Golinello set the second-fastest lap among the GTS competitors during Saturday’s race one of the Pirelli Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. He went on to drive a smart, clean race that resulted in a finish of fourth in class and 15th overall.
“I had a good start, positioned myself well, and I was able to race with guys I respect: they drive well and I trust them not to make mistakes, so it was a great day of racing,” says Golinello.
That great day of racing had a lot to do with the new Boss 302, affectionately referred to as “Boss One” since it was the first one produced by Ford. The Boss 302, prepared by Rehagan Racing, has quickly become Golinello’s favorite car.
“It’s incredible,” he says. “It’s a beautiful car, and it’s such a nice drive. It has a wide power band, incredible brakes, and it’s an all-around good handling car. I’m loving every second of it.”
The car got even better following Saturday’s race. The Rehagan crew did some last-minute suspension tuning in time for Sunday’s events, and Golinello notes that “it was like driving a world-class sports car. I could put that car anywhere on the track.”
Unfortunately, Golinello was unable to capitalize on the improvement in Sunday’s race two. He was passing a GTS competitor on the inside of the Keyhole section early in the race when the other car got loose and hit the No. 55 Mustang. Golinello found himself heading for a wall at 80 miles per hour, with no choice but to hang on for the ride.
Golinello came out of the incident unscathed, but the Mustang received considerable damage following the high-speed crash into the wall.There is a lot of repair work to be undertaken, but Golinello assures that Boss One will return for the next round at Infineon Raceway, August 26-28.
Keep up with Golinello’s 2011 season online at www.r-cmotorsports.com.
