Last for the chance for the "RATs of Spring", only a few Arrive&Drive seats left!

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BILL MURRAY
Last for the chance for the "RATs of Spring", only a few Arrive&Drive seats left!

Arrive and Drive on one of our teams.
$400 for a two hour stint. Entry, fuel, & car all included.

Only a few seats left.

Call for details.
Bill Murray
503-358-2617
"Come race with us!"
 
Sunday March 30th

(Grass Valley Oregon)

Today the Stars Cabaret Acura Integra driven by the Mountain Goat Racing Team and prepared by Colonel Red Racing won the Star Projects Rats of Spring endurance race at Oregon Raceway Park. The Rats of Spring is an 8 hour enduro for production based cars.
Conditions at the track were cold and windy. In a first ever race event at ORP the race was run counterclockwise. This effectively made it a new track for all competitors.

The race started with the Stars Cabaret Integra in the pole position with Mtn Goat Racing's team manager, Jerome Russell at the wheel. The start was full of anxiety as the track was only 38 degrees and tires had no chance to warm up before charging into the first turn. All the cars made it thru the first lap without sliding off track, the Stars Cabaret car in the lead. Gradually two faster cars made it to the front of the pack but Jerome was able to run consistently fast times, keeping The Stars Integra in the top three.

At the two hour driver change long time Chump Car Endurance Racing driver Doug Drouet took the wheel and set a blistering pace despite it being his first time ever at ORP. Drouet quickly reeled in the front runners and took the lead, opening up a 4 lap cushion during his two hour stint at the wheel.

At the 4 hour mark accomplished ICSCC ST class driver Brian “Teflon” Bogdan continued the great driving of the Mtn Goat Team, keeping the Stars Cabaret Intgera, affectionately named “Rocky” by his first owner Pro racer James Hunt, in a comfortable four lap lead. Teflon had one moment of excitement when his tires were unable to “stick” to the track and Teflon went sliding into a 2 wheel off track in the weeds. No damage was done to Rocky and the car soldiered on.

For the final 2 hours ICSCC and Team Continental driver James “Gator” Hudson batted cleanup. The race was going well when 20 minutes in the right front CV axle started making the classic clicking sounds of having been pushed too hard for too long. Soon the clicking became clunking, with occasional steering and braking problems caused by the degenerating CV axle. Gator went into conservation mode using every trick to extend the CV axle's life, hoping to keep going until the end of the race and not lose the lead. Eventually the CV and tire became so bad he was limited to 65-70 mph top speed on the straights where the car would normally be 100-110 mph.

Rocky stayed together just long enough to take the checkered flag and win the race. Interestingly another Acura Integra, took first place in the Rat Class, “Party Girl” .

When Rocky returned to the pit it was discovered the right front tire was worn thru the steel belts, the right CV axle was toast, and the left CV axle had torn it's boot off. Rocky had completed 196 laps, winning by 2 laps.

Stars Cabaret owner and car sponsor Randy Kaiser said “We're proud of our car and our team. When many other teams' cars dropped out with mechanical failures from the stress of 8 hour racing, our Colonel Red Racing prepared Integra took it to the finish. Best wishes to all the Mountain Goat racing drivers for their win and we look forward to seeing you at one of our Stars Cabaret club events soon.

Mountain Goat Racing's manager, Jerome Russell, was ecstatic with the win. “What a team and what a car! It's an amazing accomplishment for our team.”
 
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