F2000 Championship Opens Sunday at Phoenix
23 March 1999
This weekend's opening event of the 1999 USAC/SCCA Formula 2000 National Championship at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway is the first of five oval-track races which will award points toward the USAC Oval Crown Championship.The 50-lap race on PIR's paved mile is slated for a 12 noon start Sunday after preliminaries on Friday and Saturday. Drivers will be shooting for David Besnard's 1-lap track qualifying mark of 128.571 mph when qualifying commences at 10:15 a.m. Saturday. Practice is scheduled Friday from 8-8:30 a.m. and Saturday from 8-8:25 a.m. A 15-minute warm-up on Sunday morning precedes the 50-mile race.
Canadian Marc Antoine Camirand, last year's "Rookie of the Year," is among top threats for victory Sunday. Camirand won three poles on his way to fifth in the 1998 standings but is still seeking his first series victory. He did not compete on the Phoenix oval in 1998.
Jonathan Bottoms and Ryan Hampton, who took third and fourth respectively in the 1998 Phoenix oval event, both won 1998 races and will challenge Camirand and others. Ian Lacy, USAC's 1997 Russell Triple Crown titlist and Andy Lally, USAC's 1997 Formula 2000 National and Oval Crown "Rookie of the Year," are also expected to compete, along with two drivers whose fathers' names are familiar to Indy car fans, Mark Dismore, Jr. and Larry Foyt. Bobby Oergel, who was last year's Oval Crown "Rookie of the Year," is also among candidates for victory Sunday.
Sunday's race is the first of 14 in the 1999 USAC/SCCA Formula 2000 National Championship Series.