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South Beloit, Ill. - ArmsUp Motorsports placed three drivers in the top-five of the Formula Continental Class at the SCCA May National event. Returning to the Blackhawk Farms racetrack for the second time in two weeks Revere Greist once again led the ArmsUp team in the running order with a second place drive. Kirk Kindsfater and Jim Victor put in very solid drives to come home fourth and fifth respectively with John Greist coming home in the eighth position.

The two qualifying sessions proved uneventful affairs for the ArmsUp squad. Revere Greist wound up the best of the five car fleet placing second on the grid. Kindsfater and Victor would line up fifth and sixth in the running order just under a half a second apart in times. John Greist placed his Van Diemen eighth on the grid as the team keeps working to improve the balance of the car to suit the Madison, Wisconsin Driver. Pat McGinnis, who is not in his own car due to repairs after the VIR race, came home 10th after the two qualifying sessions.

With passing difficult at the short Blackhawk Farms track turn one in the race promised to be an exciting affair and it did not disappoint. As the green flag waved Revere managed a great jump and after going three abreast down the front straight was able to take the lead after turn one over Nike Coello. Greist held onto the lead for a short period as Coello attacked immediately and took the lead back in turn four. Kindsfater, Victor and John Greist all had clean starts and were able to slot into their starting positions. Pat McGinnis did not fair as well. Contact early in lap one damaged the double-zero car and then sidelined the St. Louis driver after only a few laps.

As the field spread out Revere continued to apply pressure to the defending SCCA FC Champion. For the first three-quarters of the race Greist was able to stay in striking distance of the leader. A lapped car, however, would hold up the Waypoint Health Innovations car for almost a lap ending Greist's shot at a late race challenge. As the checkered flew Greist would settle for a second place result.

After the start of the race Kirk Kindsfater and Jim Victor were never out of each others' sight. Both drivers advanced a position to fourth and fifth early after the third place car suffered a mechanical problem. Kindsfater, who was applying consistent pressure to the new third place machine of Brian Tomasi, could not back off the entire race without fear of falling into the clutches of his teammate Victor. The two drivers pushed each other the whole race, turning in strong laps throughout the 25-lap affair. Their efforts resulted in a fourth for Kindsfater and a fifth for Victor.

John Greist once again waged a race long battle as he did two weeks prior. Greist shadowed the seventh place car of Tony Smith the entire race. Ultimately Smith wouldn't make the mistake needed and Greist would settle for an eighth place result at the end of the day.

"This was another strong weekend for us," team owner Gregg Borland said after the race. "We knew Niki (Coello) was going to come out strong after our win two weeks ago. He just had a little better car than Revere's. It would have been nice to see what would have happened late in the race had traffic not held up Revere though, we would have made him work a little harder. Kirk and Jim both drove very well, I'm sure it was fun for them to push each other the whole race. I think as a team we can build on our speed as we head to Road America for the Sprints."

The ArmsUp Motorsports team received some good news off the track over the weekend. Team driver Rick Balsley, who broke his back in a crash the first race of the season at Roebling Road, said he expects to be testing his FC car in June. If the tests go well Balsley's plan is to compete in his first SCCA June Sprints at the famed Road America circuit.

ArmsUp Motorsport will make its first Road America start of the year in two weeks on the weekend of May 30 - 31. Jose Paredes and John Dickmann will join the rest of the team as they make their 2009 race debuts in Formula Atlantic and Formula Continental respectively.

Formed in 1995, ArmsUp Motorsports is one of the premier SCCA Formula Continental and Formula Atlantic racing teams. Based in Elkhart Lake, Wis ArmsUp Motorsports is a full service prep shop for Formula Continentals, Formula Atlantics, and Vintage racing cars. For more information please visit the official ArmsUp website www.ArmsUpMotorsports.com.

Revere Greist in the number 58 car dives under the number 81 car of Niki Coello to take the lead in turn one of the Blackhawk SCCA May National
(Photo Courtesy ArmsUpMotorsports.com)

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