One-Off Challenges for 2017 Announced

 The tradition of Thursday night racing continues in 2017 with the announcement of the FRL One-Off Challenge races for the first half of 2017.

 The year kicks off in conjunction with the new year of auto racing with the 24 Laps of Daytona. Taking place on the Daytona International Night circuit. The cars used will be a nostalgic look back some 30 years to the Endurance Prototypes of the past.

 Additional details on this event will be forthcoming.

 Then on Feb. 9th, there will be an experimantal foray into the Project Cars racing engine with an open ended play night to see how the engine holds up under FRL conditions. We'll try everything from Karts to GT3 & GT4 up to Formula classes as well on a variety of available tracks never seen in Forza.

 Later in the month, "Gentlemen, start your engines" as the FRL rolls back into Daytona for 50 laps on the greatest speedway on Earth. The first running of the FRL's Daytona 125.

 We'll break for a time as another season of the FEC will begin around that same time. Then in May, on the 25th, we will have the 2nd running of the Indianapolis 200. Last year Travis Billingsley scored his first career FRL victory here. Will he be able to defend his title, will someone else score their first win here?

 Finally, as summer gets going and the auto racing world turns it's eye toward France, the FRL goes to Le Mans for a 1 hour race on this historic track. This round will feature the modern Prototypes of today. The Audi R18, Porsche 919 and Toyota Hybrid.

 There may well be other One-Off's announced as the year progresses. But these four main events are going to have one added feature to them. Each race will pay points to participants that will be tallied at the end of the year to name a One-Off Challenge Champion.

 So, get ready to buckle in for another fantastic year of racing in the FRL!

The Takeaway - Bugatti

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"?

Race of France - Review

Season Five of the FRL, the WTCC Championship series, rolls into Le Mans for the Race of France on the Bugatti Circuit. Under the lights of the track, 13 cars rolled off the line in Heat 1 in relatively quiet fashion. Polesitter Travis Billingsley held onto his P1 position early, but he was challenged hard by teammate Andrew Steppat throughout his lead. These two would run a fairly clean but heated battle at the front.

Meanwhile, Ethan Maestri had some early lap mistakes and fell back to P10, leaving teammate Bryan Dean to carry the R.Z.M. banner at the front of the field. Paul Maestri was holding in the Top 5 and even looked like he might be able to make a challenge to Bryan’s P3 position. However, a mid-race mistake in the front stretch sent him hard into the wall, wrecking his car and forcing him to finish the heat in P12.

Besides the intense battle at the front, Tony Tyree & Matthew Smith would spend a majority of both heats racing each other in some of the best back-n-forth action on the track all night. Ethan Maestri had to gingerly tip-toe around these two in order to make his way back into the Top 5, Tony would benefit from a wide line taken by Matthew and would follow the #85 R.Z.M. Audi to a P5 finish. Matthew would fall further back to a hard charging Drew Dilbeck and Owen Henderson to finish P8. While never really being able to get into a position to challenge his Millennium Motorsport teammate, Owen Henderson showed marked improvement in this event and shadowed Drew throughout. Tom Henderson would struggle through both heats, finishing both in P10. Carter Merkling and Allen Ruff would both make apperances in this heat, however, Allen would suffer lag problems early and would retire from the heat and would not return for Heat 2. Carter suffered through Heat 1, having little practice on the track, but still finished P11 ahead of Paul and Allen. His night would end early as he retired from the field during the parade lap for Heat 2.

Travis would fight hard for a win in this heat, but a slide into the Dunlop turns and subsequent run-in with the speed bumps ended his reign at the top. Andrew Steppat easily skirted his #001 BMW around the stricken Volvo and would finish the heat in P1.

Heat 2 would be an interesting ride for many

Heat 2 started with a bit more gusto than Heat 1. The reversed grid order did its usual job of making for interesting race start viewing. As the mad scramble for position ensued, Andrew Steppat did a masterful job of shooting the gap and assuming a Top 5 position before the Dunlop turns were even reached. Several challenges would be made against his advancement by several drivers, but ultimately he would make his way toward the front, eventually passing Bryan Dean and setting sail for a clean sweep of both heats.

Travis Billingsley would have a more adventurous time getting to the front. Using almost all 16 laps before closing on Bryan Dean in the closing lap and challenging his P2 spot. However, time and turns ran out for the Apex driver and Bryan scores his first P2 finish this season. Paul Maestri makes a great recovery after the disaster in Heat 1. He finishes P4 and gains a bonus point by setting the third fastest lap time of the night, keeping him in the hunt in the series points race. Ethan Maestri would struggle getting through traffic again and would have to settle for a P5 finish. Tony Tyree would take advantage of good car control again and finishes P6 in the heat. It would alo land him his biggest points performance, a P5 overall position on the night. Further back, results would be mixed for the newly named Millenium Motorsport crew, with Drew finishing a respectable P6 overall and Owen Henderson scoring his first points of the season, finishing P9 overall. Rookie Nicholas Hargrove would take the final point position bringing home P10.

APEX GARAGE CAUGHT CHEATING!

BREAKING NEWS FROM FRANCE...

Apex Dominates Race of France

Field report by Travis Billingsley

The Bugatti circuit at LeMans in France turned out to be the kind of race that most wish for each race weekend. Sure there were still a few bumps, rubs, and "mechanical issues" that would come into play for the final standings, but what a race night to be on the track.

I was very pleased with the Apex Racing results last night. It was great to get the top two podium positions in our garage, but just as nice is seeing teammate Tony Tyree have two nice, consistent heats to place him in the top 5. Kudos to the garage, the drivers, and everyone supporting us.

The races themselves were a fun drive also. Heat 1 started with Andrew pressuring me for about 4 laps or so before taking the lead for 1st and never looking back. I was able to hold a steady pace that would keep RZM driver Bryan Dean out of striking range and bring home a P2 finish.

Heat 2 was a little more interesting starting at the back line for green. I was able to jump a few positions on flag drop, but had to get into the grass a little on the start and that probably cost me a couple spots that could have been gained. Andrew was able to capitalize a couple more spots than I, so I spent the race trying to move up from about 6th spot after the holeshot dust cleared. About 4 or 5 laps in had me sitting in 4th trying to get the rhythm to catch and pass Paul Maestri and Bryan Dean. I was finally able to make a pass on Paul with about 5 or 6 laps to go. I started the chase for Bryan, but he too was laying some pretty quick lap times. With two to go, it looked like Dean was holding his position easily. But the start of the last lap showed a significant gain on him in the first couple of corners, with the distance between us narrowing throughout the lap. I caught up to Bryan with only about 4 corners left. Although I nosed in on him a little in one corner, the door wasn't open enough, and we had run too nice of a race to have it destroyed by a poor maneuver. I had to settle for pushing Bryan across the line and keeping my 3rd place spot for heat 2.

Race of France - Results

Heat 1 Results			Heat 2 Results
Driver:	Fastest Lap (Bonus):		Driver:	Fastest Lap (Bonus):		Team Points:
Andrew Steppat	1:41.982 (+3)		Andrew Steppat	1:42.047		Apex Racing	165
Travis Billingsley	1:43.042 (+2)		Bryan Dean	1:43.866		Razorback Motorsport	103
Bryan Dean	1:44.427		Travis Billingsley	1:43.333		Millenium Motorsports	35
Ethan Maestri	1:43.628		Paul Maestri	1:43.232 (+1)
Tony Tyree	1:46.515		Ethan Maestri	1:43.682
Drew Dilbeck	1:47.303		Tony Tyree	1:46.227		Privateer Points:
Owen Henderson	1:48.270		Drew Dilbeck	1:46.921		Paul Maestri	55
Matthew Smith	1:47.902		Matthew Smith	1:46.892		Daniel Fleischman	19
Nicholas Hargrove	1:49.315		Nicholas Hargrove	1:46.887		Nicholas Hargrove	15
Tom Henderson	1:48.443		Tom Henderson	1:48.128		Matthew Smith	8
Carter Merkling	1:52.790		Owen Henderson	1:46.887
Paul Maestri	1:44.241		Carter Merkling	DNF
Allen Ruff	DNF
* = lap infraction (dirty)						Rookie Points:
						Nicholas Hargrove	15
						Matthew Smith	8
						Tom Henderson	2
Points Totals:	* - Bonus		Series Points Overall:			Owen Henderson	2
Driver:	Points:		Driver:	Points:
Andrew Steppat	28*		Andrew Steppat	93		Heat Wins:
Travis Billingsley	20*		Travis Billingsley	72		Andrew Steppat	4
Bryan Dean	15		Ethan Maestri	56		Ethan Maestri	2
Ethan Maestri	12		Paul Maestri	55		Paul Maestri	1
Tony Tyree	10		Bryan Dean	37		Travis Billingsley	1
Drew Dilbeck	8		Drew Dilbeck	29
Paul Maestri	7*		Tony Tyree	26
Matthew Smith	4		Daniel Fleischman	19
Owen Henderson	2		Nicholas Hargrove	15
Nicholas Hargrove	1		Allen Ruff	10
Tom Henderson	0		Matthew Smith	8
Carter Merkling	0		Carter Merkling	4
Allen Ruff	0		Tom Henderson	2
			Owen Henderson	2

Qualifying - Race of France

 It was a record turn-out last night for the qualifying session ahead of the Race of France taking place this coming Sunday. Twelve drivers set out to determine the grid for the first of two heats that will be run on the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans.

 Andrew Steppat set a fast lap early in the 15 minute session, but would be eclipsed late by Travis Billingsley, ending Steppat's stranglehold on Pole Position for the season. But with less than a tenth between them, this promises to be an interesting shootout at the top of the order. 

 It certainly will not be a cakewalk further afield either. Ethan Maestri narrowly edges teammate Bryan Dean for the third starting spot. Paul Maestri starts on the third row, only two tenths behind the second row starters. Matthew Smith makes noticeable improvement and edges Apex Team member Tony Tyree, taking the 6th starting position. He also starts far ahead of rookie rival Nicholas Hargrove (12th position), setting up an interesting run in their points battle.

 In all, less than 5 seconds separate the top 8 qualifiers, which holds promise that Sunday nights event may be a barn-burner for action! The Race of France gets set for Sunday night at 9 PM.


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Travis Billiingsley	1:42.687
Andrew Steppat	1:42.755
Ethan Maestri	1:43.822
Bryan Dean	1:43.961
Paul Maestri	1:44.214
Matthew Smith	1:46.580
Tony Tyree	1:46.724
Allen Ruff	1:47.589
Drew Dilbeck	1:47.877
Tom Henderson	1:48.081
Owen Henderson	1:49.546
Nicholas Hargrove	1:54.275
* - Lap infraction (dirty)

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FRL "One-Off" Challenge: US Grand Prix

The FRL’s running of the US Grand Prix on Sunday night was the final “One-Off” Challenge of the year. How would our drivers do in the legendary cars of yesteryear’s racing elite?

Several drivers turned out for the event that was held on Circuit of the America’s. After a few practice sessions, eight cars took the green flag for a 15 minute qualifying session that saw Ethan Maestri in his #85 Lotus 77 take pole position. The field would line up single file for a parade lap to set the grid and the start of the FRL’s USGP. However, before the green flag could fly, there would be a last minute scramble to get everyone on the same radio frequency. This distraction led to a costly error for pole position. Once the technical error was sorted and the call went out for green flag racing, Ethan Maestri had forgotten to shift into his starting gear and stalled his car on the line. He was narrowly missed by Paul Maestri, who was lined up immediately behind him. Drew Dilbeck would try to swerve to the outside but would clip Ethan’s left rear tire, sending his stricken car spinning into the opposite lane. Nicholas Hargrove had nowhere to go and ran into the back of Ethan’s car, crippling both machines.

Further down the front straight, Drew worked to try and gain control and speed of his Ferrari 312, but ended up in the side of Tony Tyree’s Aperture Laboratories Lotus 77, sending both into the grass. Tony would escape relatively unscathed, but Drew, Nicholas & Ethan would have to limp around the 3.4 mile track to the pits for early repairs.

The unaffected four of Andrew Steppat, in the lone McLaren M23, Paul Maestri, Travis Billingsley and Carter Merkling would wheel around the carnage and set off for an early contest of position. Carter would settle in behind Andrew for a couple of laps while Travis and Paul sorted out P3. Travis would catch Carter in the third lap and pass for P2. A lap later and it was Paul’s turn to snatch the P3 spot from the young driver. Aside from a few minor errors and off’s, there was not much else in the way of incidents as the laps unfolded.

Andrew Steppat would lead the early laps in the race, giving up P1 for a brief time to Travis Billingsley’s #18 Lotus, but would gain it back as pit stops cycled through the field. Andrew would extend and then hold a comfortable lead for the rest of the race.

As cars cycled through pit stops, Ethan Maestri would begin moving from the back up to P4. From there he was able to catch up to Paul Maestri. A lap later would see Paul slide out on the track in the essess, giving up P3 to his brother. Drew Dilbeck would make a run on Paul as well, but would finish in P5 just behind Paul.

Andrew Steppat would win this event, his third “One-Off” victory of the year. Travis would score P2, and Ethan Maestri would salvage his effort in the event by taking the final podium position.

Results

Driver:                              Fastest Lap:                                                                                          

Andrew Steppat	2:02.756
Travis Billingsley	2:03.159
Ethan Maestri	2:02.047
Paul Maestri	2:04.481
Drew Dilbeck	2:03.542*
Carter Merkling	2:05.991
Tony Tyree	2:08.318
Nicholas Hargrove	2:13.005