FCCS - PittRace Roll Call

[rockbeau25]

Round 1 of the Formula Continental Challenge Series may be months away, but let's get some commitments and excitement building early! If you haven't been to PittRace, it is an awesome facility. This event has historically had a very strong local FC contingent, and we are expecting that already large field to be bolstered by FCCS newcomers. There was even talk on our last Zoom call of someone flying to Florida and bringing Chris Scharnow back with them to race with us. In addition to a big FC field, there will be prize drawings from our sponsors, evening socials, an FC paddock area, and other perks you won't have at your normal SCCA event. This isn't one you'll want to miss! Let us know if you're going to be there, and tell us about your car and crew you'll be bringing!


Registration opens Mid-March:
https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...x-steel-548633

[John LaRue]

I certainly intend to make this race. The track is fantastic as are the owners and Steel City Region people. Bob Albert has informed me that the region has total control over the paddock and he can make arrangements to park all of the formula cars together if we so desire and get with them in advance. Last year we had an excellent run group, it was a top flight event.

[BrianT1]

I think we have interest from 11 so far on the Facebook page. I believe 9 of those were not there last year so if we can get guys from the east coast and those that have been there before we should make 20 cars for this one event.

Let us know if you plan to attend!

Brian

[rockbeau25]

I think we have interest from 11 so far on the Facebook page. I believe 9 of those were not there last year so if we can get guys from the east coast and those that have been there before we should make 20 cars for this one event.

Let us know if you plan to attend!

Brian

Correct, we have 11 that have stated their intent to be there so far:

Trevor Gerard
Michael Varacins
Tim Minor
John LaRue
Rock Beauchamp
Brian Tomasi
Jeremy Swank
Mark Hutchinson
Hayden Eade
Sean Gennari
Devon Hansen

There are the local guys that attend that probably don’t check Facebook or Apexspeed, and some others that I expect to be there that haven’t spoken up yet. I am confident we can double that number!

[rockbeau25]

Registration has been updated for this event and now opens this Saturday at midnight Eastern time! We've had a dozen or so drivers share their intent to be in attendance and hope even more will join us. FCCS will have 10 paddock spots reserved for us in the North Paddock from 6PM on Thursday through the conclusion of the event. These spots are large and should be able to comfortably fit two trucks, trailers, and race cars in each. Register early and help build the momentum!

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...x-steel-548633

[Hartley]

I am in Rock and will probably make most of the series. Too damn hot in Florida in the summer anyway! My wife ordered my T shirt as I don’t have an account with the ‘Book of Faces’! I stole that quote from Purple Frog! Thanks PF! Just did my projected schedule for 2025 and it is 8-9 weekends! 2 months ago my car was for sale after a very expensive 2024 with an expensive crash and blown engine.!?! FYI I budget $4K to $5K per race weekend depending on the event. So 8 weekends x $5,000 (ran out of toes so need a calculator for this one!) I think that is $40 grand for an entire season of racing! Half of them are FRP and the other half FCCS/ Majors weekends. This does not count the runoffs where I am still on the fence. This budget of course does not include any crash damage because I don’t crash and no engine work because I never miss a gear ?? )that is a double Pinocchio!! However this schedule includes only one regional and the rest of the races are all high quality events with decent car counts. How do I do it so cheaply you might ask? Because I am a Scot and I am sorry ass cheap, sorry I meant thrifty! I recycle my tires. I drive on scrubby old tires in testing and practise and new tires for qualifying and the races. Yes you learn more about your car with new tires in testing and this gives better tuning. However I spend this time working on ‘tuning’ the driver and then feel like it’s Christmas when I get new tires! The other major saving is on the road costs ie. hotel and meals because I travel by motor home ie. a diesel pusher. Well you might say a 40’ diesel motor home pulling a 28ft stacker burns a lot of fuel and you would be correct. 6-7 MPG. However you can supplement long road trips with airline flights and strategic storage of your rig. This is cheaper than driving back and forth. The tricky part is finding safe places to leave your rig but it can be done and I am doing it out of necessity because I am 8 hours to Atlanta, 18 hours to Mid Ohio and 22 hours to Road America. Did I mention that is each way?! The other method to cut costs is to offer to bring other race cars to the track because I have lots of room in my stacker. I am working on that now!

Come on Chris Scharnow, Bob Coury, James Lee, Mark Defer, what are you waiting for? Cut your road bills in half and fly! OK back to work on my car I am racing next weekend! Anyone else along the route? I will pick up your car?

[rockbeau25]

It moved around on us, but registration is now officially open for Round 1 of the Formula Continental Challenge Series at PittRace. As a reminder, we will have a group paddock, evening happy hour, prize drawings from our 8 sponsors, and more. We hope to see you there!

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...x-steel-548633

[BrianT1]

Already has 5 cars registered and its 2 months away!!!

[BrianT1]

To date here is a list of drivers for the first FCCS race at PITT. 10 so far, and we are expecting at least 20. So get your entry in so you don't miss out on this awesome event.

[Speed Sport Engineering]

Now were at 12.

Based on conversations I believe there are at least 10 more who have verbally committed, so I really think we're looking at a 20+ car field.

Keep those entries coming.


This is shaping up to be a really fun weekend.

[Agamble5]

I see 13 now...

[John LaRue]

I see 13 now...

[rockbeau25]

Brandon Dixon makes it 15! One month left to register for the inagural Formula Continental Challenge Series event at PittRace. We will have a huge field of cars, prize drawings from our 8 sponsors, Saturday evening happy hour, group paddock, professional photography, t-shirts, posters, and more.

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...x-steel-548633

[John LaRue]

#	Name	Class	Vehicle	Hometown	Sponsor
00	AG Andrew Gamble	FC	2002 Van Diemen F2000	Pittsburgh, PA	Raccoon Lagoon
03	CS Carter Sheets	FC	2003 Van Diemen F2000	Saegertown, PA	Layke MotorSports
05	DL Devin Lesueur	FC	2002 Van Diemen RF02	Saint Charles, IL	OSQ Hoosier Tire
5	TW Trevor Williams	FC	2012 Elan DP-08	Farmington Hills, MI
6	Mark Hutchison	FC	2000 Van Diemen RF-00	Mukwonago, WI	Norton/Hutchison Motorsports
7	Brandon Dixon	FC	2015 Citation F2000	Tuscaloosa, AL	Hoosier, Citation Engineering
08	DB Don Betterly	FC	2012 RFR	MCADOO, PA	Master Mechanical Corp.
13	Devon Hansen	FC	1999 Van Diemen RF99	Green Bay, WI	M2Technology, Showcase Kitchens
17	JL John Burton LaRue	FC	2007 Citation Snipe FZ	Muncie, IN	CarbonTech, Elder Law
23	Rockford Beauchamp	FC	1999 Van Diemen RF99	Fitchburg, WI	Gyrodynamics, Grandy & Associates
27	Hartley MacDonald	FC	2006 Van Diemen RF06	Mulberry, FL	Florida RV Sales & Service, Florida Landmark Realty
50	HE Hayden Eade	FC	2003 Van Diemen RF03	Barrington, IL
65	Michael Varacins	FC	2020 Van Diemen F2000	Burlington, WI	Pepperball / First Strike / Hoosier / Speed Sport Engineering
72	JS Jeremy Swank	FC	2005 Van Diemen RF-05	Mansfield, OH	Personal Wealth Solutions
88	TM Timothy Minor	FC	2010 Citation Citation	Fredericksburg, VA	Automotive Specialist Center,Hoosier Tire,Bungalow Lake House
96	Brian Tomasi	FC	2001 Van Diemen RF-01	Elgin, IL	Hoosier Tire, Subway,
180	CD Cory Derr	FC	2012 RFR	DRUMS, PA	Master Mechanical Corp
33	Sam Harrington	FE2	2008 Mazda FE2	Finksburg, MD	Harper Home Services of Michigan

[COLOR=var(--msr-color-text)]Class totals:[COLOR=var(--msr-color-text-subtle)]FC: 17[/COLOR][COLOR=var(--msr-color-text-subtle)]FE2: 1[/COLOR]
[/COLOR]

[John LaRue]

[COLOR=var(--msr-color-text)]Group 5

19 entries

[/COLOR]

#	Name	Class	Vehicle	Hometown	Sponsor
00	AG Andrew Gamble	FC	2002 Van Diemen F2000	Pittsburgh, PA	Raccoon Lagoon
03	CS Carter Sheets	FC	2003 Van Diemen F2000	Saegertown, PA	Layke MotorSports
05	DL Devin Lesueur	FC	2002 Van Diemen RF02	Saint Charles, IL	OSQ Hoosier Tire
5	TW Trevor Williams	FC	2012 Elan DP-08	Farmington Hills, MI
6	Mark Hutchison	FC	2000 Van Diemen RF-00	Mukwonago, WI	Norton/Hutchison Motorsports
7	Brandon Dixon	FC	2015 Citation F2000	Tuscaloosa, AL	Hoosier, Citation Engineering
08	DB Don Betterly	FC	2012 RFR	MCADOO, PA	Master Mechanical Corp.
13	Devon Hansen	FC	1999 Van Diemen RF99	Green Bay, WI	M2Technology, ITAD Logic
17	JL John Burton LaRue	FC	2007 Citation Snipe FZ	Muncie, IN	CarbonTech, Elder Law
23	Rockford Beauchamp	FC	1999 Van Diemen RF99	Fitchburg, WI	Gyrodynamics, Grandy & Associates
26	RS Rick Silver	FC	1998 Van Diemen RF98	Derwood, MD	Quicksilver Race Engines
27	Hartley MacDonald	FC	2006 Van Diemen RF06	Mulberry, FL	Florida RV Sales & Service, Florida Landmark Realty
50	HE Hayden Eade	FC	2003 Van Diemen RF03	Barrington, IL
65	Michael Varacins	FC	2020 Van Diemen F2000	Burlington, WI	Pepperball / First Strike / Hoosier / Speed Sport Engineering
72	JS Jeremy Swank	FC	2005 Van Diemen RF-05	Mansfield, OH	Personal Wealth Solutions
88	TM Timothy Minor	FC	2010 Citation Citation	Fredericksburg, VA	Automotive Specialist Center,Hoosier Tire,Bungalow Lake House
96	Brian Tomasi	FC	2001 Van Diemen RF-01	Elgin, IL	Hoosier Tire, Subway,
180	CD Cory Derr	FC	2012 RFR	DRUMS, PA	Master Mechanical Corp

[redcar9]

I hope to make this next year! I'm shaking down the car at the end of May.

[rockbeau25]

2 weeks left to register for the inaugural FCCS event at Pitt Race. We are sitting at 18 FC cars and have additional verbal commitments that should put us at somewhere around 20-25 cars. There are only 2 non-FCs in the group (both FE2s) at the time of writing. You will not find cleaner track time at any event this side of the Rocky Mountains.

73rd Cumberland Classic SCCA Majors - Attendees

[rockbeau25]

20 entries eclipsed!

[rockbeau25]

With 21 entries and counting, I thought I'd take a moment to highlight some of the drivers that make up this awesome field. By my estimation, this is one of, if not the biggest, FC fields since the Indy Runoffs in 2021, and needless to say this field is stacked. Last year's top 5 Runoffs finishers are all here, and there are past champions, GLC and FRP regulars, and numerous others that make up the field.

Varacins: Headlining the field is Michael Varacins hot off his Runoffs victory. With a racing résumé reminiscent of Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Loeb, Jimmie Johnson, or Tom Kirstensen, and an extensive offseason development program that should put the rest of the field on notice, he will almost certainly be the driver to beat. With the weight of an FC Runoffs win now off his shoulders, we may see Michael reach new heights in 2025.

Minor: If anyone can give Varacins a run for his money, it's Tim Minor. Tim and Michael went toe to toe all season long, including at the Runoffs where a late mechanical failure robbed us of a grandstand finish. Tim will have that issue remedied, and a Citation in his hands is always a force to be reckoned with.

LaRue: Speaking of Citations, John LaRue is another past champion to look for at the pointy end of the grid. John's car is as good as any, and his extensive experience here will make him a threat for the top step of the podium.

Tomasi: Brian Tomasi has spent the better part of the last 2 seasons ironing out the kinks of his brand new Van Diemen. If the car stays under him, Brian is every bit a match for the aforementioned drivers and will be a fun one to watch. We saw some of the potential at last year's Runoffs, and being a past champion, Brian will only get faster as his confidence in the car builds.

Kiriluk: Dean Kiriluk seems to get faster and faster every time he straps into his car. LTD knows how to put together a rocketship, so Dean will be tough competition up front. Word on the street is LTD will be bringing a few more rocketships of theirs as well.

Beauchamp: After enduring a frustrating Runoffs, Rock Beauchamp is back with a fresh 0-hour Pinto motor. With 0 hours on his engine and 0 hours at this track, Rock is just hoping for a trouble-free weekend and hopes to build confidence and go quicker as the weekend progresses.

Hansen: Much like his teammate Rock, Devon Hansen will arrive at Pitt with a fresh 0-hour Pinto but no experience at this track. Similarly, Devon will be hoping for a trouble-free weekend and gradual improvement after a frustrating 2024 season.

Hutchinson: Mark Hutchinson will be eager to get back in his car after an injury that sidelined him in the latter half of 2024. Mark has a beautifully prepared Van Diemen running under Tomasi's tent, and with decades of FC experience he will back up to speed in no time.

MacDonald: Perhaps nobody endured a more frustrating end to 2024 than Hartley MacDonald. That said, there is no questioning Hartley's resilience, and he will look to bounce back strong at Pitt.

Dixon: Multi-time F1000 champ and FRP stalwart Brandon Dixon will join the field at Pitt. With a Citation rocketship and extensive pro series experience, Brandon will certainly challenge the SCCA regulars at the front of the field.

Silver: In a world of Zetecs, Rick Silver has been passionately carrying the Pinto flag for decades. With a top-notch Quicksilver engine and extensive experience, Rick will see how high he can make his Pinto go.

Williams and Stein: GLC regulars Trevor Williams and Taylor Stein are making the trip to Pitt from lower Michigan. Both are driving MZR-powered DP08s, and will hope to make their mark on the series with strong performances.

Betterly and Derr: Locals Don Betterly and Cory Derr will hope to use their home track advantage to put in strong drives against a stacked field. Both serious circle track racers, Don and Cory race FC for fun in a pair of identical RFRs.

Swank: Jeremy Swank may have the most seat time of anyone in this field, racing not only in FC, but also FE2, SRF3, and F6. Jeremy has a fresh Zetec engine in his car, and has spent a lot of time sim racing during the offseason, so he will be one to watch for.

Dole: John Dole is another FRP regular making the trip to Pitt. John has experience at this track, and as we all know there is no such thing as a slow Citation, so expect him to be right in the thick of it.

Gamble: Andrew Gamble is another GLC regular making the crossover to FCCS to watch for. This is Andrew's home track and he will certainly put that advantage to good use.

Sheets: Our youngest driver in the field, Carter Sheets is another FRP regular hoping to make his mark at this event. The father and son team are already a quick package, and will only get quicker as young Carter gains more experience.

Lesueur: Another father-son team in the field, Devin Lesueur and his father Pete have decades worth of experience running FC cars. While (I believe) this is a new track for Devin, he is always a fast and clean driver and will be up to speed in no time.

Moran: Chuck Moran joins the fray driving not only the oldest car in the field, but the lone Crossle. Bringing a Crossle out against a field of modern Van Diemens and Citations is beyond cool, and running competitively against them is even cooler.

[rockbeau25]

Race week is here, and today is the last day to register for the Pitt event. We are currently sitting at 22 cars and hope there are a few more lurkers that might make the trip. For those testing Friday there might be a wet session or two, but otherwise the weather looks good for early May.

73rd Cumberland Classic SCCA Majors

The evening happy hour will be Saturday night at 7:30PM at the LeSueur's paddock space in the north paddock. They will be serving up burgers and beers (Spotted Cow, and some homebrews from the Beauchamps). We hope all FC drivers, friends, and crew can attend. Our sponsorship prize drawings will be during this, and you will need to be present to collect your prize.

Prior to the happy hour on Saturday evening, I have coordinated with the track to let the FC field take group photos on pitlane. Since we are the last session of the day on Saturday, we can stay on pitlane after the session and then stage the cars once the few non-FCs clear out. I hope all will partake as this will be a pretty special event for the class. I will try to make an announcement during the driver meeting for those that aren't on Apexspeed or Facebook. I'll have a professional photographer with me to take pics all weekend, so if you see him mingling about make sure to say hi.

I have series decal strips available for those that want to support our 8 sponsors. They are by no means mandatory but are appreciated if you want to show your support. I also have free series posters if anyone would like one. Finally, if you purchased a series t-shirt and selected the pickup in person option, I will have those with me at the track, as well as a few leftovers that didn't sell. All of the aforementioned items will be at the Beauchamp trailer in the north paddock. Look for blue and green Pinto Van Diemens!

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

[BrianT1]

Can't wait for the weekend!! Thanks Rock!

Brian

[Speed Sport Engineering]

I have an electrical hookup space if anyone in the FC community needs one. Space #10, 105' x 24'.

The region was charging $155 for the space. Send me a e-mail if interested -

speedsport@aol.com

Michael

[Terry Hanushek]

Great FC turnout! I'm looking forward to two great races tomorrow and Sunday

Good luck to all

[rockbeau25]

[Agamble5]

That was a super event! It was fun meeting so many racers I never have before.

Thanks to all working so hard behind the scenes to get all these cars into my backyard.

I think everyone liked the track and facilities, the region was very supportive so I hope to do it again next year!

Andrew

[John LaRue]

I received a call from Bob Albert of the Steel Cities Region last night. He wanted to thank all of the FC and other formula car drivers for making it to Pitt and expressed a desire to repeat the event again in 2026. I also spoke with Dixon who told me how great all of the region and track people were, an experience much different than he had at Atlanta earlier this year. Having watched all of the various efforts to increase entries, etc... I am a firm believer that the work must be done at the class level. The number of races available during the season simply dwarfs the number of entries for our formula classes and leads to small, uninteresting races. Through some simple efforts to group entries it is apparent that we can have some great races at events where the formula classes can be provided clean run groupings. We are much better off being a big fish in a small pond than being a little fish in a big pond.

Entries for June Sprints look good, but they can certainly improve, I have entered despite a conflict in hopes that it all works out.

[BLS]

Those are some beautiful cars!
Happy to hear you had such a great weekend.

[BrianT1]

I received a call from Bob Albert of the Steel Cities Region last night. He wanted to thank all of the FC and other formula car drivers for making it to Pitt and expressed a desire to repeat the event again in 2026. I also spoke with Dixon who told me how great all of the region and track people were, an experience much different than he had at Atlanta earlier this year. Having watched all of the various efforts to increase entries, etc... I am a firm believer that the work must be done at the class level. The number of races available during the season simply dwarfs the number of entries for our formula classes and leads to small, uninteresting races. Through some simple efforts to group entries it is apparent that we can have some great races at events where the formula classes can be provided clean run groupings. We are much better off being a big fish in a small pond than being a little fish in a big pond.

Entries for June Sprints look good, but they can certainly improve, I have entered despite a conflict in hopes that it all works out.

John,

Bob and Team at Pitt were super excited to have us at the track and they were very accommodating to us as a group. In fact most people I spoke to at the event were happy to see so many FC cars out racing. The track is amazing wet or dry and we'll definitely have to plan for it next year.

I am in agreement that the size of the event is not what makes it great, it's the number of cars in our class. So as we look to 2026 we'll have to take that into consideration when picking events for year two of the FCCS.

Brian

[rockbeau25]

Pitt Race 2 Results, Photo Dump, Final Thoughts

Very late with a final Pitt post but travel issues coming home and a busy work week prevented me from getting this out sooner. Race 2 was won by Minor from Dixon and Cordova. It was a classic weather crapshoot with on and off rain all morning. Most cars opted to go out on slicks, but wets turned out to be the right call as the track was still very saturated and more rain came during the race. The order was quickly shuffled at the drop of the green flag before an early caution came out for multiple spinners. My car lost drive under caution and I spent the rest of the race being flat towed all around the property so truthfully I don’t know what happened when the race went back green.

Saturday night was the FC party. As was the story for most of the weekend, the weather did not cooperate, but Bob Albert was able to pull some strings and offer up the tech garage for us to move the party indoors. It was great to socialize with everyone and meet a lot of you for the first time. I think everyone had a great time as the last few people didn’t leave until close to midnight. Every driver that was present walked away with at least one prize from our sponsors.

A special thanks needs to be given to the Steel Cities region for their hospitality at this event. Bob Albert and Amanda Haines in particular went above and beyond to accommodate us, and it was the most positive experience on the administrative side of things that I’ve ever had at an SCCA event. They were very appreciative of us being there and both expressed their desire to have us back again next year.

Round 2 at the June Sprints is up next in less than a month. We already have 17 cars entered at the time of writing, which is only 2 away from matching last year’s entries. LTD will be hosting the social this time around, and the LeSueurs were able to secure the freshly paved north paddock for any FCs that want to park together. It is sure to be a great event!

[redcar9]

Does anyone have in car video from the event?

[Goallie11]

https://youtu.be/SO4dBsBeGMU?si=fBeBjvD85FbWySbA