Ming Wins by .001 Seconds
Millville, NJ - Calvin Ming won by .001 seconds in a three-wide finish in the first of three F1600 Formula F Championship Series races scheduled for NJMP this weekend. It was a dynamic show as the lead was traded back and forth for the duration of the all-green-flag race with Ming winning ahead of Phillippe Denes and Neil Verhagen.
Following the race, Series officials went to the video, looking at multiple angles, as the finish was too close to call. Officials also inspected the transponder box locations in each Mygale chassis.
"It was a good race, at the start Peter Portante and I managed to get away but in the end everyone came on strong," said Ming, who drives the No. 82 machine for Team Pelfrey.
After leading multiple laps, Denes settled for a second place result in the second Team Pelfrey car.
"Everyone was running real close the entire time, there were some really close battles," said Denes.
Championship leader and K-Hill driver Neil Verhagen moved from fifth to third and nearly stole the win late in the race, coming home to complete the podium following a double win weekend at Pittsburgh earlier in the month.
Starting from pole, Peter Portante led the opening lap and stayed in the lead battle most of the race, mainly trading the lead back and forth with Ming, and then teammate Verhagen, before falling off the lead pack late in the race to finish fourth. Portante also ran the fastest lap of the race, putting him on pole for Sunday morning's race.
Coming off a win at Pittsburgh, Kaylen Frederick finished nine tenths away from the race win to complete the top five for Team Pelfrey.
Hans Ada finished sixth for K-Hill Motorsports, while Will Harvey came home in seventh in his first start after missing a few race weekends. Harvey drives a Spectrum chassis for Exclusive Autosport.
Mike Scanlan won the Masters Class in another Spectrum with an eighth place finish.
The F1600 weekend continues with morning and afternoon races, rounds 17 and 18 of the season, on Sunday from New Jersey.