Chaves Extends Italian F3 Rookie Lead at Mugello

10/12/2010

Florida teenager led the way among rookie and Mygale racers during Rounds 13 and 14

Gabby Chaves exited the Mugello doubleheader with two more Italian F3 rookie wins. (Photo: Fotospeedy)

MUGELLO, ITALY – American junior formula car rising star Gabby Chaves continued his pursuit of Rookie of the Year honors in the Italian Formula 3 Championship this past weekend (October 9-10), with another strong outing at the Autodromo del Mugello. The Eurointernational racer extended his advantage in the rookie standings, leading both the rookie and Mygale contingents in Rounds 13 and 14 of the highly-competitive European series, finishing an impressive fifth and seventh in the two races.

Right from the first time Chaves got behind the wheel during the Mugello doubleheader, the goal was to beat his fellow first-year racers, while challenging for top honors against drivers piloting the faster Dallara chassis. While things did not go quite accordingly to plan during the opening two practice runs - the highly-rated America teenager battling handling issues early-on – spirits remained high entering the lone qualifying session.

When Chaves returned to the cockpit of his No. 17 Eurointernational Mygale M-10 entry on Saturday, it quickly became apparent he was back up to speed, consistently running among the top-five. When the checkered flag waved, the 2009 Formula BMW Americas champion had posted the sixth best time around the Italian road course, quickest of both the rookie and Mygale drivers, earning a row three starting position for Round 13.

With passing opportunities limited at Mugello, Chaves focused on getting a good launch and avoiding any first-lap incidents when race one of the doubleheader got underway. The Floridian promptly did just that, working his way into the top-five. Holding off any advances from behind until the checkered flag, Chaves further extended his lead in the rookie championship standings as the top rookie and Mygale driver at the stripe.

Lining up P3 for Round 14, the stage was set for another fine outing by the up-and-coming American. While Chaves was unable to hold his place among the top-three come race time, due to the speed advantage the Dallara cars currently enjoy over the Mygale entries, he continued to impress on-lookers, by yet again leading the way among the talented rookie and Mygale contingent. In the end, Chaves added yet another strong top-10 to his European racing resume, giving him a 21-point advantage (182-161) in the Rookie of the Year fight entering the season-finale doubleheader.

Chaves concludes his Italian Formula 3 Championship campaign on October 23-24, with the historic Autodromo Internazionale di Monza hosting Rounds 15-16. The American standout enters the season-finale doubleheader leading the rookie championship and lying ninth in the overall title fight. Prior to the races at Monza, Chaves will test at the historic Italian road course in his F3 car, and test a GP3 Series car at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal with series champion ART Grand Prix.

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

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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 

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