Sheboygan, WI - In the first and only triple-header race weekend of the season, the ArmsUp Motorsports team faced their share of adversity to earn the team's first top-five finish of 2013 in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. Sharing a weekend with the complete Mazda Road to Indy, the USF2000 drivers competed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with the Pro Mazda Championship, Firestone Indy Lights and the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Weather conditions hampered Race 1, resulting in eight of the competitors having off-track excursions, including AUM's Felipe Donato. Although less than three laps of the 13-lap race were run under green conditions, remaining ArmsUp drivers Tim Paul and James Dayson gained a total of twelve positions in the 28-car field.
USF2000 Race 2 was hosted under sunny and dry weather conditions, allowing the field of young racers to have 18 green laps of racing during the 20-lap race. Relatively inexperienced on the legendary course, the drivers raced consistently. Donato started sixth but after a spin out, found himself down to 24th. Undeterred, he worked his way up to 18th before the checker flag. Paul climbed several positions before pitting for a safety check with 20 minutes remaining on the clock. He rejoined to finish in 26th. Dayson finished third in the National class, gaining two positions overall.
On Lap One of Race 3, a spin out at the front of the field caused an 11 car pileup. Donato and Dayson avoided the carnage but Paul was caught up, forcing him to retire from the race with damage. Donato went on to finish fifth after starting eighth, earning the team the highest finishing result of the year. Dayson gained eleven positions, starting 27th to finish 16th, also earning his seventh second-place finish this year.
Rounds 11 and 12 will take place September 6-7 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with GRAND-AM Road Racing.
Results Race 1, Round 8, Starting Position in Parenthesis
15th (S23)Timothy Paul, Mount Kisco, NY
22nd, 2nd in class (S27) James Dayson Vancouver, BC, Canada
28th (DNS) Felipe Donato Sao Paulo, Brazil
Results Race 2, Round 9
18th (S6) Felipe Donato Sao Paulo, Brazil
25th, 3rd in class (S27) James Dayson Vancouver, BC, Canada
26th, (S22) Timothy Paul Mount Kisco, NY
Results Race 3, Round 10
5th (S8)Felipe Donato Sao Paulo, Brazil
16th, 2nd in class (S27) James Dayson Vancouver, BC, Canada
27th (DNS) Timothy Paul Mount Kisco, NY
About ArmsUp Motorsports Based in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, ArmsUp Motorsports is a full service prep shop for Formula Continentals, Formula Atlantics, and Vintage racing cars. The team just celebrated their first Vintage race win of the season at Road America Road Course. For more information please visit the official ArmsUp website at www.ArmsUpMotorsports.com.