Thursday Testing Rundown Notebook
Alton, VA – With a stacked field and no official times on Thursday, the fastest driver was anyone’s guess at the 17-turn VIRginia International Raceway on a warm summer-like day. Strategies were mixed, with some on sticker Hoosiers and others on take-offs from previous events.
++ Cars
The field is expanding for F1600 – with more aspiring drivers than ever and the reigning National SCCA Champion in Tim Kautz. The “kids,” as they call them looked fast as usual, driving mainly for the big teams – Herta, Capes, Quantum and WISKO – all powered by Honda.
Add in Raceworks, with Jim Goughary and Franklin Furtelle in top-flight Van Diemens, and the field takes another leap forward in competition.
Meanwhile, the second place finisher at the 2012 Runoffs – Lew Cooper – is entered for the full season in a Van Diemen/Ford and could move to a Spectrum/Honda package before the season is out.
Who is Aaron Telitz?
Aaron Telitz, the first driver in WISKO’s new F1600 program, said his eventual motorsports goal is to compete and win in the Indianapolis 500.
Telitz, out of Rice Lake, WI, is 21, and currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire. He drives the No. 13 WISKO Mygale/Honda, with sponsorship from Rice Lake Weighing Systems/Chuck G Fabrication/Fred Thomas Resort/Thomas Marine/Linear Sport.
So far in 2013, he scored three wins and was second in points in the Skip Barber winter season.
Photos
Check out a huge selection of photos from testing >> here.
Spec Tire for All
Hoosier’s all-important and near-perfect F1600 spec tire is taking over, literally, as now the West Coast Pacific F1600 Series will be on the same rubber for the 2013 season.
And More
The BHA cars for the 2013 season sport new red/white schemes – as opposed to the blue/white of 2012l Caitlin Johnston’s Van Diemen is noticeably different than two years ago, both in color and suspension bits; a parts supplier missing a ship date is the cause for Carbir missing the opening race of the Championship with Reid Hazelton.