United States Formula Three Championship

U.S. Formula 3 Championship
Category Formula Three
Country United States, Canada
Inaugural season 2000
Folded 2001
Constructors Dallara, Ralt
Engine suppliers Volkswagen
Tyre suppliers Avon
Last Drivers' champion Brazil Luciano Gomide
Last Teams' champion Italy EuroInternational

The United States Formula Three Championship was a short-lived Formula Three championship contested in the United States and Canada. Sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America,[1] the series lasted for two seasons, 2000 and 2001. All teams used Volkswagen engines tuned by Bertils Racing Engines.[2]

The series was plagued by low car counts; no more than 6 cars contested races in the inaugural season. In 2001, fields were bolstered by Formula Ford, Formula Continental, and even Sports 2000 and historic Formula 5000 cars, as no race had more than 3 Formula Three cars on the grid. 14 of the series' 19 races were won by Brazilian driver Luciano Gomide. A 2002 season was planned with 13 races, including a doubleheader supporting the 2002 United States Grand Prix, but was ultimately cancelled.[3]

2000 season

The 2000 season was contested over 11 races at 6 race meetings. The schedule initially included two oval races at Indianapolis Raceway Park and Irwindale Speedway, but these were later cancelled.[4][5] The round at San Diego was a joint race with the Mexican Formula Three Championship, although the Mexican series ran with older, slower machinery.[6] Stuart Crow won the championship by 5 points over Luciano Gomide. Gomide joined the series after the first 4 rounds, and won pole and the race at the final 7 events on the calendar.

Schedule and results

Rnd Date Track Location Pole position Fastest race lap Race winner Winning team
1 June 24 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit United States Hallett, Oklahoma United States Stuart Crow United States Stuart Crow United States Adam Andretti Duesenberg Racing
2 June 25 United States Adam Andretti United States Stuart Crow United States Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing
3 July 7 Memphis Motorsports Park United States Millington, Tennessee United States Stuart Crow United States Stuart Crow United States Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing
4 July 8 United States Stuart Crow United States Stuart Crow United States Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing
5 August 19 Circuit Ste-Croix Canada Sainte-Croix, Quebec Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
6 August 20 Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
7 August 27 Watkins Glen International United States Watkins Glen, New York Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— September 22 Indianapolis Raceway Park United States Clermont, Indiana Race cancelled
8 October 14 Sears Point Raceway United States Sonoma, California Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
9 October 15 Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— October 28 Irwindale Speedway United States Irwindale, California Race cancelled
10 November 4 Streets of San Diego United States San Diego, California Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
11 November 5 Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
[7]

Points standings

Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 20 15 12 10 8 6 4 3 2 1

One bonus point was also awarded to the driver completing the fastest lap during the race.

Pos Driver Team Chassis HAL MEM STC WGL SPT SDG Pts
1 United States Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing Ralt F3/2000 5 1 1 1 3 5 2 3 5 2 4 152
2 Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational Dallara F399 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 147
3 United States Adam Andretti Duesenberg Racing Dallara F399 1 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 2 6 DNS 129
4 United States George Frazier EuroInternational Dallara F399 3 4 5 2 2 2 4 5 3 4 2 122
5 United States Skip Weld Weldsports Dallara F399 2 5 4 4 5 4 5 4 DNS 5 3 99
6 United States Paul Jenkins Pilette Speed Tradition Dallara F399 4 3 DNS 6 4 38
7 Sweden Robert Skollenskog Pilette Speed Tradition Dallara F399 2 5 15
8 Brazil Marcelo Gaffoglio Pilette Speed Tradition Dallara F399 3 DNS 12
9 United States David Rosenblum Weldsports Dallara F399 6 6 6
[8]

2001 season

An initial 13-race calendar was announced for the 2001 season,[9] however after losing their financial backing,[10] the series was re-arranged to a 15-race schedule with the addition of more rounds in Canada.[11] With low car counts eminent, the series considered using Formula Super Vee cars as a "Class B",[12] but instead Formula Ford and Formula Continental cars filled out fields. No more than three Formula 3 cars participated in any race; five of the nine races were contested only by the EuroInternational teammates Luciano Gomide and John C. Antonio. Gomide won all but one race and took the championship title.

Initial schedule

Date Track
April 22 United States Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
May 20 Canada Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
June 10 United States Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
June 30/July 1 Canada Quebec City Street Course, Quebec City, Quebec
July 8 TBA
September 23 TBA
October 27/28 United States Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California
November 3/4 United States Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
November United States Streets of San Diego, San Diego, California
[9]

Schedule and results

Rnd Date Track Location Pole position Race winner Winning team
1 May 20 Mosport Park Canada Bowmanville, Ontario Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
2 June 24 Mosport Park Canada Bowmanville, Ontario Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
3 July 29 Watkins Glen International United States Watkins Glen, New York Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— August 5 Circuit Trois-Rivières Canada Trois-Rivières, Quebec Race cancelled
4 August 19 Mosport Park Canada Bowmanville, Ontario Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— September 1 Circuit Ste-Croix Canada Sainte-Croix, Quebec Race cancelled
— September 2
5 September 1 Mosport Park Canada Bowmanville, Ontario United States John C. Antonio Race abandoned
6 September 2 ? Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— September 16 Pocono Raceway United States Long Pond, Pennsylvania Race cancelled due to the September 11 attacks
7 September 22 Circuit Mont-Tremblant Canada Mont-Tremblant, Quebec Brazil Luciano Gomide Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
8 September 23 United States John C. Antonio Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
9 October 21 Watkins Glen International United States Watkins Glen, New York United States John C. Antonio United States John C. Antonio EuroInternational
— October 27 Sears Point Raceway United States Sonoma, California Race cancelled
— October 28
— November 3 Las Vegas Motor Speedway United States Las Vegas, Nevada Race cancelled
— November 4
[13]

Points standings

Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1
Pos Driver Team Chassis MOS MOS WGL MOS MOS MTB WGL Pts
1 Brazil Luciano Gomide EuroInternational Dallara F399 1 1 1 1 NC 1 1 1 8 70
2 United States John C. Antonio EuroInternational Dallara F399 2 2 2 DNS NC 2 2 2 1 46
3 United States Paul Dana Bertils Racing Engines Dallara F399 2 6
4= United States B. J. Zacharias Olsson Engineering Dallara F399 3 4
4= Canada Jacek Mucha Orion Ralt F3/2000 NC 3 4
[14]

References

  1. ↑ "SCCA Pro Racing to sanction U.S. Formula Three". Press release. 18 August 1999. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  2. ↑ Örnerdal, Stefan, ed. (11 August 2010). "Formula 3 2000 Championship Tables". Formula2.net. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "2002 USF3 tentative schedule". Press release. 5 December 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "US-F3 Schedule Announced". Press release. 10 December 1999. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "Irwindale event cancelled". Press release. 17 September 2000. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "Largest filed heads to San Diego GP". Press release. 31 October 2000. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  7. ↑ Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Race Calendar: US Formula 3 - Season 2000". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  8. ↑ Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Complete quali- and race-results: US Formula 3 - Season 2000". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  9. 1 2 "US-F3 2001 race schedule". Press release. 4 December 2000. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "Series looses backing". 8 February 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  11. ↑ "United States Formula Three 2001 schedule". Press release. 21 June 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "USF3 to consider Super Vee as 'Group B'". 11 January 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  13. ↑ Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Race Calendar: US Formula 3 - Season 2001". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  14. ↑ Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Complete quali- and race-results: US Formula 3 - Season 2001". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
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