Chaves Exits Vallelunga Doubleheader With Rookie Lead

09/27/2010

American teenager narrowly missed a podium finish in Round 12 of Italian Formula 3 Championship

Gabby Chaves took over the Rookie of the Year lead
with a fourth place finish at Vallelunga.
(Photo: Fotospeedy)

VALLELUNGA, ITALY – American up-and-comer Gabby Chaves further strengthened his chase for top rookie honors in the Italian Formula 3 Championship this past weekend (September 25-26), narrowly missing out on an impressive podium finish at the Autodromo di Vallelunga. The Eurointernational racer overcame contact – finishing 16th - in Round 11 to score a strong fourth place result in Round 12, ensuring he enters the final two events in the competitive junior formula car series leading the Rookie of the Year standings.

Entering the sixth event of the 16-race Italia F3 championship, the goal for Chaves and the Eurointernational squad was to continue development of the Mygale M-10 chassis and earn valuable points towards both the overall and Rookie of the Year championship fights. The highly-rated American teenager promptly showed he was capable of achieving those goals during practice, turning seventh quickest time in both sessions, leading both the rookie and Mygale contingent.

Chaves continued to impress when qualifying on the 2.538-mile Italian road course took place on day later, once again pacing the Mygale and rookie racers with the sixth quickest time, earning a row four starting position.

Given his performances leading up to the start of Round 11, expectations were high for the Eurointernational rookie when race one of the doubleheader got underway on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately things did not go quite as planned, as Chaves was inadvertently struck by his teammate early in the race while behind the safety car, damaging his rear wing. While able to continue, the subsequent handling problems forced the 2009 Formula BMW Americas champion to lose several positions. Chaves however was still poised to earn a top-result, when he was struck a second time by a fellow Rookie of the Year contender on the last lap, sending him off-course into the barriers and a 16th place finish.

Chaves showing the commitment and focus of a rising motorsports star, immediately but the results from the opening race behind him. Returning to the cockpit of his Eurointernational prepared Mygale M-10 entry on Sunday, the talented America used his third place starting position to challenge for top-honors. Leading the rookie and Mygale charge from start-to-finish, Chaves eventually just missed a podium finish by less than three tenths of a second. Chaves as a result of his impressive performance - given the speed advantage the Dallara chassis currently holds - exited the Vallelunga doubleheader leading the Rookie of the Year standings (149-137), and moving up to ninth in the overall championship chase.

Chaves resumes his Italian Formula 3 Championship campaign on October 9-10, when Rounds 13 and 14 are held at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.

Additional information on Gabby Chaves can be obtained from his website at www.GabbyChaves.com
For direct contact, please email gabbyracing@yahoo.com

About Gabby Chaves:

Widely considered one the premier up-and-coming drivers in the junior formula car ranks, Chaves has made a name for himself by winning races and challenging for championship titles. The American first got behind the wheel of a race car at the age of 13, winning a Skip Barber Racing Shoot-out scholarship. In his first full-season of competition, the former Easy Kart, Stars of Karting and Florida Winter Tour champion captured the Colombian Grand Prix Formula Renault 2000 title and finished as the series runner-up in the Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series. Building on this success, Chaves went undefeated in the 2006-07 Skip Barber Regional Southern Series, winning all 10 races. The teenager continued his winning ways one year later, extending his Skip Barber Racing victory streak to 17 consecutive victories, leading the Skip Barber National Series before making the switch to Formula BMW Pacific competition. Last year, Chaves returned to the top of the championship charts, winning the final Formula BMW Americas title with five wins and podium finishes in every race. In 2010, Chaves will race full-time in Europe, competing in the Italian F3 Championship.

Contact: Gabriel Chaves
Prepared by: ProMedia Motorsports PR
Additional photos available upon request 

More news...