2020 Schedule Decided

The Monoposto Board has set the 2020 schedule. In summary, it is a copy of the 2019 schedule, except that the dates have changed and there is now one weekend with dueling events. Our events are spread through the year from April and May to November, with September featuring three events on three consecutive weekends. The schedule gives each competitor 9 events (Indy Lights, 7 events) to choose from to garner championship points. As in prior years, the champions will be selected on the basis of their results in their best 10 races. These races can be from 5 or more events.

The 2020 schedule:

• HSR Mitty, 4/23-26/20, Indy Lights only

• HMSA/HSR Barber, 5/15-17/20, all classes

• VARAC Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, 6/18-21/20, all but Indy Lights

• SVRA Indianapolis, 6/17-21/20, all classes

• HMSA/HSR Mont Tremblant, 7/9-12/20, all classes

• Road America WIC, 7/23-26/20, all but Indy Lights

• VSCDA Grattan, 8/14-16/20, all but Indy Lights

• SVRA Watkins Glen, 9/9-13/20, all classes

• VSCDA, Road America, 9/18-20/20, all but Indy Lights

• SVRA VIR, 9/24-27/20, all classes

• SVRA COTA, 11/5-8/20, all classes

The announcement of Monoposto's 2020 schedule is a good opportunity to set your racing plans for next year. Remember that to receive a trophy, champions need to have participated in three race weekends so planning ahead can yield real benefits.

Finally, it's time to get busy preparing your car and equipment for 2020. Seat belts and HANS devices have finite certification periods and 2020 is another 5-year Snell Foundation helmet certification milestone so pay particular attention to these safety items.

Travis Engen

President, Monoposto Racing

Announcing 2019 Champions

2019 Champions Will Receive a Trophy Like This

2019 Monoposto season ended at the Circuit of the Americas and champions have been crowned in eight classes. They are as follows:

• Formula Junior – Doug Elcomb

• Formula Vee – Arnie Carbaugh

• Historic Formula Ford – Dan Cowdrey

• Club Ford – Mark Clark

• Formula B – Travis Engen

• Formula Atlantic – Josh Boller

• F5000 – Mike Winn

• Indy Lights – Travis Engen

Some of these champions are first-time winners and others have won in previous years. While it's wonderful to celebrate these champions it's worth noting that in three of our classes no driver participated enough to be crowned a champion. The Monoposto announcement the 2020 schedule will be a good opportunity to set your racing plans for next year. Remember that drivers need to have participated in three race weekends so planning ahead can yield real benefits.

The 2020 Monoposto schedule will be set shortly after we are able to secure the schedules for each of the sanctioning organizers on which we usually base our event selections. In addition to participation levels and choosing events that reflect the locations of our members, for the last few years we have been trying to have all of our championship classes compete at all of our events. (This seems to really build participation and camaraderie.) Please email me if you have suggestions for the 2020 schedule.

Finally, it's time to get busy preparing your car and equipment for 2020. Seat belts and HANS devices have finite certification periods and 2020 is another 5 year Snell Foundation helmet certification milestone so pay particular attention to these safety items.

Travis Engen

President, Monoposto Racing

The Monoposto Season Ends Next Weekend

Formula Juniors in 2014. Photo courtesy of George McClure

After 10 events at 9 tracks the Monoposto season ends next weekend. The Circuit of the Americas doesn't have as long a history as the other tracks on the 2019 schedule, but it has many special features. CoTA was designed specifically as a venue for Formula 1 and will host the 2019 US Grand Prix in about a month.

The track has some really interesting characteristics from the challenging turn one with over 130 feet of elevation gain and narrows down significantly as you go through it. The stretch between turns three to ten is a real rhythm section. Your ability to balance your car through the turns 13 to 15 section can really pay off. The high-speed sweeper that starts coming out of turn 15 and ends with turn 19 will challenge you every lap as your tires age and the track evolves.

But while acknowledging all the challenges of the track, for me the best part of racing at CoTA is found off the track watching the Formula 1 race. Seeing cars racing at CoTA or watching the in-car video is a much richer experience if you have been on the track. You know that some sections that look challenging are straightforward and other parts that look simple are really challenging. Reading about this or hearing it on TV will never be as good as capturing the experience yourself so come to the last Monoposto event of 2019. Who knows, while there you might even lock up one of our 11 championships.

Following the precedent of the last few years there will not be a Monoposto party at CoTA. The schedule continues to be too full of on and off-track activities and, with race cars paddocked in three different areas around the track, our previous attempts to host parties just haven't worked out. If this creates some free time for you, take the opportunity to visit downtown Austin, billed as the Live Music Capital of the World.

Travis Engen

President,

Monoposto Racing