field was rounded out by Rob Rhodes and Rich Friman. Before he retired, Gobey recorded the fastest lap of the day with a 1:42.871. The fastest times of five of the competitors was covered by 1.5 seconds.
Weather conditions were unchanged on Sunday, and the track was rubbered in. In qualifying, Pearce grabbed the pole early with a 1:43.434, followed closely by Schmitt (1:43.608). Chris Ferguson, now at the helm of the Team Big Hearts machine (with all four wheels firmly attached), rounded out the top three spots. Perkowski was unable to qualify higher than P4 due to a loose fuel line. The Sunday race featured a standing start. At the drop of the Green, Pearce got a strong start and Schmitt missed a shift shuffling him back a few spots. However, he gathered it up and quickly took the lead from Pearce on a textbook pass in to Turn 8. Pearce and Perkowski then battled for P2 for most of the race allowing Schmitt to build a very comfortable lead, and to score the fast lap of the day (1:42.912). The rookie Pearce was able to fight off Perkowski until the penultimate lap when he went wide into T6 and Perkowski took the spot away from him. The field was rounded out by Rhodes, Ferguson and Friman.