NA-F2000: Series Road America race two notes

F2000: Scarallo Wins Epic Race at Road America

Elkhart Lake, WI -- Jonathan Scarallo survived an epic drafting battle between four cars and then took the lead with two laps to go and gapped Daniel Erickson to take his first career F2000 victory in style for R-Sport at Road America. Erickson came home second for Primus Racing/Quantum Mechanics with Keith McCrone, Scarallo's R-Sport teammate, finishing third and taking the Masters Class win.

"I didn't get the best start and Erickson was able to get around me along with (Cole) Morgan," said Scarallo, who survived a post-race protest that he had passed Erickson under a standing yellow. Video evidence showed he had made the pass well before the yellow flag.

"By the end of lap two I knew I had a fast car that could win so I wanted to be smart about it. We were battling for the lead and then Morgan disappeared so it was just Erickson and me.

"He was driving very defensively so I just threw the car to the inside and then put down two flying laps," continued Scarallo, an aspiring young American driver.

Scarallo also notched bonus points for fast lap of the race and pole. His R-Sport crew burned the midnight oil rebuilding his gearbox that broke while he was running second in yesterday's 12-lap race.

Erickson settled for his second-straight second place effort of the weekend, having lost out to Victor Carbone yesterday.

"I managed to hold second on the start and then got around Scarallo," Erickson stated. "The car developed some handling issues but the racing going on at the front of the pack was just brilliant. Everyone was clean and it was some great dicing."

Keith McCrone made it another podium for R-Sport by coming home in third.

"Hats off to the R-Sport effort," commented McCrone. "They do whatever it takes, they were here all night and the car was just great."

As the race unfolded, Erickson, Scarallo and Morgan were able to separate themselves from the pack and a highly entertaining three-way battle for the lead developed that saw constant jockeying back and forth for position, including a three wide moment down the back straight. The three aspiring drivers were able to use the slipstream to trade positions multiple times each lap.

Chris Livengood eventually caught the battle for the lead and made it even more thrilling, giving Morgan a run into turn five. The two cars made contact with Livengood unable to continue. Morgan rebounded for a fourth place effort.

"Livengood had the inside and I thought I gave him room," said Morgan, driving the #1 for K-Hill Motorsports. "Not quite sure what happened but otherwise the car was ok and the race was just awesome. Everyone ran cleanly and there was some good battling going on for the lead."

Livengood, driving a bone-stock 1999 Van Diemen for Work Racing, shared his side of the story: "I drove the race of my life and it got ruined. I'm not sure if it's one of those racing incidents or what but we were side by side in turn five and touched, and that was the end of my race."

Morgan survives to take the championship fight to Victor Carbone at Mid-Ohio. Carbone's championship lead is now 85 points, with 110 points up for grabs at the season finale doubleheader.

Fabio Orsolon followed Morgan in fifth and then it was Phil Lombardi in sixth and championship points leader Victor Carbone in seventh.

"It was a tough race," Carbone commented. "At the start Fabio (Orsolon) had an issue with a misfiring motor and I was behind him, it was like the entire inside line went by us. I managed to work my way up since the Alegra car was fast. Near the end of the race I had contact with one of the JDC cars and that tweaked the suspension a bit so I was just hanging on for the points."

JDC teammates Gerald Kraut and Mikhail Goikhberg followed in eighth and ninth, with Goikhberg running as high as fourth early in the all-green-flag race. Stevan McAleer rounded out the top ten for the Race House after finishing third yesterday.

Brian Belardi grabbed the CellMark Paper Hard Charger honors for Liberty Motorsports by starting dead last en route to a 13th place finish, improving 10 positions.

The 2010 season continues with the final doubleheader event of the year at Mid-Ohio, September 3-5.

-source: f2000 championship