Race Recap: UF1 2018 Winter Series – Round 7 – United States GP | UF1 RC

Post Race Analysis
The final round of the 2018/2019 UF1 Winter Series has come and gone. It was held at Cal Raceway with the track layout definitely having a United States Grand Prix feel. The center section had a triple-chicane section that rewarded you if you got it right, penalized you if you didn’t.

The weather was fantastic – a bit cool in the morning, warming up in the afternoon, then getting a little overcast for the final race. Tire choice was critical at the different temp stages.

The turnout was a little low for the final race in both classes – 10 per class. Unfortunately a TCS race in Las Vegas kept a few of the drivers away, but all-in-all it was still a great day of racing.

Enough chatter – let’s get to the results.

Formula 1
Class leader Hector Martinez was one of the guys who ran the TCS race in Vegas. The only guy who had a chance to catch him was Craig Hammon, however, Hector had accrued enough points in the previous races to lock up the win without even showing up. Even if Craig took the TQ and won all 3 races, he’d still be in 2nd place by 5 points. Five. Cinco. fünf. wu. tano (that’s Swahili). That being said, the day’s points were all about who was going to come in second.

Three drivers could potentially get second place; Hammon, Lightfoot and Monteiro. Monteiro was a long shot, but it could happen if Hammon and Lightfoot broke out or received a DQ. Everyone was checking (and double-checking) their cars for weight. No one wanted that dreaded ZERO points!

After a great battle in qualifying, Raj came out on top and started off the day 2 points up on the field. That extra 2 points would actually help him in the end, as both Carlos Duarte and Craig Hammon would steal the victories in Rounds 2 and 3 respectively. Raj would take P2 in both of those rounds, finishing up with 300 points for the day. Craig would slot into 2nd with 296, Duarte with 292. Carlos could have dropped into 2nd, but a final Round mishap with another car (while leading) would see his rear tire pass him on the straight; a broken rear axle prematurely ended his race and dropped him to 8th.

One of the drivers to watch is Chad Rott. Chad had a break in Round 1 but regrouped and took home P4 and P3, ending the day with a 4th overall. His season started off a little rocky, but he’s shown great improvement in the final rounds. I think that finish was a bit motivating and expect to see him doing quite a bit of pre-season testing!

Mark Goldwater had a pretty consistent day – P6, P7 and P4. Those finishing positions gave him a 5th place finish overall with 286 points just 3 shy of Rott. That said, Mark is one of my favorite drivers out there. Not always does his car always look amazing, he’s just got that consistentcy thing going on. On top of that, even if his day isn’t going great, he’s always got a smirk or small joke to pass along. Mark finished the season 7th overall – a grand accomplishment in my book!

Right behind Mark was Ken Gerberding. Been racing with this guy forever and glad to see him join forces with the UF1. He finished 6th for the day, only 2 points behind Mark. I wish I could throw him a couple extra points for all the help he’s given me, but I think he’s doing ok – Ken finished 5th overall in his first UF1 season. Great job bud!

Finishing in 7th for the day (and 10th overall) is Brent Reichert. Brent had a bit of a rough start to the season as well but has slowly gained momentum towards the end. He’s another pretty consistent driver, however his biggest setback is the fact that he’s the only one driving the Infinity IF11 chassis. Since that kit just came out, there’s quite a bit of learning to do – testing, driving, testing, driving, crashing, breaking, fixing – to stick with a chassis for an entire season when you’re the only one working on it says something about you as a competitor. Another guy that will be doing some pre-season testing for sure. Look for that car to be a contender next season.

Behind Reichert in 8th place was the man, the myth, the legend – Charles Lightfoot. Charles is the UF1 godfather – the man who started it all. I’m honored to have this guy still running in the UF1. Unfortunately, his day was riddled with issues. 4 laps in Round 1, a good run in Round 2 and only a 61-lap run in Round 3 (while the leaders hit 71), Charles is typically feared at most tracks. He brings his A game to every race and has mastered both carpet and asphalt. He’s put in great runs at TQ and is the master at Roadrunners. Even though he finished 8th for the day, he did finish 3rd overall in the opening season! Since we’ll be traveling to different tracks for both the asphalt and carpets events next season, I expect to see Lightfoot on the podium quite a bit. Scary thought for the rest of you.

Coming in 9th for the day was Mike Rydwell. Rydwell didn’t have the best of days – a 4th in Round 1, DNS in Round 2 and a 9th in Round 3 – but this guy doens’t necessarily come out just to race. Owner or Exotek Racing, Mike is best known for being out at the track testing. At any time he’ll have a car in his pit covered with a towel – secret projects being designed to make F1 even more competitive. This race, he was out testing a new chassis setup for the 3Racing FGX EVO2018 (separate post coming soon). Each run it was looking better and better but, as we all know, testing sometimes takes the handling in the wrong direction. All I can say is that Mike is one of those guys that, once he gets it figured out, he can put himself on the top of the podium at any track. We’ve seen it before, we’ll see it again. Happy he’s using the series to create some unique Formula 1 stuff!

Rounding out the field today in 10th was Doug Rebal. Another one of the OG UF1 guys that, really, can’t get enough F1. Even though Doug finished 10th for the day, he pulled off a 9th overall for the season – a great achievement seeing as the talent pool is getting tougher and tougher. Doug is another one of those guys that is always upbeat – even when he’s not. Car sucks? A few choice (but funny) words and it’s back to work making it better. Tough spot on the track? Figure out how to go faster through it. Enjoy having him around – always good for a laugh!

Formula 2
I’ll have to say that the addition of the Formula 2 class was a great idea (sorry for patting myself on the back). This class has made it much easier for a new or beginning driver to enter the UF1 and be competitive – not having to race with F1’s top guys. The racing has been much closer and it’s great to see these drivers progress throughout the season.

Finishing in P1 today was Michael Monaghan. Michael came into the UF1 season late – his first race was Round 6. He simply dominated with a perfect 302 points – did the same on this day – three wins and the TQ. His times have also shown that he’s ready for the F1 class but, to make it fair for everyone, he’ll have to qualify for that class. We’ll be holding qualifiers again soon and it’s safe to say Michael will easily post a passing time.

Boris Tsenov finished behind Monaghan in 2nd place. Another great day for this Las Vegas native, driving down each race day to join us on both the carpet and asphalt. Boris’ home track is black carpet (702 Raceway), so it was no surprise to see him excel at those events. It was his consistent runs on asphalt that showed he’s got the chops to stick it out in F1! Taking the top spot on the podium for the overall Series win, we’ll be seeing Boris duke it out in the Formula 1 class next season. Congrats Boris – you deserve it!

Bringing home 3rd for the day was Carlos Ledezma. Carlos had an outside chance of taking down Tsenov, but he needed a perfect day (and Boris not to). To tell you the truth, I was quite surprised at how consistent Ledezma was throughout the season! Even with missing Round 1 (and getting zero points), he kept his cool the rest of the time and put in good, clean runs to keep on pace with Boris. This netted him a very respectable 2nd place overall for the Series! Great job Carlos!

Behind Ledezma was newcomer Trevor Voss. Trevor is about as big an F1 fan as you can get, so it was great to see him out there tearing it up. Like most newcomers, he started the season off a little slow but quickly started his drive to the front. He finished the day with a 5th, 4th and 4th – great results that placed him 4th overall for the day. This drive also wrapped up a 4th overall for the season – excellent job. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of him and his Ferrari garb next season!

Taking 5th for the day was Joe (not John) Hawkins III. Joe posted a 4th, 7th and 6th place finish for the day with 286 points; tying with Jacob Dee. The tiebreaker was how they finished in the first round – Joe took a 4th, Jacob a 7th (really only for placement order). However, those 286 points put Joe 3rd overall for the Season – a fantastic job for sure. I didn’t know much about Joe at the start but I have to say he’s one funny guy. Really like having him in the Series! Great job my friend!

That said, Jacob Dee would finish 6th overall for the day. Jacob is one of those kids that’s hard to read – he always seems so serious at the track. Maybe super focused, but whatever it is it paid off for him. Jacob was one of the few that showed up to every race, allowing him to drop his worst race instead of dropping a zero for not attending. This, as well as being pretty consistent, granted Jacob a 5th place overall for the Season! This kid could prove to be a thorn next season! Watch out guys!

Tom Ozurovich finished 7th overall for the day with 282 points. This was Tom’s first UF1 race and, from what I hear, he had a tremendous time! He loved every facet of it; close qualifying, 3 mains and the pit stops! I love hearing that kind of stuff from people running the Series for the first time! He’ll be back for sure, saying his sights are set for a Top 5 finish overall! Let’s see it happen!

Slotting in to P8 for the day was John Cary. John had a pretty decent day but could have been way higher up the leaderboard had it not been for a couple issues. He showed up a little late and had his cute kid with him, so his initial focus wasn’t on his car. He did pull off a P6 in Round 1, but some electronic gremlins hit at the start of Round 2 resulting in a DNS. A new ESC was installed but that only cured part of the problem – Round 3 with only 40 laps dropped him to 8th. John did, though, finish 8th overall in the Series, and that’s with two zero results (Round 2 and 3). I know he really digs the UF1 so I expect a full rebuild followed by some serious testing for the next Series.

Matt Richards was another new face in the UF1. He was visiting from out of town and just couldn’t resist getting in some UF1 time. Matt was a bit off the pace but still mustered enough points for 9th place – still a great result. He did say he had a great time and really loved the format, we just wish he was a local to join us for next season. Any time you’re in town, you’re welcome in the UF1 Matt! Thanks for joining us.

Wrapping up 10th place for the day was Jerermy Dee. As much as I love Jerermy joining us at the UF1, I know his focus is making sure Jacob’s car is in top working condition. He’s your typical dad – kids first. I love that about this guy and am grateful he is a part of the UF1. Even with his focus elsewhere, Jerermy did post enough points to take a 7th place overall in the Series – amazing job!

Fast Lap Award
Everyone wants to win, but it seems the most coveted prize is the Fast Lap Award. This award rewards the one who can put an amazing lap together – corner to corner, right on the edge of traction – for ONE lap. It seems so easy, but at the same time so incredibly hard. For that reason, whoever receives the Fast Lap Award next season will be receiving an additional point to their overall score. Yes – this could change the outcome of the day if this solo point rings in your favor!

That being said, Round 7’s Fast Lap Award goes to Carlos Duarte. This cat put down an amazing 11.596 – the absolute fastest lap of the day. Craig Hammon was close behind with a 11.654 followed by the day’s winner, Rajan Monteiro, with a 11.706. Great laps guys!

UF1 Winter Series Top 3
After a long, 7-race series, the Top 3 in the Formula 1 class are as follows:

1st Place – Hector Martinez
2nd Place – Craig Hammon
3rd Place – Charles Lightfoot

Congratulations guys – well deserved by all three of you!

As with the F1 class, the Top 3 in the Formula 2 class was quite the battle. Here are your Top 3 finishers:

1st Place: Boris Tsenov
2nd Place: Carlos Ledezma
3rd Place: Joe Hawkins III

Congratulations to the three of you as well! Boris – welcome to the Formula 1 class!

Final Thoughts
The return season of the UF1 couldn’t have gone any smoother. The feedback we got was that everyone was pumped to be racing F1 cars in this awesome format, so I think I can say it was quite the success. We’d like to thank everyone who came out to support the UF1 Series – I truly appreciate everyone’s attendance!

The UF1 would like to thank the following manufacturers for their participation in the Series:

Cal Raceway – Outdoor asphalt track
TQ RC Racing – Indoor carpet track and raffle prizes
1up Racing – Raffle prizes
ActivRC – Raffle prizes
Exotek Racing – Raffle prizes
Fenix Racing – Display car
PROTOform – Display Items
TamiyaUSA – Display car
Team Associated – Display car and raffle prizes
VBC Racing – Display car
Re-GEARED – Trophies

I’d also like to thank Ken Gerberding for all his help – extreme gratitude, my friend!

We’re already prepping for next season which should start in August. Preliminary schedule would be 4 races outdoors (August-November), Winter Break (December), then 4 races indoors (January-April). More info on that as it gets a little closer.

Final Results

Overall Standings – Formula 1 – UF1 2018 Winter Series
Overall Standings – Formula 2 – UF1 2018 Winter Series

Gallery of Round 7