FINLAND DRIVERS DOMINATE ACTION AT LEGENDS ROAD COURSE WORLD FINALS

Source: John Cardinale
Date: 11/11/2007

SONOMA, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2007) – A pair of drivers from Finland dominated the action Saturday at Infineon Raceway at the 11th annual INEX Legends Road Course World Finals.

Rori Penttinen, whose Legends car was stuck in customs at the Oakland International Airport for nearly one week, took the title under wet conditions in the premier Pro Division.

Penttinen, whose car arrived at the raceway late Friday afternoon and did not even compete in qualifying, edged Las Vegas’ Scott Sheldon for the win in the 11-lap feature over the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Penttinen started the race dead last (17th). Oklahoma’s Bobby Pugh completed the top three.

Rasku Jussi, also from Finland, came away with the Masters Division crown. Jussi, who qualified third, was followed by Sacramento’s Steve Fensler and England’s Peter Morton.

Morton came away with just enough points to secure the Legends World Championship for Masters (age 40 and over), with Fensler finishing three points back. Fensler was seeking his second straight national win in Sonoma; he started the race on the pole.

Other winners on Saturday were England’s Glenn Burtenshaw (Semi-Pro) and Ceres’ Steve Cantrell (Thunder Roadster). The World Team, made up of drivers from Finland, England, Scotland and Spain, defeated the United States Team, 76-52.

Vallejo’s Phil Joy placed fourth in the Masters Division feature on Saturday, with Pleasanton’s Rick Zollman taking 28th. Discovery Bay’s Stuart-Forbes Robinson was seventh in Thunder Roadster, with Sausalito’s Pierre Vacherand 24th, two laps down.

In addition to Morton, other World Champions crowned on Saturday were Oklahoma’s Cody Poage (Semi-Pro) and Pugh (Pro); and Manteca’s Robert Lamb (Thunder Roadster).

Racers were competing in five-eighths scale cars capable of reaching speeds up to 120 mph. All cars featured 1,250cc Yamaha engines and dated as far back as 1934. More than 130 competitors from five countries entered the event.

AGATE

INEX Legends Car Road Course World Finals

SONOMA, Calif. – Top-five final results Saturday from the INEX Legends Car Road Course World Finals at Infineon Raceway. All main events spanned 11 laps and were contested on Infineon Raceway’s 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Hometown in parentheses:

PRO

1. Rori Penttinen (Finland); 2. Scott Sheldon (Las Vegas); 3. Bobby Pugh (Oklahoma); 4. Pasi Matintupa (Finland); 5. Petri Lappalainen (Finland).

SEMI-PRO

1. Glenn Burtenshaw (England); 2. Anssi-Jukka Kasi (Finland); 3. John Hilliker (Montana); 4. Cody Poage (Oklahoma); 5. John Janzen (West Virginia).

MASTERS

1. Rasku Jussi (Finland); 2. Steve Fensler (Sacramento); 3. Peter Morton (England); 4. Phil Joy (Vallejo); 5. Danny Boyle (Oklahoma).

THUNDER ROADSTER

1. Steve Cantrell (Ceres); 2. Robert Lamb (Manteca); 3. Jordan Yost ( (Las Vegas); 4. Randy Olson (Eureka); 5. James Wilson (Altaville).

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