19 Cars take the green for race one at Infineon Raceway 

This past  Saturday the Formula Mazda Winter Series had their first race of the championship at Infineon Raceway. Nineteen cars showed up for the event that featured both Pro Formula Mazdas and Standard Formula Mazdas.

 

In the Pro class Jorge Goncalvez proved early in the week that he was going to be quick, and on Saturday he did not disappoint turning the fastest lap times in qualifying and the race.

Team Apex, the team running Goncalvez, also showed their speed as Goncalvez crashed in the morning warmup and they rebuilt his car and got it aligned in just a couple of hours.

Goncalvez gridded next to 2009 series champion Chuck Hulse. Patrick O’Neill had the second fastest qualifying time, but had an incident and had to go to a spare car for the race which put him at the back of the field.

Hulse’s third fastest time made him the beneficiary of a spot on the front row. At the start Goncalvez accelerated out of turn eleven and then checked up sending an accordion effect down through the field. The Star Mazda and NASA rules state that once the pole sitter has established the start speed for the field, that speed must remain constant until the starter displays the green flag.

The race director immediately made the decision not to black flag the Venezuelan which would have certainly affected his race more than the one position penalty he was assessed at the close of the race. Corey Lewis, who was driving for GDT, had been on Goncalvez from the start and his track position made him the benefactor of the penalty.

“It was unfortunate that after such a great week that the race would start in this manner, but the racing was fantastic anyway and there were battles for position all over the track,” stated series official Ben Hettema.

Chuck Hulse was able to work his way up and finish on the third step of the podium, but it wasn’t easy. Michael Guasch was on Hulse’s tailcone for the most of the final laps and Guasch was turning slightly faster lap times than Hulse.

In the Standard FM class it was business as usual with Bill Weaver taking the pole position and the win. Derry O’Donovan took the second position, followed by Stew Tabak.

“This was the final race of the Molecule Formula Mazda Challenge series,” added Hettema. “It was nice to have seven of the Standard FM drivers join us, although we were missing some of our regulars.”

The next event for the Formula Mazda Winter Series is the Phoenix International Raceway double header that takes place during the Arizona Region’s 3rd Annual December Vintage Classic presented by Russo and Steele.

source: FM Challenge