Eidson Out in Front for FF Practice
Lexington, OH – As the F1600 Championship Formula F Series challenges Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for another two rounds this weekend, it was points leader Jake Eidson on top of the time sheets after two practice sessions on Friday. The four-race winner took a victory at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago and easily paced both practice sessions in the No. 10 Spectrum/Honda for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing.
Eidson was solidly out in front, and also ran more laps than anyone else during Thursday twilight testing in the rain. On top of his Saturday win in July, Eidson recovered in the second race to drive from last to second in just 30 minutes a day later.
The aspiring racer has a moderate points advantage over Adrian Starrantino and Aaron Telitz and can easily control his own destiny with just four races to go through the season finale at Summit Point on August 25.
Both sessions, however, featured a newcomer in second position on the time sheets, with F2000 regular and 2012 Atlantic Championship Series title winner David Grant turning some quick times. Grant will become the second driver in the field this weekend to race in both series along with Steve Bamford.
It was Grant’s first time ever in a Formula F car, and the veteran driver only made the decision to run both Series on Tuesday, as the No. 0’s regular driver Lew Cooper was unable to make the event for Polestar Racing Group. Grant, furthermore, marks the first Ford-powered car with his F1600 Van Diemen chassis.
Championship contender Aaron Telitz was third quickest in the afternoon session after leading most of the last round at Mid-Ohio in July in the No. 13 Mygale/Honda for WISKO Racing. Rival Adrian Starrantino, who came together with Telitz on the last lap at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, was fourth fastest in the Mygale/Honda for Bryan Herta Autosport ahead of Norwegian teammate Ayla Agren, before the second WISKO Racing entry of Paul Alspach.
Along with Eidson, Starrantino and Telitz are the only other drivers to win races this year. With pole positions won by those three, along with Agren.
Bamford posted the seventh best time in the early afternoon session as temperatures rose at the road course. Bamford, of course, is doing double-duty as usual and also racing in the F2000 Series.
Art Foster, in the No. 21 Spectrum/Honda, and Jim Goughary, in the No. 7 Van Diemen/Honda, and Sam Chastain, in the No. 97 Mygale/Honda completed the top ten. For Chastain, Friday was a day to forget as the Bryan Herta Autosport driver had the car lock up with gearbox problems in the morning practice and only got a handful of laps in before going off course in the afternoon 25-minute session.
Session results are available here.
F1600’s rounds 9 and 10 continue from Mid-Ohio with an 8:30am local time qualifying session on Saturday and Sunday, with races scheduled for 12:50 on Saturday and 1:10 on Sunday. Follow live updates on www.f1600series.com.