04 July 2010
Watkins Glen, NY – Daniel Erickson took his second win of the season and second win in two days by just a car length in another exciting race at Watkins Glen in round eight of the F2000 Championship Series season. The Australian rookie, driving for Quantum Mechanics/Primus Racing, led from pole to take the checkered flag with a close-margin win over championship points leader Victor Carbone, who nearly got by Erickson in an epic battle in the closing laps, with 2007 F2000 title winner Cole Morgan rounding off the podium.
“I got a great start and was able to hold off Carbone,” said Erickson. “Midway through the race the car started to go away on the low speed corners and that’s when he caught me. But the car was great through the inner loop so I was able to hold him off. The last couple laps we were side by side down the back straight and I was defending on the inside. It was great to race with him.”
Carbone’s second place effort extends his championship points lead over Cole Morgan, and Carbone grabs two bonus points for fastest race lap. “I gave it my best,” Carbone, driving for Alegra Motorsports, said. “At the start we almost got by Daniel (Erickson) and then Chris Livengood was all over me so Daniel was able to get away. I ran him down but his car was much faster through the back part of the track. The last two laps were a lot of fun since we were side by side a ton.”
Cole Morgan had a great first lap in the K-Hill/Liberty entry to vault from ninth to fifth, and two laps later snuck by Alegra Motorsport’s Fabio Orsolon to grab fourth. The American spent the next eight laps running down Chris Livengood for third. Morgan sits second in points, a decent margin back from Victor Carbone.
“We made some changes and the car was perfect. At the start I just threw it in first gear and went,” commented Morgan. “I got up to fifth and eventually ran down Chris (Livengood) for third. The leaders were too far ahead at that point and I didn’t want to throw it off the track trying to chase them down.”
For the second day in a row the 14-lap race at Watkins Glen saw no full course cautions.
Chris Livengood started on pole in the first race of the weekend and notched his first career podium with a second place effort yesterday. The American finished fourth today in the #37 Work Racing Van Diemen.
“This was a really great weekend,” Livengood said. “We proved we can improve with every event and now we’re on the hunt to make up those last couple of tenths.”
Finishing fifth and taking the Masters Class win was R-Sport’s Keith McCrone. Tim Minor followed in sixth ahead of the Race House’s Stevan McAleer, in only his second F2000 start ever.
GTP’s Phil Lombardi was eighth followed by Liberty’s Bobby Caldwell and Alegra’s Fabio Orsolon.
Mark Defer wins the CellMark Paper Hard Charger award by advancing 11 positions to finish 14th for St. Clair Motorsports.
Rounds nine and 10 of the 2010 F2000 Championship Series season continue at Lime Rock Park, with ALMS, July 23-24.
Race 2 Results:
| Pos | No. | Name | Laps | Total Tm | Diff | Gap | Avg. Speed | Best Tm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Daniel Erickson | 14 | 26:39.402 | - | - | 106.195 | 1:53.315 |
| 2 | 23 | Victor Carbone | 14 | 26:40.239 | +0.837 | +0.837 | 106.139 | 1:53.229 |
| 3 | 1 | Cole Morgan | 14 | 26:46.882 | +7.480 | +6.643 | 105.700 | 1:53.325 |
| 4 | 37 | Chris Livengood | 14 | 26:49.215 | +9.813 | +2.333 | 105.547 | 1:53.756 |
| 5 | 5 | Keith McCrone/M | 14 | 26:55.736 | +16.334 | +6.521 | 105.121 | 1:53.741 |
| 6 | 88 | Tim Minor/M | 14 | 27:01.995 | +22.593 | +6.259 | 104.715 | 1:54.276 |
| 7 | 14 | Steven McAleer | 14 | 27:04.374 | +24.972 | +2.379 | 104.562 | 1:54.079 |
| 8 | 3 | Phil Lombardi/M | 14 | 27:09.570 | +30.168 | +5.196 | 104.229 | 1:54.592 |
| 9 | 80 | Bobby Caldwell | 14 | 27:10.139 | +30.737 | +0.569 | 104.192 | 1:54.677 |
| 10 | 26 | Fabio Orsolon | 14 | 27:14.149 | +34.747 | +4.010 | 103.937 | 1:55.031 |
| 11 | 95 | Al Giubord, Jr. | 14 | 27:22.447 | +43.045 | +8.298 | 103.412 | 1:55.392 |
| 12 | 22 | Jonathon Scarallo | 14 | 27:25.960 | +46.558 | +3.513 | 103.191 | 1:55.742 |
| 13 | 11 | Jesse Yorio | 14 | 27:26.009 | +46.607 | +0.049 | 103.188 | 1:55.634 |
| 14 | 8 | Mark Defer/M | 14 | 27:29.226 | +49.824 | +3.217 | 102.986 | 1:55.563 |
| 15 | 27 | Craig Clawson/M | 14 | 27:31.620 | +52.218 | +2.394 | 102.837 | 1:55.431 |
| 16 | 97 | Chris Gumprecht | 14 | 27:32.936 | +53.534 | +1.316 | 102.755 | 1:55.884 |
| 17 | 83 | Charles Finelli/M | 14 | 27:35.633 | +56.231 | +2.697 | 102.588 | 1:55.965 |
| 18 | 28 | Ardie Greenamyer/M | 14 | 27:36.218 | +56.816 | +0.585 | 102.552 | 1:55.252 |
| 19 | 70 | Tom Fatur/M | 14 | 27:40.683 | +1:01.281 | +4.465 | 102.276 | 1:56.655 |
| 20 | 25 | Jeff McCusker/M | 14 | 27:47.413 | +1:08.011 | +6.730 | 101.863 | 1:57.049 |
| 21 | 69 | Paul Farmer/M | 14 | 27:52.777 | +1:13.375 | +5.364 | 101.537 | 1:57.659 |
| 22 | 85 | Zach Craigo | 14 | 27:53.883 | +1:14.481 | +1.106 | 101.469 | 1:56.733 |
| 23 | 51 | Dan Denison/M | 14 | 27:58.859 | +1:19.457 | +4.976 | 101.169 | 1:56.462 |
| 24 | 73 | Vaughn Horvath | 14 | 28:26.127 | +1:46.725 | +27.268 | 99.552 | 1:56.811 |
| 25 | 06 | Tim Paul | 14 | 28:27.804 | +1:48.402 | +1.677 | 99.454 | 1:56.821 |
| 26 | 12 | Bob Reid/M | 14 | 28:28.078 | +1:48.676 | +0.274 | 99.438 | 1:59.613 |
| 27 | 94 | Al Guibord,Sr./M | 13 | 26:52.588 | 1 Lap | 1 Lap | 97.803 | 2:00.784 |
| 28 | 90 | Robert Wright/M | 9 | 17:57.427 | 5 Laps | 4 Laps | 101.341 | 1:56.656 |
| DNF | 89 | Rob Nicholas/M | 5 | 9:48.614 | 9 Laps | 4 Laps | 103.056 | 1:55.519 |
| DNF | 7 | Brent Gilkes/M | 5 | 10:00.376 | +11.762 | +11.762 | 101.037 | 1:57.416 |
| DNS | 42 | James Winslow | 0 | -.--- | - | - | - | -.--- |
| DNS | 4 | Chris Camadella/M | 0 | -.--- | - | - | - | -.--- |
