ABS problems led to bigger issues and eventually a DNF at Kansas for James Vance.
Stouffville, Ontario - After producing his season-best qualifying effort of 12th, James Vance's night ended early June 7 at Kansas Speedway during Round 5 of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series in his No. 74 Bionic Environments/ExpoSystems USA Honda Civic Si.
Vance was entering the hairpin Turn 4 in the infield while pushing his way to the front of the field when he pressed the brake pedal a few feet too late and locked his brakes. He was fighting for sixth place when the incident occurred.
Entering just his third race in the Honda Civic Si fielded by Compass360 Racing, Vance is still learning how the car reacts in different situations.
"That was not a representation of how I race," Vance said. "I thought the brakes were failing, which is why I reacted as if they were. So I made the decision to go around the Berg Cayman and try to fit between a gap between them and Autometrics. The gap closed; I did what I could do to try to not hit anyone.
"From there I hit the curb, which was thick. The damage caused the motor to spill oil and blow up after the contact. So that ended our day. It was unfortunate and unintentional. It was unfair what happened to those I involved in the incident. It was the circumstances I was dealt, and I tried to handle them accordingly. What can I say? I'm truly sorry.
"I am incredibly grateful to be a part of this team. Everyone at C360 has been so helpful, the way they support me and have worked with me. They have let me into their family, and I appreciate the strong bonds we have quickly formed. I think that's what makes this team so special."
The No. 74 Honda Civic Si is part of the Street Tuner (ST) class. This class takes vehicles designed for street use and pushes them through the intense conditions of racing. Manufacturers, like Honda, use the data collected from drivers like Vance to then increase their passenger cars' performance and durability.
ST teams are allowed to make minimal modifications to the vehicles, per IMSA rules. Drivers are faced with the challenges of learning to handle vehicles made from production-based parts and features.
Prior to the incident, Vance had maneuvered his No. 74 Honda Civic Si from his 12th place starting position to sixth. Then he settled into the seventh position as he prepared to fight toward the front.
Vance will take this new knowledge and apply it at his next race venue, Watkins Glen International. His weekend begins at 2:20 p.m. (ET) Thursday, June 26 with the first practice session of the weekend. The green flag drops on Round 6 of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at 11:35 a.m. Saturday, June 28.
For updates on Vance, follow him on Twitter at @James_Vance and Facebook.
About Bionic Environments Inc. of North America : Bionic Environments, Incorporated is an indoor environmental wellness and fitness company, specializing in products that improve indoor air quality, motor vehicle environments as well eliminating unnatural frequencies from EMF's, Wi-Fi environments and cell phones.
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About ExpoSystems USA : ExpoSystems has developed a wide range of Custom Modular Trade Show Displays focusing on durability, lightweight materials, a flexible modular design and utilizing recycled materials where possible. Many of our custom trade show display systems offer custom specialized finishes and specialized accessory options available. From light boxes, Rotagraphics and counters, to special graphic headers or custom signage.
About Compass360 Racing (C360R): Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Brand Architects, a Toronto-based firm offering marketing expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. The team, with support from Honda Performance Development (HPD), fields front-running Honda Civic Si's in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, winning series championships in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. C360R also won World Challenge Touring Car Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the Canadian Touring Car Championship in 2010. It adds single-car Subaru WRX STi efforts to its CTSC and PWC programs for 2014. For details visitwww.C360R.com, like on Facebook and follow on Twitter.