Anderson wins at Lime Rock, clinches Skip Barber National Championship

Fort Collins, Colo. – Scott Anderson, Skip Barber National Champion. Skip Barber National Champion Scott Anderson. MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver Scott Anderson. USF2000 driver Scott Anderson. Take your pick; Anderson will respond to any of them. After working through some car issues earlier in the week, the Fort Collins, Colo. driver closed out the 2011 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda at Lime Rock Park in winning fashion, clinching the championship on Friday and driving from fourth place to win the final round of the season on Saturday before collecting a $200,000 scholarship from Mazda to race in USF2000 in 2012.

Round 15
Coming into the weekend, Anderson had the advantage of a sizeable points lead but his closest contender in the championship, JJRD teammate Trent Hindman, had the momentum. While Anderson completed his second winless race weekend in a row last month at Autobahn Country Club, Hindman had his strongest weekend of the season with a pole, a win and a second place finish before heading to Mosport and clinching the Ontario Formula Ford Championship. The momentum continued to go Hindman’s way Friday afternoon as Hindman picked up his sixth pole of the season with a 58.208 sec. lap in single car qualifying while Anderson struggled on newer treaded BFGoodrich tires and qualified fourth.

“My car felt good, but the tires were newer than those on some of the other cars so they had more tread”, said Anderson after the session. “If the car is driven by others and the tires can get scrubbed in more I should be okay.”

Momentum began to swing Anderson’s way early Saturday morning during Qualifying for Round 16. Going into the Uphill on his sixth lap, Hindman put his car into the wall, damaging its front suspension and taking it out of the fleet for the weekend. While an earlier lap put him third on the grid ahead of Anderson, Hindman would start the race in an unfamiliar and untested car.

From the start Anderson drove a relatively uneventful race, while all around chaos reigned. Needing to win both races, Hindman led briefly before slowly fading through the field. On Lap 6, while Sebastian Ordonez and Danilo Estrella battled for the lead and while 2005 National Champion (and USF2000 driver coach) Gerardo Bonilla was working his way to the front, Anderson quietly passed Hindman for third. With three laps to go, the engine in Hindman’s car expired, and as he rolled to a stop in Big Bend, Anderson’s championship was confirmed. Bonilla took the overall win, the first by a Skip Barber Cup driver, while Danilo Estrella scored his first Skip Barber National win, followed by Sebastian Ordonez while Anderson clinched with a third place finish. Anderson was clearly relieved to have the championship settled.

“I had to change cars midway through qualifying earlier in the day. During the race I tried pushing too soon in a car I wasn’t familiar with and made a mistake that allowed the top three to pull away from me a bit. I knew something was wrong with Trent’s car almost from the beginning. It just wasn’t as quick as the car he had earlier in the day.”

“Gerardo on the other hand was flying. His quickest lap was a full second quicker than anyone else’s. Not bad for an old guy.”

Round 16
By the time the green flag dropped to start Round 16, the championship battle was over, which turned Saturday morning’s race into an issue of pride for Anderson, as he looked for his first win since sweeping at Road Atlanta in July. Anderson got a jump at the start, taking the lead before the end of Lap 1 and building a gap between himself and the second place battle between Hindman and Ordonez, while Round 15 winner Gerardo Bonilla made another run from shotgun on the field to challenge for the lead.

As the laps counted down, Hindman, Ordonez and Bonilla chased down Anderson, setting up a four-car lead pack to vie for the win. Ordonez took the lead briefly before being overtaken by Anderson, while Bonilla, consistently posting the quickest times of the race, got around Hindman before threading the needle between Ordonez and Anderson to take second with a handful of laps to go.

On the next to last lap, Bonilla went for it. Running down to the front straight to Big Bend, Anderson went defensive, leaving the outside line for the Skip Barber Cup driver. Bonilla took the bait but braked for the corner a split second too late, sending him wide and off the track. He lost two positions, reentering the track behind Hindman in fourth.

From there Anderson cruised to the victory, followed by Hindman, who got around Ordonez on the last lap, with Bonilla in fourth.

Scott Anderson finishes the season with six wins, 12 podiums, four poles… and a check for $200,000 from Mazda and Skip Barber Racing School to fund a ride in next year’s Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. Anderson also joins an elite group of drivers as Skip Barber National Champion, including IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti and Raphael Matos, Firestone Indy Lights driver Conor Daly and Star Mazda Championship driver Connor DePhillippi, to name a few.

“I can’t thank Phil Lombardi, Jonatan Jorge and the people at Skip Barber Racing School enough for an incredible season. And I wouldn’t be here without the support of my parents, who believed in me and quite literally made all of this possible. Finally, thanks to Mazda North American Operations and MAZDASPEED for supporting junior level drivers such as myself. I’m looking forward to working with them in 2012 and beyond.”

MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver Scott Anderson will be announcing his 2012 plans in the coming weeks.

Top 5 – 2011 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda, after Round 16 of 16
1. Scott Anderson, 456 points
2. Trent Hindman, -22
3. Brandon Newey, -31
4. Sebastian Ordonez, -56
5. Shelby Blackstock, -84

Skip Barber National: Hindman earns Rookie of the Year honors By: Jim Altemus

Wayside, N.J. – A week after claiming the Ontario Formula Ford Championship, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver Trent Hindman travelled to northwest Connecticut and Lime Rock Park to try and wrest the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda championship from points leader Scott Anderson. While he earned Rookie of the Year honors, a second championship in as many weeks was not in the cards for the Wayside, N.J. driver.

Coming into Lime Rock Park Hindman’s task was simple; win both poles and both races, scoring maximum points while hoping that point leader Scott Anderson had at least one bad race. Hindman got the weekend off to a quick start. Being the only car in the 57 second bracket in Thursday morning’s Practice session, Hindman went out second in the afternoon’s single-car Qualifying session and set the quick time with a 58.208 sec. lap. Five cars later the closest anyone got was Sebastian Ordonez with a 58.579 and Hindman had his series leading sixth California Scents Pole Award and almost as important, the bonus point.

Due to the schedule idiosyncrasies of a Skip Barber Race Weekend, National drivers held their second qualifying session on Friday morning prior to completing their first race. Claiming changing conditions for the early morning qualifying session, Skip Barber officials opted for a 30-minute group qualifying session in lieu of the preferred single car format. Quick early, Hindman set the bar with a 58.247 sec. on his 15th lap. Five laps later, Hindman’s weekend took a left turn… literally. Heading into the Uphill on his 20th lap, Hindman attempted to carry too much speed, exiting the track and impacting the tire wall on the outside of the corner. Hindman immediately climbed out of his damaged car, climbed on top of the wall and watched the remainder of the session from the flagging station before being checked out and cleared by the track EMS.

“I just pushed a little too hard”, said Hindman after the session. “We knew that Sebastian has been quick in these group format qualifying sessions all season and that my .247 would probably not stand for pole so I was reaching for another tenth or two and reached a little too far.”

Apart from aggravating a sore elbow picked up during a qualifying crash a week earlier in Mosport Hindman was uninjured, but with the left front corner torn off and the frame damaged, his favored #11 was done for the weekend. To add insult to injury, both Sebastian Ordonez and Danilo Estrella both put in quicker laps after Hindman’s exit to take the front row.

For Round 15 Friday afternoon, Hindman started from the pole but now in the unfamiliar car #85. It was almost immediately apparent that the new car was down on power, as Hindman faded through the field after leading the first two laps, dropping behind Anderson on Lap 6 before the #85’s engine ultimately expired with three laps to go. Hindman’s first non-Top 5 finish of the season could not have come at a worst time; his eighth place finish combined with Anderson’s third place finish meant that the Skip Barber National Championship and the $200,000 USF2000 scholarship would go to Hindman’s Colorado teammate.

“I didn’t notice anything during the warm up, but the motor just didn’t have the pull the other cars did and eventually it just laid over. I knew it was going to be a long shot to win the championship but it doesn’t make it any less disappointing for it to end like this. I am happy for Scott; he’s had a great season and earned the championship.”

With the championship settled Round 16 became a race to settle second place in the final standings between Hindman and Brandon Newey, as a win by Newey combined with another bad result by Hindman would move Newey into second place in the standings. Now in the #57 car, Hindman dropped behind Anderson at the start and followed him around first Estrella, who struggled with car issues of his own and faded to a seventh place finish, and Ordonez, with whom Hindman battled for second for several laps before Skip Barber Cup driver (and 2005 National Champion) Gerardo Bonilla joined the fray.

With two laps to go, the lead pack of Anderson, Bonilla, Ordonez and Hindman were nose-to-tail at the start/finish line. After Bonilla’s attempted outside pass for the lead sent him into the grass at Big Bend, the order at the white flag was Anderson, Ordonez, Hindman and Bonilla. Going into West Bend for the final time, Ordonez stuck his nose in on Anderson, but lost momentum and second place to Hindman. At the finish it Scott and Trent scoring Jonatan Jorge Racing Development’s fifth 1-2 finish of the season, with Ordonez immediately behind in third.

“Sebastian tried a move in West Bend but it backfired. He basically parked his car and I was able to get the run going into the Downhill. Another lap or two and I might have been able to get Scott, but I know winning this race was important to him so I’m okay with second.”

Top 5 – 2011 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda, after Round 16 of 16
1. Scott Anderson, 456 points
2. Trent Hindman, -22
3. Brandon Newey, -31
4. Sebastian Ordonez, -56
5. Shelby Blackstock, -84

Trent Hindman’s three wins, six pole positions and 15 top five finishes in 16 races earned him not only second place in the final Skip Barber National points but Rookie of the Year honors.

He may have lost the Skip Barber National Championship, but don’t feel too bad for Trent Hindman. As soon as the Race Series banquet ended Saturday night he was on his way home to New Jersey to rest and pack before jumping on a plane to England to begin his driving duties for Team USA Scholarship, starting with this weekend’s Formula Ford Festival at the Brands Hatch Circuit. Hindman also recently announced his plans for 2012; joining Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing for next year’s Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. And then there is the Ontario Formula Ford Championship. Not a bad year.

“I have so many people to thank for this year. MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development, Jonatan Jorge and my teammates at JJRD, the coaches and technicians at Skip Barber Racing School, Racelite Protection, Premier Woodcraft and Sparco for their support throughout the year, my teachers at Wayside High School, for allowing me the time to pursue my dream while continuing my education, and my parents, who’ve been supporting me since day one.”

Brands Hatch
At 1.53 miles, there are few road courses in the world shorter than Lime Rock Park. One of those is the 1.2 mile Brands Hatch Circuit in Kent, England. Less than an hour southeast of London, over the years the Brands Hatch Circuit has hosted everything from the British Touring Car Championship and DTM to Formula One and IndyCars and since 1976 has been the home to the annual Formula Ford Festival.

While Trent Hindman will see the track for the first time on Wednesday for testing with Cliff Dempsey Racing, he’ll have plenty of seat time there behind the wheel of his computer.

“Ever since I was selected for the Team USA Scholarship I’ve been running the Brands Hatch Indy and Silverstone Circuits on iRacing. If the elevation changes at Brands Hatch are anything like they appear online, I think I’m really going to enjoy this track.”

The weekend kicks off with Qualifying on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. local time. Follow the action, from the heat races through the final, with Live Timing and Scoring via TSL Sports Timing Solutions and look for updates throughout the weekend on Altemus Prime’s Twitter feed, @altemus_prime.

The Hitman Conquers Canada. England Next By: Jim Altemus

Wayside, N.J. – MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver Trent Hindman’s hot Summer continued into the Fall this past weekend at Mosport International Raceway, where he scored two wins from pole and secured the 2011 Ontario Formula Ford Championship and Rookie of the Year honors, despite missing the opening rounds of the season. Now all Hindman has to do is attempt to overcome a 15-point deficit in the last two races of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda this weekend at Lime Rock Park before heading over to England to race with Team USA Scholarship. And all while working to keep up with his studies during his Junior year in high school.

To say that Mosport was a successful weekend is not to say it was without its drama. After scoring the pole and the victory in Race 1 to clinch the championship, Hindman made a rare mistake midway through a wet Race 2 qualifying session.

“About five or six laps into the session, I missed a gear going into Turn 3”, said Hindman from his New Jersey home. “I got out into the grass and hit the wall, knocking the left front corner off the car. The BGR Team Grote crew was able to fix the car in time for the race and because I already had the pole by a good six seconds (!) it was like nothing even happened.”

The races themselves were competitive, with Dalton Kellett keeping Hindman honest most of the way.

“Dalton was able to keep close early in the first race before something happened with his car and I was able to build a gap. In the second race I was more comfortable in the rain so I was able to build the gap again.”

“I can’t thank Brian Graham and BGR-Team Grote enough for the incredible season. The results were beyond my wildest dreams.”

The next time Hindman will be in a Formula Ford will be a week from today, when he visits Cliff Dempsey Racing’s shop in Corby, Northamptonshire, England to have a seat poured before he and the team descend upon Brands Hatch for the 40^th Annual Formula Ford Festival, where he will race in the Kent class for Team USA Scholarship the weekend of October 15-16.

“This is going to be a busy weekend. After we leave the Skip Barber banquet and head home, we only have a few hours before I head over to Newark for the overnight flight to England. I land Monday morning and head to the race shop for the seat fitting.”

Skip Barber National – By the numbers

Before Hindman can take his show to England, there is the small matter of settling the 2011 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda. Heading into the season finale this weekend at Lime Rock Park, three drivers, Scott Anderson, Hindman and Brandon Newey, remain in contention for the championship.

1. Scott Anderson, 438 points

2. Trent Hindman, -10

3. Brandon Newey, -19

Points: 1^st-35, 2^nd-32, 3^rd-30, 4^th-28, 5^th-26, 7^th-25, 8^th-24, 9^th-23, 10^th-22, etc. Pole-1 point

Of the three, Anderson’s path is the easiest, as third and fifth place finishes are all he needs to clinch the title. Both Hindman and Newey would need to sweep the weekend and have something happen to Anderson to have a shot. In four races at Lime Rock Park this season, Hindman has the best average starting position, starting on the front row for all four races, and has an average finish of second.

“It would be kind of neat to do what Sebastian Vettel did in Formula One last year and only lead the championship in the final standings. I know that I will need some help from Scott but I’m going to do everything I can to score as many points as possible. We’ll see what happens from there.”

The weekend kicks off with Qualifying on Thursday (time TBD). Follow the action live on your smart phone with Race Monitor, available at your phone’s app store, or semi-live at www.twitter.com by following either @SkipBarberNatl or @altemus_prime.

Anderson looks to clinch championship at Lime Rock Park By: Jim Altemus

Fort Collins, Colo. – 58 points.

After seven months and 14 races, the entire 2011 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda comes down to the 58 points that separate Scott Anderson from the championship and joining the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder with a ride in next year’s Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. While an equivalent of a third and fourth place finish will put him over the top, Anderson prefers to follow the formula that got him in this position to begin with; going for race wins.

“While I will admit to doing a little math I’m trying not to think about all the different scenarios that could play out”, noted Anderson from his Colorado home. “My goal all season has been to win races and let the points play out. If I win this weekend the scenarios won’t matter.”

Anderson sees another advantage to staying out front.

“I’ve learned this year that the safest place to be during a race is in the lead. I’ve had a pretty clean year so far but on a couple occasions I’ve had contact with other cars, including a pretty good hit in the sidepod the last time we were at Lime Rock and I finished that race in fifth. I don’t want a repeat of that.”

By the numbers

Coming into the finale at Lime Rock Park, three drivers are mathematically in contention for the championship: Scott Anderson (438 points), Trent Hindman (428) and Brandon Newey (419). With 35 points available for a win and a bonus point for scoring a California Scents Pole for each of the two races during the weekend, the maximum number of points a driver can earn next weekend is 72. Assuming a seven-car field based on the last several races, the minimum number of points a driver can earn per race is 24, or 48 for the weekend. Drivers also drop their two lowest finishes from their point totals. The chart below breaks down the best and worst case scenario for each driver.

What does all this mean? It means that while the championship is anything but decided, Anderson has the advantage of controlling his own destiny. If he can score 58 points, neither Hindman nor Newey can catch him, even if they sweep the weekend. In other words, Anderson is in the driver’s seat.

The weekend kicks off with Qualifying on Thursday (time TBD). Follow the action live on your smart phone with Race Monitor, available at your phone’s app store, or semi-live at www.twitter.com by following either @SkipBarberNatl or @altemus_prime.