The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

ATLANTIC, F2000: F2000 Domination Continues in Atlantics

28 April 1998

FAIRFIELD, N.J. -- For the second-straight race, U.S. F2000 National Championship graduates dominated a KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship race weekend, sweeping the front row in qualifying and the top five positions in Round Two at Nazareth Speedway, Saturday, April 25. Driving the No. 65 Lynx Racing Ralt RT-41, Buddy Rice captured his second-straight pole and led 59 laps of the 60-lap, 56.76-mile race. Rice, who finished fourth in the 1997 U.S. F2000 National Championship, led a quintet of F2000 drivers, including F2000s 1996 third-place driver Andrew Bordin (second), 1997 F2000 Runner-Up Matt Sielsky (third), 1995 F2000 Runner-Up Memo Gidley (fourth) and 1997 F2000 driver David Rutledge (fifth).

Rice, who drove for Lynx Racings junior team in 1997 (DSTP Motorsports), captured Lynxs fourth-straight race at Nazareth. Patrick Carpantier won the 1995 and 1996 races, and Alex Barron took last years event. Lynx has now won 18 out of the last 26 Atlantic races. Bordin, who qualified second, trailed Rice by 12.370 seconds to finish second for the second-straight race, but moved within one point of Gidley in the Drivers Championship with his No. 2 BDJS Ralt RT-41. Gidley (No. 19 Lynx Racing Ralt RT-41) holds a 33-32 point lead in the Championship after winning Round One at Long Beach and finishing fourth at Nazareth. Driving the No. 16 LCI/EFG Ralt RT-41, Sielsky came off a rough outing at Long Beach to grab his first Atlantic podium, reuniting with Rice, whom hed battled for the U.S. F2000 title last year. Rutledge (No. 78 Binder/TTF/Players/The Keg Ralt RT-41) came home fifth in his fifth Atlantic race -- his best finish to date. Rutledge scored a best F2000 finish of second in the penultimate race at Watkins Glen last year.

Other F2000 graduates in competition included David Pook, seventh; John Rutherford, 13th; Andrea De Lorenzi, 15th; and Alexandre Tagliani, 20th.

U.S. F2000 drivers now occupy six of the top-seven positions in the Drivers Championship. They have two poles (Rice, 2), two fastest race-laps (Bordin, 1; Rice, 1) and have led 97 out of a possible 98 laps (Rice, 65; Gidley, 32). The series next round is at Gateway, May 22.