Photo: FR Americas
Crosslink Competition’s Titus Sherlock won all three Formula Regional Americas races at Road America last weekend and took the points lead.
Momentum Motorsports’ Anthony Autiello topped a very unrepresentative practice session on Friday, as a 2m48.826s lap made him the fastest driver by 12.134 seconds over Crosslink’s Alex Benavitz.
When qualifying took place later that day, he did not get a lap in since he had already been relegated to a pitlane start for race one and Kiwi Motorsport’s Jett Bowling set the pace by a tiny 0.049s. He posted a 2m02.864s to go fastest, with Sherlock in second and Nicolas Stati (Kiwi) third.
Nicolas Ambiado (Kiwi), Bruno Ribeiro (Kiwi) and Brady Golan (Toney Driver Development) were also within a second of Bowling.
It was Sherlock who earned pole though by 0.139s over Bowling, as the latter lost his best lap for causing a red flag period by stopping on track. Atlantic Racing Team’s Daniel Quimby also triggered one.
Saturday’s action began with race one, which only lasted five laps, issued half-points and included a two-lap caution period that went on for nearly 21 minutes.
Drivers headed out with slick tyres, and Sherlock made a big gap before the opening corner while Benavitz spun and caused the caution period. Rain hit hard on lap two and everyone pitted for wet weather tyres.
The field was held in the pitlane before getting back into their previous order and following the pace car out for lap three, and Quimby spun just before the lap four restart.
Ambiado and Ribeiro disputed second until Ambiado flew off track, and Athan Sterling crashed out. Sherlock won by 2.306s, and Connor Roberts (Atlantic) finished third.
Setting the fastest lap put Sherlock on race two pole, but a stronger start meant Ribeiro passed him around the outside into turn one. Sherlock returned the favour on lap two, as Ambiado overtook Golan for third.
The 1.5s gap Sherlock built was negated at the end of lap five as Lincoln Day crashed out and caused a caution period.
Racing resumed on lap eight, and it was three-wide for second into turn one. Positions were maintained, and the race then ended behind the pace car as Kevin Janzen suffered a huge shunt.
Bowling set the fastest lap, earning pole for race three the next day. He held off Sherlock, and Ribeiro rose to third before lap one was interrupted by a caution period due to James Lawley crashing.
At the restart, Bowling went off before even reaching the pit straight so Sherlock led the field to racing speed. But another caution period soon began. On the next restart, Bowling tried passing Sherlock into turns three and five, and at turns six Ribeiro and Ambiado threw away third and fourth place by running each other off. Golan inherited the final podium spot.
Later on, Day stopped at turn five following big contact with Barrett Wolfe so the race ended behind the pace car.
Results round-up
Race 1 (5 laps)
1 Titus Sherlock Crosslink Competition 25m56.205s
2 Bruno Ribeiro Kiwi Motorsport +2.306s
3 Connor Roberts Atlantic Racing Team w/ Team Roberts +3.786s
4 Brady Golan Toney Driver Development +5.205s
5 Nicolas Stati Kiwi Motorsport +14.898s
6 James Lawley Atlantic Racing Team +16.944s
7 Lincoln Day Toney Driver Development +18.690s
8 Jett Bowling Kiwi Motorsport +21.135s
9 Nicolas Ambiado Kiwi Motorsport +30.466s
10 Kevin Janzen Kiwi Motorsport +41.632s
Pole: Sherlock, 2m02.913s
Fastest lap: Sherlock, 2m27.530s
Race 2 (10 laps)
1 Sherlock 25m56.205s
2 Ribeiro +1.036s
3 Ambiado +1.666s
4 Daniel Quimby Atlantic Racing Team +3.988s
5 Roberts +6.568s
6 Stati +7.798s
7 Bowling +8.729s
8 Golan +9.852s
9 Lawley +11.287s
10 Alex Benavitz Crosslink Competition +12.809s
FL: Bowling, 2m03.275s
Race 3 (11 laps)
1 Sherlock 28m57.513s
2 Bowling +1.082s
3 Golan +1.924s
4 Stati +3.143s
5 Quimby +3.764s
6 Ribeiro +4.566s
7 Roberts +5.088s
8 Barrett Wolfe Crosslink Competition +5.392s
9 Anthony Autiello Momentum Motorsports +5.737s
10 Day +2 laps
FL: Bowling, 2m03.140s
Championship standings
1 Sherlock 87 2 Ambiado 68 3 Ribeiro 65 4 Golan 62 5 Bowling 48 6 Quimby 40 7 Stati 37 8 Roberts 23.5 9 Wolfe 20.5 10 Benavitz 17