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After two years of high expectations and near misses ArmsUp Motorsports and Revere Greist had everything fall their way as the combination scored
their first SCCA National Championship at the famed SCCA National Championship Runoffs in the Formula Continental class. Coming out on top of a three
way battle for the lead, Greist led his teammate Jerry Szykulski across the line giving ArmsUp a one-two finish in the SCCA's largest race of the
year. Capping off the strong ArmsUp showing Rick Balsley came home fifth after starting from the eighth spot earning his best Runoff's result to
date.
The week of qualifying leading up to the National Championship race could not have gone better for ArmsUp Motorsports. Of the four
qualifying sessions the combination of Greist and Szykulski topped three of the sessions. At the end of the week Greist stood atop the list setting a
new Formula Continental qualifying more than two seconds clear of the previous record. Szykulski would line up third two tenths of a second off his
teammate with former SCCA National Champion Brian Tomasi splitting the ArmsUp pair in what would be a preview of the fight for the National
Championship. Rick Balsley qualified his ArmsUp prepared Van Diemen in the eighth spot setting his personal best lap time in the process. Jim Victor
who gave most of the week a miss ran in only the final qualifying session and ended up 12th on the grid.
As the green flag waived Greist in the
Waypoint Health Innovations car took the lead from his pole position. Szykulski was third on the opening lap but made his way by Tomasi and then
around his team to take the lead as he crossed the stripe completing lap 4. Szykulski then ran wide on the exit of turn three and dropped back to
third giving the advantage to Tomasi who had made his way around Greist. The order stayed Tomasi, Greist, Szykulski at the race's half way
point.
Rick Balsley got off to a strong start along with his teammate Victor as both drivers moved forward after the start. Balsley had made
his way to the sixth spot by lap 4 and was reeling in the fifth place driver at just under a second a lap. Victor had worked his RFR up to the
seventh spot driving a very steady race.
Back at the front Greist was able to get a run on Tomasi in lap seven going into Road America's
Canada corner. With each driver racing the other clean Greist made the pass stick to take a lead that he would not relinquish for the remainder of
the race. Nothing was decided however as the pass brought Szykulski onto the gearbox of Tomasi with the top three running nose to tail the final half
of the race. Szykulski was able to draw alongside Tomasi on more than one occasion but unable to make the pass stick. As the leaders came to the
race's final lap it was still anyone in the top-three's race. Greist held the lead through the final lap as the leaders caught lapped traffic
coming into the final turn at Road America. Greist was able to get through clean with Tomasi and Szykulski in tow. As Tomasi went to power in turn
14 a problem with this throttle linkage didn't allow him to accelerate which let Szykulski slip by.
At the stripe Greist hung on to lead his
teammate Szykulski across the line by just two tenths of a second to score his maiden SCCA National Championship victory. Szykulski's second place
was his best result of the Runoff's bettering his fifth from last season. Rick Balsley ran down and passed the fifth place car of J.R. Smart just
past the race's halfway point. Balsley would retain the fifth spot for the remainder of the race marking his first top five result in the SCCA's
National Championship. Jim Victor had worked his way up to seventh before an uncharacteristic spin dropped him back to the 12th spot finishing the
event where he started.
"This was an incredible week for our team," ArmsUp owner Gregg Borland said from Victory Lane. "We have been so
close with Revere the last two season that it feels so much better to get the win. Revere had to withstand a lot of pressure from both Brian and
Jerry and didn't put a wheel wrong, it was pretty awesome. We had been talking with Jerry on and off this season and were able to put a deal
together starting in September and he came through with flying colors. We are looking forward to having Jerry with us for all of 2012. All our guys
did such a great job, Rick drove an awesome race to come through to fifth and if Jim didn't have one slight error it would have been an easy top-ten
finish for him. This team has worked so hard for this win, I can't thank them and all our partners enough. Let's hope we can do it again next
year."
Formed in 1995, ArmsUp Motorsports is one of the premier SCCA Formula Continental and Formula Atlantic racing teams. Based in Elkhart
Lake, Wisconsin 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 at www.ArmsUpMotorsports.com.
Revere Greist (center) and Jerry Szykulski (Left) stand on the Runoff's podium with Gold and Silver. (Photo Courtesy Todd Wenzal)
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