Andrew Steppat was crowned the TCR Cup series champion before stepping onto the track at Sonoma for the series' final two heats. That did not stop the multi-time champion from attacking the track. This left the remaining 6 car field to settle who was second, here, on the night.
There were the usual off's and tangles that we usually see, particularly in an event that was moved forward and leaving little or no prep time for some. However, in the end, Travis Billingsley led the "best of the rest" charge and put a solid stamp on his claim to second overall in the series. Paul Maestri, despite an incident with his rival Seth Jensen, had another great showing and posted his second P3 podium finish in as many races. Ethan Maestri, still reeling from Rio, was an easy target for the top runners, and despite leading several laps in the second heat, showed his age and lack of preparation.
Seth quietly posted yet another Top 5 finish which tightened the points gap that plagued him earlier in the series. Ghabe Stouffer suffered lag issues yet again and dropped outside the Top 5 in points on the night. He yielded that spot to Tony Tyree, who despite having a poor driving night, continues his Top 5 championship streak.
For the rest of this seasons participants, several names stand out as having scored a fair amount of points, but their continued presence at the track is missed and so are their finishing goals. We'll look for you all next season. For now, the FRL heads into May and looks forward to the Indy 200 on May 30th.
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