Eidson Takes Fifth Win of 2013
Lexington, OH – Jake Eidson led every lap from pole position to take a record-breaking fifth win in the F1600 Formula F Championship Series in round nine at Mid-Ohio. Eidson adds to his Championship lead with just three races to go in the No. 10 Spectrum/Honda for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. David Grant finished second in the Polestar Van Diemen/Ford in his first F1600 start ever, while Paul Alpsach was third for WISKO Racing in the No. 66 Mygale/Honda.
Eidson eclipsed the previous season-win records in the F1600 season, which stood at four wins, with his fifth victory of the season. With three races to go, the aspiring racer can add yet more first place trophies to his collection as he looks to manage his Championship lead with one more race at Mid-Ohio and a doubleheader remaining at Summit Point in two weeks.
“It was a great points race with pole and the win,” said Eidson. “The race was uneventful for the most part. I have to thank the Cape team for their hard work and giving me an awesome Spectrum car.”
Grant put in an impressive performance in his first career F1600 Formula F start. The Tennessee-native finished fourth in the F2000 race earlier in the day, and stayed within a second or so of Eidson for the entire 18-lap all-green-flag race at Mid-Ohio.
Grant and Polestar become the first driver and team combination to stand in the podium in all three Formula Race Promotions-operated Series, with impressive results in Atlantic, F2000 and now F1600.
The No. 0 Van Diemen/Ford Grant was driving is usually piloted by veteran Lew Cooper, who could not make the event, handing the car over to Grant, a F2000 regular and the 2012 Atlantic Champion.
“It was a ton of fun,” said Grant, describing the race. “Jake gapped me in the opening laps and then we held even the entire race. I can’t thank Jim and Pam Griffith enough and the whole Polestar team for putting everything together and Lew Cooper for letting me run his car.”
Alspach won a tough battle among a multitude of cars to come home on the final step of the podium for WISKO Racing.
“It was a fight from the beginning,” said Alpsach. “It was constantly back and forth, and an effort to run fast laps and try to get to the front of the pack.”
Jim Goughary took the Masters Class win with a fourth place effort in the Raceworks Van Diemen/Honda, while Aaron Telitz, a Championship contender, could only muster fifth place with power issues on his No. 13 Mygale/Honda.
Another Championship contender, Adrian Starrantino, failed to finish, after reported contact with another car. With a rough day for Telitz, and an even worse result for Starrantino and his Bryan Herta Autosport team, Eidson adds major ground to his points margin.
The weekend continues with round ten of the season, Sunday afternoon at 1:10pm local time from Mid-Ohio, set up by 8:30am qualifying, tune in at www.f1600series.com.
Race Results
PosNo.NameLapsBest TmMake/ModelDiff 1 10 Jake Eidson 18 1:27.639 Spectrum Honda - 2 0 David Grant 18 1:27.502 Van Diemen Ford +1.607 3 66 Paul Alspach 18 1:27.876 Mygale Honda +13.421 4 7 Jim Goughary/M 18 1:28.361 Van Diemen Honda +20.318 5 13 Aaron Telitz 18 1:28.918 Mygale Honda +21.465 6 96 Ayla Agren 18 1:28.413 Mygale Honda +21.610 7 07 Steve Bamford/M 18 1:28.166 Mygale Honda +27.868 8 97 Sam Chastain 18 1:28.984 Mygale Honda +30.705 9 31 Scott Rubenzer/M 18 1:28.954 Spectrum Honda +31.493 10 06 Austin McCusker 18 1:30.890 Van Diemen Honda +57.832 11 2 Mike Scanlan/M 18 1:31.103 Swift DB6 Honda +1:15.889 12 8 Jacob Carpenter 15 1:30.977 Van Diemen Ford 3 Laps 13 98 Adrian Starrantino 11 1:27.965 Mygale Honda 7 Laps DNF 21 Art Foster/M 2 2:10.091 Spectrum Honda 16 Laps DNF 73 Bob Perona 1 2:09.019 Piper Ford 17 Laps