formula-bmw-usa-usa-gp-june-july-indianapolis-motor-speedway-matt-lee-team-autotechnico-robert-wickens-apex-racing-daniel-morad-aim-autosport-coletti

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will provide the ultimate venue for 29 eager young Formula BMW USA drivers to show some of the finest entry-level, open-wheel racing in the world. Now at the half-way point of the season, the battle for the title of 2006 Formula BMW USA champion is tightening up considerably.

After Matt Lee’s (Team Autotecnica) two second-place finishes in front of the Formula One crowd in Montreal last weekend he now shares the Championship points lead with Robert Wickens (Team Apex Racing USA). Simona De Silvestro (EuroInternational), after fourth and third place finishes in Canada, stands third.

Formula BMW Germany driver Stefano Coletti (EuroInternational), racing the four Rounds in support of Formula One in Montreal and Indianapolis with Formula BMW USA, showed his best performance at the Canadian Grand Prix as he scored both poles and both victories. His successful guest appearance brings him up to the fourth position in the Championship points, followed by Canadian Daniel Morad (AIM Autosport) who rounds out the top-five.

As a result of close competition between the Rookies in the first six races, only four points now separate the top-three drivers. Maxime Pelletier (Gelles Racing) leads Morad by only two points. Sebastian Saavedra (Gelles Racing) stands third.

Pelletier showed his best performances of the season at Montreal, finishing 13th and 11th after starting 26th in both races. Doug Boyer (AIM Autosport), Ryan Phinny (Hearn Motorsports) and Yannick Hofman (HBR Motorsports Team USA) recorded their best finishes of the season at Montreal. Every young Formula BMW USA driver is getting faster and each Round is becoming increasingly competitive.

Prior to Rounds 5 and 6 at Montreal Formula BMW USA saw four different winners this season so far. Reed Stevens (HBR Motorsport Team USA) and Morad dominated the two opening Rounds at Mid-Ohio. Wickens and Lee took the checkered flags at Lime Rock Park.

Will Coletti be able to repeat his double victory in Indianapolis? Without a doubt he will face strong competition from Wickens who already knows the way to the podium at Indy with his two third place finishes in the 2005 Formula BMW USA championship.

"I am very excited going into Indy after a good weekend in Montreal," says Wickens. "My goal this weekend is to score good points both days, and hopefully find myself on the podium twice. We had pretty good speed in Indy last year so hopefully we can carry that success over to this year. Maybe this year I will find myself kissing the famous bricks!"

But how will the others with no experience on the 2.605-mile Indianapolis road circuit prepare?

De Silvestro explains, "I prepare on the Playstation as this is the only way you can learn the track before you get there. I am hoping to win in Indianapolis as I need the points."

Coletti said, "First I have to learn the track on the Playstation because I think it is a little bit more technical than the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal. My team is working very well so with my preparation and their experience we might repeat a successful weekend."

In the last two seasons, the Indianapolis rounds provided some of the best racing of the season. With this season’s competition at a fever pitch, Rounds 7 and 8 are sure to eclipse them for action and excitement.

Practice will be held on Friday, June 30 at 9:45 a.m., followed by the single qualifying session at 4:25 p.m. The Round 7 race is scheduled to start at 4:40 p.m. Saturday and the Round 8 race is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

- Joerg Kottmeier -
photos copyright Red Bull Racing

LIME ROCK : Formula BMW USA Qualifying results 12.07.08

The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix 1 16 FBMW 1 Alexander Rossi Fin 18 0.000 0.000 58.126 58.126 92.90 18 1 6:46.978 6:46.978 Formula BMW Michelin -- 2 7 FBMW 2 Ricardo Favoretto Fin 18 0.373 0.373 58.499 58.499 92.31 18 1 7:11.788...

Raimondo sweeps first Formula BMW Americas meeting 22.05.08

Record setting wins puts series' Junior Scholarship Driver in championship lead Any racer would be happy with a win to start the racing season, so it is difficult to describe how seventeen-year-old Gianmarco Raimondo must be feeling after...

Raimondo prepares for first Formula BMW Americas race 13.05.08

Season opening event at Laguna Seca Raceway in California this weekend – After a long winter of testing and three official spring training sessions, seventeen-year-old Gianmarco Raimondo is looking forward to his first competition in the Formula...

Formula BMW in Lime Rock : Sebastian Saavedra Takes Round 7; Round 8 to Daniel Morad 09.07.07

Formula BMW USA - LIME ROCK PARK - ROUNDS 7 & 8 - RACE   In two previous years, Lime Rock Park has pointed to the season's champion as three of the four past rounds were captured by the Overall winner. This weekend Sebastian...

Formula BMW: Gutierrez Takes Round 2 Win From Pole 23.05.07

MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK - ROUND 2 - Race Esteban Gutierrez (Autotecnica), of Monterrey, Mexico won in his second-ever Formula BMW USA start taking the Round 2 victory today at Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah. Starting from the...

FORMULA BMW : Morad Starts 2007 Season with Round 1 Victory 23.05.07

MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK - ROUND 1 - Race BMW Junior Daniel Morad (Eurointernational) became the first race winner of the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship by taking the Round 1 victory today at Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah....

Formula BMW USA - 20 Promising racing talents start 2007 28.03.07

Formula BMW USA season with first test at Road Atlanta   20 young racers recently met at the newly paved Road Atlanta circuit, in Braselton, Georgia, on March 19 - 20 for the first official test of the 2007 Formula BMW USA championship...

Team KMA announces driver line-up for the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship 28.12.06

Team KMA Racing principals Ingo Strackerjan and Jon Lewis delivered a belated Christmas present today with the announcement of three drivers that will pilot the Team KMA Formula BMW program in 2007. "We are extremely excited and proud to...

Review: 2006 Formula BMW USA. 04.12.06

It’s seems to be a kind of tradition: The battle for the Formula BMW USA title is taken down to the series’ final race weekend. Just as it was the case in the previous two seasons, the final round in the young-gun series again turned out to be...

Formula BMW USA gears up for World Final 10.11.06

Nine drivers and five teams from the US series will compete at the DELL Formula BMW World Final The DELL Formula BMW World Final is now firmly on the agenda of the Formula BMW USA drivers and teams. For the nine drivers from the US series that...

Formula BMW USA awards five Junior Scholarships for 2007 Season 28.09.06

BMW of North America, LLC announced today the names of the five young drivers that will be awarded a 2007 Formula BMW USA Junior scholarship. Each will receive $40,000 towards participation in the 2007 Formula BMW USA championship and automatic...

Formula BMW USA - Mosport - Round 14 - Race 18.09.06

Wickens wins 2006 Formula BMW USA championship as Lee takes Round 14 victory; Morad takes Rookie title Matt Lee (Team Autotechnicia) took the Round 14 Formula BMW USA victory today at Mosport International Raceway, finishing 5.658 seconds ahead...

Formula BMW USA - Mosport - Round 13 - Race 18.09.06

Stevens wins Round 13 to Tighten Points Battle Entering Final Round Reed Stevens (HBR Motorsport Team USA) did not let today's rain dampen his spirits and so kept his championship hopes alive with a win in Round 13 of the 2006 Formula BMW USA...

Formula BMW USA - Mosport International Raceway- Rounds 13 & 14 - Preview 31.08.06

Mosport International Raceway, Canada's Home of Motorsports, will host the final two Rounds of the 2006 Formula BMW USA championship during the Labor Day Grand Prix on September 1-3. Racing in support of the American Le Mans Series on Canada's...

Formula BMW USA DENVER: - Lee wins Round 11 from the pole - Stevens wins Round 12 18.08.06

GRAND PRIX OF DENVER - ROUND 11 - RACE A race-long battle between front-row starters Matt Lee (Team Autotecnica) and Reed Stevens (HBR Motorsport Team USA) ended with polesitter Lee taking the Round 11 Formula BMW USA victory today at the Grand...

Formula BMW USA - Denver - Round 11 & 12 - Preview 11.08.06

The battle for the Formula BMW USA championship continues on the streets of Denver, Colorado on August 11-13 when Rounds 11 and 12 will be held at the Grand Prix of Denver. Denver is the second street race of the season as Formula BMW USA travels...

Formula BMW USA - Rounds 7 & 8 Indianapolis 01.07.06

ROUNDS 7 & 8, UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX Formula BMW USA will follow the Formula One World Championship to the United States Grand Prix for Rounds 7 and 8 on June 30 - July 2. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will provide the ultimate venue for...

FORMULA BMW USA - PREVIEW - ROUNDS 5 & 6, CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 22.06.06

Racing in support of both the Canadian and United States Grands Prix on back-to-back weekends, Rounds 5 through 8 of the Formula BMW USA championship, is one of the highlights of the 14-Round season. Racing for the first time this season with...

Formula BMW USA - Lime Rock - Matt Lee Wins Round 4 after de Silvestro disqualified 30.05.06

LIME ROCK PARK - ROUND 4 - Race Matt Lee (Team Autotecnica) was declared the winner of today's Round 4 race at Lime Rock Park after Simona de Silvestro (EuroInternational) was excluded following post-race technical inspection. De...

Formula BMW USA - Lime Rock -Wickens Robert Takes Round 3 Win 30.05.06

LIME ROCK PARK - ROUND 3 - Race   Although the grid for Round 3 of the Formula BMW USA championship at Lime Rock Park was set according to the rules and based on the points standings after the cancellation of qualifying, the 25-lap...

Formula BMW USA 2005 - USA: Review – Champion profile – Statistics 17.11.05

In all four Formula BMW series around the globe, the championship title was not decided until the final. The situation before the last of 14 races in Formula BMW USA that was held at Road Atlanta ensured even more excitement: Richard Philippe...

Formula BMW USA 2005 - BMW USA: Rückblick – Meisterporträt – Statistik. 11.11.05

In allen vier Formel BMW Serien rund um den Globus fiel die Entscheidung um den Titel erst im Saisonfinale. Die Ausgangslage vor dem letzten von 14 Läufen der Formula BMW USA in Road Atlanta versprach jedoch noch einmal mehr Spannung: Richard...

Formula BMW USA - Rounds 13 and 14 - Road Atlanta - Preview 30.09.05

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - The decidedly difficult 2.54-miles of the Road Atlanta circuit in Braselton, Georgia will set the stage for the final two rounds of the 2005 Formula BMW USA Championship and determine who will win the Overall and Rookie...

Formula BMW USA - Round 10 - Barber Motorsports Park - Race 02.08.05

Piscopo wins Round 10 Birmingham, Ala. - July 31, 2005. Edoardo Piscopo (EuroInternational) capitalized on his first career Formula BMW USA pole to take the Round 10 victory today at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. In leading the...

Formula BMW USA - Rounds 9 & 10 - Barber Motorsports Park - Preview 27.07.05

Formula BMW USA begins the second-half of its 2005 season at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 28-31. A new circuit for the series, the twisting 2.3-miles of Barber Motorsports Park will be quickly followed by Formula BMW...

[:: previous ] [ next ::]