Championship to Valet, Race Win to Gooden

16 October 2011

Watkins Glen, NY – Wyatt Gooden remained perfect in F1600 competition, taking his fourth win of 2011 in just four starts, and his second win of the day at Watkins Glen for Quantum Racing Services in a Van Diemen/Honda. The bigger story however, was the inaugural Championship, which went to Bill Valet, who finished third in a nail-biting slip-streaming battle among a number of cars, including closest points rival Tim Kautz, who had to settle for sixth place in the season finale.

“That race … I can’t believe it,” said Valet, driving a Swift/Ford. “It’s the closest to on the edge I’ve ever been. We were going all out, wheels on the grass, wheels interlocked, it was Formula F racing the way it should be. I had to drive way aggressively and keep as many cars as I could behind me.”

Wyatt Gooden commented: “That was another good one. I have the track down 100 percent now and really tried to push myself. Chris (Keller) pressured me on the start but after the restart I pulled a gap and the pressure was off.”

An early race full course caution flew for Chris Keller, who got turned around in the bus-stop chicane and needed to be retrieved. Keller started second.

Ryan Leach finished second for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing in the Spectrum/Honda for the third straight race. Jim Goughary came home fourth, with Jeremy Grenier close behind ahead of Kautz, Art Foster, Colin Thompson, Forrest Hull and Steve Oseth.

In the final standings, Valet and Kautz are one and two, followed by Jim Goughary, Art Foster, Colin Thompson, Wyatt Gooden, Caitlin Johnston, Forrest Hull, John Robinson and Steve Oseth.

Kautz, driving the No. 88 Piper/Ford, added: "You can't win them all, that's the way it goes. I did not have the power to run up front, we didn't have the motor to play this weekend."

The race for the SOS Children’s Villages Cup went to Valet, who amassed the most points over four races at Watkins Glen.

The season-long CellMark Paper Hard Charger Award was clinched by Ed Callo, who improved 30 places throughout the season.

Colin Thompson won the end-of-season Alegra Motorsports F2000 Championship Series test award, which goes to the highest placing driver in the final standings under the age of 21. Thompson’s best finish of the year came at Lime Rock Park, where he notched his first career podium in the No. 5 Swift/Honda.

The inaugural season of F1600 competition saw four different race winners, engine equality with both Honda and Ford powerplants, and 50 different drivers scoring Championship points over the 10 race tour.

Race Results: