The BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National drivers braved the heat andhumidity this past weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park for Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2010championship. MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver Spencer Pigot got the weekendoff to a strong start, sweeping both California Scents Pole Positions. Fellow MAZDASPEEDMotorsports Development driver Felix Serralles, after qualifying in fifth for Race One, earnedhis first career Skip Barber National victory and Ashley Freiberg, after qualifying in sixth forRace Two, also took home her first National win. Dennis Trebing set a new track record onSunday with a 1:31.272. Drafting played a huge role this weekend, stepping up the strategy andbringing the competition to a higher level.
Serralles and Freiberg also earned $500 for their winning drives through the field from theCalifornia Scents Most Progressive Award. Spencer Pigot won accumulated the most points overthe weekend and picked up a $500 bonus from Parathyroid.com, with Freiberg and Serrallestying for second, each winning $250.
Round 9Spencer Pigot started in the California Scents pole position with Ashley Freiberg and DennisTrebing close behind. Turn one proved to be a constant passing zone for the weekend. In thefirst lap, Pigot, Freiberg and Trebing went three-wide in turn one, resulting in Trebing gaining aposition over Freiberg. Pigot quickly gained a two car lead, but the rest of the drivers used eachother to catch up to the leader. He dropped to fifth and Trebing took the lead with Isaac Lyonsand Freiberg close behind. Lyons got a draft, made the pop and took the lead back for laps twoand three. Flu-stricken Trent Hindman got around Nick Andries and worked his way up twopositions to sixth by lap four.
Lyons quickly gained a gap on the rest of the field, but shortly lost it to the draft. Trebing andFelix Serralles caught up with the leader in turn one, and once again, those in the stands saw athree-wide battle. Serralles fought hard and grabbed the lead with Freiberg and Trebing in tow.The leaders, along with Pigot, Lyons, Hindman and Andries separated themselves from BrandonNewey, Mukul Sud and Scott Anderson. Pigot took his time, patiently trying to hang back fromthe leaders to get a good draft. Serralles tried hard to break away and extend his lead, butFreiberg refused to give up.
In lap six, the pack had caught up with the leader and went four-wide into turn one. Trebingcame out of the corner on top, but Pigot and Ashley passed him later on in the lap. It was only amatter of a turn or two until Pigot had a two-car lead, but as always, turn one turned the tablesyet again and Freiberg led heading into turn two with Pigot and Lyons close behind. Less thanthirty seconds later, Isaac and Pigot passed Freiberg, and Trebing was close behind in fourth.With seven minutes to go, Ashley maintained control, leaving small gaps and getting runs. She,Lyons, Spencer and Felix continued expand the gap from the rest of the pack, and by lap thirteen,Pigot regained the lead while the field shuffled for position behind him. Serralles used theshuffling to his advantage and climbed his way up from forth.
Lyons led into the final lap with Freiberg and Spencer vigorously battling for the top position aswell. The checker flew over an almost photo finish. The top two positions belonged toMAZDASPEED Motorsports Developments drivers Felix Serralles and Spencer Pigot. This wasthe first National win for Serralles, won by only 0.004 seconds.
“It was amazing,” said a beaming Serralles on the podium, “the draft was great and I finally gotSpencer at the line.”
Ashley Freiberg came in third, stating in a post race interview that the clean race was “such ablast.” She praised her fellow drivers, stating “all were winners” with the high level ofcompetition and the clean nature of the race.
Spencer Pigot not only complemented his fellow drivers for their skills on the track but theNational series as well for providing such great competition.Lyons finished in fourth with Trebing finishing out the top five, followed by Nick Andries, TrentHindman, Brandon Newey, Scott Anderson and Mukul Sud.
Round 8For the second time of the weekend, point leader Pigot started in front, with second in pointsIsaac Lyons starting second and the previous day’s race winner Felix Serralles in third. Pigot ledthe pack into turn one, almost immediately gaining a two car lengths over Lyons. In the first lap,Nick Andries attempted to make a move on the outside of Dennis Trebing, but in the end heldback. Lyons made a pass for the lead, pushing Pigot to third and Felix climbed up into second.In lap two, Trent Hindman made a pass on Freiberg and she politely conceded. Serralles, Lyonsand Andries attempted to separate themselves from the pack, while Trebing and Pigot battledboth for fourth position and to stay with the leaders. In lap five, Nick Andries assumed the leadand gained a four-car lead with Lyons and Pigot in tow. Lyons mistakenly gave too much roomin one of the final corners of the track, but quickly made up for it in turn one. The lead packbecame seven strong, with each position being threatened.
Halfway into the race, Brandon Newey set down some of the fastest laps so far in the sessionback in ninth position. In lap seven, Ashley gained two spots in turn one, making her way up tofourth. Ahead of her, Lyons led the pack, followed by Pigot and Andries. The young men wentthree-wide into turn one while Ashley bided her time, letting them battle it out, waiting to makeher move.
Andries assumed the lead, followed by Pigot, Freiberg and Lyons. Lyons made a move up theinside of Freiberg and the pass was successful as the top seven competitors were nose-to-tail. Bythe time they came around to the front straight in lap ten, Pigot grabbed the lead. Andries madea pop, but ultimately Lyons would grab the lead. Meanwhile, Trebing and Hindman fought forsixth position.
With three laps to go, Lyons led with a good exit out of turn one with Freiberg fighting withSerralles for second. Pigot made a pass on Andries and Freiberg, putting him in second. Thefollowing battle between Pigot and Andries for second and Andries and Freiberg for thirdallowed Lyons to gain a small lead. On the final lap, Lyons and Andries had controversialcontact in turn one and both were physically able to continue, but Lyons was later penalized forblocking. Trebing took advantage of the situation and assumed the lead, but before the checkerflew, he and Pigot had contact as well in the final lap, and both continued.
Lyons was the first to cross the line, followed by Freiberg, Pigot and Serralles. Following a postracevideo review, Lyons was assessed a 25-second penalty for blocking, dropping him in theofficial results to ninth. The penalty promoted Ashley Freiberg to the top step of the podium asshe claimed her first Skip Barber National win. Spencer Pigot solidified his point lead with asecond place finish while Felix Serralles finished third; his second podium of the weekend.
OFFICIAL RESULTS BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda
July 17, 2010, Round 9 of 14, New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt Raceway, 11turn, 2.170 mile road course(Starting position in parentheses)1. (3)Felix Serralles, Haines City, Fla., 15 Laps, 84.108 average mph2. (1)Spencer Pigot, Windermere, Fla., 153. (6)Ashley Freiberg, Homer Glen, Ill., 154. (2)Isaac Lyons, Northern Ireland, 155. (5)Dennis Trebing, Cape Coral, Fla., 156. (4)Nick Andries, Pinellas Park, Fla., 157. (7)Trent Hindman, Wayside, NY, 158. (8)Brandon Newey, Indianapolis, Ind., 159. (9)Scott Anderson, Fort Collins, Colo., 1510. (10)Mukul Sud, India, 15
Race length: 15 laps of 2.170-mile road courseTime of race: 23 minutesConditions: Dry, sunny, hot and humidMargin of victory: 0.004 sec.Lap leaders: Dennis Trebing 1; Isaac Lyons 2-3; Trebing 4; Felix Serralles 5-6; Ashley Freiberg7; Spencer Pigot 8; Trebing 9; Lyons 10; Pigot 11; Lyons 12; Pigot 13; Freiberg 14; Serralles 15
