F2000: Rickert Wins Accident Shortened AMS F2000 Race, Series Moves to Atlanta Road Course This Weekend
20 July 1999
Steve Rikert of Rhinebeck, N.Y. led all 18 laps of Saturday's accident-shortened US F2000 National Championship Presented by Speedvision feature race at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. His victory in his Richard Morgan Racing Van Diemen Ford was the first of his F2000 career.The race was originally scheduled for 34 laps around the 1.54-mile course but a multi-car accident on the front straight resulted in a cessation of the contest after 18 laps with Rikert leading.
There were no serious injuries in the accident, although Larry Oberto of Seattle, Wash. and Arnold Brinkmann of Ecuador were hospitalized, Oberto with a broken wrist. Larry Foyt, son of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, flipped during the incident.
Rikert's victory boosted him into second place in the series standings behind leader Dan Wheldon, who was second in the Atlanta race. The series moves this weekend to the Road Atlanta Motor Sports Center in Braselton, Ga. where 20-lap feature races are planned on both Saturday and Sunday.
Rikert trails Canadian driver Wheldon by only 32 points, with Marc-Antoine Camirand third, only two points behind Rikert. Camirand was the first driver to retire from the AMS race with mechanical problems after just 13 laps.
Mexican Rolando Quintanilla earned his first career podium finish with a third, ahead of T.J. Bell and Mark Dismore, Jr.
Larry Vatri of Canal Winchester, Ohio finished ninth to win the "B" Class and he turned in the race's fastest lap, the fastest in series history, at 151.533 mph.
USAC/SCCA FORMULA 2000 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1. Dan Wheldon 170 6. Mark Dismore, Jr. 84 2. Steve Rikert 138 7. Jonathan Bottoms 82 3. Marc-Antoine Camirand 136 8. Aaron Justus 81 4. Bobby Oergel 130 9. Daniel Muniz 68 5. T.J. Bell 89 10. Rolando Quintanilla 66
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