The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear  - Open Wheel Racing Series based in California - Alumni have moved into Indy Lights, Pro Mazda Championship, Indy Lights, Indy Car, and SportsCar Racing
Zach Veach wins Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Championship with Andretti Autosport

Fifteen Mazda Powered Formula Cars Roared Into The Sonoma Valley During The Formula Car Challenge Season Opener 

Kohls, Williams, and Tabak Leading Class Points After Two Races

Sonoma, CA
March 22nd, 2017

The 2017 Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear season opener occurred this past weekend at Sonoma Raceway. The weather was beautiful, with temperatures in the 60s. After a morning test session, the drivers got right down to business.

SATURDAY POLE POSITIONS
  • Formula Mazda: Bill Weaver 1:37.62
  • FormulaSPEED: Carter Williams 1:35.40
  • Pro Formula Mazda: Stan Kohls 1:34.11
When the green flag dropped on race one, 15 cars bolted up into turn two lead by Pro FM driver Stan Kohls. A couple of cars had minor contact, and unfortunately 2016 FM Champion Bill Weaver had to retire soon thereafter. Rookie Colin Mullan who was also involved in the first lap incident, went to the very back of the field but worked his way up to the podium in his very first FCC event. Overall pole position winner Stan Kohls held onto the lead from flag to flag and secured the Pro Formula Mazda win, 2016 FM vice champion Stew Tabak won in FM, and 2016 FS Triple Crown champion Carter Williams won in the FormulaSPEED class.

SATURDAY PODIUM - PRO FM
  • 1st Stan Kohls
  • 2nd Jim Mali
  • 3rd George Marcos
SATURDAY PODIUM - FORMULA MAZDA
  • 1st Stew Tabak
  • 2nd William Sturgeon
  • 3rd Derry O'Donovan
SATURDAY PODIUM - FormulaSPEED
By Sunday most of the drivers had gotten faster, and so had Saturday's pole winners. Weaver, Williams, and Kohls were again the fastest in their respective classes.

SUNDAY POLE POSITION
  • Formula Mazda: Bill Weaver 1:37.60
  • FormulaSPEED: Carter Williams 1:34.98
  • Pro Formula Mazda: Stan Kohls 1:33.06
Race two got off to a wild start with some mild contact mid pack in turn two. Everyone was able to continue, but a couple of cars did suffer some minor damage. There was a lot of race action as the classes really got mixed up after the incident. With only a couple of laps left in the race the # 89 FM ran off track in the esses and brought out a yellow flag. On the restart, overall race leader Stan Kohls missed a shift causing multiple drivers to stack up. This caused a second yellow flag situation. The race ran out of time and was completed under yellow.

SUNDAY PODIUM - PRO FM
1st Stan Kohls
2nd Jim Mali
3rd George Marcos

SUNDAY PODIUM - FORMULA MAZDA
1st Stew Tabak
2nd William Sturgeon
3rd Woody Yerxa

SUNDAY PODIUM - FormulaSPEED
1st Tao Takaoka
2nd Courtney Crone
3rd Carter Williams

"The weather turned out great, we had a handful of talented new drivers, and there was a ton of great racing and several position changes in both races," stated Series Official Ben Hettema. "It was a bummer to have to finish race two under yellow, but we run on a time certain schedule. The racers who didn't get an opportunity to get back up to the front of the pack will have to wait until April at Buttonwillow to get their chance." At every Formula Car Challenge event series partners provide additional awards to the competitors. Select drivers were awarded complimentary Goodyear Racing tires, and pole sitters were each presented with The Molecule Pole Award. The Molecule Pole Award is given to the fastest qualifier in each class, and includes a selection of Molecule suit care products.

The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear is part of the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout, which will see the champions of select junior open-wheel and karting series from around the world vie for a scholarship to enter the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda in 2018. The next event for the Formula Car Challenge is April 29th-30th at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.

More information:
The Formula Car Challenge is an open wheel racing series powered by Mazda - It features 3 classes, the Pro Formula Mazda, The Formula Mazda, and the FormulaSPEED2.0. These are the fastest open wheel cars racing on the West Coast of the United States - Series is based in California
 
Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Official Insider Newsletter - get latest updates, news, videos, and racing insider info every month. Team in the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Like the Formula Car Challenge on FACEBOOK Follow the Formula Car Challenge on Twitter World Speed Incorporated Get the latest news, results, photos, videos, and more from the most popular open wheel racing series on the web. The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear is on FACEBOOK - Connect with this US West Coast Open Wheel Racing Series. Many of our graduates have move up into the Mazda Road to Indy, and as high as IndyCar! Follow the Formula Car Challenge on TWITTER - Find out what is happening in the championship, and learn about our drivers who have graduated to the Pro Mazda Championship, Indy Lights, and IndyCar. The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear - ProAm Open Wheel Racing Series that has graduated drivers into IndyCar and other top level racing series. About the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Schedules and Results from the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Contact the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear - The series that has graduated drivers into the Mazda Road to Indy and all the way up to the IndyCar Series