Daniel Erickson | Racing Driver | Official Website | 04-07-2010: F2000CS-8 race - Watkins Glen | Australian : Motorsport : Openwheeler : Formula Ford : F2000

July 4, 2010

Sunday win seals Watkins Glen clean-sweep!

Daniel leads into Turn 1 with 29 other F2000s hot on his tail! Photo by Janice Eakin.

In a breakthrough weekend, Daniel Erickson has backed up his first American F2000 Championship Series win on Saturday with another one today. The second Watkins Glen race was even tougher, though, as Daniel had to fend off Brazilian Victor Carbone, the series pointscore leader, from start to finish. Just 0.837 seconds separated the pair at the chequered flag.

"I got a great start and was able to hold off Victor in the early laps, but my car's handling started to go away midway through the race and he caught me," Daniel said after Sunday's win. "On the last couple of laps we were side-by-side down the back straight, and I had to use the inside line into the chicane to defend my position. But my car was great through the Inner Loop section, so I was able to hold him off."

Daniel leads F2000 Championship pointscore leader Victor Carbone during their tense battle. The Brazilian had to settle for second! Photo by Janice Eakin.

The latest results have vaulted Daniel from equal-13th to sixth in the F2000 Championship pointscore.

Despite missing half of the eight series rounds held so far, he still has a realistic chance of finishing in the top three - or possibly higher. Drivers are allowed to drop their worst two round results, and he is averaging just 1.5 points per round fewer than runaway leader Carbone.

Daniel's Watkins Glen double came in only his second race meeting driving an F2000 'wings and slicks' racing car. Previously he'd raced karts as a teenager, and then Formula Ford racing cars in Australian and Britain. It was also his first experience at the historic 'Glen', which hosted the US Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1961-80.

The Watkins Glen wins come almost exactly a year after another breakthrough: his first overseas race win in Round 13 of the British Formula Ford Championship at Donington Park.

Winners are grinners! Daniel with Quantum Racing owners Wendell Miller (right) and his son Slade. Photo by Janice Eakin.

"I've been rapt with the car and the Quantum Mechanics team all weekend - they did a great job," Daniel said. "This weekend showed that I can win under pressure.

"I want to thank everyone who's supported and encouraged me, from my first kart races. It's only with their help that I've achieved successes like these two wins, which are really important to my prospects of progressing further in motor racing."

Daniel's next scheduled races will be at the F2000 Championship rounds at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut, in three weeks' time (July 24-25). However, his participation in the championship remains a round-by-round proposition as he and his family battle to raise the necessary finance to enable him to continue racing.