The 2002 SCCA Improved Touring “B” Championship proved to be one of the toughest seasons Francis Racing has ever contested. The quality of teams and drivers entered showed that the 2002 season would go down to the wire and Francis’ team was right in the middle of the battle all season long.
The July 21 SCCA event at Infineon Raceway provided one of the biggest challenges for Jeff Francis and his team to date. Due to scheduling problems, Jeff missed Saturday’s practice and qualification sessions and would have to start Sundays race from the back of the 48 car Improved Touring Class grid.
With approximately 20 cars separating Jeff and the points leading Alfa Romeo, Jeff knew he had his work cut out for him. After a clean start, Jeff managed to work his way through the impressive field, overcoming 3 previous champions in the process. After a tough battle with the leaders teammate, which included a bit of blocking by the Alfa Romeo, Jeff set his sights on the leader. With laps winding down, Francis’ and his BMW pressured the leading Alfa Romeo into a mistake in which the leader spun while entering turn 11. Francis was able to pass the Alfa and after pursuing the #22 BWM of Francis the following 2 laps, the Alpha Romeo collided with lapped traffic while attempting a desperate move to regain his position. Jeff was able to hold the lead over the last few laps and took the checkered flag, ending one of the hardest fought races of the season. The second race of the day also provided a victory, securing an even higher position in the season points championship.
In November at the Pacific Coast Road Race of Champions, held under stormy skies at Thunderhill Park Raceway in Northern California, Francis and his team were put to the test. After qualifying a disappointing fourth in his class earlier in the morning, the skies opened up and brought a torrential downpour that flooded the track for much of the morning. As the cars were brought to the grid for the start of the race, the inclement weather faded and the sun began to peek through the now sparsely clouded skies. As the sun started to beat down upon the track surface, tire choice was increasingly becoming the most important decision of the day for the drivers and teams. With the grid ready and the track still wet and slippery, the race got underway with many of the cars sliding off the track or careening off each other in the terrible conditions. With the track quickly drying out, which prove to be the most tricky of conditions a race driver can face, lap times started falling fast as the drivers were testing the limits of their tires on the wet/dry surface.
Car control was at a premium on this day as dropping tires off into the mud and sliding into each turn was the norm. While driving a cautious race in the tough conditions, Jeff let the competition dwindle due to the high attrition conditions like these bring. Francis finished the race in a high position, and more importantly, with his BMW racer in surprisingly good condition considering the conditions of the track. After all was said and done, Jeff moved up 2 positions and claimed a rewarding second place podium finish.
