Butte College auto tech race team scores double wins at Laguna Seeca Raceway

MONTEREY – The bright yellow 2004 Honda PACT S2000 fielded by the Butte College Automotive Technical Department in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition took home two first place finishes in Touring 3 competition at Laguna Raceway this past weekend.

Starting in the 52nd position in the first race, veteran driver David Vodden, of Willows, took only three laps on the 2.2 mile, eleven-turn road course to overtake early class leader Michael Sullivan who was driving a Mazda RX8. Sullivan followed Vodden for the remaining eleven laps but was unable to mount an assault for the top spot.  Sullivan finished second.

Vodden’s win was his tenth of the season and the sixth for the Butte College race team.

In the second race of the weekend Vodden started in the 13th spot on the grid and set a track record fast lap of 1:46.131 to lead the entire way to the checkered flag. Sullivan from Oakland had to settle for second once again.

Butte College Auto Tech college students, Gabe Mainz and Stuart Seitz of Chico prepared the car for the two, twenty-five minute racing showdowns that also included four other classes of SCCA racing in the same event. The racing event was the fifth stop on the 2008 season championship calendar for SCCA regional points competition.

In other SCCA competition in the same race Ryan Hazelton of Santa Cruz took the win in the Improved Touring E class. Joe Bregante of Danville won in the B-Production class. Ed Railton of San Ramon topped all competitors in the Improved Touring X class and Gary Hascall of Salinas took the win in the Show Room Stock B class. A total of 52 cars started in the two Group One races that went flag to flag without major incident.

For the Butte College racing team the double wins at Laguna Seca added to their season long status as undefeated in their quest for their second consecutive T-3 championship title in SCCA competition. For Butte College the Honda-backed racing team effort has been a bonanza for recruiting new students into their vocational automotive training programs. Most class curriculums at the College now have waiting lists of students seeking entry into the exciting program.

The Butte College racing team will see action again on July 26 and 27 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows.

The two-day race event will take place just four weeks before the beginning of the fall semester for the class called Motor Sports Dynamics that fields the race car and makes up the race team.

Anyone interested in being a part of this unique educational opportunity can contact Butte College and register for the Automotive 12 class held at the College and at Thunderhill Raceway.

The class meets on Wednesday nights starting on August 27. Vodden is the instructor as well as the team driver.

For more information about the class and the race team program contact Vodden at dvodden@thunderhill.com. Or call (530) 934-5588 ext 101.