F2000 Watkins Glen Weekend Preview
Salem, NH – Based on two podium finishes at the season opener at Road Atlanta, Steve Bamford finds himself leading the F2000 Championship Series as rounds three and four greet drivers and teams this weekend at Watkins Glen International. David Grant and Sam Beasley split the wins in a competitive doubleheader weekend in April.
Bamford took home second and third place honors in his new Citation chassis, and with more seat time under his belt, will be looking to extend his points win and grab his first Series win at Watkins Glen, where the F2000 will run the long course.
Grant sits second in points based on a win and top 10 finish, while Eric Figueiras was quick in Georgia, and sits just 10 points out of the Championship lead.
Beasley has more F2000 victories than the current Watkins Glen entry list combined, winning multiple times in 2014 and dominating the second race at Road Atlanta. Beasley, notably, won at Watkins Glen last October and could be the car to beat in the No. 4 Mygale.
The new-to-F2000 chassis debuted with a dominant April weekend, and a potential sweep was taken away while Beasley was in the lead and fuel issues struck in race one. The Ohio native sits fifth in points, three points away from Austin McCusker.
The younger of the McCusker brothers started his first full F2000 season with third and fifth place finishes in a strong Road Atlanta showing for Dotworks Racing. Brother John scored fifth and sixth place finishes as both brothers look to score their debut F2000 wins.
It will be the Series’ second straight season with a mid-May visit to Watkins Glen, where weather swings could see massive temperature shifts and quickly-approaching rain during the weekend, throwing an added challenge into the mix for the grid.
Sam Chastain is coming off a solid weekend at the Indy Grand Prix, and moved up at Road Atlanta, bettering a Saturday sixth place finish with a smart drive to fourth on Sunday for Chastain Motorsports.
Tim Paul scored a podium to close out the 2014 season at Watkins Glen, and will make his first start of 2015 this coming weekend. The No. 06 for CellMark Paper and SMR/GTP is expected to be among the contenders in a strong field.
After dominating at Palm Beach, an engine failure and suspension issue sidelined Quinlan Lall at the season opener in the No. 1 Momentum Motorsports entry. It could be a redemption weekend for Lall, who qualified fifth at Road Atlanta and won the off-season event in Palm Beach in February.
Trent Walko leads the season-long CellMark Paper Hard Charger standings, advancing 17 positions over the first two races, leading Spencer Brockman by eight positions.
Friday opens the weekend with two practice sessions followed by early morning qualifying on both Saturday and Sunday. Round one goes off at 1:35pm on Saturday, with round two scheduled for 1:30pm on Sunday. Follow on www.F2000Series.com