Championship Battles Take Shape at New Jersey Motorsports Park with One More FRP Event Left
It was the second to last event of the 2024 Formula Race Promotions (FRP) season as teams and competitors traveled to New Jersey Motorsports Park this past weekend. With only one event remaining, the championship picture has been painted as the focus shifts to Summit Point Motorsports Park.
“There were some dominating performances this weekend and some close racing,” explained Bob Wright. “With the track newly repaved, we set track records in all three series for Thunderbolt with the chicane configuration. In fact, we think David Grant set the ultimate track record for that configuration. Now, with only one event remaining, we are ready to crown our class champions in less than one month’s time. Congrats to all of our race winners in New Jersey. On to the next one!”
F1600 – Qualifying
1. Karsten Defonce – 1:24.781 (new track record/chicane)
2. Sebastian Mateo Naranjo – 1:25.076
3. Timothy Steele – 1:25.173
4. Jackson Tovo – 1:25.257
5. Joe Colasacco – 1:25.637
F1600 Masters – Qualifying
1. Joe Colasacco – 1:25.637
2. Steve Oseth – 1:27.086
3. John Dole – 1:27.667
4. Bob Reid – 1:27.831
5. Gary Gecelter – 1:28.149
Race #1
As the championship battles continued, the lead three of Sebastian Mateo Naranjo, Timothy Steele, and Karsten Defonce engaged in their customary hair-raising action with lead changes throughout the 16-lap race. Strategically hanging back in fourth was Ironrock Motorsports driver Cooper Shipman, staying out of the fray, waiting. A mistake by Karsten on the final lap would send a smiling Cooper to the podium in third, to join Mateo on the top step just ahead of Timothy Steele. Karsten Defonce crossed the line in fourth, followed by fifth and sixth place finishers Ethan & Jackson Tovo, who had their own race-long battle, only separated at the line by .043. In the F1600 Master class, Joe Colasacco climbed to the podium's top step as he secured his first win of the weekend, with Steve Oseth and Michal Scanlan joining him on the podium in second and third.
Race #2
Considered by many to be one of the best races of the season, Race #2 was one for the books. Multiple photo finishes throughout the field would be used to verify the live timing results. Finishing third yesterday, Timothy Steele was able to rocket his way to the front and score the second F1600 win of the weekend. Karsten Defonce was on the podium in the second position and scored the second-fastest lap of the race. Meanwhile, Mateo Naranjo was back on the podium in the third position but set a new track record of 1:24.347 (new track record/chicane). Cooper Shipman was just shy of the podium in the fourth position but ahead of a hard-charging Ethan Tovo in P5. K-Hill’s young driver Ava Hansen came in sixth in a dramatic photo finish with Jackson Tovo and newcomer John P. Dole, all three having had a great race between them. Joe Colasacco scored his second F1600 Masters win of the weekend as he was joined on the podium by Bob Reid and John Dole in second and third.
Race #3
Karsten Defonce capped off a great weekend of competition taking the win in race three by .174 over Sebastian Mateo Naranjo. Less than half a second in arrears of the front two was Timothy Steele who completed a strong Sunday with a first and a third. Cooper Shipman was the best of the rest in fourth, his second fourth-place result of the day. With the front four finishing just .706 from one another, it was a big gap to the fifth-place finisher of as John P. Dole moved up the ranks with his best result of the weekend. Joe Colasacco made it three-for-three on the weekend taking all three F1600 Masters victories as Steve Oseth and Michael Scanlan joined him on the podium.
Atlantic 016 Qualifying
1. Matthew Butson – 1:10.689 (new track record/chicane)
2. Keith Grant – 1:11.530
3. Richard Zober – 1:12.355
Atlantic Open Qualifying
1. Tyler O’Connor
Race #1
Coming from deeper in the field, David Grant was the victor in the Atlantic 016 class as he scored the fastest lap (new track record/chicane) of the race en route to the top step on the podium. Taking the win in the 14-lap affair, Grant was pushed by pole position winner Matthew Butson who came home in the second position as they were joined on the podium by Richard Zober in third. The Atlantic Open race win went to Tyler O’Connor.
Atlantic 016 Qualifying
1. David Grant – 1:10.819
2. Mathew Butson – 1:10.925
3. Keith Grant – 1:11.255
Atlantic Open Qualifying
1. Robert Albani 1:19.992
Race #2
In the weekend's second Atlantic race, Matthew Butson secured a race win as he finished 1.647 ahead of Keith Grant, as he advanced from his P3 starting position. Richard Zober also moved forward in race two to finish third and claim the final step on the podium. Earning the pole position, David Grant failed to start and was classified in the 13th position. The Atlantic Open race win went to Robert Albani.
F2000 Qualifying
1. Dane McMahon - 1:18.036 (new track record/chicane)
2. Gabriel Cahan - 1:18.669
3. Gabriel Jasper - 1:19.534
4. Joe Colasacco - 1:19.761
5. Jonathan Farmer – 1:20.162
Race #1
In a two-driver battle for the F2000 championship, Dane McMahon (new track record/chicane) got the edge on his rival Gabriel Cahan as the pair once again claimed the top two positions on the podium blocks. With McMahon claiming the checkered flag, the driver of the #266 machine has put the heat on the Cahan Racing Team entry as the championship will sure come down to the wire. Joe Colasacco, who won the F1600 Masters class, stood on the podium for the second time on the day, finishing third in F2000 as Carter Sheets and Jonathan Farmer rounded out the top-five.
F2000 Qualifying
1. Dane McMahon – 1:18.434
2. Gabriel Cahan – 1:18.567
3. Joe Colasacco – 1:19.001
4. Gabriel Jasper – 1:19.112
5. Jonathan Farmer – 1:19.618
Race #2
With two pole positions and one win already on the weekend, Dane McMahon made it a perfect event claiming the race two win. Behind him was championship protagonist Gabriel Cahan, proving his prowess with race starts and restarts taking the lead several times, who ended up just .652 behind for second place in some of the closest F2000 racing of the season. McMahon and Cahan finished three seconds ahead of the third-place podium finisher of Joe Colasacco, who added a pair of F2000 podium results to his three F1600 Masters wins.
The next stop will be the final Formula Race Promotions event of the season over the August 16-18 weekend at Summit Point Motorsports Park.
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