Formula Race Promotions Puts on a Show at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex
– It was a massive event weekend for the Formula Race Promotions (FRP) program this past weekend at the racy Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Hosting the Formula Vee 60th Birthday Celebration along with their own host of classes, racing was plentiful throughout the three-day weekend with close finishes being the story of the event.
“This was the largest event FRP has ever had, hosting more than 180 cars, with over 200 separate race entries. We had a lot of photos finishes, including a dead heat,” explained Bob Wright, Co-Owner of FRP. “The competition level is high, and we love to see the great wheel-to-wheel racing. Again, we provide more green flag laps than many different national series giving our competitors the best bang for their buck, but also the opportunity to learn and progress. With great racing in Pittsburgh, we are already looking forward to Road America in July.”
Register now for Road America – Click HERE
Qualifying
F1600
1. Porter Aiken – 1:47.707
2. Jack Sullivan – 1:47.872
3. Ayrton Houk – 1:47.979
4. Ely Navarro – 1:48.079
5. Hugh Esterson – 1:48.541
Race #1
Starting third for race one, it was multi-time 2023 race winner and Rice Race driver Ayrton Houk that rose to the occasion and was the first to cross the line in the first wheel-to-wheel action on the weekend. Battling hard over the fourteen-lap affair, Houk took top honors by a scan .218 over another 2023 race winner, Porter Aiken. While the front two were separated by just over two tens of a second when the checkered flag flew, it was the top four that could be covered by a blanket finishing .945 from one another. Jack Sullivan joined Houk and Aiken on the podium with a drive to third and held off the advances of Team Pelfrey combatant Sebastian Mateo Naranjo who had to settle for fourth. The front four drivers were in a league of their own as they managed to open a ten-second gap on Timothy Steele (racing a Jay Messenger rental car this weekend) who came home fifth. David Adorno dominated the F1600 Master proceedings to take home the victory while Ken Bouquillon held off Joe Coloasacco for second with Coloasacco crossing the stripe third ahead of Robert Albani and David Livingston Jr.
Race #2
Courtesy of his fastest lap in race one, Sebastian Mateo Naranjo led the field to green for race two with Porter Aiken to his outside. Behind him, Jack Sullivan and Ely Navarro occupied row two with Houk and Steele in row three. A victor in 2023 already, it was Aiken that moved from his inside row two starting position to win another classic F1600 drag race to the finish line taking the win by .066 over race one winner Ayrton Houk. Race two pole position winner Sebastian Mateo Naranjo was able to hold on to the third and final step of the podium as the top three were separated by less than three-tenths of a second. Behind the trio of podium winners, Ely Navarro was the best of the rest in fourth as Tim Steele rounded out the top five. Finishing sixth on track but leading the Masters category was David Adorno as Ken Bouquillon and Joe Coloasacco joined him on the podium in second and third.
Race #3
Sebastian Mateo Naranjo finally broke through in race three after being one of the fastest drivers throughout the event weekend. While quick in race three, he was not the fastest but played the high-speed game of chess well to score his first win of the weekend by a marginal .07. As the front five remained the same race after race, it was Aytrton Houk who pushed Naranjo to the end while Aiken was also pushing just as hard. In another classic F1600 finish, the top three finished within .102 of each other and celebrated on the podium. It was Timothy Steele who remained consistent throughout the weekend and crossed the line fourth, ahead of Ely Navarro in P5. Ken Bouquillon was sixth on track but led the Masters class as he beat Joe Colasacco to the checkered flag. Joining the duo on the podium was race two F1600 Master winner David Adorno as the ninth-place finisher of Jack Sullivan earned the fastest lap of the race honors.
Race #1 Qualifying
Atlantic 016
1. Jimmy Simpson – 1:30.840
2. Keith Grant – 1:30.910
3. David Grant – 1:31/930
4. Chip Romer – 1:32.103
5. Christopher Ash – No Time
Race #1 Qualifying
Atlantic Open
1. Bob Corliss – 1:37.977
2. Austin Hill – 1:39.764
Race #1
Showing his speed in previous events, K-Hill Motorsports Jimmy Simpson maintained his position at the front of the field after his pole position run in the morning to earn the Atlantic 016 victory over David Grant. Completing the twenty-one-lap affair nearly four seconds ahead of Grant, the Polestar Motor Racing driver was nearly two seconds ahead of Keith Grant in third. Racing out of the ONE Motorsports stable, Chip Romer missed the podium but solidified a P4 result with Christopher Ash failing to complete the full race distance in fifth. While Bob Corliss scored the pole position in the Atlantic Open class, it was Austin Hill that beat him to the checkered flag in race one to earn the victory despite Corliss scoring the fastest lap of the pair.
Race #2 Qualifying
Atlantic 016
1. Jimmy Simpson – 1:32.009
2. Chip Romer – 1:32.973
3. Keith Grant – 1:33.652
4. David Grant 1:34.545
5. Christopher Ash – 1:37.674
Race #2 Qualifying
Atlantic Open
1. Austin Hill – 1:40.930
2. Bob Corliss – No Time
Never giving up throughout the weekend, Keith Grand rose to the occasion in the second Atlantic 016 race of the weekend as he bested Jimmy Simpson by nearly fifteen seconds. While the top two had fast laps within one-tenth of each other, Grand remained consistent throughout the twenty-one-lap affair to open a gap and take the win. Behin Grand and Simpson, it was Chip Romer who secured the third and final step on the podium with Ash and David Grant rounding out the top five. Austin Hill was once again the winner in the Atlantic Open class.
Race #1 Qualifying
F2000
1. Nathan Byrd – 1:43.354
2. Dean Kirluk – 1:43.471
3. JT Novosielski – 1:43.707
4. Andrew Gamble – 1:45.481
5. Robert Wright – 1:45.550
Race #1
Flexing his muscles at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, F2000 pole position winner Nathan Byrd converted that inside front-row starting spot into a win in the first wheel-to-wheel action on the weekend. Winning by just over four seconds, Michael Varacins, who had a mechanical issue and failed to post a qualifying time, rocketed his way into the top five and onto the podium in second all while scoring the fastest lap of the race. The fourth-place qualifier of Andrew Gamble leveled up one spot to stand on the podium in third, ahead of Dean Kiriluk and JT Novosielski who rounded out the top five.
Race #2 Qualifying
F2000
1. Nathan Byrd – 1:43.605
2. Michael Varacins – 1:43.707
3. Dean Kiriluk – 1:44.207
4. Andrew Gamble – 1:46.182
5. Robert Wright – 1:46.195
Race two was all about when the rain was starting. The field came to the grid evenly split with dry and rain tires. In the end it was the rain tire that won out as the track went wet about 3 laps in. The top four were all on rains, while the rest suffered through with slicks on a very slick track. It was another double victory for Byrd as he swept the weekend with two pole positions and two main event victories. Pulling away from Michael Varacins in the eleven-lap time shortened race, Byrd scored the win by just over seven seconds. Varacins was able to hold on to the second position with Robert Wright driving from fifth to the third and final step on the podium. A new name appeared in the top five courtesy of Hartley MacDonald who beat Andrew Gamble for the fourth position with Gamble crossing the stripe in fifth on slicks.
It is a one-month break for FRP teams and competitors as their next stop will be in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at the famed Road America over the July 7 – 9 weekend. Registration is open HERE. Be sure to stay tuned to the Formula Race Promotions social media pages and website for additional information.
Please remember that all series news, information, results, photos, and PR will be communicated through our social media pages listed below. Please be sure to tag FRP in any posts to help us have the ability to promote you.
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For questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Bob Wright RobertW@RaceFRP.com or Clay Hutchison ClayH@RaceFRP.com. For media inquiries, please contact us via email at Media@RaceFRP.com.
