Norman Scores Atlantic Win at VIR
Alton, VA - Ryan Norman moved one step toward closing out his 2016 Atlantic Championship Series title-winning campaign with a weekend sweep, winning on Saturday morning at VIR in the No. 48 K-Hill Motorsports Swift 016/Mazda. Norman took the top step of the podium in round 13 of the season, winning ahead of the Polestar Racing Group duo of Keith and David Grant.
"It's been awesome, I got a great start and got past both Grants before turn three," said Norman, who took the lead from David Grant from his third place starting on lap one and never looked back. "From there we did consistent laps and got through lapped traffic smoothly."
Norman clinched the 2016 Atlantic title at New Jersey Motorsports Park in August, and also dominated the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in September.
Keith Grant took home second place honors for Polestar in the No. 40 Swift 016/Mazda.
"The car handled well all race," said Grant. "I blew the start, I was in the wrong gear and Ryan got by. The car ran great the race and I need to thank Polestar."
David Grant started from pole from Polestar and ran second for the duration of the race before falling to third on the last lap with a late-race mechanical gremlin.
"First of all, Ryan got a great start and gapped me," said Grant. "Keith and I were maintaining the whole time and picking up speed. The last lap I lost a gear, and my shifter went out in turn one and I was toast."
Atlantic Challenge saw Bob Corliss win ahead of Bruce Hamilton.
"It was a good race, I had a good strategy keeping the inside line in turn one at the start," said Corliss, who drives the No. 17 Swift 014/Toyota from Comprent Motorsports. "It's been like this all season, we have raced close and clean. It worked to my favor today."
Corliss leads Hamilton by just 19 points with one Challenge round remaining.
Richard Zober finished fourth in the Atlantic Championship for Comprent, followed by K-Hill's Dudley Fleck and Polestar's Lewis Cooper Jr.
The Atlantic drivers conclude their 2016 season from Sunday morning at VIR, with race two scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
Full results are available on www.F1600Series.com, www.F2000Series.com and www.AtlanticChampionshipSeries.com. The 2016 Formula Race Promotions season continues with its final rounds, Sunday morning from VIR.