Junior Open Wheel Talent

I will be holding a Live Q&A session with Jonathan Summerton Monday night at 8PM EST.  Make sure to join us and ask questions.

Well …the season finale has arrived. Rafa Matos took the pole yesterday, adding one point to his championship lead over Richard Antinucci.

**Disclaimer** This post is updated live, please excuse grammar and spelling lapses.**

The engines have been started….per Atlantics driver Frankie Muniz.

The drivers are on their warm-up laps..ready to go green.

GREEN, GREEN, GREEN…..
contact…
Caution Lap 1
Daniel Herrington lost the car to start the carnage, Battistini and Wade Cunningham are out. Several cars spun trying to avoid Herrington.
~Dyer has jumped up five spots in the first lap. Antinucci lost a few spots, but narrowly missed a serious collision, running 11th.
-lap 4, Herrington into the pits, right rear tire replaced due to flat spot. Clean up is nearing completion.
-Lap 8, back to green.
-J.R. Hildebrand contact with wall in Turn 2…another caution.
-Lap 10, Top five are Matos, Luyendyk Jr, Beatriz, Davidson, Potekhen

-Going back to green on Lap 13
-Bobby Wilson on the move, passing both Gomez and Antinucci
-Luyendyk is right on Matos’s bumper…
-Lap 17, Wilson is right on Beatriz in fourth, allowing Matos and Luyendyk to pull a bit of a gap.
-back in the mid pack…..drivers are really stacked up in traffic.
-Lap 22, Wilson has taken third away from Beatriz, trying for 2nd. Luyendyk blocking.

Lap 26, Matos will win the 2008 Championship.
Antinucci is out….three wide with Guthrie and Pecorari. Antinucci was on the outside, contact with Guthrie forced Antinucci into the wall. Guthrie into the pits. All drivers are okay.

Lap 27-Caution. Top Five: Matos, Luyendyk Jr., ,Wilson, Beatriz, Klein.

Lap 28-Rookie Tom Dyer has moved up to 11th in his Indy Lights oval debut.
Luyendyk has been warned twice by race control for blocking.

Lap 32-Green. Top 3 begin to pull away.
Lap 33-Beatriz takes third back from Wilson. Wilson continues to fall back. Davidson in fourth, Klein into fifth.

Lap 37- Drivers are running three and four wide. Wilson has maintained fifth.
Lap 41- Wilson up to fourth. Davidson fifth, Klein-sixth.
Lap 44-Top three remain unchanged, top five are nose to tail.
Lap 48-It appears Luyendyk is biding his time, running right on Matos’s bumper.
Lap 49-Beatriz is under attack by Wilson again.
Lap 51-Tom Wieringa goes 1 lap down. Gomez up to sixth.
Lap 57-10 laps to go. Top five remain unchanged, Luyendyk Jr. glued to Matos.
Lap 58-Herrington has driven all the way back into the top 10.
Lap 59- 0.447 separates the top 4. Luyendyk takes a look on the outside.

Lap 62-Christina Orr goes down 1 lap.
Lap 63-Tom Dyer spun while running 12th, he was up to 10th earlier in the race.
Caution is out. Nice job by Dyer keeping his car off the wall, right rear is flat.

Lap 64- Looks like Luyendyk will make his move on Matos, should the drivers see Green again.
Lap 65- Drivers will see green for one lap.
Lap 66-Luyendyk take lead, Beatriz follows through, Matos third.
Lap 67-Arie Luyendyk Jr. takes his first Indy Lights Win! (his 62nd start)

Top Ten: Luyendyk Jr., Ana Beatriz, Rafa Matos, Bobby Wilson, James Davidson, Jonathan Klein, Robbie Pecorari, Logan Gomez, Michael Potekhen, James Herrington.

Rafa Matos: 2008 Indy Lights Champion. Team AFS/Andretti-Green

Click here for full results.

Thank you to everyone who followed the live updates on Junior Open Wheel Talent over the weekend in Rock Island. This is truly my favorite event of the year and 2008 was no exception. The weather was absolutely perfect and the spectators were out in force. For those that followed the live posts all weekend or for those looking back at the live blog posts, please excuse any grammar or spelling errors, as the main objective was to get you the updates as soon as possible.

I want to personally thank Roger Ruthart for his endless efforts to make this a successful event year after year. A big thank you to all the corner workers and volunteers this weekend as well, without you this event wouldn’t be possible. I was amazed at the hustle and hard work all weekend, despite the elements and long hours.

Event Preview
Live Blog (Friday Edition)
Live Blog (Saturday Edition)
Live Blog (Sunday Edition)

Here is a link to the 2008 Rock Island Grand Prix Full Results.

See you next year….

9:00 am ~Good morning from Rock Island, the King of the Streets just completed their morning warm-up, with the ICC drivers set for a 9:18 am session. It’s another beautiful day in Illinois, the competitors could not have asked for a better weekend. Last evening I decided to hit up the Blue Cat Pub for dinner and to try some local Rock Island brews. The Travoltas were in town this year as usual, so I made my way there last night to enjoy some live music. The district was full once again with competitors and race fans alike.

The King of the Streets race event is scheduled for a 12:30 pm green flag, while ICC drivers will take their green flag at 2:15 local time. The RIGP is typically very good about maintaining their scheduled times, but you never know. Make sure to check back often for updates.

11:00am~ The driver parade is about to get underway and the fans are lining the fences. The SuperPro (KoS) introductions and autograph session will follow. The weather is absolutely perfect today…., please stay tuned for a 12:30 pm start for the drivers battling for the RIGP crown.

SWE Racing has their Indy Lights car on the grid for display.

12:25 Engines are fired up. The streets are cleared. The drivers are set for their introductions and warm up laps.

Terry Riggins has just announced for drivers to start their engines…. warm up laps have begun.

The field is being set for their standing start….. GREEN GREEN GREEN

Speed and Wiegand through turn one….all drivers make it through clean.

Speed leads with Wiegand in tow…..right on his bumper.
The field is beginning to spread out…lap 3
Lap 4- Cole Mathewson and Crockett battling for fourth
Lap 5- Speed beginning to develop a slight gap, Crockett staying with Wiegand.
Top 4 are running nose to tail.
Kurt Mathewson has pulled off with a rib injury.
Jason Lee fifth
Wiegand is closing on Speed.
Crockett beginning to fall back slightly.
2/10′s seperate Alex and Kyle.
Patrick Malacarne starting to close in ….Jason Lee.
Nick Johnson making the move through the field up to fifth.
Wiegand is right on Speed’s bumper being patient
Crockett and Mathewson are in a heated battle for third.
Lap 12- Alex Speed and Kyle Wiegand in a heated battle pulling away
Mathewson remains on Crockett’s bumper
Nick Johnson closing on the duo, still in fifth.
Nearing the halfway mark…..
Speed looks over his shoulder with Wiegand right on his bumper
Crockett beginning to pull away from Mathewson who runs fourth.
10 laps to go
Speed developed a bit of a gap on Wiegand that lap.
Wiegand is gone….
Speed is running away with it…. something happened to wiegand.
Nick Johnson continues to close on Crockett and Mathewson
I haven’t received what happend on Wiegand….mechanical trouble
7 laps to go….
Wiegand broke his water pump and threw the chain.
Crockett in 2nd… running strong.
Alex Speed is closing on Jonathan Koorsen and Alex Conlin (lap cars)
10 second advantage for Speed….Crockett running close lap times.
Mathewson third
Nick Johnson fourth
Jason Lee fifth
one lap remaining…
Alex Speed is the 2008 King of the Street!
His brother Scott won the race in 2002
Alex Speed is doing his victory lap…..flawless performance.

Alex Speed, Derek Crockett, Cole Mathewson, Nick Johnson….
full results to follow.

Check back later for live updates of the ICC race, Wiegand should be back on track.

2:15 ICC Race

The 125cc Moto class just finished up a Wild race with Rob Pretts taking the victory on the final lap. Pretts has done some tuning/mechanic work for F2000 driver Chris Miller. A nice run by the AMA bike racer. The ICC field is on the pre-grid as they prepare for their race.

Alex Speed will start second to Kyle Wiegand. Speed just won the KoS race, so he will have his eyes set on a top finish to solidify his chances at a Indy Lights test with SWE Racing.

The warm up laps have begun and the field is setting up. A number of drivers going back to back after running the 125cc moto class.

The field is set… GREEN, GREEN, GREEN…..

Speed leads through turn one…..

Derek Crockett takes second from Wiegand…

Wiegand takes second back from Crockett

Lap 4 order remains the same….Collin Lynn in fourth.

Scott Barnes in fifth…order un changed

Alex Conlin in sixth, Nick Johnson in 7th

Speed continues to lead….

The top four are spread out evenly but pulling away from the field…..

Wiegand beginning to improve…

Nick Johnson is out…

Kyle Wiegand has taken the lead.

Wiegand is beginning to pull away from Speed.

Caution in turn one….

Lynn is third, Barnes is in fourth.

Crockett is out….Betts into fifth.

Wiegand continues to lead, Alex Speed is closing in.

Jonathan Koorsen into sixth.

Alex Speed running 3/10′s quicker, on Wiegand’s bumper.

Justin de Sa lost a chain…out.

Wiegand putting in a solid lap…building a small gap.

Kevin Broderick just went a lap down.

The group is spreading out…Wiegand is pulling a bit of a gap on Alex.

Collin Lynn remains in third, Scott Barnes fourth, Zach Betts fifth.

Wiegand is pushing the limit …..touches hay bales.

White Flag….

Speed closing on Wiegand….

Kyle Wiegand wins with Alex Speed right on his bumper.

Stay tuned for full results: Kyle Wiegand, Alex Speed, Collin Lynn, Scott Barnes, Zach Betts (top five).

Thanks for joining us at the Rock this year! Full Results and a weekend wrap up to follow.