Harlan Takes Second in GT-Lite

SONOMA, California (October 19, 2018) – Troy Ermish, of Tracy, California, won from pole in the GT-Lite (GTL) class during the 55th SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® at Sonoma Raceway.

Joe Harlan, in the No. 80 Top Tech Motorsports/Nissan/Hoosier Nissan 240-SX, battled through a spin and late-race challenge from Jonathan Goodale to bring home his vessel in second place. Though Harlan has engineered for other drivers at Sonoma, he drove his first laps in June. He describes Sonoma as, “the hardest track I’ve ever driven. My game was to take it easy and keep my tires and brakes under me.”

In trying to pass Peter Zekert in Turn 4, Harlan realized he didn’t have the room needed. “Peter’s a really good friend and I really didn’t want to turn him around, so I spun the car.” Harlan managed to stay ahead of Jonathan Goodale without losing any positions and close the race out in second place after Zekert retired.
Jonathan Goodale didn’t make it easy for Harlan, challenging him for the remainder of the race. Goodale, piloting the No. 4 MazdaSpeed/Hoosier/Hawk/Summit Mazda MX-5, eventually finished half-a-second behind Harlan for third place, his second Runoffs podium. To get to Sonoma, Goodale battled through an entire summer of mechanical setbacks, most of which were resolved through the help of fellow competitors. “It’s been a comedy of errors, but that’s what this is. It’s you and your friends doing the best you can.”

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