FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SELLERS CAPTURES FIRST WIN IN DOMINANT FASHION
SEBRING, FLA. (March 14, 2002) –Bryan Sellers, of Centerville, Ohio won
Round One of the 2002 Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship season at Sebring
International Raceway. Completing the top-three was Tonis Kasemets, of
Mundelein, Ill. and Travis Irving, of Chino Hills, Calif. Doug Smith, of
Plantation, Fla., won the American Continental Championship class.
Following qualifying by all the other classes competing at the Mobil 1 12
Hours of Sebring, Round One of the Zetec Championship got under way in the
late afternoon. Starting from pole position, Sellers maintained his lead
into turn one at the green flag. By the end of the first lap, Sellers,
driving the No. 3 Yes Network/3 Dimensional Services/Arai
Helmets/Sparco/Cape Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, had established a two
second lead. Behind Sellers, Kasemets and Irving began a race long battle
for second place. Kasemets, in the No. 9 MKINd/Flexovit/TMI RedLine Oil Van
Diemen Ford, maintained second place until lap six, when Irving took the
position. On the following lap, Kasemets re-passed Irving in the No. 85
Great Central Transport PR1 Motorsports Van Diemen Ford. For the remainder
of the race, Kasemets held off Irving as Irving battled electrical problems.
As the duo battled for position, Sellers built his lead by as much as a
second a lap, setting the race’s fastest lap, 2:05.686 (105.978 mph). At the
checkered flag, Sellers had led every lap en route to his first career Zetec
Championship victory.
“It’s great honor to win the season-opener,” said Sellers. “I was surprised
by how I pulled away at the start. I figured Tonis [Kasemets] and Travis
[Irving] must have had trouble and just concentrated on running clean laps.
The Cape team has done great job, but I know tomorrow is a new race and
anything can happen in racing.”
“This is fantastic,” said Kasemets. “After last year, this is a great way
to start a season. I’m looking forward to racing we these guys again
tomorrow.”
“The car was great at the start of the race,” said Irving. “As the race
progressed I had power problems and Tonis was able to pull away.”
“This is very special,” said Smith, whose grandfather was a co-founder of
the 12 Hours of Sebring. “I hoped something like this would happen, and it
means a lot to me given my family ties to this race.”
Completing the top-five was Jefffey Jones, of Sarasota, Fla., who started
fifth and Sean McIntosh, of Coquitlam, B.C., Can, who started seventh.
SEBRING, FLA. – Race results for the 13-lap, 48.100-mile Round One race at
Sebring International Raceway, with finishing position, starting position in
parenthesis, driver, hometown, class, car, laps completed and reason out if
any.
1. (1), Bryan Sellers, Centerville, Ohio, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
2. (3), Tonis Kasemets, Mundelein, Ill., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
3. (2), Travis Irving(R), Chino Hills, Calif., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
4. (5), Jeffrey Jones(R), Sarasota, Fla., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
5. (7), Sean McIntosh(R), Coquitlam, B.C., Can., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
6. (12), Mark Wilkins(R), Toronto. Ont., Can., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
7. (14), Ricardo Imery(R), Caracas, Venezuela, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
8. (8), Luis Schiavo(R), Caracas, Venezuela, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
9. (15), Andy Brumbaugh(R), Blythewood, S.C., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
10. (6), Bobby Wilson(R), Oconomowoc, Wis., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
11. (9), Scott Jenkins(R), Portland, Ore., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
12. (20), J.W. Urlin, London, Ont., Can., F2A, Mygale Ford, 13.
13. (4), Anthony Massari(R), Miami, Fla., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
14. (10), Matt McDonough(R), West Newbury, Mass., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
15. (22), Scott Rubenzer, Brookfield, Wis., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
16. (13), Edouard Aube(R), Montreal, Que., Can., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
17. (18), David Burkett, Corpus Christi, Texas, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
18. (17), Josh Schreiber(R), Lancaster, Pa., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
19. (23), Steve Thomson, Minnetonka, Minn., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
20. (16), Lawson Aschenbach(R), Gaithersburg, Md., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
21. (21), David Clarke(R), West Palm, Fla., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 13.
22. (25), Doug Smith, Plantation, Fla., ACC, Van Dieman Ford, 12.
23. (24), Michael Floyd, Houston, Texas, ACC, Van Diemen Ford, 12.
24. (11), Tom Dyer, San Rafael, Calif., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 11, CONT.
25. (19), Kim Campbell(R), Richmond, Texas, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 0, n.a.
Time of race: 27 minutes, 23.949 seconds.
Average speed: 105.331 miles-per-hour
Margin of victory: 13.018 seconds
Lap leaders: # 3 1- 13 Bryan Sellers
Fastest race lap: Bryan Sellers, 2:05.686 (105.978 mph)
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