2002 Sebring International Raceway - Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship

The 2002 Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship is an open-wheel series for Formula 2000 race cars. The series receives generous support from the Ford Motor Company, Avon Tires, Sunoco Racing Fuels and Racing Electronics.

The championship consists of thirteen races contested on road courses and ovals. The season begins in March with a doubleheader at Sebring International Raceway. In May, the teams travel north of the border for a doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway. A week later, the series conducts its first oval event of the year at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Next on the calendar are rounds six and seven at the Milwaukee Mile, another oval. Then the series makes the first of two stops at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Six weeks later, teams return to Mid-Ohio for rounds nine and ten. The penultimate weekend of racing is conducted a Road Atlanta during the Petit Le Mans event. The season ends with a doubleheader at Virginia International Raceway.

The cars competing in the series are single-seat, rear-engine, open-wheel vehicles constructed with a tube frame chassis. Manufacturers producing series chassis include Carbir, Mygale, Tatuus and the most common choice, Van Diemen. The suspensions are independent – both front and rear. Shock absorbers and sway bars are adjustable. A four-speed, non-synchro gearbox is used. Sequential transmissions are not permitted. The cars compete on a spec tire from Avon and use a spec fuel provided by Sunoco.

There are two championships:

Zetec Championship – This category is for newer cars with the Ford Zetec engine. Competitors score points on road courses and ovals to secure the championship. The Zetec powerplant is a 2.0-liter fuel injected double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder motor, producing approximately 160-horsepower at 6,800-rpm.
American Continental Championship – This category is for cars built from 1990 to 1999. This class was introduced to provide an economical means for drivers and teams to enter the series. These 1,190-lbs formula cars are powered by a 2.0-liter Ford NEA engine fitted with a single Weber DGV carburetor. At 6,200-rpm, the motors produce approximately 150-horsepower.

Titles are also on the line for Chassis Manufacturers, Engine Builders and Teams.

The opening weekend of the 2002 Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship was a doubleheader race held at Sebring International Raceway. Drivers would compete on the legendary seventeen-turn 3.7-mile road course.

Bryan Sellers, driving the No. 3 Yes Network / 3-D Services Van Diemen RF02, qualified on the pole for the opening round of the 2002 Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship. In Thursday’s contest, all the action was behind him, which allowed Sellers to go flag-to-flag for the victory. In finale, he started on the outside of the front row. He would fall to fourth place but eventually earned the final spot on the podium.

Gridded in the fifth starting place for race one was Jeff Jones. Jones raced the No. 2 Jones Chemical Van Diemen RF02. On the opening lap of the first race, Jones moved into fourth place and held the position to the checkered flag. In the qualifying session for race two, he recorded the fastest time. Like his fellow Cape Motorsports teammate, Bryan Sellers, he would never lose the top spot and grab the victory.

The winner of three rounds last year, Tonis Kasemets, returned to the series driving the No.9 MK Industries/FlexOvit Van Diemen RF02. In qualifying for the first race of 2002, he posted the third-fastest time. Kasemets moved into second on lap-2 but lost the position to Travis Irving. Seven circuits, he retook the place and finished second. The following day Kasemets started ninth and finished sixth.

Miami’s Anthony Massari piloted the No. 7 JDC MotorSports Van Diemen RF01. Massari was fourth fastest in the qualifying session for race one. On the opening lap of the first contest, he pulled off course at turn thirteen but charged back for a thirteenth place finish. Friday’s contest was an opportunity for Massari to redeem himself and he did. Massari moved into second on lap-8 and held the position to the finish.

Travis Irving started his 2002 campaign by qualifying second fastest for race one of the championship. Irving drove the No. 85 Van Diemen RF02 with backing from Great Central Transportation. Irving would battle with Tonis Kasemets during the opening lap and lose a position to finish third. He ended the weekend with a poor qualifying effort and started eleventh on the grid but advanced to a seventh-place finish.

The American Continental Championship category for older cars was poorly subscribed. There were only two entries. The No. 12 Butler Van Diemen of Doug Smith started twenty-fifth overall on Thursday and collected the class win. The following day the victory went to Michael Floyd in the No. 45 Memorial Motorcars Van Diemen, who qualified twenty-fifth overall and finished in the seventeenth position.

FINISH	START	CLASS	DRIVER	ENTRANT	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	1	F2A	Bryan Sellers	3 Dimensional Services / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
2	3	F2A	Tonis Kasemets	MK Ind/Flexovit/TMITAC.com / Van Diemen RF01	13	-
3	2	F2A	Travis Irving	Great Central Transport / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
4	5	F2A	Jeff Jones	Jones Chemical / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
5	7	F2A	Sean McIntosh	Kimnac Carstar/PPG / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
6	12	F2A	Mark Wilkins	TrizecHahn/Multimatic / Van Diemen RF01	13	-
7	14	F2A	Ricardo Imery	Cavenas de Venezuela / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
8	8	F2A	Luis Schiavo	Asfaltadora Maracay / Van Diemen RF01	13	-
9	15	F2A	Andy Brumbaugh	Van Diemen International / Van Diemen RF01	13	-
10	6	F2A	Bobby Wilson	Green-Keeper / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
11	9	F2A	Scott Jenkins	Green-Keeper / Van Diemen	13	-
12	20	F2A	J.W. Urlin	Budget Rent A Car / Mygale US-02	13	-
13	4	F2A	Anthony Massari	JDC Motor Sports / Van Diemen RF01	13	-
14	10	F2A	Matthew McDonough	TASC Technical Services / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
15	22	F2A	Scott Rubenzer	StorageBatSys/TrojanBatCo. / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
16	13	F2A	Edouard Aubé	PATTISON / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
17	18	F2A	David Burkett	Paragon Products / Van Diemen	13	-
18	17	F2A	Josh Schreiber	John Walko Racing / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
19	23	F2A	Steve Thomson	Justice Brothers / Van Diemen	13	-
20	16	F2A	Lawson Aschenbach	King Automotive / Van Diemen RF02	13	-
21	21	F2A	David Clarke	Cape Motorsports / Van Diemen RF01	13	-
22	25	ACC	Doug Smith	Butler / Van Diemen	12	-
23	24	ACC	Michael Floyd	Memorial 1 Motorcars / Van Diemen	12	-
24	11	F2A	Tom Dyer	CycleShack/Menards /Van Diemen RF02	11	Accident

FINISH	START	CLASS	DRIVER	ENTRANT	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	1	F2A	Jeff Jones	Jones Chemical / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
2	3	F2A	Anthony Massari	JDC Motor Sports / Van Diemen RF01	11	-
3	2	F2A	Bryan Sellers	3 Dimensional Services / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
4	8	F2A	Bobby Wilson	Green-Keeper / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
5	4	F2A	Mark Wilkins	TrizecHahn/Multimatic / Van Diemen RF01	11	-
6	9	F2A	Tonis Kasemets	MK Ind/Flexovit/TMITAC.com / Van Diemen RF01	11	-
7	11	F2A	Travis Irving	Great Central Transport / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
8	12	F2A	Sean McIntosh	Kimnac Carstar/PPG / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
9	13	F2A	Matthew McDonough	TASC Technical Services / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
10	5	F2A	Luis Schiavo	Asfaltadora Maracay / Van Diemen RF01	11	-
11	15	F2A	Edouard Aubé	PATTISON / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
12	16	F2A	J.W. Urlin	Budget Rent A Car / Mygale US-02	11	-
13	18	F2A	Scott Rubenzer	StorageBatSys/TrojanBatCo. / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
14	23	F2A	David Clarke	Cape Motorsports / Van Diemen RF01	11	-
15	22	F2A	David Burkett	Paragon Products / Van Diemen	11	-
16	20	F2A	Josh Schreiber	John Walko Racing / Van Diemen RF02	11	-
17	25	ACC	Michael Floyd	Memorial 1 Motorcars / Van Diemen	9	Did Not Finish
18	24	ACC	Doug Smith	Butler / Van Diemen	9	Did Not Finish
19	21	F2A	Steve Thomson	Justice Brothers / Van Diemen	8	Did Not Finish
20	6	F2A	Lawson Aschenbach	King Automotive / Van Diemen RF02	6	Did Not Finish
21	10	F2A	Scott Jenkins	Green-Keeper / Van Diemen	6	Did Not Finish
22	7	F2A	Tom Dyer	CycleShack/Menards /Van Diemen RF02	6	Did Not Finish
23	14	F2A	Andy Brumbaugh	Van Diemen International / Van Diemen RF01	0	Accident
24	17	F2A	Ricardo Imery	Cavenas de Venezuela / Van Diemen RF02	0	Accident

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