Will Vanjonack in a C-Modified E36 M3 started last and quickly carved his way through the pack to win the feature sprint at the New Jersey Chapter’s June Tire Rack BMW CCA Series club race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Club Racing ran as a support series to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East on the Thunderbolt circuit at NJMP.
Because Vanjonack, who had won the first race of the weekend on Friday, missed the Saturday morning race, he had to start at the back of the grid in the Saturday afternoon feature. It took him just a few laps to find his way to the front of the pack. He was driving the #101 E36 M3 owned by Mike Yaskin. Vanjonack and Yaskin resurrected the car for the weekend; it had not been raced since 2013.
After the track went yellow late in the race to remove a wounded car, there was just enough time remaining for a final lap under green. Vanjonack held onto his lead, holding off B-Modified winner Tyler Pappas, who finished second overall in an M2. Jeff Bruce in a C-Modified E36 M3 rounded out the podium in third, reclaiming the spot on the last lap after a race-long battle with B-Mod E92 M3 racer Bob Solomon.
The Saturday morning sprint went to Todd Brown in a C-Modified E46 M3; Solomon finished second overall and first in B-Modified, and David LeBlanc finished third overall and first in I-Prepared in an E36 M3. LeBlanc swept IP for the weekend.
Every year the New Jersey Chapter June race raises funds for the Westlake School of Westfield, New Jersey; the school serves students with multiple disabilities. Race proceeds along with funds from a Friday night auction go to the school to help purchase equipment and support programs. A select group of Westlake students came to the track for the event, where they got track rides, watched the feature race, and received gift bags from event sponsor Open Road BMW of Morristown, New Jersey. —Brian Morgan
