August 8, 2004 – Bowmanville, Ontario

Matt Plumb, the 2003 SPEED Touring Car Rookie of the Year, continued to justify last year’s hard-earned honors with his second win of the season, here at Mosport International Raceway, in RealTime Racing’s A-SPEC equipped Acura TSX.

The new Acura TSX has now won three races in its maiden season – Mosport and Mid-Ohio for Plumb, and two weeks ago in Portland, Oregon for three-time series champion Pierre Kleinubing.

Kleinubing, who qualified second fastest in his matching Acura TSX, saw his race last only a matter of yards.

A slower qualifier, driving a BMW, tried to win the race before the first corner by driving between Kleinubing and polesitter Peter Cunningham’s Nissan, but the hole he was anticipating never materialized. Kleinubing was forcibly spun across the nose of the BMW and into Cunningham, then stopped in a gravel trap; the damages to his Acura were unrepairable on-site.

Eighteen-year-old rookie driver Brandon Davis showed considerable potential for his future as a World Challenge racer, qualifying 17th and finishing 12th in his A-SPEC Acura RSX.

Nick Esayian, currently fourth in the fight for the 2004 season Rookie title, had another stellar weekend in his Total Trolley/Datamine Acura RSX, qualifying 24th and moving smoothly through the field to take 16th by the time the checkered flag fell.

“Nick and Brandon have done superb jobs for RealTime Racing this season,” said crew chief Brian Pillar. “They’re adapting quite well to the concept of standing starts and sprint races, and they leave every race knowing much more than when they arrived.”

Plumb, who had been feeling ill earlier in the weekend, got through the Turn One melee unscathed, winding up second to leader James Sofronas in a BMW as the full course caution was displayed. After the restart on lap 7, he chased the BMW feverishly, but didn’t quite have enough speed to get by.

“I knew there was one place I could pass him,” Plumb said, “but the opportunity to do it just never happened, so I had to stay in line. But going down the fast hill in Turn Four with two laps to go, I was all over him, and he made a mistake and went wide in Moss Corner. I got by him, and so did two other cars, but neither of them were close enough to make a move on me.”

Plumb’s victory margin was :00.765 seconds. In a show of consistency, the victor’s fastest race lap was equaled or exceeded by five other competitors -- four BMWs and a Mazda.

After seven races, Plumb remains third in the chase for the Drivers’ Championship, but closes the gap to only five points from second. Acura gained nine points on the Manufacturers’ Championship points chart, maintaining a strong second in that battle and moving four points closer to BMW.

The Mosport race will be televised on SPEED TV, Sunday, August 15 at noon EST.

The RealTime Racing Touring Cars are sponsored by the Acura Division of American Honda, A-SPEC Performance Parts, Red Line Oil, Eibach Springs, BOSCH, Sparco, Hella, Brembo, Hawk Performance, and Acura Genuine Parts.


http://www.realtimerl.com