Thomas Schrage To FF Festival With Team USA
I realize that this forum has evolved that most of the interest is Vintage racing. It was only a decade ago that we would check in dozens of times per day to follow the latest Purple Frog reports about the "Rand Series" F2000 events or the new F1600 series. This was if not wanting updates about the SCCA National event somewhere across the country. The world has changed, if only because of race monitor and social media, so that "we" don't need Apexspeed any more to follow semi-pro and club racing competition.
Let me introduce Thomas Schrage to those who have not heard of him.
Check out https://racer.com/2022/10/11/thomas-...in-the-moment/
I received some FB messages from some kid from Ohio last year who was club racing a Euroswift FF. He wanted to know about renting one of my Mygales for the Runoffs as he did not think his family-run car would get the job done. I humored Thomas, never really thinking anything would come of it. We exchanged a few courtesy emails. When he entered the FRP event at Mid-Ohio, I told him to stop by my paddock spot so we could meet. He was too busy and stood me up, then had an invisible performance running at the back that weekend. Still, there was something about this kid .....
I had an open car for the PIRC FRP event. Like I often do with interesting new people, I offered him the opportunity to drive the car for a special introductory price. Well, this 16 year old kid was fastest in practice (20+ car field). We got unlucky with weather changes and tire choices so his dream weekend did not work out, and he had to settle for a couple top-5s and a second in the 3 races that weekend. Still, a pretty spectacular debut. Dad was impressed and found funding for a two more events, scoring 3 wins and 3 seconds in the 9 races.
Fast forward to October 2022, and Thomas is the FRP F1600 champion having scored 9 wins and 7 seconds in the 21 races. He is in England now preparing to represent Team USA at the Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy event. Pretty cool story for a middle-class kid prepping his own FF race car for SCCA Club racing only 16 months ago.
I will post links later in the week for those that would like to follow Thomas, and his teammates Elliott Budzinski (another RiceRace race winner this year) and William Ferguson as they compete at these iconic events at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
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