Livengood Rebounds for Lime Rock Win

September 18, 2011
Livengood passed Audette for the lead.

Lakeville, CT – After losing valuable points in the Championship earlier in the day with a DNF at Lime Rock, Chris Livengood bounced back, winning for the second time this year. The sophomore F2000 driver did exactly what he needed to take the fight to the final rounds of the season at Watkins Glen – take points away from Remy Audette, who finished second ahead of Tim Paul.

Livengood started on the outside pole and ran second to Audette early before passing the Canadian and stretching the gap for his third F2000 Series win. Local favorite Paul followed; his best career finished to date.

Livengood rebounded from an earlier crash in the first race that cost him valuable points. With just two rounds remaining in the season, a Watkins Glen doubleheader, Livengood is still alive in the title fight but the John Walko Racing/Work Racing driver may need a miracle, some 88 points down on Audette currently. One hundred ten (110) points are available at Watkins Glen.

“We had a clean start, Remy and I kept exchanging fast laps the entire way,” said Livengood. “He got a bit held up with lapped traffic and I was able to get by into turn one.”

Audette, meanwhile, had a successful weekend at Lime Rock with his fifth win of 2011, two poles, and a new qualifying track record. Audette has yet to fail to finish this season.

Said the Canadian: “Chris was pushing us to the limit the entire way, a lapped car messed the race up. The front of the car went away as the race continued, but overall it was a good weekend for Audette Racing.”

Tim Paul

Tim Paul was the local story, the Mahopac, New York-native finished third in the SMR/GTP Motorsports No. 06, besting his fourth place effort a few months ago at Watkins Glen.

“I went to the outside on the start and was able to move up to third,” said Paul. “Minor got back by me, but we battled it out until it seemed like his car just go away. I’m happy to break my bad luck streak here after last year’s crash.”

Minor explained after the race that his tires lost grip.

Robert Wright, perhaps in his last race in the Van Diemen before switching to the new Radon chassis, won the Masters Class with a fourth place effort. Peter Gonzalez was fifth ahead of Tim Minor, who ran third early before fading.

Nathan Morcom drove through the field along with Craig Clawson, both starting at the rear of the pack, to finish seventh and eighth. John Walko Racing/Fat Boy Racing teammates Brendan Puderbach and Craig Clawson completed the top ten.

Clawson, meanwhile, had a career day, finishing fourth in the morning race, and taking home CellMark Paper Hard Charger honors in this race, advanced from 23rd to finish 8th, gaining the most positions of any driver.

Angel Benitez, after a third place effort earlier in the day, failed to finish for Alegra Motorsports, going off early.

Blake Teeter ended up 13th in the Radon chassis for GTP Motorsports, following a turn one incident, in the morning race that saw crash damage repaired.

Robert La Rocca did not take part in the race following a penalty for an incident in turn one earlier in the day.

The F2000 Championship Series concludes its 2011 season with rounds 13 and 14, at Watkins Glen, October 14-16.

Race Results:

Pos No. Name Laps Total Tm Diff Gap Avg. Speed Best Tm Best Spd 1 37 Chris Livengood 30 25:36.588 - - 107.537 50.225 109.667 2 21 Remy Audette 30 25:42.198 +5.610 +5.610 107.146 50.393 109.301 3 06 Tim Paul 30 26:09.222 +32.634 +27.024 105.301 51.347 107.270 4 90 Robert Wright/M 30 26:21.057 +44.469 +11.835 104.512 51.805 106.322 5 70 Peter Gonzalez/M 29 25:44.128 1 Lap 1 Lap 103.445 51.752 106.431 6 88 Tim Minor/M 29 25:54.831 +10.703 +10.703 102.733 51.655 106.631 7 2 Nathan Morcom 29 26:00.620 +16.492 +5.789 102.352 52.297 105.322 8 27 Craig Clawson/M 29 26:03.825 +19.697 +3.205 102.142 52.375 105.165 9 31 Brendan Puderbach 29 26:11.778 +27.650 +7.953 101.625 52.654 104.607 10 83 Charles Finelli/M 29 26:12.733 +28.605 +0.955 101.563 51.482 106.989 11 47 Chris Monteleone 29 26:15.678 +31.550 +2.945 101.373 52.195 105.527 12 14 Fred Bross/M 29 26:22.427 +38.299 +6.749 100.941 53.217 103.501 13 77 Blake Teeter 29 27:07.357 +1:23.228 +44.929 98.154 51.966 105.992 14 22 Giancarlo Potolicchio/M 28 25:44.138 2 Laps 1 Lap 99.877 52.666 104.584 15 35 Eric Presbrey 28 26:15.454 +31.316 +31.316 97.892 53.907 102.176 16 94 Al Guibord,Sr./M 27 26:15.552 3 Laps 1 Lap 94.390 54.979 100.184 17 72 Thomas Schwietz/M 25 26:27.470 5 Laps 2 Laps 86.742 51.195 107.589 18 15 Aaron Pettipas 7 11:53.349 23 Laps 18 Laps 54.049 54.276 101.481 19 89 Jim Hanrahan/M 2 1:55.009 28 Laps 5 Laps 95.783 53.427 103.094 20 26 Angel Benitez 1 58.097 29 Laps 1 Lap 94.806 54.380 101.287 21 10 Robert La Rocca 0 -.--- - - - -.--- - DNS 97 Chris Gumprecht 0 -.--- - - - -.--- - DNS 61 Tom Drake/M 0 -.--- - - - -.--- -

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