F2000 Title Battle Heads to New Jersey
Salem, NH – The best Formula 2000 racers in the world will descend upon New Jersey Motorsports Park next weekend to crown the 2017 title winner in the F2000 Championship Series. Coming off a win at Summit Point, points leader Brandon Dixon controls his own destiny as he hopes to take the top step of the podium in both races at New Jersey, ensuring him the 2017 national crown.
Tied for second in points, John McCusker and Tim Paul could descend upon Dixon with a strong weekend, as could Steve Jenks, who sits a handful of points back in fourth place in the Championship standings heading into rounds 13 and 14 of the season.
F2000 and Formula Race Promotions last visited New Jersey Motorsports Park’s challenging Thunderbolt complex last August. Now, an October date will throw teams a different weather situation with more moderate temperatures expected.
Luckily, teams and drivers will have plenty of track time to adjust for conditions, with two lengthy test sessions on Friday October 6, followed by practice and qualifying on Saturday ahead of the first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon. Sunday also features a long morning qualifying session and afternoon Championship race.
Not only is Dixon coming off a win at Summit Point, but he won his first-ever F2000 race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2016.
“Ultimately the goal is to win the Championship and I would like to do it standing on top of the podium,” Dixon said. “The car came off the track at Summit Point very good, and we’re doing a few little things to make it robust.”
John McCusker and DotWorks racing are hoping to return to their winning form last seen at Mid-Ohio. McCusker will be joined by a teammate, his brother and another F2000 race winner, Austin McCusker.
“We’re hoping to have a strong weekend,” he noted. “The duo will be back so those Citations should watch out.”
A mid-season change of scenery put Tim Paul in a new car, and he has been a fixture at the front of the field since, and hopes to close the season with his first F2000 victory.
“We're just going to run as well as we can and let everything happen as it'll happen. We're focused on just trying to win a race before 2017 ends,” Paul said.
Steve Jenks echoed a similar thought.
“I’m excited about the event,” said the Tumenas Motorsports driver. “The last couple of weekends have seen close, clean racing with a variety of winners. We have been flirting with our first overall win with the pole in Pittsburgh and starting second at Summit Point but things have not fallen our way. Tumenas Motorsports has the car dialed in and hopefully this is the weekend.”
Testing starts from New Jersey Motorsports Park on Friday morning, Oct. 6.