Megenbier showcases talent with incredible drive on streets of Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MD – As a first-year two-liter operation, Sick Tea Racing certainly made it’s mark on the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda series. The new team ended its highly successful inaugural season of competition this past weekend (September 3-4), experiencing both the highs and lows of motorsports at the Baltimore Grand Prix. While rising American talent Timmy Megenbier never got the chance to showcase his talents in Round 11 after getting caught up in a multi-car incident turn one, the Illinois racer ended the season with a superb drive in Round 12, earning another Tilton Hard Charger Award with a seventh place (fourth in class) result.
The first year team has increasingly made their presence felt within the USF2000 National Championship, repeatedly challenging the more experienced multi-car squads for places at the front of the field. As a result, Megenbier was looking forward to taking to the brand new Baltimore street circuit on Friday morning. Unfortunately, the former Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup champion was forced to wait until after the lunch break to roll on-course due to track repairs following Hurricane Irene. When the action did get underway, Megenbier made the most of the shortened session, placing the No. 17 Caputo Cheese/Rahal Foods backed Van Diemen-Mazda fourth on the timesheets. That, however, was the lone outing prior to race one of the doubleheader, as qualifying was canceled, resulting in the current point standings being used to determine the grid for Round 11.
Given the pace that Megenbier had shown in day one, the Sick Tea Racing rookie was poised to charge his way forward from his seventh place starting position when the green flag waved on Saturday afternoon. It was not be unfortunately, as when the field reached turn one, chaos ensued, when multiple cars contacted one another. Megenbier was among the long list of racers who saw their races end before they had really begun. In addition to not getting the opportunity showcase his apparent speed around the bumpy and demanding the street circuit, the result meant the American would commence race two from 17th place on the grid.
Megenbier put the disappointment of the opening affair in Baltimore behind him when he returned action on Sunday morning. When the green flag waved for Round 12 in front of a large crowd, the Sick Tea Racing standout was immediately on the move. Lap after lap, Megenbier displayed both the pace that had him at the front of the field in practice. By the half way mark he was up to sixth place when he got a puncture in his left front tire during a yellow. Megenbier was forced to pit to change the tire dropping him to 15th for the green/white restart. In just one lap, he went from 15th to finish seventh overall and fourth in the Championship class. Megenbier showed the racecraft of a potential champion, advancing up the timing charts. While Megenbier ultimately did not have the laps necessary to challenge for his rightfully place in the top-five, he did earn his fifth Tilton Hard Charger Award this season. With his ninth top-10 result, Megenbier ends his rookie USF2000 National Championship campaign sixth in the title chase. In the season-ending awards banquet, the Sick Tea Racing rookie was further honored, earning the Hard Charger of the Year award.
“Looking back at the 2011 season it has been a great learning experience,” added the talented American. “Coming from limited open-wheel competition to the pro ranks definitely resulted in lots of up and downs, but we worked through them and got better and better as the season progressed. While nothing is finalized, I’m already looking forward to racing in 2012.”
Sick Tea Racing ends its inaugural season of junior formula car competition having demonstrated it has all the tools necessary to regularly challenge for top honors. A fifth place result in the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda Team standings is just the first step on the road to on-going success.