Jeff Francis knew he had his work cut out for him not only because he had to start at the back of the 27 car field due to scheduling issues, but it was also his first time ever to even sit in a Lotus Elise racecar. Arriving at Laguna Seca a little before race time and without any practice time in the car, Jeff climbed aboard and familiarized himself with the Lotus’ cockpit and quickly proceeded to the grid.
At the drop of the green flag, Jeff accelerated and began to maneuver the bright yellow LKQ/Sherwin Williams sponsored Lotus racer past several competitors while getting a feel for the handling characteristics of the unfamiliar mid engine racecar. Halfway through the race, Jeff had passed many cars and had his sights set on the next group of faster Mustang GT cars. Fortunately, Francis had raced a Mustang GT the previous month at Laguna Seca and had knowledge of their track behaviors. Knowing the Mustang had a horsepower and speed advantage down the straights, he carefully pushed the Lotus with its impressive cornering abilities and managed to pass several Mustang GT’s. It had become a classic American Muscle-Car/European Sports Car battle.
At the end of the race, Jeff Francis had passed 20 cars, earning the Sunoco Hard Charger award, and finished 2nd Place in the Touring 3 Class, just behind previous GT2 National Champion Tom Wickersham. “That was so much fun” exclaimed Francis as he stepped out of the Lotus Elise. “The car handled beautifully once I learned how far I could push it, and was quite exhilarating to race”. Jeff would like to thank his sponsors LKQ and Sherwin Williams along with Dietsch Werks Lotus team owners: Rob, Jen, Sebastian and Sullivan, for helping make the race weekend a success.
