Champions Crowned at 2024 Formula Race Promotions Finale
The 2024 Formula Race Promotions season ended this past weekend as champions were crowned at Summit Point Motorsports Park. In a weekend featuring great racing and harsh weather, teams and competitors now enter the off-season as they can start planning their 2025 programs.
“It’s a time of year that we both love and hate to see,” explained Bob Wright. “Another FRP season has ended and champions have been crowned. We had some tremendous racing all year, and I can’t believe it is over. On the other hand, the planning begins now as we look to take the series up another level in 2025.”
F1600
Qualifying
1. Jack Sullivan – 1:15.990
2. Karsten Defonce – 1:16.058
3. Cooper Shipman – 1:16.390
4. Timothy Steele – 1:16.473
5. Sebastian Mateo Naranjo – 1:16.772
F1600 Masters
1. Scott Rubenzer – 1:17.132
2. Bob Reid – 1:17.249
3. Phil Kingham 1:17.767
4. Steve Oseth – 1:18.015
5. Thomas Schwietz Jr. – 1:18.681
Race #1
With Team Pelfrey’s Mateo Naranjo having clinched #1 Championship spot in New Jersey, the competitive battle for the second place, and Vice-Champion honors would be between Karsten Defonce and Timothy Steele with just nine points between them. Joining the fray for the weekend was 2023 third-place finisher Jack Sullivan, driving the CT Motorsports #45 left available after Dillon Defonce dropped out due to a motorcycle riding shoulder injury. It was a pole position start for Jack Sullivan and he managed to take that to his advantage and drive to the race win. Despite not having the quickest car in the field, Sullivan took the checkered after the seventeen-lap affair, scoring a one-two finish for CT Motorsports with Karsten Defonce claiming the races fastest lap and adding to his point spread lead over Timothy Steele. Cooper Shipman, ever present in the top running group stood on the third step of the podium, the exact position where he started, similar to Timothy Steele, who started and finished fourth. Continuing to show their pace and run in the front half of the grid, the Tovo Twins, Jackson, and Ethan crossed the line in fifth and sixth, respectively. Scott Rubenzer added another F1600 Masters win to his credit as he beat Bob Reid and Steve Oseth to the checkered flag.
Race #2
The second F1600 race of the weekend proved to be a battle at the front, with Karsten Defonce and Tim Steele starting on the front row, followed by Jack Sullivan, Mateo Naranjo, Cooper Shipman, Aryton Cahan, and Jackson Tovo, all vying for a podium spot and swapping positions at multiple points during this shortened fourteen-lap race. Lap twelve contact incident between a hard charging Jackson Tovo and Mateo Naranjo would also collect Karsten Defonce, knocking him to ninth place, and end the race early for Ayrton Cahan and Ethan Tovo. In the end, Shipman reigned supreme to win by .783 over Steel, who was clear by nearly three seconds over Saturday’s race one winner, Jack Sullivan, who had the fastest lap and pole for the afternoon final of Race 3. A new name appeared in the top five, and for the first time in 2024, K-Hill’s Ava Hanssen crossed the line in fourth with a strong result, just ahead of F1600 Masters race winner Bob Reid. Behind Reid and rounding out the Master class podium was Scott Rubenzer in second and Steve Oseth in third.
Race #3
Heading into the final F1600 race of the season, the number two position in the championship spot between Karsten Defonce and Timothy Steel was tied at 598 points each. Grid positions, based upon the fast lap from race two, put Jack Sullivan on the pole, with Karsten and Timothy at positions seven and eight, respectively. Anticipation for this final battle was an understatement. As race time drew near, multiple lightning strikes with their mandatory 30-minute shut down requirement forced the cancellation of the race for the safety of the teams, competitors and operational staff.
Finish positions would then decide the Vice-Championship spot during the season: Karsten & Timothy each had one first and four-second place finishes; Timothy had three-thirds to Karsten’s two, thus edging him out for the second position in the championship — exemplifying how close and competitive the entire 2024 F1600 season was, not only for the top three but throughout the field as many of the overall positions were decided by just a few points.
F2000
Qualifying #1
1. Timothy Minor 1:09.877
2. Brandon Dixon – 1:10.958
3. Dane McMahon 1:11.272
4. Gabriel Cahan 1:11.307
5. Steve Jenks – 1:12.232
Race #1
Heading into the final deciding F2000 event for 2024, the overall Championship spots were still undecided. Dane McMahon had a challenging but doable 19-point deficient to season points leader Gabriel Cahan, while the 3rd Championship spot was Carter Sheet’s to lose with Bob Wright 23 points behind. Adding to the mix would be returning FRP & SCCA National F2000 Champion drivers Tim Minor and Brandon Dixon, among the field of twleve competitors.
Remaining perfect in the races that he has entered this season, Minor was able to climb to the top step of the podium, capitalizing on his pole position earlier in the day. Championship contender Dane McMahon made the title fight a lot closer with his second-place finish, beating the current point leader, Gabriel Cahan, who was mired down in the fifth position. Joining Minor and McMahon on the podium was Brandon Dixon, who was in the third position, with Steve Jenks finishing in fourth place, just shy of a podium result.
Race #2
With one win to his credit on the weekend, Timothy Minor made it two-for-two scoring the fastest race lap and dominating the nineteen-lap affair. Brandon Dixon was the closest competitor, beating the two battling for the championship in Dane McMahon and Gabriel Cahan. McMahon stood on the podium in third place closing his points gap to his season rival Gabriel Cahan finishing in fourth place. The top five were completed by Glenn Cordova in the #41 machine. At the end, Gabriel Cahan secured the Championship Title, maintaining just a five-point lead over Dane McMahon, with Carter Sheets beating out Robert Wright for the third spot inching out an 11-point lead. Five points represents just a few position differences in any race, demonstrating how close and competitive the F2000 class can be and has become. The F2000 class is attracting more and more young drivers, a trend expected to continue and grow in 2025.
Atlantic
Qualifying #1 – 016
1. Matthew Butson - 1:04.315
Qualifying #1 – Open
1. Bruce Hamilton 1:07.758
2. Paulie Gatto – 1:08.907
3. Steve Hamilton – 1:09.926
4. Charles Livingston – 1:10.197
5. Tim Pierce – 1:10.264
Race #1
Paulie Gatto had one of his strongest performances of the season as he managed to take the checkered flag in the Atlantic Open class after starting second. Coming from deep in the field, Jason Slahor was a man on a mission. Slahor rocketed his way forward and secured the second step on the podium in the fourteen-lap race, just ahead of Tim Pierce in third. The Hamilton’s finished fourth and fifth in class with Steve Hamilton getting the better of Bruce Hamilton. The Atlantic 016 class was a race of one by Matthew Butson. Having no one to compete with, he set a new racing track record of 1:04.452.
Race #2
Jason Slahor proved that Saturday’s speed was no fluke as on Sunday he clocked the fastest lap of the race en route to the race two victory, and his second podium result of the weekend. Saturday’s victor, Paulie Gatto crossed the line second in the eleven-lap affair with Tim Pierce rounding out the Atlantic Open class podium. Behind the podium trio was Charles Livingston in fourth place and Steve Hamilton in fifth place. Matthew Butson again won the race in the Atlantic 016 class.
The 2024 Formula Race Promotions Champions are:
F1600 – Sebastian Mateo Naranjo
F1600 Masters – Scott Rubenzer
F2000 – Gabriel Cahan
Atlantic Open: Nathan Byrd
Atlantic 016 - Matthew Butson
Wright continued, “And with that, our 2024 season ends. We hope that everyone has a great off-season, and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2025 for the 20th year of FRP competition. The 2025 schedule is being put together and will be announced in due time”
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