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| June 12, 2012 |
| F1000 Championship: Area 81 Racing Team Earns Podiums in New Jersey |
 | Richard Franklin secured his and Area 81 Racing Team's first podium in race two of the F1000 Championship Series in New Jersey
(Photo: Area 81 Racing Team) |
MILLVILLE, N.J. (June 11, 2012) - Waterfall Security Solutions teammates Tim Pierce and Richard Franklin tackled the twisting New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Raceway for Rounds Three & Four of the F1000 Championship Series.
In extremely hot conditions, with temps in the high 90's, and under bright sunny skies, the team earned solid championship points in each round, which will improve their standing in the overall F1000 Championship. Pierce earned a solid seventh place finish in race one, and improved to sixth place in race two. Franklin battled to a sixth place finish in race one, then earned a trip to podium in race two after placing second in a fierce battle to the finish line. Franklin also won the Rilltech Hard Charger Award by gaining the most positions during Sundays race.
"First off, congratulations to Richard in his first SCCA Pro Racing podium," stated Pierce. "I tore a nose, wing, and corner off in the second practice session and we were lucky to put the car back together in the two hours before qualifying. The backup wing was configured for high downforce, which made the car highly unbalanced in race one. We reconfigured it for race two, and the car was much faster, but our tires were pretty worn by Sunday afternoon. I managed to post the third fastest lap time of the competitors completed the race. It was a challenging weekend for the No. 18 crew, but we kept the car together and finished the races. Our team continues to make significant improvements and I think it showed today. The Waterfall clients in attendance thought we put on an intense and exciting race and I'm sure they had a great time."
"Friday's practice and qualifying was a mixed bag," added Franklin. "I struggled to find a rhythm while learning the NJ track and never got a clear lap in qualifying due to other competitors spinning and a floppy right hand mirror on my F1000 Stohr. However, Saturday's race one went quite well for me, as I got a great start and slotted in behind Tim. I could see he was struggling putting the power down and he was wicked loose. At one point, I think we were sideways in the same corner, but in different directions! We later learned a F1000 competitor had dropped oil on the track. However, the balance of my car improved dramatically and I came home a respectable sixth. Sundays grid spot was determined by your fast lap from Saturday's race, so I found myself back in ninth position. At the start, a competitor stalled in front of me and I had a clear shot into turn one. I attribute my early speed in the race to the new Goodyear tires I placed on the rear. They allowed me to close in on the third place runner and pass him at 130+ mph along the front stretch. Taking my second place on the podium and spraying the Glendora Champagne was a great personal thrill and it has always been a dream of mine. I want to especially thank my Crew Chief, Hawk Hibbs, and also our Sponsors Waterfall Security Solutions, CITSCORP & Briky for making it all possible."
The next race for the Wilmington, N.C.-based SCCA Pro Racing F1000 team is the F1000 GP of Virginia on July 6-8, at VIRginia International Raceway. Feel free to visit the team's website wwww.Area81Racing.com or join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Area-81-Racing-Team/173745692673454 |
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