SCCA Time Trials

Situated atop Whiskey Hill in Massachusetts, Palmer Motorsports Park was where those who love having fun with cars came together this Independence Day weekend for the Tire Rack Time Trials National Tour Powered by Hagerty. It was the first visit the Time Trials National Tour made to the 2.3-mile, 14-turn circuit; and a bunch of great memories were made over the course of two days at an event where the track was shared with friends from Global Time Attack.

Can’t Rain on this Parade

Activities at Palmer started out very wet. There were no heavy downpours, but at times you’d be forgiven for believing the event was being held in the Pacific Northwest with all the lush greenery enveloping the venue.

While practice was all wet, the opening Track Attack sessions Saturday afternoon were mostly dry. Drivers in the Advanced and Intermediate groups got their runs in before light rain returned for the Novice group’s time on track. Luckily, the circuit once again started to dry later in the day, which benefited the Novice group who reaped the reward during their last session. The day wrapped up with the Hagerty Party attended by both SCCA Time Trials National Tour and Global Time Attack participants, resulting in a fantastic time and a lot of “car talk.”

Sunday saw the track surface dry out. By the time drivers hit the course for their second sessions, the track was coming into its own. And as the sun came out, lap times went down. Time Trials National Tour track records for Palmer were set in all classes, but that was inevitable, being the first. It sets the mark for future visits.

It was Tuner 2 driver Andrew Soddy, in a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette, who finished first overall. Curtis Daddario, driving a 2008 Saturn Sky in the Tuner 3 class, grabbed the runner-up spot. Third overall was Unlimited 2 driver Ryan Hayward in a 2003 Mitsubishi Evo, and Craig Krzywicki finished fourth in a 2013 Subaru BRZ competing in the Max 2 class. Rounding out the top five overall was Unlimited 1 driver Matt LeBlanc in a 1990 Mazda Miata.

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Additional Awards for Palmer

As usual, several additional awards were bestowed upon chosen Time Trials National Tour participants at Palmer Motorsports Park. We start with Adam Wright who received Time Trials National Tour Champion recognition for bringing people together, promoting the event and supporting the entire community as a whole at Palmer. And the Spirit of Time Trials Award went to two attendees, Salvatore Baisley and Jack Nguyen, who both displayed tremendous enthusiasm and a willingness to help out during the event. 

Breakthrough Performance recognition went to Shelby Blanchette who participated in her first “on-track” event at Palmer after taking part in her first SCCA Solo National Tour event just a few days earlier at the Finger Lakes Champ Tour. And Top Novice honors went to Nigel Allen-Boyce who won the Sport 5 class in a 2017 Honda Civic Si.

Next is a Return to GingerMan

The fun keeps going in July as the Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials National Tour Powered by Hagerty prepares for its next event July 17-18 at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan. It’s a fun track in a summer vacation spot, and a Time Trials National Tour stop not to be missed. Slots are still open for drivers wanting to have fun with cars, so be sure to register today!

Photo by Clarus Studios/Geoffrey Bolte