We got a little “sideways” with posting the results for our Sideways Group 5 series this year. So, let’s get caught up.
The series is dominated by BMW M1 cars this year, but the Sideways line is still well represented. We have drivers campaigning the Nissan Skyline, Ford Escort, Ford Capri, and I expect at least one Ferrari to take the field before the series is over.
The Sideways Group 5 series is this year’s “open” series for the road track. Open series rules do not constrain the builder beyond requiring the OEM body and chassis, the type of tire (rubber or urethane, no silicone), and the minimum wheel diameters. This can lead to a lot of prep and testing for each car. The level of success with that tuning is evident in the results where, after four rounds, the average gap between the five drivers with 4 starts is 77 laps.
The scoring gap between first and third place is just 15 points. There is still some close racing in the field. The fight for first is still ongoing, with a gap of only 6 points. With only two races to go, that will be tough to make up, but crazier things have happened. The fight for third place is separated by only two points between drivers with 4 starts, but when you consider the “drop race”, third could be hotly contested by up to 4 drivers. Time will tell if the drivers of these complex little machines find a sweet spot and secure their position, or if something gets “sideways” and they drop back in the pack.
