Thursday, January 06, 2011 Just before the holidays, the competitors of the Skip Barber Formula Southern Series raced under wet conditions at Sebring International Raceway. It was a record breaking weekend for the MAZDASPEED Challenge group as both Shelby Blackstock and Tyler Cooke set new track records on BFGoodrich G-Force KDW tires. In Group 2 Race 1, Blackstock set a record of 2:55.329, and in Group 4 Race 1, Cooke set a record of 2:47.487. David Levine and Lucas Bize both became first time winners, Levine winning Group 2 Race 1 and Bize winning Group 4 Race 1.

The Skip Barber Formula Regional Run-Off took place at Sebring International Raceway. All Formula Skip Barber competitors of the 2010 Skip Barber Western, Southern and Summer Series were invited to compete in one final on track battle to determine the top Regional Formula Skip Barber racer. Dennis Trebing and Craig Duerson each grabbed a win and tied in points, but Duerson ultimately clinched the win due to a higher qualifying position.

Tyler Cooke currently has a four-point lead over Scott Anderson in the MAZDASPEED Challenge Championship and in the Formula Skip Barber Southern Series, Thomas McGregor has a three point lead over Ashley Freiberg. Next, the race for the championship will continue at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida January 22-23.

David Levine after his race win

Group 1 Race 1 – Skip Barber Formula Regional Run-Off
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (4) Dennis Trebing
2. (2) Ashley Freiberg
3. (1) Craig Duerson
4. (3) Tristan Nunez
5. (6) Kyle Gimple
6. (7) Scott Anderson
7. (8) Greg Strelzoff
8. (9) David Knight
9. (11) Azim Gandhi
10. (12) Nick Victor-Smith
11. (10) Ed Wilkinson
12. (5) Luigi Biangardi
Top Master: Craig Duerson
Fastest Lap: Dennis Trebing (2:55.221 / 76.018mph)
Most Positions Gained: Dennis Trebing (3 positions)
Laps Led: Craig Duerson 1-4; Ashley Freiberg 5; Dennis Trebing 6-9

Group 1 Race 2 – Skip Barber Formula Regional Run-Off
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (3) Craig Duerson
2. (2) Ashley Freiberg
3. (1) Dennis Trebing
4. (4) Tristan Nunez
5. (12) Luigi Biangardi
6. (6)Scott Anderson
7. (5) Kyle Gimple
8. (7) Greg Strelzoff
9. (8) David Knight
10. (10) Nick Victor-Smith
11. (9) Azim Gandhi
12. (11) Ed Wilkinson
Top Master: Craig Duerson
Fastest Lap: Dennis Trebing (2:47.619 / 79.466 mph)
Most Positions Gained: Luigi Bianbardi (7 positions)
Laps Led: Craig Duerson 1-9

Group 2 Race 1 – MAZDASPEED Challenge
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (1) David Levine
2. (3) Thomas McGregor
3. (7) Scott Anderson
4. (2) Tyler Cooke
5. (14) Shelby Blackstock
6. (4) Steven Randall
7. (5) Jayson Clunie
8. (8) Dick Fairbanks
9. (11) DJ Randall
10. (9) Brad Randall
11. (10) Rodney Randall
12. (6) Kieron O’Rourke
13. (12) Steven Molnar
14. (13) Diane Mould
Top Master: Jayson Clunie
Fastest Lap: Shelby Blackstock (2:55.239 / 75.971 mph)
Most improved: Shelby Blackstock (9 positions)
Laps led: Tyler Cooke 10; David Levine 2-8

Group 2 Race 2 – MAZDASPEED Challenge
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (2) Thomas McGregor
2. (4) Tyler Cooke
3. (1) David Levine
4. (16) Tyler Wolfson
5. (3) Scott Anderson
6. (9) DJ Randall
7. (5) Shelby Blackstock
8. (6) Steven Randall
9. (7) Jayson Clunie
10. (12) Kieron O’Rourke
11. (10) Brad Randall
12. (11) Rodney Randall
13. (8) Dick Fairbanks
14. (15) Franco Aragones
15. (17) Brian Kinnins
16. (13) Steven Molnar
17. (14) Diane Mould
Top Master: Steven Randall
Fastest Lap: Tyler Cooke (2:41.287 / 82.586 mph)
Most improved: Tyler Wolfson (12 positions)
Laps led: Thomas McGregor 1-9

Group 3 Race 1 – Southern Formula Skip Barber Championship Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (1) Thomas McGregor
2. (8) Ashley Freiberg
3. (2) Franco Aragones
4. (3) Shelby Blackstock
5. (4) Greg Strelzoff
6. (10) Alejandro Abogado
7. (5) Jay Fuchs
8. (6) Michael Waters
9. (7) Ed Wilkinson
10. (9) Gus Doppes
Top Master: Greg Strelzoff
Fastest Lap: Ashley Freiberg (2:46.963 / 79.778mph)
Most improved: Ashley Freiberg (6 positions)
Laps led: Franco Aragones 1-2; Thomas McGregor 3-9

Group 3 Race 2 – Southern Formula Skip Barber Championship
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (1) Thomas McGregor
2. (2) Ashley Freiberg
3. (5) Greg Strelzoff
4. (3) Franco Aragones
5. (9) Gus Doppes
6. (4) Shelby Blackstock
7. (4) Scott Anderson
8. (6) Alejandro Abogado
9. (7) Michael Waters
10. (8) Ed Wilkinson
Top Master: Greg Strelzoff
Fastest Lap: Thomas McGregor (3:01.843 / 73.250 mph)
Most improved: Gus Doppes (4 positions)
Laps led: Thomas McGregor 1; Ashley Freiberg 2; Thomas McGregor 3-9

Group 4 Race 1 – MAZDASPEED Challenge
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (2) Lucas Bize
2. (3) Tyler Cooke
3. (4) Shelby Blackstock
4. (1) Tyler Wolfson
5. (5) Steven Randall
6. (7) Brian Kimmins
7. (14) D.J. Randall
8. (12) Kevin Cyr
9. (13) Rodney Randall
10. (9) Brad Randall
11. (8) Jerry Dougherty
12. (6) Dillion Machavern
13. (10) Charles “Mike” Banz
14. (11) Thomas McGregor
Top Master: Steven Randall
Fastest Lap: Tyler Cooke (2:47.487 / 79.529 mph)
Most improved: D.J. Randall (7 positions)
Laps led: Lucas Bize 1-9

Group 4 Race 2 – MAZDASPEED Challenge
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (1) Lucas Bize
2. (2) Tyler Cooke
3. (3) Shelby Blackstock
4. (12) Thomas McGregor
5. (4) Tyler Wolfson
6. (7) Kevin Cyr
7. (8) Brad Randall
8. (5) Steven Randall
9. (9) Jerry Dougherty
10. (10) Dillion Machavern
11. (11) Charles “Mike” Banz
12. (6) Brian Kimmins
Top Master: Kevin Cyr
Fastest Lap: Tyler Cooke (3:10.620 / 69.877 mph)
Most improved: Thomas McGregor (8 positions)
Laps led: Lucas Bize 1-9

Group 5 Race 1 – Southern Formula Skip Barber Championship
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (12) Craig Duerson
2. (1) Franco Aragones
3. (3) Luigi Biangardi
4. (2) Kyle Gimple
5. (8) Thomas McGregor
6. (10) David Libby
7. (7) Nick Victor-Smith
8. (11) Bryan Hixon
9. (9) Ronald Hayter
10. (4) Scott Anderson
11. (6) Gus Doppes
12. (5) Shelby Blackstock
Top Master: Craig Duerson
Fastest Lap: Craig Duerson (2:52.152 / 77.373 mph)
Most Positions Gained: Craig Duerson (11 positions)
Laps Led: Craig Duerson 1-9

Group 5 Race 2 – Southern Formula Skip Barber Championship
Starting Position in Parenthesis
1. (2) Luigi Biangardi
2. (9) Scott Anderson
3. (3) Kyle Gimple
4. (1) Franco Aragones
5. (4) Thomas McGregor
6. (5) David Libby
7. (7) Bryan Hixon
8. (6) Nick Victor-Smith
9. (8) Ronald Hayter
Top Master: David Libby
Fastest Lap: Luigi Biangardi (2:57.837 / 74.900 mph)
Most Positions Gained: Scott Anderson (7 positions)
Laps Led: Franco Aragones 1-2; Luigi Biangardi 3-9

Scott Anderson receiving coaching from Instructor Phil Lombardi

2010-2011 Top 10 Skip Barber Formula Winter Southern Series
Championship Point Standings
1. 137pts Thomas McGregor
2. 134 Ashley Freiberg
3. 123 Luigi Biangardi
4. 114 Franco Aragones -R
5. 110 Scott Anderson
6. 107 Shelby Blackstock
7. 92 Gus Doppes – GM
8. 91 Alejandro Abogado – R
9. 88 David Libby – GM
10. 79 Mike Waters – GM

2010-2011 Top 10 Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Challenge Winter
Southern Series Championship Point Standings
1. 127 pts Tyler Cooke
2. 123 Scott Anderson
3. 122 Lucas Bize
4. 121 Thomas McGregor
5. 120 David Levine
6. 99 Shelby Blackstock
7. 95 Steve Randal – GM
8. 91 DJ Randall
9. 83 Jayson Clunie – M – R
10. 78 Brad Randall

Remaining Schedule for the 2010-2011 Skip Barber Southern Series / MAZDASPEED Challenge Southern Schedule:
Rounds 5 & 6, January 22-23, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Fla.
Rounds 7 & 8, February 19-20, Sebring International Raceway, Fla
Rounds 9 & 10, March 26-27, Palm Beach International Raceway, Fla.
Rounds 11 & 12, April 15-16, Sebring International Raceway, Fla

Kelly Brouillet