Gooden Plenty Good at Long Beach

17 sim racers took the green flag in the only street course scheduled as part ot the 2016 iAdvance Motorsports Indy Elite Series (12 races—11 ovals and one street course in Long Beach).

Wyatt Gooden took the pole with an impressive time of 1:07.925, almost 0.5 seconds a lap quicker than Tim Holgate, with Bradley Walters and T. J. Massick earned positions in the second row. (Massick had benefited from a bit of coaching from Gooden earlier in the week and was running the same Team RFC setup.)

Repeating his legendary green flag launching skills, Holgate pulled ahead of Gooden at the start and led the field down Shoreline Drive into T1 on the first lap.

Holgate leads the field into T1.

Unfazed, Gooden followed closely behind and, on the second lap, rocketed out of T8 to overtake Holgate on the back straight. Gooden would never again be challenged and would dominate the rest of the sim racing action.

Gooden passes Holgate on back straight, lap 2.

Back in the field there was a lot of action, as expected.

Massick spins in T8, blocking Joe Flanagan–both would continue.

Paul Jennings spins in front of Toni Helminen at T10 entry.

Canada’s Andrew Kinsella definitely earned the “Eager Beaver” Award for his duel with Dan Lee Ensch from lap 30 to the end. Kinsella made several mistakes but made impressive recoveries from each and continued to challenge the more conservative Dan Lee. Below one could say “One Man’s Divebomb is anothers’ Skillfully Executed Late Braking Overtake.”

Andrew Kinsella and Dan Lee Ensch in T11, last lap.

Obviously there was room for only one car, but Ensch showed True Grit — and masterful car control — to hold-off the more “eager” and considerably younger Kinsella. (Andrew—Ensch is sponsored by a hockey team!)

Classic body check.

Andrew Kinsella and Dan Lee Ensch exit T11 in a drag race to the checkered flag—Ensch won the battle with a P7 finish.

Chopper-cam shows Gooden entering T11 on the last lap, having lapped entire field (see P3 Walters just behind) except for Holgate who is only just ahead exiting T11 on his lap 39.

Walters came home in third ahead of Tim Miller, Joe Branch and Tim Doyle with Ensch taking seventh position.  Although all performed with distinction, Walters in particular maintained third position thru the entire race. The others all moved up the order, finishing better than their qualifying position. This is a tough track that is not forgiving of mistakes. Congrats.

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