2010 Skip Barber / F2000 / Star Mazda

[Morris Dancer]

Er ... as I posted on June 21. Fortunately the Watkins Glen organisers saw the light (or read my post?!) and changed Friday's race to Saturday.

Daniel Erickson won Saturday's race (his first win in American F2000 since graduating from FF) from second starting position. He passed polesitter Chris Livengood halfway through the race. There's a report on Erickson's website.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!

[gomick]

Erickson won race 2 aswell - pity he didnt have the $$ to do the whole season...

[Bill Erickson]

Originally Posted by gomick

Erickson won race 2 aswell - pity he didnt have the $$ to do the whole season...

Thank you Gomick, you all, can help him complete the season by donating a few dollars each, should you care to
Regards
Bill Erickson

[Morris Dancer]

Watkins Glen second F2000 race report on Daniel Erickson's website.

[gomick]

Felix Serralles & Ashley Freiberg win at New Jersey - both debut race wins....

STANDINGS (after 10 of 14)

Spencer Pigot - 317
Isaac Lyons - 296
Ashley Freiberg - 271
Felix Serralles - 271
Dennis Trebing - 271
Nick Andries - 265
Scott Anderson - 234
Brandon Newey - 215
Mukul Sud - 210
Luis M Dorrbecker - 150

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by Morris Dancer

Er ... as I posted on June 21. Fortunately the Watkins Glen organisers saw the light (or read my post?!) and changed Friday's race to Saturday.

Daniel Erickson won Saturday's race (his first win in American F2000 since graduating from FF) from second starting position. He passed polesitter Chris Livengood halfway through the race. There's a report on Erickson's website.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!

Hardly graduating....British Formula Ford is national championship and F2000 is a club championship. I would expect Dan to win every race with all the track time he got on his tiny budget last year.

[Morris Dancer]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

Hardly graduating....British Formula Ford is national championship and F2000 is a club championship. I would expect Dan to win every race with all the track time he got on his tiny budget last year.

There you go again with your unrelenting criticism of Daniel Erickson. What have you got against him?

There's no place on this forum for constant negativity against any junior driver, especially one who's always punched above his weight against better funded opposition.

Go back into your box if you can't say anything positive and constructive.

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by Morris Dancer

There you go again with your unrelenting criticism of Daniel Erickson. What have you got against him?

There's no place on this forum for constant negativity against any junior driver, especially one who's always punched above his weight against better funded opposition.

Go back into your box if you can't say anything positive and constructive.

I dont have any issue with Dan. I think he is a great driver but will never be helped by you spinning the "he is so hard done by" line every week. He is no different to any other driver with no money. But readers of the forum see through all your PR.

Other drivers have found that self promotion on these forums do not win many friends. If Dan has the talent which we both know he has then he will shine through.

My point was that F2000 in the US is a club championship and not a step up from Formula Ford in the UK. It is raced by business men who enjoy single seaters on weekends off. I am sure finance had something to do with it but I would like to have seen Dan battle with Sage and Pat in the main championship to hopefully open the eyes of the Mazda teams.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

Other drivers have found that self promotion on these forums do not win many friends. If Dan has the talent which we both know he has then he will shine through.

i hate to say it but i agree. pedalling the victim line can only be done so many times. pedal it so much and the potential sponsors etc won't back him because he OBVIOUSLY hasn't got the money to progress much further. chicken and egg scenario, methinks.

that said i hope dan does well this year. he's clearly good.

[jon baytos]

Yes there are some businessmen that race in the Formula Ford 2000 series,but they are very good drivers and teams in most cases. Can you say Rick Morris?

It's true Rob Nicholas,Tim Minor,Keith McCrone,Phil Lombardi etc are not looking for careers as drivers at this point in life,but they are very good at what they do.And unfortanately for some of the kids have very little fear.

Keith McCrone 40, at the last event at Lime Rock had just gone quickest out of 30+ in a very ,very wet qualifying session with 5min to go, and the next time through came off the road at a very high rate of speed going outside someone to hit the hedge hard,and land upside down ,with the entire RH side off!! If you have never been to Lime Rock,picture Snett in the wet, with hills and steel Gaurdrail 50% closer to the edge of the road at the quickest corners.

Remember this is a country that just stopped wearing sidearms less than a 100 years ago,our codgers are maybe cut a bit different.
Nicholas and Minor are both "mountain lumberjacks" from Virginia!! Well known that folks from this area are not right. They only wear helmets because they have to!

As Daniel himself has found out this year. They can drive a racing car.
It is fair to say that from your comments that you rate Daniel. So I can tell you that he rates the US codgers in the F2000.

I can't comment about the other f2000 series,other than it seems to have more flash,and big sun glasses,but I can tell if you are worried about the Mazda Teams seeing you,this ain't no problem from where I stand. Just not sure why you would care? JB

[gomick]

something wrong with my eyes?

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by gomick

something wrong with my eyes?

There would be if you actually tried to read that

[Morris Dancer]

Which only shows that Jon Baytos is a much better race team owner/manager than forum poster.

Anyone who thinks the F2000 Championship Series is boring should check out the in-car video of the second Road America race from Jonathon Scarallo, who won.

The tow truck trundling along on the inside of the kink in the back straight as the leaders flash past is spine-tingling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTxw9ENVP_w

[NaBUru38]

2010 Star Mazda leader Conor Daly tested an Indy Lights car at Putnam Park for Schmidt a few days ago.

Speed Latin America will broadcast all races so far. Funny quote: "The scream of rotary racing engines has replaced the noise of the infamous vuvuzelas and we're glad to report that our TV season on SPEED Latin America is under way".

The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières will be held this weekend. The Star Mazda has qualifying on Saturday at 14:30 local time and races on Sunday at 13:00. All sessions will be broadcasted online.

[NaBUru38]

Star Mazda - Toris-Rivières race

1. Alex Ardoin
2. Jorge Goncalvez
3. Conor Daly
4. Anders Krohn
5. David Ostella
6. Joao Horto
7. Caio Lara
8. Rusty Mitchell
9. Tatiana Calderón
10. Mikael Grenier
11. Tristan Vautier
12. Kevin Toledo
13. J.W. Roberts
14. Chris Miller
15. Carlos Conde
16. Carlos Linares
17. Connor de Phillippi
18. Nick Andries
19. Walt Bowlin

Standings after 10 / 13 races:
1. Conor Daly, 409 pts
2. Anders Krohn, 351
3. Caio Lara, 320
4. Mikael Grenier, 315
5. Joao Horto, 309
6. Tristan Vautier,308
7. Jorge Goncalvez, 301
8. Connor de Phillippi, 297

Next race is Road America next Saturday 21.

[gomick]

Ardoin is a bit of a Trois-Rivieres expert - won there last year too...

[NaBUru38]

Star Mazda - Road America race

1. Conor Daly
2. Jorge Goncalvez
3. Connor de Phillippi
4. Anders Krohn
5. Rusty Mitchell
6. Juan Piedrahita
7. David Ostella
8. Tatiana Calderon
9. Carlos Conde
10. Court Vernon
11. J.W. Roberts
12. Carlos Linares
13. Tristan Vautier
14. Nick Andries
15. Dom Bastien
16. Mikael Grenier
17. Chris Miller
18. Gerry Kraut
19. Joao Horto

Standings after 11 / 13 races:

1. Conor Daly, 457
2. Anders Krohn, 388
3. Jorge Goncalvez, 341
4. Mikael Grenier, 336
5. Connor de Phillippi, 335
6. Tristan Vautier, 332
7. Joao Horto, 328
8. Caio Lara, 321

[Morris Dancer]

This year's championship has been pretty much a one-horse race (not that it's Conor Daly's fault), so it will be interesting to see him next year in a more competitive category.

[Morris Dancer]

Star Mazda has announced $US1.5 million in prizes for its 2011 season (http://www.starmazda.com/news/series/2010.html), which must make it one of the most lucrative openwheel 'development' championships, if not the most lucrative.

The only disappointing aspect is that the major prize is a season drive in Grand-Am GT and not Indy Lights (or another IndyCar/F1 'feeder' category).

A cash prize alternative, even if it isn't enough for an openwheel 'feeder' level drive, would be better for drivers with IndyCar or F1 ambitions.

[NaBUru38]

The Star Mazda, USF2000 and Skip Barber National are having their last rounds of the 2010 season this weekend at Road Atlanta, supporting the ALMS / ILMC Petit Le Mans and other IMSA-sanctioned series.

2010 Star Mazda champion Conor Daly has won a full-season drive in the 2011 Grand-Am Rolex GT works Mazda RX-8, plus an Indy Lights team with Andersen. But that's not all: "Additional Road to Indy elements of the 2011 Star Mazda Championship prize package are under development and will be announced soon." However, Daly is now attending the F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza to find a seat in Europe's GP3 or GP2.

The 2010 Skip Barber National champion will get a free ride at the 2011 USF2000 National Championship, but other drivers will get prizes too:
o- The 2010 Formula Ford Festival (that's Brands Hatch, UK) winner will get free 2011 USF2000 annual driver registration and race entry fees, whereas the runner-up and the F2000 Championship Series and Pacific F2000 champions will get free annual driver registration and a 50 percent discount on 2011 USF2000 race entry fees.
o- 2010 British, Australian, Benelux and Canadian Formula Ford, 2010 SCCA Runoffs Formula Continental and 2010 SCCA Runoffs Formula Enterprises and Formula Mazda champions will all get $5,000 for entry fees in the 2011 USF2000 Winter Series and/or the 2011 USF2000 National Championship.

So there will be a USF2000 Winter Series at Florida, presumably jointly with the Skip Barber Southern Regional Series at Sebring (December 22, February 19) and/or Homestead (January 22).

[NaBUru38]

Sorry, Road Atlanta is in three weeks. I got confused with the 1000km of Silversone.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Morris Dancer

The only disappointing aspect is that the major prize is a season drive in Grand-Am GT and not Indy Lights (or another IndyCar/F1 'feeder' category).

Mainly because the Mazda "Road to Indy", as they call it, ends with the Star Mazda Series. It used to continue to Atlantics, but since they didn't answer the bell this year it moves to Grand Am GT.

Oh, and Honda hates that moniker since they power the ICS field.

[Morris Dancer]

Mazda obviously puts company pride ahead of helping talented young drivers to advance along the Road to Indy because Indy Lights cars are powered by a Nissan engine (albeit with little or no promotion of the brand).

If the IRL is serious about the Road to Indy it should offer an incentive, such as free Indy Lights series entry, to the top Star Mazda drivers to make it easier for them to tell Mazda where to shove its second-rate 'prize'.

[NaBUru38]

The Star Mazda and USF2000 are having their final races at Road Atlanta, supporting the ALMS / ILMC Petit Le Mans.

Star Mazda has 18 drivers. Mikaël Grenier (6th) and David Ostella (10th) are missing.

USF2000 has just 11 drivers. Sage Karam qualified on pole with a 1'26.856 time, then Luke Ellery 0.849 behind, then Zach Veach, Patrick McKenna and Mikhail Goikhberg all of three more than one second behind Karam.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

there will be a USF2000 Winter Series at Florida, presumably jointly with the Skip Barber Southern Regional Series at Sebring (December 22, February 19) and/or Homestead (January 22)

Actually, it will be called USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest, and will run in these dates:

January 3 - Sebring
January 4 - Sebring
January 12 - Homestead
January 13 - Homestead (doubleheader)

More info here.