Formula Race Promotions Completes First Event with New Format at Road Atlanta
Formula Race Promotions (FRP) kicked off its highly anticipated 2026 season this past weekend at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. With F1600, F2000, and Atlantic classes in action, it was the first weekend of a new race format that was designed to increase track time and wheel-to-wheel racing.
“It was a great weekend in Atlanta, and we are excited to have another season of FRP off and running,” explained Bob Wright. “2026 is going to be an exciting year as we implement a variety of changes to increase track time and provide a knowledge and skill-building program for both rookies and veterans.”
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Read how the first weekend of 2026 went below:
QUALIFYING
F1600
- Christian Menezes – 1:29.886
- Boss Patel – 1:30.220
- David Ybarra – 1:30.610
- Cooper Travis – 1:31.311
- David Adorno – 1:32.071
F2000
- Nick Gilkes – 1:26.135
- Robert Wright – 1:27.305
- David Weitzenhof – 1:27.913
Atlantic Open
- James French – 1:18.148
- Ayrton Houk – 1:20.082
- Bruce Hamilton – 1:20.154
Atlantic 016
- Harbir Dass – 1:17.240
- John Mcaleer – No Time
RACES
F1600
Boss Patel climbed to the top of the results sheet in the first F1600 heat race of the season, beating David Ybarra to the line. Completing 12 race laps, Cooper Travis slotted into the third position ahead of the first F1600 Masters driver, David Adorno, in fourth as all three drivers benefited from pole position winner, Christian Menezes, falling down the running order to 11th. Axel LeRoy crossed the stripe in the fifth position while his brother, Jake, was sixth when the checkered flag flew. With Adorno winning the F1600 Masters class, the top-five was completed by Scott Rubenzer, Steve Oseth, John Thompson, and David Livingston Jr.
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Heat two saw Menezes rebound from a disappointing result in heat one to climb to the top of the charts and take the win, just ahead of heat one winner Patel. Rubenzer climbed up the results sheet to finish third overall and secured the F1600 Masters win with Jake LeRoy in fourth. Livingston, another of the Masters drivers, was fifth overall but second in class, just ahead of Roman McCurdy. The F1600 Masters top-five was completed by Bob Reid, Steve Oseth, and John Thompson.
In the F1600 feature race, it was Menezes who was able to carry the momentum from his heat two win to secure the victory and celebrate on the top step of the podium. Ybarra and Travis continued their presence at the front of the field, finishing second and third, with Boss Patel and Jake LeRoy completing the top-five. In the F1600 Masters class, David Livingston was the victor ahead of John Thompson, David Adorno, Steve Oseth, and Bob Reid.
F2000
In the F2000 class, Nick Gilkes was able to secure the first heat race of the season, converting his pole position into a victory after 16 laps. Scoring the fastest lap of the race, Gilkes dominated the competition in a flag-to-flag win. Behind him, Carter Sheets slotted into the second position with Robert Wright, Dave Weitzenhof, and Arshia Akhtar rounding out the top-five.
In heat two, Wright found his way to the head of the field on a damp, sometimes wet track to earn his first win of 2026, as heat one winner Gilkes finished second on track after a mechanical issue, ahead of Akhtar. Sheets and Weitzenhof were classified in the fourth and fifth positions.
It was Gilkes who reigned supreme in the F2000 Feature race as he pushed his 2012 Van Diemen hard to lap the field and take the win. Wright was the best of the rest in the second position, with no other finishers.
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Atlantic
After scoring the pole position on Saturday morning, James French went on to score the heat one victory in the Atlantic – Open class. Completing the 16 laps, French was the class of the field with his fastest lap of the race, eclipsing the next quickest by a healthy margin. Aryton Houk was the best of the rest in second, with Bruce Hamilton in the third position. In the Atlantic 016 category, it was John Mcaleer who handily drove to the win with Harbir Dass running into an issue on lap seven and failing to complete the full race distance.
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French continued his winning ways in heat two, topping the charts after 13 laps to take his second heat race win. Hamilton improved from his P3 effort in heat one to go to second in heat two with Houk going the opposite direction in progression to finish third. In the 016 class, Dass rebounded from his first heat disappointment to earn the class win over Mcaleer.
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James French went on to score the feature race win, capping off a perfect weekend of action at Road Atlanta taking two heat race wins and a feature race victory, on top of his pole position qualifying effort. Bruce Hamilton crossed the finish line in the second position to stand on the podium. Harbir Dass secured the Atlantic 016 race win ahead of Mcaleer.
Please remember that all series news, information, results, photos, and PR will be communicated through our social media pages listed below. Please be sure to tag FRP in any posts to help us have the ability to promote you.
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For questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Bob Wright RobertW@RaceFRP.com or Clay Hutchison ClayH@RaceFRP.com. For media inquiries, please contact us via email at Media@RaceFRP.com.
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