Bobby Kelley adds National Class podium in his USF2000 Debut

SEBRING, Fla. – Luigi Biangardi made the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda paddock stand up and take notice that the Chicago native and his ArmsUp Motorsports team are going to be a force to reckon with in 2012 by setting the fastest time in three different sessions.  Biangardi put his No. 15 Inject-It/Gulfstream Properties/Slick Locks/Chicago Indoor car on pole for the opening round of the USF2000 Championship during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.  The pole was both his and ArmsUp’s first in the USF2000 Championship.  After being crashed out of race one Biangardi was forced to start from 35th on the grid for race two and put in a spirited drive to ninth in the ten-lap affair.  ArmsUp Motorsports’ National class driver Bobby Kelley added to the successful weekend by scoring a third and fifth in his USF2000 Championship debut.

The USF2000 Championship Series 2012 season opened with two official practice sessions and Biangardi was immediately close to the sharp end of the grid running third and sixth in the two sessions. Kelley also started off strong running fourth and third in the lead up to qualifying.

When qualifying rolled around Biangardi and the ArmsUp squad were feeling pretty confident. That confidence was rewarded with Biangardi storming to the pole with a lap of 2:03.917 making him the only USF2000 car to break the 2:04 barrier in the session.  Not to be outdone Kelley, the Mazda Road to Indy Scouting Combine winner, put his No. 59 Van Diemen second on the National class grid.

After the emotional high of qualifying, ArmsUp faced disappointment after the start of the race one when Biangardi was taken out by another competitor in the first corner of the race. The crash was a double hit for Biangardi because in the USF2000 series your starting position for race two is determined by your fastest lap of race one. This rule would force Biangardi to start from near shotgun on the field for the second race.  Bobby Kelley was able to carry the flag for ArmsUp Motorsports in the National class by scoring a third place finish in his first professional car race.

The damage to Biangardi’s Van Diemen was pretty substantial forcing the ArmsUp crew to work into the early morning to finish repairs.  Biangardi rewarded his team’s effort by immediately going back to P1 in the morning warm-up, which was also the fastest lap of the weekend for a USF2000 Championship series car.  The 15-year-old backed up his warm-up effort by putting on a passing clinic in race two moving from 35th to ninth in a race that had two full course cautions.  In the National class Kelley also had a strong race, jumping into the lead as the green flag waived.  A mid race spin thwarted a chance at victory but Kelley kept pushing making his way back to a fifth place finish.

"Overall, I believe ArmsUp and I made a statement this weekend with a pole position for race one and consistently being on the top of the time sheets,” Biangardi commented after the weekend.  “It is unfortunate that we were taken out of the first race, but the team did an unbelievable job putting all four corners of the car back together. When we got back on the track the next morning the car felt identical to the day before and I was immediately capable of getting back to the top of the time sheets in warm-up.  We proved our speed yet again by making our way from 35th position all the way up to 9th within the limited 6 laps of green flag racing in race two.  I look forward to carrying our ever-growing momentum into St. Pete where we will be looking for even better results."

“I could not be happier with our group this week,” ArmsUp owner Gregg Borland said after the event. “Luigi did an amazing job.  He was quick from the word go and his qualifying run was nothing short of impressive. Bobby also did a great job, he had a great approach to the weekend and without one slight mistake probably could have won race two.  Our crew did a great job and we are looking forward to carrying this momentum into St.Pete next weekend”

ArmsUp Motorsports and Luigi Biangardi are back on track next week at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.   Biangardi will be new to St. Pete but not to street racing. The Inject-It backed driver scored his career best finish on the streets of Baltimore last year coming home in fourth. Biangardi will be the only driver under the tent as Kelley had a one race deal and James Dayson, who was previously announced for the National Class, has been sidelined by a concussion.  Be sure to follow all the action with live timing and scoring at www.USF2000.com.

 Formed in 1995, ArmsUp Motorsports is one of the premier SCCA Formula Continental race teams, winning the SCCA National Championship in 2011. Based in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin ArmsUp Motorsports is a full service prep shop for USF2000, Formula Continental, Formula Atlantic, and Vintage racing cars.  For more information please visit the official ArmsUp website at www.ArmsUpMotorsports.com.