One-Off Challenge Run-Down

 It was a great night for racing at Sebring International for the FRL's One-Off Challenge using the Group 5 GT cars of the past. 7 Drivers took to the grid in this warm-up event before the FEC's 24 Laps of Sebring on Sunday.

 There was trouble right from the start as Carter Merkling, still getting used to manual shifting, over-rev'd his powerful turbocharged Ford Capri and promptly began doing donuts on the Start line. This strung the field out a bit early on and set up some fun racing as drivers tried to reel each other in over a long stint. Carter would get things straightened out, but never really got a good rythm going and would finish P7, scattering tires all the way.

Merkling puts the power down, and promptly spins around as the green flag drops on the One-Off Challenge at Sebring.

 Rookie Andrew Capshaw came into the event stone cold, having not selected or raced any of the eligible vehicles beforehand. He would make a valiant effort in keeping his Ferrari BB/LM on the track, but over-rotated in several corners keeping him back in P6. Tony Tyree would have to check up early to avoid the pirouetting Capri of Carter Merkling. After getting passed by Andrew Steppat, he would spend the rest of the race riding around the track in P5, getting tires thrown at him by the Michelin Man.

 For the front four, this would prove to be a fairly eventful race. Andrew Steppat and Bryan Dean battled early in the opening laps. While Ethan led the race until an early bobble in Turn 3 put him behind Travis Billingsley's Ferrari. Travis showed some exceptional car control, eventually being caught by Andrew Steppat in his BMW M1. He would later graciously pull down to let the M1 by. Though in the later stages of the race, Andrew would bobble in Turn 15 and Travis was there to collect P1 again, until he found it necessary to pit. Late in the race, a pass by Ethan Maestri put him in P3 for the end of the event.

 Bryan Dean was an early factor in the race, but a spin on the rumble strip in Turn 15 (the same one Steppat had trouble with) would put him into the wall and out of contention for a top 3 finish. He would come home P4.

 Andrew Steppat chalks up his third straight event win for 2016. Ethan Maestri finishes P2 (his third straight) and Travis Billingsley is the class of the rookie field with a P3 podium finish in only his second FRL sanctioned event. The drivers set their sights on the FEC 24 Laps of Sebring now. Qualifying session begin tonight and run through Saturday night in order to set the grid for Sunday's event.