Chastain Ends F1600 Season with Podium Run
Noblesville, IN – It was the first weekend as a three-car team for Chastain Motorsports in the F1600 Formula F Championship Series, with the squad noting a podium finish and a solid weekend effort to close out the 2014 season at Watkins Glen International.
To close out the F1600 season in round 14 on Sunday, Thompson race winner Sam Chastain found the lead early in the 12-lap race in his No. 27 Mygale/Honda. Chastain would lead the most laps of the race but lost out after taking the white flag, as the draft worked against him as teammates slipstreamed by on the back straight to the checkered flags.
“It was a tough race and with the draft on the back stretch, you could go from fourth to first pretty easily,” said Chastain. “I tried to fight for it on the last lap but Ayla Agren got the push and she got by.”
The team’s second car, the No. 29 for Evan Mehan, had a challenging weekend. Also coming off a win at Thompson, Mehan showed his speed in his Chastain Mygale/Honda.
Mehan missed the races at Watkins Glen earlier in the season, meaning he had among the fewest laps around the 11-turn circuit. But come race time Mehan easily raced his way to the front of the field, and stayed there for the Saturday race. The young American would take the checkered flag first, giving him his second win of the season until Series officials took it away with a penalty on Sunday morning, citing driving conduct.
Despite the penalty, which dropped Mehan down the order, the pace of the No. 28 was impressive, as Mehan continued to be one of the fastest drivers in the field.
Chastain’s third car, the No. 28 Mygale/Honda for Andy Lewis, enjoyed a solid debut weekend in the competitive F1600 Series.
Lewis, a mechanical engineering sophomore at the University of Michigan, improved throughout the three-day event. The 19-year-old was able to get the track time he needed in his pro debut to shave some three seconds off his Friday lap times, to eventually run a quick lap of 1:59 flat, and gained valuable race craft experience dicing with Series veterans like Mike Scanlan and Sam Lockwood during the two races. Lewis logged 13th and 11th place finishes, respectively.
Chastain Motorsports continues its activities into the off-season, with young driver tests planned before the F1600 Series plans to debut its 2015 season next April. Interested parties should contact the team via its website at www.ChastainMotorsports.com.