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DANVILLE, Va. – ArmsUp Motorsports opened its 2011 SCCA Club Racing Season in fine fashion. The Elkhart Lake based team swept the SCCA Oak Tree Double National Formula Continental podium on both Saturday and Sunday. Revere Greist, mirroring his 2010 performance, went unbeaten scoring two wins and two poles at the historic 3.2 mile circuit. Rick Balsley and Kirk Kindsfater ran second and third respectively in both races keeping each other honest the whole weekend. Jeff Pietz ran fourth in race one giving ArmsUp its first one, two, three, four SCCA National result in the team’s history.

The double race format featured two qualifying sessions on Friday, with Q1 setting the preliminary grid for Saturday’s race and Q2 setting Sunday’s pre grid. Greist led the way in the first qualifier; leading Balsley, Pietz and Kindsfater in the first session. For Kindsfater it was his first time at the track in almost eight years, so the opening qualifying sessions were mostly a warm-up for the Colorado driver. In Q2 Greist again led the field with Balsley the second best ArmsUp car followed by Kindsfater and Pietz.

Race one proved to be an interesting affair as rain greeted the Formula Continental drivers on Saturday morning. A full wet track meant the final qualifying Saturday morning turned into a practice session with drivers unable to improve on their Friday times set in the dry. When the green flag waved for the afternoon race, Greist, running on a damp but drying track with slick tires, stormed away from the field, leading every lap en route to his first win of the season. Rick Balsley ran a solid race holding down the second position at the finish. Kindsfater, who was now much more acclimated with the challenging Virginian course, moved through the field to run third. Jeff Pietz drove well in the changing conditions and brought the car home fourth giving ArmsUp Motorsports a total sweep of the FC field.

As the teams arrived Sunday morning they were welcomed by a dry and clear racetrack. Kindsfater took full advantage of the dry track and jumped his was up to second in final qualifying behind his teammate Greist. Kindsfater’s improved starting spot would prove to be his undoing at the start of the race. The ArmsUp Motorsports driver was forced to check up almost to a stop going into turn one for a C Sports Racer allowing the entire FC field by on the inside. At the front the race was once again all Greist as the Madison Wisconsin driver drove away to victory. During the race Greist flirted with the track record but came up just shy. Balsley took full advantage of Kindsfater’s misfortune to record another second place result. Kindsfater regained his composure after the start and stormed back through the field to claim the final podium spot ensuring ArmsUp’s stranglehold on the VIR Podium. Jeff Pietz had been running a strong race but a late race spin sent him down the order as the race came to a close.

“We could not have asked for a better way to start our SCCA Club season,” Team owner Gregg Borland said after the event. “All our guys drove very well, we could not have asked for more. I was really happy with our cars’ performance on all the various track conditions that the Virginia weather threw at us. We are all looking forward to building on this momentum for the rest of the season.”

ArmsUp Motorsports will now take a couple weeks off before the team starts its Midwest swing. First on deck will be the Blackhawk Valley National May 15th at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois.

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), flanked by his ArmsUp Motorsports teammates Rick Balsley (left) and Kirk Kindsfater (right) on the VIR Podium. (Photo Courtesy - ArmsUpMotorsport.com)

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