Summarize

South Africa’s Julian van der Watt enjoyed mixed results in the weekends US Formula 1600 series triple-header at Mid-Ohio over the weekend. The South African Investchem Formula 1600 champion qualified thirteenth and drove up to fifth and eighth in the opening races Friday and Saturday before being punted out of fifth midway into Sunday’s final race, recovering and coming home fourteenth.

“Friday and Saturday were awesome,” Julian from Camps Bay, Cape Town recapped. “The weekend started well with fifth in practice, but we got the set-up a little wrong in qualifying and I started thirteenth for the first two races. “The car was so strong in the races though and I climbed up to fifth on Friday afternoon’s first race and finished eighth on Saturday, so I was really happy with that — both were awesome races!

“Sunday was looking good too — I started fifth and I was running fifth with the pace to possibly make it on to the podium, but Kaylen Frederick punted me into a spin at Turn Four just after the halfway mark and dropped down the pack. “Such a pity because that would have rounded off a great weekend so well, but that’s racing, as they say! “I need to thank Team Pelfrey for a brilliant car as always — it was a good weekend overall.

“We’ve moved back up to eighth in the overall championship and I am fifth among the rookies in spite of that patch of really bad luck in the middle of the season. “We have four races left to race — two more at Portland, Oregon end-August and the final two at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit late in September, so I have the chance to improve my championship lot — bring it on!”