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.