Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course- Day 1 Track Report
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course- Day 1 Track Report
Schedule of Friday’s Events (All Times Local)
Friday, June 29
7:00 am - F4 U.S. Registration Opens
7:00 am- F4 U.S. Pre-event Tech Opens
7:45 am – F4 U.S. Drivers Meeting Starts
8:00 am- F4 U.S. Pre-event Tech Closes
8:15 am- F4 U.S. Drivers Meeting Ends
8:30 am- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Open
9:05 am- F4 U.S. Practice Session 1 Starts
9:35 am- F4 U.S. Practice Session 1 Ends
10:00 am- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Open
12:00 am- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Closes
11:55 am- Lunch Starts
12:05- F3 Americas Demo Laps Start
12:30- F3 Americas Demo Laps End
12:55 am- Lunch Ends
2:10 pm - F4 U.S. Practice Session 2 Starts
2:40 pm- F4 U.S. Practice Session 2 Ends
3:00 pm- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Open
3:00 pm- F4 U.S. Tire Marking at Series Trailer Starts
5:00 pm- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Closes
5:00 pm- F4 U.S. Tire Marking at Series Trailer Ends
5:00 pm- Registration Closes
5:00 pm- Track Walk Starts
6:00 pm- Track Walk Ends
Entry List
|
|
|
|
|
|
***
Teams started arriving at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio around 7:00 a.m. Skies were clear and the temperature was 73 degrees with 79 percent humidity.
***
The driver’s meeting started promptly at 7:45 a.m. Competitors reviewed important track information including safe-haven locations, towing instructions, safety concerns and flags. The Code 40 flag will be implemented for the 2018 season. Similar to the yellow flag, the Code 40 flag signifies a safety vehicle on course with an extraction in progress, however, unlike the yellow, competitors are not allowed to close gaps and are limited to 40 miles per hour.
***
The first practice session began at 9:05 a.m. and lasted 30 minutes. Twenty-nine of the 32 F4 U.S. competitors tested. Shortly after the session started, flaggers threw the new purple Code 40 flag after Cameron O’Connor of Johannesburg, New Zealand, and the No. 34 of Austin Kaszuba of Burleson, Texas, made incidental contact in Turn 11. O’Connor continued on his own power to the pits, however, Kaszuba needed extracted. Both drivers did not return for the duration of the session. Some teams used the opportunity to make adjustments to their cars, and others used the time to complete their required two-standing start practices. Jim Goughary of Jupiter, Florida, retired to the pits with mechanical issues after three laps. Christian Rasmussen of Copenhagen, Denmark, finished the session with the fastest lap (1:27.039). Dakota Dickerson of San Diego and Braden Eves of Gahanna, Ohio, finished second and third with only one hundredth of a second separating the pair. The top-eight laps were less than an eighth of a second apart.
|
Pos |
No. |
Name |
Best Tm |
Diff |
In Lap |
Hometown |
Team |
|
1 |
6 |
Christian Rasmussen |
1:27.039 |
|
15 |
Copenhagen DNK |
Jay Howard Driver Development |
|
2 |
9 |
Dakota Dickerson |
1:27.169 |
0.130 |
12 |
San Diego Calif. |
DC Autosports w/ Cape Motorsports |
|
3 |
7 |
Braden Eves |
1:27.170 |
0.131 |
15 |
Gahanna Ohio |
Jay Howard Driver Development |
|
4 |
12 |
James Raven |
1:27.674 |
0.635 |
13 |
Portsmouth GBR |
DEForce Racing |
|
5 |
24 |
Benjamin Pedersen |
1:27.746 |
0.707 |
12 |
Copenhagen DNK |
Global Racing Group |
|
6 |
22 |
Jacob Abel |
1:27.752 |
0.713 |
11 |
Louisville Ky. |
Abel Motorsports |
|
7 |
5 |
Wyatt Brichacek |
1:27.755 |
0.716 |
14 |
Johnstown Colo. |
Jay Howard Driver Development |
|
8 |
33 |
Joshua Car |
1:27.846 |
0.807 |
12 |
Sydney AUS |
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport |
|
9 |
91 |
Eduardo Barrichello |
1:28.087 |
1.048 |
13 |
Sao Paulo BRA |
DC Autosports w/ Cape Motorsports |
|
10 |
31 |
Conrad Clark |
1:28.105 |
1.066 |
15 |
Taupo NZL |
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport |
***
During lunch hour Andretti Autosport IndyCar rookie Zach Veach debuted the F3 Americas Championship Powered by Honda car for a few demonstration laps. It was the first time the new car was on track in North America.
***
Abel Motorsports driver Jacob Loomis of Corinth, Texas, hosted Morrow County Day Camp. Loomis toured the F4 U.S. paddock, provided an up close look of the F4 U.S. car and gave them pace car rides in the new Honda Civic Type R pace car.
***
The second F4 U.S. testing session started after lunch at 2:00 p.m. Thirty drivers participated in the session. On the opening lap, Jose Blanco of San Juan, Puerto Rico, made contact with the tire wall in the Carousel. The damage to Blanco’s car was too extensive to finish the session. Jay Howard Motorsports Driver Development drivers turned the top fastest lap times, exchanging places for first several times, until Jacob Abel of Louisville, Kentucky, slid into third on the penultimate lap. Late in the session, Dylan Tavella of Massapequa, New York, hung up his white No. 14 car on the curbing after spinning. Missing the first practice session, Primus Racing Team drivers Justin Gordon of Lake Worth, Florida, and Goughary both finished the second practice round in the top-10. Teddy Wilson of Holbeach, England, clocked the fastest lap of the session (1:27.569). The top-16 drivers were separated by less than a second.
|
Pos |
No. |
Name |
Best Tm |
Diff |
In Lap |
Hometown |
Team |
|
1 |
4 |
Teddy Wilson |
1:27.569 |
|
9 |
Holbeach GBR |
Jay Howard Driver Developme |
|
2 |
7 |
Braden Eves |
1:27.803 |
0.234 |
9 |
Gahanna Ohio |
Jay Howard Driver Developme |
|
3 |
22 |
Jacob Abel |
1:27.842 |
0.273 |
9 |
Louisville Ky. |
Abel Motorsports |
|
4 |
6 |
Christian Rasmussen |
1:27.870 |
0.301 |
7 |
Copenhagen DNK |
Jay Howard Driver Developme |
|
5 |
24 |
Benjamin Pedersen |
1:28.080 |
0.511 |
10 |
Copenhagen DNK |
Global Racing Group |
|
6 |
12 |
James Raven |
1:28.141 |
0.572 |
8 |
Portsmouth GBR |
DEForce Racing |
|
7 |
57 |
Justin Gordon |
1:28.145 |
0.576 |
9 |
Lake Worth Fla. |
Primus Racing |
|
8 |
34 |
Austin Kaszuba |
1:28.147 |
0.578 |
10 |
Burleson Texas |
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport |
|
9 |
9 |
Dakota Dickerson |
1:28.177 |
0.608 |
5 |
San Diego Calif. |
DC Autosports w/ Cape Motor |
|
10 |
11 |
James Goughary |
1:28.288 |
0.719 |
7 |
Jupiter Fla. |
Primus Racing |
***
Quotes from Practice
James Goughary Jr, Primus Racing Team- It is so nice to be back behind the wheel of the F4 U.S. car. I am encouraged with our speed this afternoon, considering we missed most of the first practice this morning and the promoter test day yesterday.
Blake Upton, Global Racing Group- Practice today went well for me. I am working up to speed and continuing to learn the track with every lap. My times kept dropping and I’m finally starting to feel competitive. The crew has put together a great car, and I can’t thank them enough. I can’t wait for qualifying tomorrow.
Jacob Loomis, Abel Motorsports- It was tons of fun giving people an up-close perspective of what we do. The kids really enjoyed every moment of it, and I really did too. Hopefully, we helped change their lives today and gave them a reason to love racing.
Justin Gordon, Primus Racing Team- With all the preparation we’ve done coming into this weekend is really paying off.