More Winners at the Second Event of 2023 Formula Race Promotions Program
Taking on the second event weekend in the Formula Race Promotions (FRP) program, all FRP classes would hit the track this past weekend at the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. With rain wreaking havoc on teams and competitors throughout Friday and Saturday, more rain moved through the area on Sunday morning setting up a damp and soggy race weekend.
“It was a wet one, that’s for sure,” expressed Robert Wright. “A huge thank you to all the teams and competitors that sledged through the weather and helped put on a great show. It is amazing to see the professionalism of our program and the talent that is presented on track in all conditions.”
With a full day of practice on Friday, all classes would qualify in the wet on Friday and continue with the wet weather Hoosier Tires once the wheel-to-wheel action began. With rain considered the greatest of equalizers, some of FRP’s greatest talents continued their presence at the top of the charts while some new names made an appearance on the podium blocks.
Atlantic
Atlantic 016 Qualifying 1
1. Jimmy Simpson – 1:47.605
2. Dudley Fleck
3. Jim Booth
4. Richard Zober
Atlantic Open Qualifying 1
1. Hayden Bowlsbey – 1:58.886
2. Oliver Westling
3. Austin Hill
Converting his pole position into a race win, Jimmy Simpson dominated the seventeen-lap race one to score the win by fifteen seconds. It was Dudley Fleck that crossed the line in second to earn his first podium result of the weekend with Richard Zober finishing third. Hayden Bowlsbey earned the Atlantic Open race win ahead of Austin Hill and Oliver Westling.
Atlantic 016 Qualifying 2
1. Jimmy Simpson – 1:43.518
2. Richard Zober
3. Jim Booth
4. Dudley Fleck
Atlantic Open Qualifying 2
1. Austin Hill – 1:52.103
2. Oliver Westling
3. Hayden Bowlsbey
Simpson would go on to sweep the Atlantic race weekend scoring the victory again on Sunday in commanding fashion. With the fastest lap of the race, Simpson took the win by nearly fifteen seconds over Dudley Fleck who added his second podium result in as many races with Richard Zober joining the top two finishers on the podium in third. Hayden Bowlsbey advanced forward from his P3 starting spot to score the second Atlantic Open victory with Austin Hill and Oliver Westling finishing second and third in a carbon copy of the weekends first wheel-to-wheel action.
RCFFS
RCFFS Qualifying
1. Mark Kingham – 2:15.506
2. David Harmison
3. Chip Van Slyke
4. Kieran Murphy
5. Tom Venturino
Starting second on the grid, David Harmison was able to climb to the top of the result sheets to score the first RCFFS race of the weekend. Dominating the race, and scoring the fastest lap of the race,Harmison beat the second-place finisher of Mark Kingham by more than eighteen seconds. Chip Van Slyke stood on the podium with Harmison and Kingham with Kieran Murphy and Tom Venturino rounding out the top five.
With the fastest lap of race one setting the grid for race two, Harmison and Kingham would lead the field to green for race two and it was the Harmison name that would remain up top. In a short ten-lap affair, Harmison beat Kingham by a scant .358 for the checkered flag while Chris Van Slyke crossed the line in a distant third. Tom Venturino improved from his race one finish to climb to fourth in race two as Kieran Murphy slotted into the fifth position.
F2000
F2000 Qualifying 1
1. JT Novosielski – 1:52.279
2. Glenn Cordova
3. Robert Wright
4. Nathan Byrd
5. Dean Kiriluk
Already earning the pole position earlier in the day JT Novosielski was able to maintain his inside front-row starting spot to score the win. Nathan Byrd was the big mover in the first wheel-to-wheel action to advance forward two positions to finish second, just ahead of Robert Wright in third, Gabriele Jasper in fourth, and Dean Kirluk in the fifth position with Byrd scoring the fastest lap of the race.
F2000 Qualifying 2
1. Nathan Byrd – 1:54.907
2. JT Novosielski
3. Glenn Cordova
4. Robert Wright
5. Dean Kiriluk
Following where he left off the day prior, JT Novosielski advanced forward from his outside front row starting spot in race two to nab his second race win of the weekend. Sweeping the wheel-to-wheel action, Novosielski put a stamp of authority on the weekend as the driver to beat in the F2000 class. Nathan Byrd was the best of the rest in his Arrive Drive Motorsports entry with a second-place result as the top two drivers were the class of the field. Glenn Cordova was able to hold Dean Kiriluk at bay for the third and final step on the podium with long-time FRP competitor Dave Weitzenhof rounding out the top five.
F1600
F1600 Qualifying
1. Ayrton Houk – 1:50.505
2. Ely Navarro
3. Porter Aiken
4. Callum Baxter
5. Jack Sullivan
F1600 Masters
1. Scott Rubenzer – 2:01.412
2. Joe Colasacco
3. David Adorno
4. Bob Reid
5. Phil Kingham
Starting fifth on the grid, Jack Sullivan was able to maneuver his way to the front to take his first F1600 race win of the 2023 season. Adding another podium result to his 2023 resume, Porter Aiken was able to finish second albeit six seconds in arrears of the winner. Ayrton Houk, the F1600 pole position winner celebrated on the podium in the third position ahead of Rice Race teammate Ely Navarro and Britain West Motorsport’s Callum Baxter. Joe Calasacco picked up the first F1600 Master win at Mid-Ohio as perennial front-runner Scott Rubenzer was able to hold onto the second position, ahead of David Livingston Jr. in third.
Ely Navarro was able to move his way to the top of the charts during race two as he drove to victory over the eleven-lap race. Despite not being the fastest car on track, Navarro took the honors by just over one second and celebrated on the podium. Race one winner Jack Sullivan crossed the line in second earning his second podium result of the weekend while race one pole position winner Ayrton Houk continued to show his pace finishing third and earning the fastest lap of the race ahead of Porter Aiken and Jonathan Lee who rounded out the top five. David Adorno earned his first F1600 Masters win of the season with an impressive performance to hold off the advances of Joe Calasacco as Bob Reid celebrated with the top two on the podium.
With the victory in race one and a podium result in race two, it was Jack Sullivan that returned to the top of the result sheets in race three to take his second win of the weekend. Dominating the main event and taking one of the largest win margins in F1600 FRP competition, Sullivan destroyed the field by more than twenty-one seconds and climbed to the top of the podium blocks. Porter Aiken was able to find his way back to the podium in the second position, just ahead of the Rice Race duo of Ayrton Houk and Ely Navarro. Theodore Burns, a new name to the top five in F1600 action finished fifth. In the F1600 Masters class, it was Scott Rubenzer who once again stood on the top step of the podium, just ahead of Joe Calasacco and David Adorno. With Rubenzer taking the race three win, it was three different F1600 Masters winners over the weekend.
Next up for FRP teams and competitors will be a trip to Connecticut and the famed Lime Rock Park over the May 26 – 29 weekend. Be sure to stay tuned to the Formula Race Promotions social media pages and website for registration information.
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For questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Bob Wright RobertW@RaceFRP.com or Clay Hutchinson ClayH@RaceFRP.com. For media inquiries, please contact us via email at Media@RaceFRP.com.
