Formula Car Challenge Alumni Successes
Bringing home trophies and awards in open wheel, prototypes, and sedans
Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear competitors are showing up all over the map, and winning some very serious races and championships. Here's where you'll find some of them:
Zach Veach the 2011/12 FCC Winter Series Champ, finished in the top ten in the Pro Mazda Championship (ex: Star Mazda) and was recently signed by Andretti Autosports to race the entire 2013 schedule in Indy Lights.
Jorge Goncalvez, who won the 2009 FCC Winter Series Championship in the Pro FM class, and moved up into Indy Lights for 2011. Goncalvez finished in the top 10 in the series both in 2011 and 2012.
Gabby Chaves, who competed in the Formula Car Challenge in 2012 went on to win multiple races in the 2012 Pro Mazda Championship finishing second overall in the championship. After the season closed Chaves went to the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals in Las Vegas and took the Tag Senior Championship.
2012 FCC Pro FM Champion Kyle Kaiser has been signed on to race for World Speed Motorsports in the 2013 Pro Formula Mazda Championship.
Tristan Vautier competed in the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear in 2011 to gain additional track time and experience, then he went on to win the 2011 Pro Mazda Championship. Tristan won the 2012 Indy Lights Championship and is expected to move up into IndyCar in 2013. He recently has completed multiple test days in the Dallara DW12 IndyCar, and in late January signed with Schmidt Peterson for the entire 2013 IZOD Indy Car Season.
Neil Alberico who competed in the Formula Car Challenge in 2011 in both the Pro FM and FM classes was selected as a Team USA Scholarship driver and went on to win FF races in Britain. In 2012 he moved back to the US to compete in the USF2000 Championship where he finished 7th in points and closed the season with a podium finish.
2012 FCC Pro FM Champion Lloyd Read recently announced that he will be racing with JDC in the 2013 Pro Formula Mazda Championship.
Michael Guasch raced in the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear from 2005-12, and has a large collection of FCC pole awards and wins to his credit. Guasch won the 59th Annual 12 Hours of Sebring, won races in the 2011 British GT Championship, and also podiumed in the 2012 ALMS LMP2 category.
Dane Cameron raced in the FCC Indy GP of Sonoma event in 2010, and won both races in the Pro FM category. Cameron went on to compete in a Mazda RX-8 GT in the 2011 and 2012 Grand American ROLEX Series. For 2013 he will move up to the Daytona Prototype class piloting a BMW powered Riley Prototype.
Doug Peterson is a long time competitor in the FCC. Peterson has won the Ferrari Challenge, the SCCA Runoffs, and countless races in a variety of cars. In 2011 Peterson did select races in the Trans-Am series and was the fastest Trans-Am driver at the Road America event. In 2012 Peterson also competed in multiple Trans-Am events in the new Dodge Viper, and in select Grand Am events. Peterson placed 2nd in FM, and GT-1 during the 2012 SCCA Runoffs Championship.
2011 Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear National FM Champion
Darryl Wills went on to win the 2011 SCCA FM National Championship, and became a "Super Sweep" champion. The SCCA Super Sweep recognizes drivers that win a key national event, the nation-wide points championship, their divisional championship and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs-all in the same class. In 2012 Wills ran a limited schedule in Indy Lights and finished the season 15th in points.
Juan Piedrahita, who competed in the 2009 FCC Winter Series Championship in the Pro FM class, finished 7th overall in the 2012 Pro Mazda Championship.
"We are proud of these drivers and all of our racers, as this is a very difficult sport." noted Series Official Ben Hettema. "When these drivers move up and go and win a world class events that just makes all the hard work we do worth it. We hope to have more of our alumni take some serious wins next season, and having watched them up close and personal I know it's going to happen."
Racers have been using the FCC as a springboard to pro racing since 2005, and many of them continue to race in the series in between their other events. Racing in the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear is very cost effective was to stay competitive.
