F2000: 2010 Masters Class Battle Heating Up

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                                                           April 5 2010

 =2010 MASTERS CLASS BATTLE HEATING UP=
 Tom Fatur returns to defend his 2009 Masters Class title. (click for
 high-res)
 New York, NY – While the F2000 Championship Series has become a home for
 aspiring drivers looking towards the top tiers of open wheel racing, it has
 also become one of the most competitive playing fields in the country for
 veteran drivers. For 2010, Masters Class drivers have flocked to the series
 to race against one another and some of the best up-and-coming talent in a
 field of more than 30 open-wheel cars representing multiple chassis and
 engine combinations.

 Tom  Fatur,  driving  the  Martel Electronics Van Diemen/Zetec for GTP
 Motorsports returns to VIR on the heels of his 2009 Masters Class title.
 Fatur’s #70 underwent a complete rebuild over the winter and has the latest
 Radon aero update kit.

 “The focus this year will be on doing well. Last year we had a shot at top
 three overall finishes at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen, but several mistakes
 prevented me from achieving those,�?? said Fatur.

 Fatur  admitted  he is the not the favorite for the 2010 Masters Class
 Championship: “Clearly the favorite this year has to be Tim Minor. He always
 runs strong, has a well developed car, and with Eric (Langbein) he has a
 great engineering. That combination will be hard to beat. I’m also expecting
 a  strong  showing  from  Keith McCrone and Peter Gonzalez. Beyond the
 competitors I mentioned there are always guys like Mark Defer and Dave
 Weitzenhof who are a threat for a class win when they show up at select
 races.�??

               Tim Minor should be strong in 2010. (click for high-res)

 Tim Minor, the 2008 Masters Class Champion, is back for a year-long campaign
 with Ski Motorsports in 2010 after taking a dominating overall victory at
 Summit Point last season.

 Minor  commented:  “The  overall  goal this year is to win the Masters
 Championship, but I’m not counting out the overall championship either. We
 ran three races last year and were consistently in the top five everywhere
 we went. There will be some tough competition this year too.�??

 As far as the Series’ 14-race seven weekend schedule, Minor said that he was
 “really looking forward to going back to Mosport, it’s like Watkins Glen on
 steroids.�??

 Add Phil Lombardi to the list of Masters Class drivers who are playing for
 both the Masters Class Championship and the 2010 F2000 Championship Series
 title. Lombardi returns for a full-season ride after a victory at Watkins
 Glen in 2009.
 Lombardi won at Watkins Glen in 2009 and is going for the overall 2010
 title.. (click for high-res)

 “The plan is to win the championship,�?? said Lombardi, who drives the #3 Van
 Diemen under the GTP Motorsports awning. “I’m fully prepared mentally and
 physically. It’s hard to say who the competition is going to be. There are
 quite a few strong drivers and any one of them can win. It’s definitely
 going to be a super competitive year. I think the guy that is best prepared
 and has the best luck will probably be hard to beat.�??

 Meanwhile, Keith McCrone, driving a full season for R-Sport after a partial
 campaign  in  2009, is seen as a threat by the paddock for the Masters
 Championship as well.

 Rob Nicholas, in the #89 K-FAST Van Diemen, showed speed at the final two
 races in 2009 and said that his goal was “the same as every year; to win a
 race. The series is so competitive that just to win one single race would
 make the year.�??

 Nicholas joined some of his fellow F2000 competitors, adding that: “I think
 with Tim Minor’s strong showing last year, he will be the one to keep an eye
 on.�??

 Another veteran who could become a huge spoiler is seven-time SCCA National
 Champion Dave Weitzenhof, who will drive the #67 Citation/Zetec.

 Paul Farmer will fly the Mygale flag, as he brings the only Mygale chassis
 to the grid for GTP.

 A late addition to the VIR grid will be series socialite Charles Finelli in
 the #83, alongside Len Amato in the #33. Both entries are Van Diemen/Zetecs.

 Peter  Gonzalez  will  start  the  year at VIR in a Van Diemen for GTP
 Motorsports, but he is expected to switch to the new Radon chassis for Road
 Atlanta. Joining him for the Radon switch will be series veteran Robert
 Wright, who returns to ADSA/Wright Racing alongside fellow Masters Class
 competitor Al Guibord, Sr.

 Ironman Crag Clawson will contest his fifth F2000 season, making him and
 Wright the only two drivers to start every F2000 Championship Series event
 to date.

 There are more: Mark Defer returns with St. Clair Motorsports and will mix
 in for Masters Class victories, and Jeff McCusker is back with Company
 Motorsports.

 Brent Gilkes is on the entry list for Lap 2 Racing as well. Gilkes will trek
 from his home in Barbados to VIR for the opening rounds of the 2010 season.

 “The 2010 season looks awesome,�?? commented Gilkes. “I just the saw the entry
 list and it is a great balance of experienced drivers, some young lads who
 had their rookie year in 2009 and some new guys who appear to already have
 good racing resumes. It is the large grid size and the separate Masters
 Class Championship that inspires me to come back each year.�??

 The 14-race, seven-weekend 2010 F2000 Championship Series gets going on
 April 9 at VIR, followed by Road Atlanta in May and Mosport in June. Then
 it’s Watkins Glen with IndyCar, and Lime Rock with ALMS in July, before Road
 America in August, and the season finale at Mid-Ohio over Labor Day. The
 F2000  Series  posted  the highest average car count on the open wheel
 development landscape in 2008 and 2009 with an average of 30 entries per
 race.

 --ENDS--
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