Race Reports COTA

[Thomas Copeland]

Lawrence Loshak wins in a Fast and Furious Season Opener at COTA

Fremont Ca/Green Bay, WI (March 9, 2013) - JR Osborne took a race shortened victory on the track in the season opening East vs. West shootout event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas presented by Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, George Dean Racing Engines, Jongbloed Racing Wheels, Hyperco, LS Motorsports, and Geartronics.

With the weather heavily overcast, dark skies and the possibility of rain imminent the field of 19 Formula 1000 cars took the green flag.

With pole sitter Lawrence Loshak leading in the run up the hill into turn one things turned fast and furious quickly. JR Osborne made a move for the inside line, running wide in the process, forcing Loshak to do the same. This left the door open for Steve Ott to make a run on both of them even further inside with Ott and Loshak making contact. Somewhere in the middle of all this Glenn Cooper and Osborne also managed to touch wheels before the foursome continued on.

After the all the wheel banging was over and with the group headed back down the hill from turn one, it was Ott in the Astra leading, with Loshak in the JDR a few car lengths behind, Osborne in the Citation, Cooper in the Firman, and the rest of the field following close behind.

Ott's moment at the front would be short-lived however. As he approached turn 11 the right rear rod end on the Astra broke, ending his race. As Ott parked it, Loshak and Osborne continued to battle on, swapping the lead three times on lap two alone, with Osborne finally making a pass that stuck going through turn 20. Further back there were other drivers moving up and scraps developing as the pace quickened throughout the field.

It all came to end rather abruptly on lap 4 after a car from the CSR group crashed heavily into the wall at turn 11. After a couple of laps with the entire field of cars circulating behind the pace car the cars were bought into impound and race was called.

The following day during a post-race review the stewards penalized the cars of JR Osborne and Alex Mayer for passing under the yellow flag. Osborne was dropped 3 positions from first to fourth giving the victory to Loshak, and Mayer 2 positions from ninth to eleventh place.

2013 US Formula 1000 Championship
Race 1, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
March 9, 2013
Official Results:

1. Lawrence Loshak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, JDR
2. Glenn Cooper, Roswell, Georgia, Firman
3. Jose Gerardo, El Paso, Texas, Stohr
4. JR Osborne, Greenwood Village, Colorado, Citation
5. Jake Latham, Broomfield, Colorado, Stohr
6. Lucian Pancea, Bellevue, Washington, Stohr
7. David Burkett, Corpus Christie, Texas, Firman
8. Jonathan Scarallo, Hauppauge, New York, Philadelphia DB-F1000
9. John LaBrie, Draper, Utah, Phoenix
10. Richard Franklin, Wilmington, North Carolina, Firman.
11. Alex Mayer, Harleysville, Pennsylvania, Elan
12. James Micheal, Fort Worth, Texas, Stohr
13. Rod Rice, Vancouver, Washington, BRD Stohr
14. Tim Pierce, Leland, North Carolina, Firman
15. Nicholas Ortiz, Miami, Florida, Firman
16. Anthony Autello, Providence, Rhode Island, Stohr
17. Terry Biner, Sandy, Utah, Firman
18. Denis Costin, Sammamish, Washington, Stohr

DNF Steve Ott, Houston, Texas, Astra

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[Thomas Copeland]

Jose Gerardo Takes Surprise Victory in Race 2 in a Wild Texas Finish

Fremont, CA/Green Bay, WI (March 11, 2013) – Jose Gerardo found himself a very surprised winner after a last lap incident took out the leaders in Race 2 of the 2013 US Formula 1000 Championship presented by Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, George Dean Racing Engines, Jongbloed Racing Wheels, Hyperco, LS Motorsports, and Geartronics.

With starting positions based on lap times from Race 1, JR Osborne started on pole position with Lawrence Loshak alongside. Under clear blue skies and warm temperatures, Osborne led the field from the split start up the hill into turn one. As the cars exited the turn it was Osborne followed closely by Loshak all the way through turn 12. As the two entered turn 13 Loshak made his move, managing to eventually scramble by Osborne and take the lead into the next corner. The two continued to battle on for the next couple of laps with Osborne making repeated attempts to pass, eventually squeezing past Loshak as the two entered turn 12, just as the yellow flags came out.

There was an extended period under the yellow lasting several laps during which some members of the F1000 field got into a tangle of sorts at the top of hill exiting turn one. One victim was the car of Jake Latham who found his day ending on the back of the wrecker. Some confusion then occurred when not one, but two pace cars came on track. Eventually that got sorted with the correct pace car finally picking up the race leader leading him around for the restart. By this time some of the F1000 field was completely mixed up within the main national field. However, race leader Osborne, along with the top 8 of so running F1000’s, were all firmly grouped together for the restart.

So as the cars came around for the restart it was Osborne in the lead, Loshak second, followed by Ott, who found himself in third after an amazing job starting dead last, with Gerardo hanging in there in fourth. Scarallo in the Philadelphia was fifth, with Pancea holding down sixth.

As the cars came around for the green and the final lap, a melee of sorts broke loose at the back of the field where the F1000 were grouped together. When the dust settled Osborne was stopped sideways across the track after having been tagged by a Formula Atlantic competitor. From out of that dust cloud a drag race up the hill towards turn one ensued amongst the survivors with Gerardo just managing to edge out Ott into the corner.

Gerardo managed to hold off the determined Ott on the final to take the win. Scarallo took third with Ortiz fourth and Pancea gamely holding on to fifth. Loshak managed to recover after having to drive wide to miss the Osborne incident to take sixth.

2013 US Formula 1000 Championship
Race 2, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
March 10, 2013
UnOfficial Results-

1. Jose Gerardo, El Paso, Texas, Stohr
2. Steve Ott, Houston, Texas, Astra
3. Jonathan Scarallo, Hauppauge, New York, Philadelphia DB-F10K
4. Nicholas Ortiz, Miami, Florida, Firman
5. Lucian Pancea, Bellevue, Washington, Stohr
6. Lawrance Loshak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, JDR
7. Glenn Cooper, Roswell, Georgia, Firman
8. Richard Franklin, Wilmington, North Carolina, Stohr
9. Tim Piece, Leland, North Carolina, Firman
10. James Micheal, Fort Worth, Texas, Stohr
11. John LaBrie, Draper, Utah, Phoenix
12. Anthony Autiello, providence Rhode island, Stohr
13. Terry Biner, Sandy, Utah, Firman
14. Denis Costin, Sammamish Washington, Stohr
15. JR Osborne, Greenwood Village, Colorado, Citation
16. Rod Rice, Vancouver, Washington, Stohr

DNF Alex Mayer, Harleysville, Pennsylvania, Elan
DNF David Burkett, Corpus Christie, Texas
DNF Jake Latham, Broomfield, Colorado, Stohr

Fastest race lap and new track record: JR Osborne 2:09.229

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