Hays on Top at NJMP
Millville, NJ – Nicky Hays took a convincing victory in round 19 of the F1600 Championship Series season at New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt circuit. Hays led flag-to-flag in the Team Pelfrey Mygale in a clean, all-green-flag race, as he broke the draft and assembled a massive lead to win his first F1600 race. Tyler O’Connor passed points leader Dario Cangialosi on the last lap to take second place, gaining a few points back on his Championship rival as the K-Hill teammates finished second and third. Fellow Championship contender Yuven Sundaramoorthy was fourth.
“I can’t thank Team Pelfrey enough; the car was fantastic. It was a team effort and everyone came together to make this possible,” said Hays.
“It was one of those things; the car was really good early on and I put my head down. I managed the race and ended up with the victory. We’re going to try to go three for three,” added Hays, who has only competed in one prior F1600 weekend and is among the nominees for this year’s prestigious Team USA Scholarship, as are Cangialosi and O’Connor.
O’Connor said: “It was a crazy start, we all went inside and Ori went around the outside of everyone in turn one and ended up in second. That was a really good job. Nicky was gone in the lead and it was a battle for second on back. It was a busy day and we’re not out of the Championship yet; we’ve got a fast car.”
“We lost the lead early; that was unfortunate but there was really nothing we could do about it,” said Cangialosi, driver of the No. 22. “The car was slowing down at the end; I don’t know what happened.”
With Sundaramoorthy fourth, the title battle continues to Sunday with three drivers set to decide the F1600 Championship as Cangialsoi continues to manage a slim points lead over K-Hill teammates Sundaramoorthy and O’Connor.
Dave Petzko won in the Masters Class.
The Championship tightens from New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sunday Sept. 16 as the final two rounds of the F1600 Series will decide the title.