GRIDLIFE LIVE BLOG: HEARTLANDS
HEARTLAND MOTORSPORT PARK
AUG 20-22, 2021
Weekend Complete!
Basinski, Halka, Ding, Ross, Claim GRIDLIFE Time Attack Class Victories
Track records set in GRIDLIFE’s first trip to Kansas
GRIDLIFE TrackBattle’s first laps at Heartland Motorsports Park saw drivers work their way up to pace in the wide variety of competition classes. At the top of the charts, it was Jackie Ding’s PhD Racing Toyota Supra and Brad Perkins in Group A for most of the weekend.
The Unlimited podium consisted of Brad Perkins, whose fastest time was a 1:38.294, followed by Dan Gordan and Dan Ropar. In Track Mod, Cory Ross took his #437 BMW M3 to the top of the board to win the weekend with a 1:43.320. Behind him, Drew Cleaver finished second in class in a Tesla Model 3, with a time of 1:47.625. The last driver on podium in Track Mod was Duston Nixon in his Chevrolet Camaro.
Super Unlimited had just one entry - but it was a fascinating one. Nick Anderson and his Dodge Viper Competition coupe ran a best time of 1:42.788. The Sundae Cup battle came down to just two tenths of a second after an entire weekend of knocking time off the clock. Matt Williams and Team Brap traded the lead in the category throughout Saturday, but by Sunday afternoon, it was Williams on top with a 1:59.724 just 0.2 seconds ahead of Team Brap. Hard Times Racing’s Honda Fit placed third in Sundae Cup.
Jackie Ding set the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:37.938 in his Toyota Supra, winning Street Mod over Michael Aumick (1:39.338) and Alex Moss (1:41.275). Ding’s time was only about three seconds off of the overall track record at Heartland Park as he continues to push the class forward in engineering and pace.
Josh Halka took home a Street class victory in his Subaru STI with a time of 1:43.376 over Andy Hollis and his Honda CRX. In third, Charles Miller rounded out the podium with a 1:46.340. While ASM driver Tom O’Gorman took home a podium in GLTC, it was his Time Attack team driver Dana Basinski who would take the ClubTR class victory with a time of 1:45.599 over Ryan Seiler and Drew Turner.
GRIDLIFE TrackBattle will compete next at the GRIDLIFE Midwest festival at GingerMan Raceway in two weeks.
Kutil Wins GLTC Weekend in Kansas
Reigning champion finally claims his first weekend victory of ‘21
TOPEKA, Kansas - Eric Kutil took home a weekend championship in his 1992 HybridRacing Honda Civic Si at GRIDLIFE Heartlands at Heartland Motorsport Park. The reigning champion won nine races in 2020, eventually defeating runner-up Aaron Leichty at GingerMan Raceway last fall. But since then, Kutil and Leichty have faced significant uphill battles as the GRIDLIFE Touring Cup field saw its strongest ever fields in 2021. New competitors like Jeremy Swenson and Eric Jensen became strong contenders in their V8-powered coupes, and redesigned cars like Andy Smedegard Motorsports’ O’Gorman and Smedegard S2000s, have changed the landscape of the series. Aaron Leichty saw victory three times this season - but all of those victories came during round 2 at Circuit of the Americas. Eric Kutil stole the fourth race at COTA, but then didn’t win again until just two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio.
With Kutil gaining momentum and eyeing a second championship, he rolled off the trailer with an experimental low-drag aerodynamic setup, a combination that would allow him to win race 1 at Heartland Park. Jeremy Swenson, whose Viking Performance Corvette has become a staple at the front of the field on wide street tires, switched to Hoosier R7 slicks for Kansas. After a few sessions of adjustment, Swenson found speed, enough to win both race 2 and race 3.
The remainder of the top 5 for the duration of the weekend consisted of Smedegard and O’Gorman, who both seemed to be in the hunt, but could not break through to victory in the series’ eighth points round. Team Kelly had strong performances in early sessions, but Tiffany Kelly wound up with a damaged race car, just weeks after another crash at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Justin Kelly was able to compete near the front, but like the ASM team, was unable to go to victory lane. A broken half-shaft in race 3 forced him to start at the tail of the field for the fourth and final race of the weekend, where he would gain several spots and leave the weekend with a seventh-place spot in the weekend points.
GLTC newcomer Robert Thorne was making waves this weekend, bringing his V6-swapped Mazda Miata up through the field. While running fifth in race 3, a brake caliper unhinged and sliced a wheel in half while entering the high-speed turn 4. Thorne’s car would not steer or stop and it crashed violently nose-on into the tire barrier. Thorne would walk away from the accident unhurt, but the car was severely damaged and is likely totaled.
The races on Sunday were close, but side-by-side racing seemed hard to come by. With massive commitment required to be fast, drivers found themselves nose to tail often. The race 4 invert allowed Aaron Leichty in his Winning Formula Porsche Cayman to start on pole, alongside Eric Jensen. On the green flag, Jensen would out-drag Leichty and lead the entire race. With massive pressure from Kutil and O’Gorman, Jensen stole a race 4 victory - his first ever in GRIDLIFE Touring Cup.
Kutil’s mission in race 4 was to simply beat Jeremy Swenson, as the two were separated by just one point entering the last race. With Kutil motoring by O’Gorman and Smedegard, he put distance between himself and Swenson to claim the weekend championship with 85 points. Swenson finished second with 81 points, and Tom O’Gorman finished on the podium with 70 points.
Jensen Holds off Kutil, O’Gorman, For First Ever GLTC Victory
First win ever comes while defending reigning champ
Eric Jensen’s GLTC career began just a few months ago at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. While his 2016 LS-swapped Scion FR-S has been competitive, victory was elusive. The progress was beginning to show while battling Tom O’Gorman at Mid-Ohio, as Jensen battled within the top 5 in Lexington, Ohio.
After the field inversion of 6 cars for GLTC race 4, Aaron Leichty started alongside Jensen. But by the time the field exited turn 1, Jensen led the race, and would not give it up.
In the early moments, Andy Smedegard would find his way off course, dropping several spots before gathering some back and eventually finishing fifth. Eric Kutil went off course towards the end of the race, damaging the underside of the nose of his car, but managed to make things exciting in the final moments. Tom O’Gorman and Kutil pressured Jensen, but the FR-S hung on to win - earning Eric Jensen his first ever GLTC career victory.
GLTC Race 3 Ends Under Caution
Swenson claims win no. 2 of weekend
Jeremy Swenson won his second race of the weekend at Heartland Park, holding off Eric Kutil, Tom O’Gorman, Andy Smedegard, and Eric Jensen for the entire race. Early on, Justin Kelly’s #86 Team Kelly FR-S lost drive at the exit of turn 14 due to a broken half-shaft. Smedegard just clipped the rear bumper as the car slowed at the exit of the corner. Kelly rolled to a stop in a safe spot near turn 1.
The front five didn’t change much throughout the race, but World Challenge driver and GLTC newcomer Robert Thorne showed up in his V6-powered Mazda Miata for a top five fight. Towards the end of the race, a brake caliper bracket came loose and sheared a wheel in half on Thorne’s car, sending it nose first into a tire barrier in turn four. Thorne walked away, but the car is likely not repairable.
The invert for race 4 will be six drivers - putting Aaron Leichty and Eric Jensen on the front row for the race at noon.
Swenson Hangs on For GLTC Race 2 Win
Freight train five lead the way at HMP
It may have been ASM’s Andy Smedegard on pole for race 2, but his first-place clean air didn’t last long. By turn 1, Jeremy Swenson’s Viking Performance Corvette motored by and took the lead - a lead he would not give up for the remainder of the race. Try as they might, the ASM duo of Smedegard and Tom O’Gorman could not find the pace to defeat Swenson. Eric Kutil, the race 1 winner, couldn’t get by O’Gorman until late in the race, when a missed shift dropped the electric blue #94 behind the HybridRacing EG Civic.
It seemed challenging to pass in the second race of the day, with many drivers falling in line behind each other, but close enough to have a look for a pass. In the final moments of the race, Smedegard closed in, leaving just feet between him and Swenson as the race concluded. Race 3 and 4 kick off at 9:00 AM CT and noon CT tomorrow to conclude the weekend.
Street Mod Record Obliterated (Again) by Jackie Ding
Charles Miller is hot on the heels of Andy Hollis as the pair battle it out in Street class.
TA90 Supra goes two seconds faster
The headline feels the same, but the gravity of Ding’s absolute smashing of the Street Mod record cannot be understated. Ding ran a time of 1:37.938, two seconds faster than his previous best. Michael Aumick is also just hundredths of a second away from dropping below the sub-1:40 lap time, and pulls strongly into second in Street Mod.
Josh Halka’s lead in Street class remains healthy, but Andy Hollis and Charles Miller are still swapping podium positions late on Saturday.
No changes for Dana Basinski - he’s still on top of the charts in ClubTR with a wide margin over Ryan Seiler.
Kutil Snags GLTC Race 1 Victory
Eric Kutil claimed his fourth win of the weekend at HMP.
Top five drivers finish nose to tail
Justin Kelly’s first place starting position landed him the lead for the opening moments of GRIDLIFE Touring Cup race 1 this afternoon from Heartland Park, but reigning GLTC champion Eric Kutil was able to sneak by in the first sector to take the lead of the race. Behind them, Jeremy Swenson, Tom O’Gorman, and Andy Smedegard swapped positions amongst themselves. Late in the race, all of the top five drivers were lined up essentially nose to tail.
Aaron Leichty was just outside the main battle in sixth in his 2010 Porsche Cayman. The 2.5 mile, 14-turn course raced well, with drivers hunting for different lines throughout the course. Tom O’Gorman fought a late charge from ASM teammate Andy Smedegard on the final lap to finish on the podium.
Kutil will pick up 75 pounds for race 2, Kelly 50, and O’Gorman 25 as rewards weight.
GLTC Race 2 fires off at 4:40 PM CT.
Jackie Ding Smashes Street Mod Record, Aumick Closes on Alex Moss
Andy Hollis and his Honda CRX run second in Street class behind Josh Halka.
Street Mod battle still hot as Saturday action starts
Jackie Ding’s Supra again pushes the field to find speed in Time Attack, setting a fast lap of 1:39.365, just tenths of a second from being the fastest car at Heartland Motorsports Park for GRIDLIFE Heartlands. Michael Aumick improved on his time from Friday, running a 1:41.365, closing in on ASM’s Alex Moss for second in the Street Mod class.
In Street class, Josh Halka improved 0.4 seconds to a 1:44.0, followed by Andy Hollis at a 1:46.5. In Unlimited, Brad Perkins did not improve his time, but he remains first in the weekend, with Dan Gordon about a second behind.
In ClubTR, ASM driver Dana Basinski set a a 1:47.146, improving his time from yesterday by about a second. The ClubTR battle is still hot, as Ryan Seiler also improved by a second, leaving the two drivers just tenths of a second apart. Group A is on track next at 12:45 CT.
Justin Kelly Lays Down Flyer to Grab GLTC Pole
Justin Kelly reset the GLTC lap record at 1 :42.686.
Late session charge puts Team Kelly #86 on front row
Team Kelly’s Justin Kelly outpaced Eric Kutil and Tom O’Gorman with a time of a 1:42.686, beating Kutil’s 1992 Honda Civic Si by nearly half a second. The team changed out the tires to a low-profile sidewall to gain turn-in agility around the 2.5 mile, 14-turn Heartland Motorsports Park. Jeremy Swenson’s Viking Performance Chevrolet Corvette went to the top of the board early, but was quickly knocked down to fourth.
Andy Smedegard’s ASM Honda S2000 ran P5, followed by Luke McGrew, Kerry James, Aaron Leichty, Eric Jensen, and Jake Joraanstad. Tiffany Kelly’s Team Kelly Honda S2000 suffered a mechanical failure in the turn 3 area, and subsequently made contact with the turn 3 wall late in the session. The car’s left rear and left front corners are significantly damaged, in the wake of a rebuild following an accident at Alpine Horizon last month. It is unlikely to be repaired to drivable condition this weekend.
GLTC Race 1 fires off at 12:20 PM CT.
GLTC Qualifying Brawl Ends with Kutil Provisional Pole
Justin Kelly and his Team Kelly #86 finished second in qualifying 1, but not without putting up a fight to eventual provisional pole winner Eric Kutil.
0.001 seconds separated the #82 and #86 for most of the session
GLTC Qualifying at Heartland Motorsports Park resulted in a familiar name topping the chart in the first of two qualify sessions - Eric Kutil, reigning Touring Cup champion. But it wasn’t easy - Team Kelly driver Justin Kelly stole pole away for a moment late in the session, before Kutil quickly re-topped it, 0.001 seconds faster.
On paper, that difference translates to roughly 1.4 inches between the two cars. But that gap would vanish as Kutil would lay down a 1:43.838, grabbing provisional pole. The drivers will get a second chance to improve their time tomorrow morning.
With Kutil and Justin Kelly on top of the board, Jeremy Swenson’s Corvette, Tom O’Gorman’s ASM Honda S2000, and Luke McGrew’s Mazda MX-5 rounded out the rest of the top 5.
Aaron Leichty’s Porsche Cayman placed 6th in Qualifying 1, in front of Eric Jensen, Kerry James, Tiffany Kelly, and Andy Smedegard.
GLTC Qualifying 2 kicks off touring car action tomorrow morning at 9:40 AM CT.
Tom Halka Fastest in Group B Session 3
Kal Fortner placed second overall in Group B session 3 of Time Attack earlier today.
Father/son duo Tom and Josh share a car this weekend
Tom Halka went fastest in Group B, session 3 this afternoon at Heartland Motorsport Park in the Street Class Subaru STI. The car is shared with son Josh, who is also competing in the car in the Group A sessions - meaning the car is running essentially forty-minute sessions. So far, using the car in both sessions has not proved to be a deficit, as the elder Halka ran a 1:48.689, the fastest lap in Group B.
Kal Fortner in the Al’s Autobody Audi S4 was second quick in his Street Mod entry, running a time of 1:49.764, his fastest lap of the day.
Jackson Jensen continues to encroach on the front three drivers in ClubTR, picking up two full seconds in session 3.
In Sundae Cup, Matt Williams’ lead has disappeared, as Team Brap goes quickest in their Honda Fit at a 2:02.531, just edging out Williams at a 2:02.679.
Unlimited Time Attack Battle Heats up at Heartland Park
Six tenths separate two Unlimited Class competitors
Brad Perkins has company in his #459 BMW M3 Unlimited car, in the form of Dan Gordon. Perkins ran a 1:40.220 in session 3, slightly slower than earlier in the day. The sun has baked the pavement at Heartland Park, raising the track temperature significantly and slowing cars down. Dan Gordon ran a 1:40.885 in his Unlimited class machine.
Alex Moss set a 1:41.275, four tenths quicker than his time from earlier in the day. Aumick, Halka, Dan Ropar, Peter Zhang, Dewey DeWitt and Andy Hollis rounded out the overall top ten in session 3. Dewey’s first laps of the weekend put him at a 1:47.079, with lots left on the table as the weekend continues tomorrow morning.
Kutil Paces Opening Practice
Eric Kutil posted the fastest time in practice on Friday at Heartland Motorsports Park.
Low-drag aero changes send Kutil to the top
The first on-track session for GRIDLIFE Touring Cup at Heartland Motorsports Park saw Eric Kutil sail to the top of the running order at the end of the 15-minute session, with a fast time of a 1:44.448. Kutil’s car sports a smaller rear wing and a front valence rather than splitter, to reduce drag. The setup is being tested for Road America and has proved fast so far.
Kutil spent the first few minutes of his practice welding his exhaust back together, after it had cracked on his first lap out of the pits. Andy Smedegard returned to the paddock early in the session to fix a potential clutch disk issue.
Luke McGrew, Jeremy Swenson, Tom O’Gorman, and Justin Kelly rounded out the rest of the top five, with all five cars within 0.9 seconds of each other. Kerry James returns to GLTC for the first time since the non-points round at Blackhawk Farms in May - placing sixth in practice. 2020 championship runner-up Aaron Leichty posted a 1:46.881 in his 2010 Porsche Cayman - a change from his normal K-swapped Mazda Miata.
Jeremy Boysen’s #99 Acura RSX spent some time off track in the practice with an unknown mechanical error. The next session for GRIDLIFE Touring Cup is Qualifying at 4:40 CT.
Dustin Nixon surges late in Group B to top charts
Jackson Jensen’s ClubTR S2000 is currently just outside of podium contention.
Street Class trio locked in fierce early-weekend battle
While Dustin Nixon did go quickest in Group B with his Track Mod car, setting a time of 1:50.216, eyes shifted to the battle in Street class, where Tom Halka, Alex Lundeen, and John Hunter sit with just a second spread between them. As drivers find more confidence at the 2.5 mile Heartland Park, the intensity will only ratchet up as records fall session after session.
In ClubTR, Jackon Jensen continues to knock time off as he chases the front three of Basinski, Seiler, and Turner.
Group B is on track next later this afternoon at 4:00 CT.
Time Attack Group A Session 2 Results: Ding etches new Street Mod Record, Moss Closes In
Jackie Ding’s #TA90 Supra is back after taking a few rounds off - and it went right to the top of the charts in Street Mod.
The Street Mod fight intensifies as Alex Moss closes on class leader
The Street Mod battle is always close - and it’s usually between Jackie Ding and the TA90 Supra, and Alex Moss in the ASM SuperK Adventures S2000. The duo continues to duke it out at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas, with Ding setting a new Street Modified record of a 1:39.928, just 0.8 seconds behind Unlimited Class session leader, Brad Perkins, who also improved on his time from earlier in the day.
Michael Aumick looms just behind the front two in Street Modified, running a fast lap of a 1:45.427 - and time is still on the table with sessions remaining today, Saturday, and Sunday.
Josh Halka picked up two seconds from session 1, running the new Street class record time of a 1:44.443. His nearest competitor is Andy Hollis, whose Honda CRX ran about four seconds slower at a 1:48.201.
Group A is on track again at 3:40 CT.
Time Attack Group B Session 1 Results: Ross Tops Track Mod, Williams in Sundae Cup
Mid-pack battles shape up in Street Class, Sundae Cup
Group B’s first trip on course for the weekend was paced by Track Mod competitor Cory Ross in his 2003 BMW M3, at a time of 1:48.867. Behind him, Piero Pucci in his Evo 8 ran a fast lap of 1:51.508. Pucci was followed by Peter Granburg in Street Mod, who ran a 1:51.867, just tenths behind Pucci.
Kyoo Lee and Tom Halka were the quickest in Street class in Group B, with Lee’s time of a 1:51.720 the quicker of the two. Sundae Cup was paced early by Matt Williams with a 2:02.679, with Team Brap and Hard Times Racing fits locked in a tight battle for second. Group B is next on track at 1:00 PM CT.
Time Attack Group A Session 1 Results: Perkins, Ding, Halka, Set First Fast Laps at HMP
Josh Halka leads in Street class after the first Time Attack session at Heartland Motorsports Park.
Competitors seek the limit early on Friday
Friday’s first Time Attack session was tempered by drivers unsure of the limits at Heartland Motorsports Park, a venue new to the GRIDLIFE schedule for 2021. Group A’s fast lap was set by Brad Perkins in the #459 Unlimited class BMW M3, at a 1:39.902. Jackie Ding returns to TrackBattle competition in the TA90 Toyota Supra, setting Street Mod’s fast lap of a 1:42.073, 3.4 seconds quicker than Michael Aumick in his #6 Subaru STI.
Nick Anderson’s thundering SuperUnlimited Viper set a quick lap of 1:43.153 in the early moments of the session. In Street class, Josh Halka set the provisional track record for the weekend at 1:46.958, ahead of Charles Miller. Andy Smedegard Motorsports’ Dana Basinski leads ClubTR in his K-swapped Subaru BRZ with a 1:49.787 in the first session of the weekend, with Ryan Seiler just tenths of a second behind in his blue Honda S2000. Drew Turner rounded out a three-car battle in ClubTR, just a second behind Seiler.
With only one session in the books, drivers still have plenty of time to find speed - Group A returns to the track at 12:40 CT.