After a short break, the 2016 US Formula 1000 Championship Fueled by Sunoco returned to action with rounds 3 and 4 at Virginia International Raceway last weekend. The event started on Friday with a practice session where Doug Hertz experience terminal engine problems that ended his weekend before it started. In qualifying, Alex Mayer picked up where he left off by taking the pole position and Glenn Cooper rebounded from his forgettable Road Atlanta weekend by joining him on the front row.
Grid for round 3:
1. Alex Mayer-1:48.538
2. Glenn Cooper-1:49.470
3. Jose Gerardo-1:50.592
4. Jeremy Hill-1:50.945
5. Jason Slahor-1:53.841
6. Pete Frost-1:55.157
7. Doug Hertz-no time
The first race of the weekend started with a bang for Jason Slahor when his engine let go in the first turn of the first lap. At the front, Mayer took the lead while Cooper gave chase. Mayer was able to hold off Cooper but Cooper had the faster car, turning the fastest lap of the race. He continued to pressure Mayer until lap 6 when Mayer spun in turn 10, making hard contact with the tire wall. This handed an easy victory to Cooper, making his Road Atlanta redemption complete. Behind him, Gerardo also encountered trouble while running in 3rd. Combined with Mayer’s off, this promoted Pete Frost to second at the finish while Gerardo recovered to finish 3rd.
Final race results- round 3:
1. Glenn Cooper
2. Pete Frost
3. Jose Gerardo
4. Alex Mayer
DNF-Jason Slahor
DNS-Jeremy Hill
DNS-Doug Hertz
Prize payout- round 3
1st Place –Glenn Cooper - 4 Hoosier Tires
2nd Place – Pete Frost - 2 Hoosier Tires
3rd Place – Jose Gerardo- 1 Hoosier Tire
Sunoco Hard Charger ($200)- Pete Frost
The grid for round 4 was set by each driver's fastest lap throughout the weekend, including the race. Nobody improved their qualifying time during Saturday’s race so the grid remained unchanged for Sunday’s race.
Grid for round 4:
1. Alex Mayer-1:48.538
2. Glenn Cooper-1:49.470
3. Jose Gerardo-1:50.592
4. Jeremy Hill-1:50.945
5. Jason Slahor-1:53.841
6. Pete Frost-1:55.157
7. Doug Hertz-no time
Mayer’s crew worked into the night to repair his damaged car, including the rear suspension, wing, diffuser, and floors. In the race, Cooper took the lead early but Mayer stayed glued to his rear wing while they both turned laps near the pole time. Cooper held the lead for the remainder of the race and looked to be taking his second win of the weekend when Mayer made his move on the last lap, taking the win by only 0.2 seconds. Gerardo ran an error-free race and came home in third while Frost had to settle for fourth.
Final race results- round 4:
1. Alex Mayer
2. Glenn Cooper
3. Jose Gerardo
4. Pete Frost
DNS-Jeremy Hill
DNS-Doug Hertz
DNS-Jason Slahor
Prize payout- round 4
1st Place – Alex Mayer - 4 Hoosier Tires
2nd Place – Glenn Cooper- 2 Hoosier Tires
3rd Place – Jose Gerardo- 1 Hoosier Tire
Sunoco Hard Charger ($200)- Pete Frost
Despite the crash in Saturday’s race, Mayer still has a big lead in the championship. Consistency has helped Peter Frost jump into second and Jose Gerardo to 3rd while Cooper is now on the board in fourth.
1. Alex Mayer-103
2. Pete Frost-73
3. Jose Gerardo-51
4. Glenn Cooper-47
5. Shane Prieto-41
6. Joel Haas-35
7. Jeremy Hill-21
8. Doug Hertz-0
9. Jason Slahor-0
