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Curran Takes Home 3rd in Koni Challenge Honda, |
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Runs fastest race lap
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May 2, 2009
Millville, NJ
Following
this afternoon's SCCA World Challenge GT race, Eric Curran quickly
changed driving suits and hustled over to the Grand-Am KONI Challenge
Series paddock where one of the three Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si
cars was waiting for him.
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The Toronto-based team is owned by Karl Thompson and has become one of
the hottest Honda team's in the Street Tuner class of the KONI series
with (now) two wins in the three races held so far this season.
"Ray, their team manager had talked to me many times in the past about driving for them, but I've had conflicts," Eric said.
"For
the past three years I've been contracted to another Canadian team,
Georgian Bay Motorsports, to drive the factory Chevrolet Cobalt's with
Jamie Holtom. That's resulted in nine race wins and the Street Tuner
class championship last year. Before that, I drove Bill Fenton's Hondas
and Acuras for five years, with 17 podium finishes and four wins.
"I
don't have a deal in the KONI series this year, which I really enjoy,
so I accepted the offer from Ray and Karl. The deal was that I'd drive
with Karl in the orange and black #75 Honda Civic Si.
"Odd that
I was teamed with Randy Pobst in this race," Eric added. "Randy and I
had just raced in World Challenge GT race an hour earlier, and now we
were teammates. Randy's a good guy to have on your team and help you go
into battle in this competitive KONI Challenge series."
Travis Walker, another Canadian, who started the Compass360 team's #76
Honda, led laps 45 to 89 after taking over from Matt Pritko, with
Curran and Pobst close on Walker's heels.
Pobst
had been running third behind Walker and Curran, but with five laps to
go, Curran got by Walker and into the lead. At that point all three
Compass360 cars were running nose-to-tail.
Pobst took the lead
in perfect fashion and led the last three laps to give the Compass360
team a remarkable 1-2-3 finish over the points-leading Subaru team. The
win also put Pobst and Miller at the top of the Driver Championship
points chart, and Honda ahead of Subaru for the Manufacturer
Championship.
"This was a perfect race for the Compass360 team
and it finished up in perfect order for the maximum team and driver
points. It would have been great to win it but I'm very happy for the
team and hope to drive for them again soon." Eric said.
In
Eric's run to the front, he also turned the fastest race lap in the ST
class. "The Compass 360 Honda is a great car that I adapted to right
away. I probably didn't hurt that I drove similar Acuras for three
years and won over half a dozen races. It's like riding a bike, it all
comes back to you. Front drive, rear drive....whichever..."
The race was taped by SPEED TV for broadcast Saturday, May 23, at 12 Noon ET. |
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