IndyCars - The off-season: Series news and comment until the March 2014 kick-off

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On Monday, Benjamin Pedersen got his IndyCar test with Juncos Hollinger Racing…

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The 22-year-old Danish Indy Lights driver shared the Sebring short course with all three cars from Rahal Letterman Lanigan. The day was divided into two sessions - morning and afternoon. The order of speed for the morning session was Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard, Jack Harvey and then Benjamin Pedersen.

After lunch, Benjamin got busy and posted the fastest time of the afternoon session, followed by Graham, Christian and Jack.

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Benjamin Pedersen

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Said Benjamin, “I kind of surprised myself, to be honest!. But we definitely put a lot of work into it as well. So yeah, I really, really enjoyed working with the Juncos Hollinger Racing team. They were super welcoming. That was a really successful test.”

“Overall, I was really happy with my physical level; I was actually kind of expecting it to be quite a bit harder than it was. I’ve been training for IndyCar for the past year now because we knew that was the next step. So it was really cool to see that all that extra training to prep for IndyCar that has paid off, but the steering load was fine. My neck was good. The thing that kind of caught me by surprise was how hot it gets once you come to a stop in pit lane. On track is fine. But once you get to a stop, it just heat soaks and it’s just so hot. That was the biggest new thing, but the more you sit on pit lane, the more you get used to it.”

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Benjamin Pedersen

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There is a chance that Benjamin will get to run in an AJ Foyt car in a road course race before the end of the season, so this time in a similar Chevrolet is all gravy for Ben.

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It’s time for IMSA to invade Canadian Tire Motorsports Park…

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…more famously known as Mosport, the great Canadian track Northeast of Toronto hosts the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series once a year, along with the Michelin Pilot Challenge series. This year they will also play host to the IMSA Prototype Challenge series, holding Round 3 of their season.

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The storied 2.459 mile 10-turn road course has been in existence since the late 1950s and hosted its first race in 1961. The circuit has held Formula One, USAC, World Sportscar Championship, Can-Am, Formula 5000, and many other sports car, open-wheel, and motorcycle series.

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While we are covering the IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio this weekend, we will try to keep an eye on the IMSA gang at CTMP. There are former IndyCar and Road to Indy drivers in all three series racing there, this weekend. Let’s see who they are, starting with the WeatherTech gang:

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DPI class - 4-time IndyCar Champion Sebastien Bourdais is one of the two series regulars in the # 01 Cadillac DPi V.R for Cadillac Racing, pairing with veteran Renger van der Zande. These boys were P3 at Watkins Glen, last weekend.

Sebastien Bourdais

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Indy Lights Champion Tristan Vautier is one of the two regular guys in the # 5 Cadillac DPi V.R for JDC-Miller Motorsports, with his co-driver being Richard Westbrook.

Tristan Vautier

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Indy Pro 2000 alum Pipo Derani is a series regular in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac for Action Express, along with co-driver Olivier Pla.

Pipo Derani

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LMP3 class - Canadian Indy Lights alum Garett Grist will share the # 30 Ligier JS P320 for Jr III Racing with Ari Balogh.

Garett Grist

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Indy Lights alum and SRO SportsCar Champion Jarett Andretti will drive the # 36 Ligier for Andretti Autosport with former Indy Lights Champ and IndyCar driver Gabby Chaves.

Jarett Andretti (left) and Gabby Chaves

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GTD Pro - Road to Indy ace Connor de Phillippe will drive the # 25 BMW M4 GT3 for BMW M Team RLL with co-driver John Edwards

Connor De Phillippi

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GTD class - former Indy Pro 2000 Champion Aaron Telitz is a pilot of the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan with co-driver Franke Montecalvo.

Aaron Telitz

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• The Michelin Pilot Challenge series will have IndyCar guys in both classes:

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Grand Sport class - former Indy Pro 2000 Champion Aaron Telitz is pulling double duty this weekend and will co-drive the # 14 Toyota Supra GT4 for Riley Motorsports with Damian Fineschi.

Aaron Telitz

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Touring Car class - Indy Lights race WINNER and former TCR class champion Ryan Norman shares the # 2 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with AJ Muss. These guys pulled in P3 at Watkins Glen, last weekend.

Ryan Norman

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Former IndyCar driver and paraplegic Robert Wickens drives the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport using hand controls. His co-driver is Mark Wilkins. Mark and Robbie WON their class at Watkins Glen, giving Robbie his first WIN since his accident at Pocono, 4 years ago.

Robert Wickens

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Former Indy Pro 2000 alum and paraplegic Michael Johnson drives the # 54 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Michael Johnson Racing w/ Bryan Herta Autosport, using hand controls. His co-driver is Stephen Simpson.

Michael Johnson

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• The IMSA Prototype Challenge series will also have IndyCar folks:

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Former Road to Indy alum Courtney Crone will drive the # 3 Ligier JSP320 for Jr. III Racing with co-driver Ari Balogh. Ari was P3 in the car at Mid-Ohio in May.

Courtney Crone

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Road to Indy ace and current Porsche Carrera Cup driver Parker Thompson will share the # 14 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier with Lance Willsey.

Parker Thompson

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Former IndyCar driver Memo Gidley will drive the # 23 Duqueine D08 for JDC MotorSports with co-driver Alexander Koreiba. These guys WON in Round 2 at Mid-Ohio.

Memo Gidley

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On Friday the WeatherTech gang and the MPC gang are scheduled for practice and the Michelin folks will also qualify for the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, to be run on Saturday.

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Friday at Mosport - The WeatherTech gang hold their first practice…

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The LMP2 class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series is not racing this weekend but the other four classes are, and we have the TOP THREE in practice for each class here:

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DPi class - TOPS in the P-1 session was Tom Blomqvist in the # 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 with a time of 105.712 seconds, but WAIT! IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais put in the EXACT same time in the # 01 Cadillac DPi V.R for Cadillac Racing, so he can claim the same TOPS for the session. Those guys bested Earl Bamber in the # 02 Caddy for Cadillac Racing by 0.181 seconds.

Tom shares the # 60 Acura with Oliver Jarvis while Sebastien shares the # 01 Caddy with IndyCar driver Renger van der Zande. Earl’s co-driver in the # 02 Cadillac is Alex Lynn.

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The # 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05…

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…and the # 01 Cadillac DPi V.R for Cadillac Racing - both cars TOP the practice.

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Tom blomqvist (left) and Sebastien Bourdais

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LMP3 class - TOPPING the practice was Indy Lights driver Garett Grist in the # 30 Ligier JSP320 for Jr III Racing with a time of 01:12.245 seconds. Garett bested colin Braun in the # 54 Ligier for CORE Autosport by a TEENSY 0.039 seconds. Third quickest was Scott Andrews in the 3 74 Ligier for Riley Motorsports.

Garett is sharing the # 30 Ligier with Ari Balogh while Colin shares the # 54 Ligier with Jon Bennett. Scott’s co-driver in the # 74 is Gar Robinson.

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The # 30 Ligier JSP320 for Jr III Racing - TOPS in the P-1 session

Garett Grist

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GTD Pro class - The HOT SHOE for the session was Daniel Juncadella in the # 79 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for WeatherTech Racing with a time of 116.520 seconds. Daniel got on top of Mathieu Jaminet in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports by 0.397 seconds. Third quickest was Alex Riberas in the # 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Heart of Racing Team.

Daniel shares the Mercedes with Cooper MacNeil while Mathieu shares the Porsche with Matt Campbell. Alex co-drives the Aston Martin with Ross Gunn.

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The # 79 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for WeatherTech Racing - TOPS in the P-1 session

Daniel Juncadella

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GTD class - TOPPING the session was Frankie Montecalvo in the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan with a time of 116.927 seconds. Frankie beat out Robby Foley in the # 96 BMW M4 GT3 for Turner Motorsport by only 0.082 seconds. Third quickest was Russell Ward in the # 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Winward Racing.

Frankie’s co-driver in the # 12 Lexus is Indy Pro 2000 Champ Aaron Telitz while Robby’s co-driver in the # 96 Bimmer is Bill Auberlen. Russell shares the Mercedes with Philip Ellis.

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The # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan - TOPS in the P-1 session

Frankie Montecalvo

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The WeatherTech gang will hold their 2nd practice session on Saturday morning and then qualify around Noon for Sunday’s race.

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Friday at Mosport - The Michelin Pilot Challenge gang practice and qualify…

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…for Saturday’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120. The MPC held two practice sessions today and then late in the day qualified. We have the TOPS for the day in practice by combining the two sessions and then the TOP THREE qualifiers for each class:

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Grand Sport class - Topping the practice sessions was Robin Liddell in the # 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4-R but when it came to qualifying it was Kenny Murillo in the # 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 for Murillo Racing taking the pole with a time of 1:22.735s for a speed of 106.997mph. Kenny bested Damian Fineschi in the # 14 Toyota Supra GT4 for Riley Motorsports by a teensy 0.074 seconds. Starting third will be Marc Miller in the # 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Kenny’s co-driver in his Mercedes is Christian Szymczak while Damian’s co-driver in the Supra is Indy Pro 2000 Champ Aaron Telitz. Marc shares the # 56 Mercedes with Eric Foss while Robin shares the Camaro with Frank DePew.

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The # 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 for Murillo Racing with Kenny Murillo - on the pole

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Touring Car class - The Hot Shoe in the practice sessions for the class was Denis Dupont in the # 15 Audi RS3 LMS DSG for Belgard & Techniseal Racing but in qualifying the guy on pole was Tyler Maxson in the # 77 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with a time of 1:24.318s for a speed of 104.988mph. Tyler beat out Chris Miller in the # 17 Audi RS3 LMS SEQ for Unitronic JDC-Miller MotorSports by 0.118 seconds. Starting third will be Texan Parker Chase in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport.

Tyler 's co-driver in the # 77 Elantra is Mason Filippi while Chris’ co-driver in the # 17 Audi is Mikey Taylor. Parker sharers the # 98 Elantra with fellow Texan Harry Gottsacker while Denis shares the # 15 Audi with Eric Rockwell.

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The # 77 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport and Tyler Maxson - on pole

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The Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 is set for broadcast on Peacock Premium on Saturday from 4:10 EASTERN time. Saturday will also see more practice and qualifying for the WeatherTech gang and two practice sessions for the IMSA Prototype Challenge series.

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This was the last on-track activity of the day.

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Saturday at Mosport - The WeatherTech gang practice and qualify…

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The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series sent all four classes out for their 2nd practice of the weekend this morning and then followed that up with qualifying, midday. We have the TOPS in practice and the TOP THREE qualifiers of each class here:

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DPi class - TOPS in the P-2 practice was Ricky Taylor in the # 10 Acura ARX-05 for Wayne Taylor Racing but in qualifying it was Tom Blomqvist in the other Acura, the # 60 for Meyer Shank Racing that took pole with a time of 1:04.394s for a speed of 137.472mph. Tom bested Ricky in the # 10 Acura by 0.068 seconds - not a lot. Starting third will be Indy Lights champ Tristan Vautier in the # 5 Cadillac DPi V.R for JDC Miller Motorsports.

Tom shares the # 60 Acura with Oliver Jarvis while Ricky shares the # 10 Acura with Filipe Albuquerque. Tristan’s co-driver in the Caddy is Richard Westbrook.

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The # 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 - on the pole

Tom Blomqvist

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LMP3 class - TOPPING the P-2 session was Colin Braun in the # 54 CORE Autosport Ligier JSP320 but in qualifying it was IndyCar driver Jarett Andretti securing pole in the # 36 Ligier JSP320 for Andretti Autosport with a time of 1:13.102s for a speed of 121.096mph. Jarett got on top of Gar Robinson in the # 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier by 0.072 seconds - very tight. Starting third will be Ari Balogh in the # 30 Ligier for Jr III Racing.

Jarett shares the # 36 with fellow IndyCar driver Gabby Chaves while Gar shares the # 74 with Scott Andrews. Ari’s co-driver in the # 30 is Indy Lights driver Garett Grist while Colin shares the # 54 with Jon Bennett.

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The # 36 Ligier JSP320 for Andretti Autosport - on the pole

Jarett Andretti

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GTD Pro class - TOPS in P-2 was Mathieu Jaminet in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports and that speed carried over to qualifying at Mathieu took pole with a time of 1:15.468s for a speed of 117.300mph. Mathieu bested Alex Riberas in the # 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Heart of Racing Team by 0.422 seconds. Starting third will be John Edwards in the # 25 BMW M4 GT3 for BMW M Team RLL.

Mathieu’s co-driver in the Porsche is Matt Campbell while Alex shares the # 23 Aston with Ross Gunn and John shares the Bimmer with Road to Indy ace Connor de Phillippi.

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The # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports - on the pole

Mathieu Jaminet

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GTD class - TOPPING the P-2 session was Frankie Montecalvo in the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan, as he had done in P-1, and that speed carried over to give Frankie pole in the car with a time of 1:15.633s for a speed of 117.044mph. Frankie beat out strong textRoman De Angelis in the # 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Heart of Racing Team by 0.342 seconds. Starting third will be Madison Snow in the # 1 BMW M4 GT3 for Paul Miller Racing.

Frankie shares the Lexus with Indy Pro 2000 champ Aaron Telitz while Roman shares the Aston with Maxime Martin. Madison’s co-driver in the Bimmer is Bryan Sellers.

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The # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan - on the pole

Frankie Montecalvo

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The race is scheduled for broadcast on NBC on Sunday, starting at 3:00pm EASTERN time, following the IndyCar race on the same network. It can also be seen on Peacock Premium at the same time.

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UPDATE!!!

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In post qualifying tech the # 36 Ligier of Andretti Autosport in the LMP3 class was found to be in technical violation with a non-compliant suspension component and will lose its pole starting position. It is now set to start from the rear of the field. That has promoted the # 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier of qualifier Gar Robinson and Scott Andrews to the class pole.

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The # 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier - on the pole in LMP3 class

Gar Robinson

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M, again

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Saturday at Mosport - IMSA Prototype Challenge holds their two practice sessions…

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The little LMP3-spec Prototypes had two sessions today and we have COMBINED them to give you the TOP THREE cars for the day:

Topping the day was Patrick Kujala in the # 77 Ligier JSP320 for US Racetronics with a P-2 session time of 1:12.624s for a speed of 121.893mph. Patrick bested Road to Indy ace Parker Thompson’s P-1 session time in the # 14 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier by a teensy 0.082 seconds. Third fastest on the day was Tonis Kasemets P-2 session time in the # 60 Wulver Racing Ligier.

Patrick shares the # 77 with Brian Thienes while Parker shares the # 14 with Lance Willsey. Tonis drives solo in the # 60 Ligier.

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The # 77 Ligier JSP320 for US Racetronics - TOPS for the day in IPC

Patrick Kujala

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The IMSA Prototype Challenge gang will qualify for season Round 3 first thing Sunday morning.

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Saturday at Mosport - Michelin Pilot Challenge hold their race…

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Saturday’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 saw Murrillo Racing take a 1-2 finish overall and in the GS class as starter Marc Miller and closer Eric Foss took the # 56 Mercedes-AMG GT4 to a 0.388-second win over the sister # 72 entry of closer Christian Szymczak and starter Kenny Murillo. P3 went to GS points leaders Trent Hindman who closed and starter Alan Brynjolfsson in the # 7 VOLT Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

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Kenny Murillo led from pole early, but lost the lead to the sister car during the mid-race pit sequence. Foss, with a recent leg injury, drove his stint in considerable pain but he was able to stay ahead of Christian for his 2nd WIN of the season.

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In TCR class IndyCar driver Robert Wickens, starting from P13 in the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport drove to as high as P2 before handing the car off to co-driver Mark Wilkins who took the car to their 2nd class WIN in a row, beating the # 1 BHA Elantra of starter Taylor Hagler and closer Michael Lewis to the finish line by only 0.522 seconds. P3 went to a third team car, the # 98 Elantra driven by Parker Chase and Harry Gottsacker.

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Canadians Wilkins and Wickens for the WIN!

#IMSA

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The next round of the Michelin Pilot Challenge is the Lime Rock Park 120, set for July 15-16 in Lakeville, Connecticut in support of the WeatherTech GT race, the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix.

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Sunday morning at Mosport - The IMSA Prototype Challenge gang are qualified…

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…for today’s series Round Three of the season, and we have the TOP THREE qualifiers here:

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On the pole will be Tonis Kasemats in the # 60 Ligier JSP320 for Wulver Racing with a time of 1:12.745s for a speed of 121.690mph. Tonis bested IndyCar driver Memo Gidley in the # 23 Duqueine D08 for JDC Motorsports by 0.161 seconds. Starting third will be Tony Ave in the # 44 Ligier for Ave Motorsports with GRS.

Tonis is one of the few drivers who prefers to drive the race solo in the car. Memo’s co-driver in the Duqueine is Alexander Koreiba. They WON Round Two at Mid-Ohio in May. Tony is sharing the # 44 with Dillon Machavern.

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The # 60 Ligier JSP320 for Wulver Racing - on the pole

Tonis Kasemets

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The race is scheduled for just before Noon today and can be seen on Peacock Premium starting at 11:35am REASTERN time.

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Sunday at Mosport - The IMSA Prototype Challenge Round 3…

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…had Estonian Tonis Kasemets WIN his 2nd series race in a row in the # 60 Ligier JS P320 for Wulver Racing, from pole. Coming in P2 was Road to Indy ace Parker Thompson in the # 14 Ligier he shared with starter Lance Willsey for Sean Creech Motorsport while P3 went to another solo driver, Anthony Mantella, in the # 17 Duqueine D08 for AWA.

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Tonis controlled the first half of the race with impunity, building a cushion of more than 50 seconds as the race ran under green-flag conditions. But Danny Formal slid off track in Turn 5 in the # 46 CT Motorsports Duqueine D08 with just under 25 minutes remaining in the 90-minute contest to bring out the only full-course caution of the race. The race restarted with 13 minutes to go, and soon after, Parker Thompson in the Sean Creech Ligier and Patrick Kujala in the # 77 US RaceTronics Ligier cut through the lapped traffic between themselves and Tonis. Both cars closed within a half-second until Kasemets responded, opening up a 2-second gap until finally easing off at the end to take Parker by a half a second at the line.

Post race tech found that the # 77 of Kujala and Brian Thienes had the plank on the bottom of the car exceeding maximum permitted wear and the car was moved to the tail, elevating Anthony Mantella to P3. IndyCar driver Memo Gidley and Alexander Koreiba, who finished P5 in the # 23 JDC MotorSports Duqueine, are still second in points.

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Podium, Left to right, Tonis Kasemets, Parker Thompson, Lance Willsey…

…and Anthony Mantella

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With this result, here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Canadian Tire Motorsports Park:

1 - Tonis Kasemets, 1020
2 - Alexander Koreiba, Memo Gidley, 910
3 - Brian Thienes, Patrick Kujala, 810
4 - Lance Willsey, 800
5 - Ari Balogh, 770

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Two races remain on the IMSA Prototype Challenge schedule. Next up is VIRginia International Raceway from Aug. 26-28.

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Sunday at Mosport - The WeatherTech race was a WILD one…

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The return to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park after a few years absence was both CHOCK FULL of action and more than a few surprises. The race was WON overall and in the DPi class by starter and IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais and closer Renger van der Zande in the # 01 Cadillac DPi V.R for Chip Ganassi’s Cadillac Racing, besting starter Tom Blomqvist and closer Oliver Jarvis in the # 60 Acura ARX-05 for Meyer Shank Racing by 3.509 seconds and the line. Taking 3rd place was closer and Indy Pro 2000 alum Pipo Derani and starter Olivier Pla in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac for Action Express.

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Sebastien hoists Renger in celebration of their third WIN of the season

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The race started out being a contest between the MSR Acura and the # 10 Acura for Wayne Taylor Racing but that car ended up befuddled with a number of mishaps that had Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque finishing last in class. Also having a good day until near the end was the # 5 Caddy for JDC Miller Motorsports of Indy Lights champ Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook. They would fall from P2 to P5 in the closing laps. For almost all the race Bourdais and van der Zande were fighting with recalcitrant power steering in the # 01 but ultimately it was a spectacular pass, getting by first Westbrook and then Jarvis in a singular move, that put Renger in the lead with a few minutes to go.

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LMP3 class honors went to starter Jon Bennett and closer Colin Braun in the # 54 Ligier JSP230 for CORE Autosport, making late-race moves to get past leader and IndyCar driver Gabby Chaves, closing in the # 36 Ligier for Andretti Autosport that he shared with Indy Lights driver Jarett Andretti. Chaves and Andretti ended up second, with Ari Balogh and Indy Lights driver Garrett Grist third in the # 30 Jr III Racing Ligier. Early class leader Scott Andrews in the # 74 Riley Ligier he shared with starter Gar Robinson was taken out in a clash with the # 60 MSR Dpi car.

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Jon Bennett (left) and Colin Braun

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GTD Pro class saw Mathieu Jaminet lead from the green flag in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports. Jaminet and closer Matt Campbell dominated the race. It was all about who would get P2 and taking it were starter Jordan Taylor and closer Antonio Garcia in the # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing, with a pass on the # 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Heart of Racing Team driven by starter Alex Riberas and close Ross Gunn.

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Mathieu Jaminet (left) and Matt Campbell

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In GTD class starter Roman De Angelis and closer Maxime Martin WON in the # 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin, despite huge late-race pressure from the # 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of closer Philips Ellis in the car he shares with starter Russell Ward. P3 honors went to Rick Ware Racing, claiming its first-ever podium finish with its # 51 Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 of closer Ryan Eversley and starter Aidan Read.

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Roman De Angelis (left) and Maxime Martin

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Series points have yet to be awarded. The next outing for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park - a GTD/GTD Pro class only event, supported by the Michelin Pilot Challenge series, July 15-16.

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A great day for a little cheesecake!

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IndyCar has released a lot of the in-car video from just lap 1 of the race at Mid-Ohio…

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NTT INDYCAR SERIES

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It is an absolute wonder how everyone except Will Power was able to get through lap 1 without going off. This is indicative of just how competitive this race was, from start to finish.

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Fans of 2021 champ Alex Palou were not dissatisfied with his performance:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

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Friday was Canada Day - the national holiday of our friends to the North…

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…and what better way to celebrate it for Canadians Mark Wilkins and IndyCar driver Robby Wickens than to WIN a race in Canada, and that’s exactly what they did!.

As we reported in post # 1767, the pair WON their 2nd race in a row in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series, Touring Car class, in Saturday’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 at Mosport, driving the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport.

Mark finally released a few pics from the event and we have them, here:

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Mark (left) and Robby at Parc Ferme

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Mark crosses the line just ahead of Michael Lewis in the # 1 Elantra for BHA

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Mark and his family with Robby on the podium

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Robby was not at the track to practice and qualify on Canada Day (Friday) because he had to rush home to be with his wife, Karli who was giving birth (two weeks early) to their new son!

Robert Wickens

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Robby’s first chance to drive the car for the race was literally IN THE RACE on Saturday as he took off from the back of the field, having not been able to qualify. He then drove to as high as P2 before handing the car off to Mark who took the lead and the WIN.

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Congrats to Wilkins and Wickens for their 2nd WIN of the season and a BIG CONGRATS to Karli and Robby for the new arrival in the family!!

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Big doings in Indy Lights for 2023…

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Two weeks ago the Indy Lights series made the announcement that they will be switching from Cooper tires to Firestone tires in 2023. This makes a lot of sense, as since 2021 the series is much more aligned with the IndyCar series than with the other Road to Indy series. The tires will now be a part of acclimating Lights drivers to driving IndyCars, instead of having to learn a new compound at each track, once they make the move up. Coopers will continue to be the tire for USF Juniors, USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, as they have been since 2014.

The tire choice is just one of the reasons that Cape Motorsports has decided it’s time to return to contesting the Indy Lights series for 2023 and beyond. Team owners Dominic and Nicholas Cape moved their operation from Florida to Brownsburg, Indiana in 2020 with that goal in mind. Their intent is to run two cars in 2023. The plan in fact is to look at possibly moving into IndyCars in the future.

Said Dominic Cape, “We have seen how contesting Indy Lights can open doors into IndyCar and that is our end goal.”

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The Cape Motorsports IL-15 with Firestone rubber

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Cape Motorsports ran in Indy Lights in 2007 and 2008 with JR Hildebrand, their 2006 USF2000 Champion. He would go on to get to the Lights title in 2009, driving then for AFS Racing / Andretti Green. The Capes also ran a Lights car in 2010, giving a ride to Gustavo Yacaman, now the Race Director for USF Juniors.

Cape alums JR Hildebrand (left) and Gustavo Yacaman

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Making a similar announcement this week was Legacy Autosport, based 30 miles North of Indianapolis. We have bemoaned the loss of Simon Sikes in the Legacy Autosport USF-22 in the last few USF2000 races, and now we know why he was absent. The team decided to make the switch to Indy Lights in 2023 and was forced to sell their USF-22 chassis and their PM-22 Indy Pro 2000 chassis to buy an IL-15 for the effort.

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The Legacy Autosport IL-15 for 2023

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Said team owner Louis Michael Meyers, “I speak for everyone here at Legacy Autosport when I say we are thrilled to be moving up the Road to Indy to Indy Lights. When starting this team four years ago, we had the goal of someday competing in Indy Lights where I spent 16 years of my career.

“It’s been a talking point for a year now and some opportunities came along to make the decision of selling our USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 cars and purchasing our first IL-15 Indy Lights chassis. Our plan is to field two cars in the Indy Lights championship while also competing in the USAC Silver Crown Series.”

Louis Michael Meyers

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Unfortunately for Simon, he isn’t slated to take over the Lights car in 2023, though he could compete for the ride if he could find the budget. The former Team USA Scholarship WINNING driver also holds 2 SCCA National titles, 2 SCCA Vice-Championships, and an F1600 Championship title, and deserves to be in a race car, somewhere.

Simon Sikes

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[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - The USF Juniors hold testing…

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Starting on Friday, the Road to Indy’s USF Juniors series will be a part of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing weekend at Mid-Ohio, holding Season Rounds 8, 9 and 10. The Road to Indy purchased track time today to allow the Juniors to hold three test sessions before they go racing.

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The venue track map

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We have COMBINED the results of all three sessions to give you the TOP SPEEDSTERS of the series, going into the race weekend.

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Here is the order of speed for the USF Juniors 3 test sessions COMBINED, with times for the TOP FIVE: all drivers are series rookies; the driver’s best session is in ( )

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1 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:27.681s for a speed of 92.709mph (3)

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2 - Alessandro De Tullio [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 01:27.722s for a speed of 92.665mph (3)

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3 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 01:27.964s for a speed of 92.411mph (2)

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4 - Sam Corry [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 01:27.983s for a speed of 92.391mph (3)

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5 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development - time of 01:28.054s for a speed of 92.316mph (3)

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6 - Andre Castro [R], International Motorsport (3)
7 - Jeremy Fairbairn [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports (2)
8 - Alan Isambard [R], International Motorsport (3)
9 - Giorgio Carrara [R], International Motorsport (3)
10 - Lucas Fecury [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports (2)

11 - Titus Sherlkock [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports (2)
12 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports (3)
13 - Ethan Barker [R], Barker Racing (3)
14 - Jake Bonilla [R], DEForce Racing (2)
15 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing (3)
16 - Earl Tucker [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports (3)
17 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing (3)
18 - Madison Aust [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports (2)
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Notable:

• It’s no surprise that the kids who dominated the running at VIRginia International Raceway for Rounds 5, 6 and 7 are also the guys on top here. Alessandro de Tullio WON all three races at VIR but was hounded the whole way by principally Titus Sherlock, Mac Clark, Nikita Johnson, Sam Corry, Alan Isambard and Andre Castro. Already, there is a group of fast kids rising to the top - happens in any series, no matter how junior it is.

• Nikita Johnson started the season in the Juniors and was promoted to drive in all three USF2000 races at Mid-Ohio during the IndyCar race weekend, just ended. He did exceptionally well. His appearance here is not a demotion for the outstanding young talent, but rather another opportunity to get invaluable seat time.

• New to the Juniors this week are Argentine Giorgio Carrara for International Motorsport and Texan Madison Aust for Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports - both coming from F4 experience, with 21-year-old Giorgio coming from F4 Spain and F4 Italy while Maddie comes from F4 US…

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Maddie Aust (left) and Giorgio Carrara

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Mac Clark

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The schedule calls for 1 practice session and then qualifying on Friday, followed by Race 1 late in the day, while Races 2 and 3 will be held on Saturday morning.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday morning at Mid-Ohio - The USF Juniors practice and qualify…

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…for their three races, this weekend. There was one practice session followed by qualifying about one hour later, to allow teams to adjust cars. The qually session will set the grid for Race 1 and help set the grid for both Race 2 and Race 3.

The TOP FIVE in practice were, in order of speed:

1 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing
2 - Sam Corry [R], Velocity Racing Development
3 - Alessandro De Tullio [R], Velocity Racing Development
4 - Andre Castro [R], International Motorsport
5 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing

Shortly after practice was complete the weather became wet with sprinkles that made the qualifying session one with wet tires mandatory at the start, but cars switched to slicks late in the session.
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Here is the way USF Juniors will grid for Season Round 8, with times for the TOP SIX: All drivers are rookies

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Row 1

Pole - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing - time of 1:27.100s for a speed of 93.327mph

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P2 - Sam Corry [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 1:27.276s for a speed of 93.139mph

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Row 2

P3 - Alessandro De Tullio [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 1:27.326s for a speed of 93.086mph

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P4 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 1:27.518s for a speed of 92.881mph

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Row 3

P5 - Andre Castro [R], International Motorsport - time of 1:27.690s for a speed of 92.699mph

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P6 - Giorgio Carrara [R], International Motorsport - time of 1:27.705s for a speed of 92.683mph

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Row 4

P7 - Jeremy Fairbairn [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P8 - Lucas Fecury [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports

Row 5

P9 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing
P10 - Ethan Barker [R], Barker Racing

Row 6

P11 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
P12 - Titus Sherlkock [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
P14 - Alan Isambard [R], International Motorsport

Row 8

P15 - Jake Bonilla [R], DEForce Racing
P16 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing

Row 9

P17 - Madison Aust [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P18 - Earl Tucker [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

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Notable:

• No surprise that the points leader is on pole. Mac Clark has been fast since he rolled off pre-season last Fall with the intent of taking the first championship of this series. This is his 7th pole in 8 series starts.

• Right behind Mac are the three guys from Velocity Racing Development. This is EERILY similar to the last three rounds at VIRginia International Raceway in June, and like those races, the question is whether or not Mac can keep those boys behind him for the race.

• We expect Andre Castro to make the TOP SIX but we aren’t familiar enough with newbie Giorgio Carrara to expect that. He was fast, at one time leading the parade.

• Elliot Cox and Alan Isambard were also fast late in the session, but as the final minutes wound down they dropped down the order.

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Mac Clark

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The race stands a good chance of being a wet one.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - USF Juniors hold Race 1 of the weekend…

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…and it produces a first-time race WINNER, as 14-year-old Sam Corry takes his first P1 for Velocity Racing Development from his P2 start. P2 went to Canadian Mac Clark for DEForce Racing from pole while P3 went to VRD’s Alessandro De Tullio from his P3 start.

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The race was in the dry on slicks, despite earlier sprinkles. Mac led the field off on lap 1 and by the time the field had passed Turn 4 there was already movement as Jeremy Fairbairn for Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports moved past Andre Castro for International Motorsports to take P5, Titus Sherlock for Crosslink went from P12 to P9 and Giorgio Carrara for International fell from P6 to P10. Biggest mover was Elliot Cox for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development. The 14-year-old went from P13 to P7. At the end of the lap Alan Isambard for International clashed with Maddie Aust for Crosslink and went off with damage in Turn 11. He would rejoin. On lap 2 Elliot would take P6 from Andre and Giorgio would take P9 from Titus. Mac would set Fastest Lap trying to get away out front.

Lap 4 saw Giorgio take P8 from Lucas Fecury for Crosslink as Alan Isambard pitted with damage, out of the race. On lap 5 Ethan Ho for DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports passed Ethan Barker for Barker Racing to take P11. On lap 7 Ho took P10 from Titus Sherlock, with Barker following through to take over P11. Mac reset Fastest Lap. On lap 8 Lucas reclaimed P8 from Giorgio. On lap 9 Sam Corry set Fastest Lap in pursuit of Mac Clark, who was only 0.46 seconds out front. By lap 10 that was down to 0.35 seconds. On lap 12 Andre Castro reclaimed P6 from Elliot Cox in Turn 1. Maxwell Jameison for DEForce Racing then went off in Turn 1 and brought out a full course caution to retrieve him.

On the lap 15 restart Mac got through Turn 1 in the lead but by the time the cars were in Turn 2 Sam Corry was beside him. The two cars were side-by-side through Turns 4 and 5 and banged wheels with Corry emerging as the leader in Turn 6. Andre Castro passed Jeremy Fairbairn for P5. On lap 16 Giorgio took P8 from Lucas again. On lap 17 Carrara passed Elliot to take P7 as Sam eked out a small 0.76-second lead over Mac. On lap 19 Giorgio moved into P6 past Jeremy as Alessandro set Fastest Lap in pursuit of Mac Clark. De Tullio closed on Clark for the whole final lap, lap 20. Sam crossed the line 0.8 seconds ahead of Mac who was only 0.19 seconds ahead of Alessandro at the line.

Another intense battle for the Juniors, with great racing for the podium and throughout the field!

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Notable

• Mac Clark is still in the points lead, while Sam Corry who was 3rd now ties 2nd place Allesandro De Tullio. The 1 point for the Fastest lap helps De Tullio negate the 1 extra point Clark got for leading the most laps.

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Your happy podium - That’s Mac Clark in P2 on the left, Sam Corry in P1 in the middle and Alessandro De Tulio in P3 on the right:

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Race 2 will run Saturday morning, with a grid set by using each driver’s 2nd fastest qually lap or their best Race 1 lap - whichever is better.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - USF Juniors sets the grid for Race 2…

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The grid for Race 2 was calculated by the series using either a driver’s 2nd best qualifying lap or their best Race 1 lap - whichever was faster.

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Here is the way USF Juniors will grid for Season Round 9: all drivers are series rookies
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Row 1

Pole - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing

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P2 - Sam Corry [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Row 2

P3 - Alessandro De Tullio [R], Velocity Racing Development

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P4 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Row 3

P5 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

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P6 - Giorgio Carrara [R], International Motorsport

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Row 4

P7 - Andre Castro [R], International Motorsport
P8 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Lucas Fecury [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P10 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development

Row 6

P11 - Jeremy Fairbairn [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P12 - Titus Sherlkock [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Jake Bonilla [R], DEForce Racing
P14 - Ethan Barker [R], Barker Racing

Row 8

P15 - Alan Isambard [R], International Motorsport
P16 - Earl Tucker [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 9

P17 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing
P18 - Madison Aust [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports

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Notable:

• This is almost a carbon copy of the grid from Race 1 in the TOP SIX, except Ethan Ho is in P5 instead of Andre Castro. That shows how consistent these guys are.

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The race is scheduled for first thing on Saturday morning.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio - USF Juniors holds Race 2…

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…and Alessandro De Tullio for Velocity Racing Development takes his 4th series WIN from his P3 start. Taking P2 for DEForce Racing from pole was Mac Clark while Nikita Johnson for VRD pulled in P3 for his 4th podium of the season.

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As Clark pulled the field to a start there was a lot of movement behind him as Ethan Ho for DC Autosport w/Cape Motorsports dropped from P5 to P8 and Nikita dropped from P4 to P5. Giorgio Carrara for International Motorsport moved from P6 to P4, Quinn Armstrong for DEForce moved to P6 from P8 and Elliot Cox for Sarah Fisher Hartman Driver Development went from P10 to P7. Biggest mover was Alan Isambard for International who went from P15 to P10. Jeremy Fairbairn for Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport was pushed off in Turn 1 and dropped from P11 all the way to the rear, but he was back on in the same lap. On lap 2 Nikita moved past Giorgio and then Alessandro to claim P3. Andre Castro for International took P8 from Ethan Ho. Sam Corry for VRD set Fastest Lap in pursuit of the leader, Mac Clark. At the end of the lap Jake Bonilla for DEForce went off in Turn 11 and was stuck, bringing out a full-course caution.

On the lap 4 restart Alessandro reclaimed P3 from Nikita. One lap later Alessandro took P2 from Sam Corry. Elliot Cox took P5 from Giorgio. Jeremy Fairbairn on a charge had already moved from P17 to P12. On lap 6 De Tullio set Fastest Lap in pursuit of Clark. The TOP FOUR took off. Alan Isambard passed Ethan Ho for P9. On lap 7 Andre Castro took P7 from Quinn Armstrong while Jeremy was into P11 past Earl Tucker for DC Autosport. The TOP FOUR were all within a second of each other, running virtually nose to tail. On lap 8 Jeremy passed Ethan Ho for P10. Sam reset Fastest Lap on lap 9. Giorgio passed Elliot to claim P5. Jeremy passed Alan Isambard for P9.

On lap 10 Andre took P6 from Elliot as Mac Clark set Fastest Lap. On lap 12 Mac reset Fastest Lap trying to keep the lead. On lap 13 Quinn passed Elliot for P7 and Jeremy followed through into P8. On lap 14 Alessandro reset Fastest Lap and then one lap later reset Fastest Lap once again. As Ethan Barker for Barker Racing and Earl Tucker battled for the P12 spot Tucker went off in Turn 4 and got stuck, bringing out another full-course caution.

On the lap 19 restart Alessandro got beside Mac Clark in Turn 2. The two ran aside each other all the way through Turns 4 and 5, where De Tullio nosed into the lead. Nikita also took P3 from Sam. Alan Isambard moved Jeremy Fairbairn back to P9 but on the final lap, lap 20, Fairbairn moved past Alan, past Quinn and then past Andre Castro to take over P6. Alan moved past Quinn to take P8. Alessandro beat Clark to the line by 0.30 seconds. Mac was 0.85 seconds ahead of Johnson.

Another great battle up front for the WIN and tons of action throughout the field. The Juniors are a HOOT.

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Notable:

• Clark remains in the points lead but Alessandro moves out of his tie with Sam corry and into 2nd place.

• What a terrific drive by Jeremy Fairbairn who dropped to P17 at the start but passed everyone ahead of him to finish in P6.

Jeremy Fairbairn

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Your happy podium - That’s Mac Clark in P2 on the left, Alessandro De Tullio in P1 in the middle and Sam Corry in P3 on the right:

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The Race 3 grid will now be set based on the 2nd fastest qualifying lap of each driver or their best Race 2 lap - whichever is faster.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - USF Juniors sets the grid for Race 3…

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The grid for Race 3 was calculated by the series using either a driver’s 2nd best qualifying lap or their best Race 1 lap - whichever was faster.

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Here is the way USF Juniors will grid for Season Round 10: all drivers are series rookies

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Row 1

Pole - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing

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P2 - Sam Corry [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Row 2

P3 - Alessandro De Tullio [R], Velocity Racing Development

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P4 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Row 3

P5 - Giorgio Carrara [R], International Motorsport

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P6 - Andre Castro [R], International Motorsport

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Row 4

P7 - Lucas Fecury [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P8 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 5

P9 - Jeremy Fairbairn [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P10 - Ethan Barker [R], Barker Racing

Row 6

P11 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
P12 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing

Row 7

P13 - Titus Sherlkock [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P14 - Alan Isambard [R], International Motorsport

Row 8

P15 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing
P16 - Jake Bonilla [R], DEForce Racing

Row 9

P17 - Madison Aust [R], Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports
P18 - Earl Tucker [R], DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

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Notable:

• This is Mac Clark’s 9th pole in 10 series starts. Each one gives him 1 valuable series point and is a part of the reason he leads, at the moment.

• Weather for the race is ideal, dry at about 74 degrees.

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