FBMW Americas: Chaves Sweeps Mexican Season-Opener

03/22/2009

Gabby Chaves led every lap of the season-opening doubleheader in a EuroInternational entry. (Photo: Formula BMW Americas) Gabby Chaves had about as good a weekend as a race car driver can hope for as the 2009 Formula BMW Americas Championships opened this weekend in Puebla, Mexico. Chaves, piloting a EuroInternational entry, won poles for both events and never trailed in either race, again going wire-to-wire to win Sunday’s Round Two at the 2.09-mile Miguel E. Abed road course. Starting from pole position, Chaves made a strong launch from the standing start to hold off his EuroInternational teammate Giancarlo Vilarinho heading into the first turn, then inherited a large cushion when Vilarinho suffered a mechanical problem at the halfway point. Gianmarco Raimondo earned a solid second place, but could not challenge the Colombian-American Chaves, who won by 4.898 seconds. Raimondo came from fifth on the grid to score his first podium of the season, getting past his Team Autotecnica teammate Alex Ellis and Jensen MotorSport’s Freddy Zebede in the first two laps to slip into third. He climbed to second on lap seven when Vilarinho retired, and built a solid advantage over the battle for third place, that was eventually claimed by his stablemate Ellis. Ellis made a strong late-race run to score his first Formula BMW Americas podium finish, slipping past Team apex's James Kovacic in turn 14 on the last lap of the race to score third. Kovacic was promoted to third on lap seven, and held Ellis at bay for the next seven orbits of the Puebla road circuit, and seemingly had the spot clinched, when Ellis fell off the pace with three laps to go. But the Canadian stormed back to close the gap and sealed the deal on the last lap, running the fastest lap of the race to do it. Kovacic held on for fourth and is second in the point standings after two races, while Daniel Vela finished fifth for the second straight race. The series will be back in action on the final weekend of April as the Formula BMW Americas Championship heads to Virginia International Raceway on April 24-26. Additional coverage from Mexico is available in the official discussion thread HERE. Formula BMW Americas Round #2 - Race 1 Results March 22, 2009 Autodromo Miguel E. Abed - Puebla, Mexico Pos. Driver Team Diff. Fast Time 1. Gabby Chaves EuroInternational - 1:36.209 2. Gianmarco Raimondo Team Autotecnica 4.898 1:36.278 3. Alex Ellis Team Autotecnica 10.629 1:36.040 4. James Kovacic Team Apex 12.378 1:36.799 5. Daniel Vela EuroInternational 16.510 1:36.738 6. Freddy Zebede Jensen MotorSport 32.046 1:37.483 7. Joao Victor Horto Team Apex 32.794 1:37.231 8. Michael Lewis EuroInternational 50.214 1:36.143 9. Wilson Philippe Euro Junior Team 57.677 1:39.284 10. Robert Garcia Robali Motorsports 1:19.912 1:39.005 11. Giancarlo Vilarinho EuroInternational 8 Laps 1:36.879 12. Martin Sala Team Apex 8 Laps 1:37.785 DQ Barrett Mertins Jensen MotorSport 59.261 1:37.858

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