AIM Wins In Alabama: Lacroix Holds Points Lead, Bunker Has Best Finish

By Phil Nelles, AIM Autosport

The Aim Autosport Formula BMW USA team left Barber Motorsports Park Sunday with rookie driver Kevin Lacroix still leading the overall driver’s championship by one point and teammate rookie driver Rob Bunker jumping to ninth in the standings.

Kevin led flag to flag in Saturday’s race for the win but found trouble in Sunday’s race finishing eighth. Rob had his best weekend of the season with a seventh place finish on Saturday followed by a season high sixth place on Sunday.

Qualifying for Saturday’s race was cancelled due to severe weather and lightning in the area. The starting grid was formed on the basis of Championship Points, thus earning Kevin his first pole of the season, Rob would start eleventh. Sunday’s qualifying saw Kevin starting second and Rob lining up eighth on the grid.

Kevin led wire-to-wire on Saturday in the 30-minute contest completing 14 laps of the 2.3-mile, 16-turn circuit. In taking his fourth victory of the season, he consolidates his lead in overall points and moves back to the lead in the rookie points.

Kevin took charge immediately with Philippe, Robert Wickens, Piscopo and Maxime Soulet filling out the top five in the early laps. Reed Stevens required starting from the rear of the grid, quickly moved into the top-10. He ended the day in sixth place.

On lap six, a crash by Adrien Herberts in turn three brought out the safety car. As the green flag restarted the race on lap 10, Piscopo passed Philippe for second. Robert Wickens slowed with mechanical problems in the final four laps and dropped from fifth to 10th. Tom Sutherland, Stevens, Rob Bunker, Race Johnson and Justin Moon all took advantage of his slowing car and moved up for top-10 finishes.

In holding off Piscopo on the final lap, Kevin set the fastest lap of the race (1:28.503). Rob drove a steady and fast race to come home in seventh place.

In Sunday’s race Kevin started second, but a spin on the third lap dropped him to an eighth-place finish. He now leads Richard Philippe by only one point, while Philippe’s fourth-place finish today moves him to the top of the Rookie Points for the first time this season. Rob started eighth on the grid, had his usual great start and drove a heads up race to come home in a season-best sixth position! This would vault Rob into ninth overall in the standings.