2016 PCC Cup Series: Race 15: Russia

Results:

Cup Driver's Points
Europe Driver's Points

Team Points:

Cup Rookie of the Year:

*Points Standings are subject to change due to impending penalties*

Sigurdsson Suffers Minor Injuries, Furious at Olsen

48-year old Icelandic driver Johann Sigurdsson was recently released from the infield care center only receiving multiple bruises. He was asked about his point of view on the wreck he has with Donnie Olsen, which took him out of a potential podium finish, and he answered "The 45 er akstur eins og rassgat! Næst þegar ég sá hann ætla ég að sparka í rass hans!"

Juveno incites brawl in pit lane, Stephans struggles continue

It has not been a smooth season for Stephans Racing driver Barry Juveno and his result in the PCC Cup Series Round of Russia will not be helping matters. Around the middle point of the event, Juveno had fallen a lap down and not made life easy for lead lap cars trying to navigate him. He continued to battle hard for track position and be passed by faster traffic until the Master Sport #23 Tutino of Katyen Scurrel hooked him hard into the inside wall, taking him out of the race. His radio communication immediately after, as you can imagine, was as colorful as ever toward his crew chief.

"Get over there and f**k her crew chief up. I'ma get you fired if you don't."

He hardly waited for paramedics to check on him and, despite their protests, he stormed off towards the paddock (OOC: And let's face it, they probably let him go for the sake of a fine). The 65 crew reportedly had words with Scurrel's crew, but there was little shoving going on. Juveno then reached the 23's stall and shoved one of the tire changers into the team's pit box. From there, it grew much more physical and several more series officials got involved. This is the second brawl he's been involved in this season, coming after his confrontation with Alina Lazareva at Road America.

"She's trash. They all trash. Whole team's a joke," Juveno angrily told some PCC media as he was walking back to the series hauler. "I ain't cut over on her or nothing, she just straight dumped me. [Who] the f**k she think she is? How do you get let into the series driving like that? I can't catch no f***in' break and that b***h is gonna dump me in one of the biggest races of the year. Dumb as s**t."

To say the #65 Jack Daniel's team's season has been a nightmare would be an understatement. Since contending for the championship back in 2011, success has not easily found him and 2016 has been a particularly trying time for the Cleveland native. This season, his retirement from Russia makes for the eighth DNF of the season, tying him with Greg Woodard for most in the series - no drivers in the series have seven of them. Ironically, Woodard sits in 38th in the driver's standings, one single point ahead of Juveno in 39th. Lenny Jacobs, who has been injured since Eight Bowl, sits in 33rd with six fewer starts.

Stephans Racing as a collective team has struggled just about as much. John Jefferson technically sits as their highest-ranked driver, but he has not attempted every race for the team. Preston Bell has had a very mediocre season and sits 23rd with one Top 5 as his mark of note on the season thus far. Chris Benson began the season in the team's #55 before being diagnosed with a crippling case of sponsoritis and that's where Jefferson has entered the picture to hopefully turn the team's fortunes around. They rank dead last in team ratings, only two points behind Accelerator Motorsports, and both teams are in high danger of demotion by the end of the season unless things radically change in fortune.

Juveno's future with the team remains in doubt for 2017. However, Jack Daniel's does not appear to be losing faith in his abilities and he has helped quite a bit in terms of marketing their product. Whether that is in terms of consumption or actual business promotion is not known, but likely assumed to be both.