The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear visited WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for a double-header event this past weekend. Rounds eleven and twelve took place under very cool and clear conditions.
The race group featured 52 racers, and the paddock featured 250+ competitors and all kinds of interesting and fast racing cars. Twenty-five of those cars were FCC competitors, and ten of those were Pro FM cars. “The Pro FM group is really expanding as there are some great pre-owned cars on the market now, and of course Star Race Cars is still making and selling all the parts needed to keep them on track,” noted series official Ben Hettema. “These cars are Formula Atlantic fast, but cost so much less to buy and to care for.”
Jay Horak put in a blistering qualifying time of 1:28.422 in his Pro FM to lead the FCC racers to the green flag. The start was clean, but it wasn’t long before a few cars further back in the massive field tangled. The race ultimately ended under yellow, with an incident occurring with just a few minutes left in the session.
Round 11 Podium – Formula Mazda
1st – Bill Weaver
2nd – Christopher Tarhan
3rd – Woody Yerxa
Round 11 Podium – FormulaSPEED
1st – Tao Takaoka
2nd – Bryson Lew
3rd – Courtney Crone
Round 11 Podium – Pro Formula Mazda
1st – Jay Horak
2nd – John Purcell
3rd – Nick Woodman
On Sunday Pro FM competitor John Purcell lead the FCC racers to the green flag. He got a great lead on the other PFM drivers, but spun in turn five and was unable to continue. Jay Horak, Jim Mali, and Nick Woodman fought for the PFM lead for a handful of laps before an incident brought out a yellow flag. Woodman ended up finishing the race at the front of the field, but it was reported that his pass happened under yellow conditions and he was penalized. In the other classes, there were some amazing battles as well. Courtney Crone and Rayce Dykstra were nose-to-tail most of the race, and Dykstra was able to secure the lead with seconds left on the clock. In the FM class, Christopher Tarhan and Bill Weaver were in close proximity most of the time. Tarhan made a couple of pass attempts, but Weaver held on until the checkered flag. Not far behind that action Stew Tabak and Woody Yerxa were battling each other and the traffic for the third spot on the FM podium.
Round 12 Podium Formula Mazda
1st – Bill Weaver
2nd – Christopher Tarhan
3rd – Woody Yerxa
Round 12 Podium – FormulaSPEED
1st – Rayce Dykstra
2nd – Courtney Crone
3rd – Tao Takaoka
Round 12 Podium – Pro Formula Mazda
1st – Jay Horak
2nd – Jim Mali
3rd – Joe Gardner
At every Formula Car Challenge event series partners provide additional awards to the competitors. At this event, select drivers were awarded complimentary Goodyear Racing tires. Next up on the 2018 schedule is Rounds 13 and 14 at the Grand Prix of Sonoma with The Verizon IndyCar Series.
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