It was a good night for some, not so great for others. The championship begins to reveal itself a bit more, however, improved performance from some drivers keeps things interesting moving forward. So what do we take away from the Race of France? Let’s take a look.
Andrew Steppat secures his lead in the points by picking up back-to-back heat wins and Apex Racing dominated the Top 5 on the night. Their hold on the lead in Team points looks to be a near lock-out where the other teams are concerned. However, the Nurburgring now looms ominously on the horizon. Double points and a shakeup in the race format means question marks for the outcome of this event. It would not be a dangerous bet to put all your money on Steppat claiming his second straight ‘Lord of the Ring’ title, but things aren’t exactly ‘stable’ under the hood of that BMW and a lag-out is always a possibility. What would such an outcome do to the points standings?
It is quite likely that another Apex Racing driver might fill that void. Travis Billingsley has a Rival lap time that could put him at the front of the field. Paul Maestri has proven himself on the ring in the past as well. Any one of the Top 10 drivers in the points could put themselves in a position to make up a lot of ground here...but that’s looking ahead.
In the here and now, Tony Tyree and Matthew Smith are the two drivers to talk about from the Race of France. Their performances on the Bugatti Circuit were outstanding. Tony exhibited great car control and seems to have settled into the feel of his #47 BMW. Matthew has taken his #12 Mercedes from being an obstruction to avoid at Bathurst to being a legitimate contending driver anywhere in the Top 10. Tony scores a Top 5 on the night and gains a little ground on Drew Dilbeck in the points race. Matthew gains solid ground on Nicholas Hargrove in the Rookie points battle, closing to within 7 points. These two now add to a growing list of threats to take seriously from the top down.
Not to be overlooked is Owen Henderson, he finishes inside the Top 10 for the first time this season and picks up 2 points from a P9 overall finish. This brings him up to tie his brother Tom in the Rookie points. Finally, we look at Bryan Dean. He missed the second round at Yas Marina and looked to be by himself holding down the fifth position in points. But two outstanding heats by this driver secured a P3 podium spot and a much needed 15 point payout. This helps him close the gap on the Maestri brothers, both of whom sit just under 20 points ahead of him.
It is a monster race coming up next. Whether the racing is close or not, either way, the results of the Race of Germany will change the complexion of the series.
Next up: Nordschleife. Who will be the "Lord of the Ring"?
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