United States Formula Three Championship

The United States Formula Three Championship was a short-lived Formula Three championship contested in the United States and Canada. Sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America,[1] the series lasted for two seasons, 2000 and 2001. All teams used Volkswagen engines tuned by Bertils Racing Engines.[2]

U.S. Formula 3 Championship
CategoryFormula Three
CountryUnited States, Canada
Inaugural season2000
Folded2001
ConstructorsDallara, Ralt
Engine suppliersVolkswagen
Tyre suppliersAvon
Last Drivers' champion Luciano Gomide
Last Teams' champion EuroInternational

The series was plagued by low car counts; no more than 6 cars contested races in the inaugural season. In 2001, fields were bolstered by Formula Ford, Formula Continental, and even Sports 2000 and historic Formula 5000 cars, as no race had more than 3 Formula Three cars on the grid. 14 of the series' 19 races were won by Brazilian driver Luciano Gomide. A 2002 season was planned with 13 races, including a doubleheader supporting the 2002 United States Grand Prix, but was ultimately cancelled.[3]

2000 season

The 2000 season was contested over 11 races at 6 race meetings. The schedule initially included two oval races at Indianapolis Raceway Park and Irwindale Speedway, but these were later cancelled.[4][5] The round at San Diego was a joint race with the Mexican Formula Three Championship, although the Mexican series ran with older, slower machinery.[6] Stuart Crow won the championship by 5 points over Luciano Gomide. Gomide joined the series after the first 4 rounds, and won pole and the race at the final 7 events on the calendar.

Schedule and results
Rnd Date Track Location Pole position Fastest race lap Race winner Winning team
1 June 24 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Stuart Crow Stuart Crow Adam Andretti Duesenberg Racing
2 June 25 Adam Andretti Stuart Crow Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing
3 July 7 Memphis Motorsports Park Millington, Tennessee Stuart Crow Stuart Crow Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing
4 July 8 Stuart Crow Stuart Crow Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing
5 August 19 Circuit Ste-Croix Sainte-Croix, Quebec Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
6 August 20 Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
7 August 27 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— September 22 Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana Race cancelled
8 October 14 Sears Point Raceway Sonoma, California Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
9 October 15 Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— October 28 Irwindale Speedway Irwindale, California Race cancelled
10 November 4 Streets of San Diego San Diego, California Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
11 November 5 Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
[7]

Points standings
Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 20 15 12 10 8 6 4 3 2 1

One bonus point was also awarded to the driver completing the fastest lap during the race.

Pos Driver Team Chassis HAL MEM STC WGL SPT SDG Pts
1 Stuart Crow Dave McMillan Racing Ralt F3/2000 5 1 1 1 3 5 2 3 5 2 4 152
2 Luciano Gomide EuroInternational Dallara F399 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 147
3 Adam Andretti Duesenberg Racing Dallara F399 1 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 2 6 DNS 129
4 George Frazier EuroInternational Dallara F399 3 4 5 2 2 2 4 5 3 4 2 122
5 Skip Weld Weldsports Dallara F399 2 5 4 4 5 4 5 4 DNS 5 3 99
6 Paul Jenkins Pilette Speed Tradition Dallara F399 4 3 DNS 6 4 38
7 Robert Skollenskog Pilette Speed Tradition Dallara F399 2 5 15
8 Marcelo Gaffoglio Pilette Speed Tradition Dallara F399 3 DNS 12
9 David Rosenblum Weldsports Dallara F399 6 6 6
[8]

2001 season

An initial 13-race calendar was announced for the 2001 season,[9] however after losing their financial backing,[10] the series was re-arranged to a 15-race schedule with the addition of more rounds in Canada.[11] With low car counts eminent, the series considered using Formula Super Vee cars as a "Class B",[12] but instead Formula Ford and Formula Continental cars filled out fields. No more than three Formula 3 cars participated in any race; five of the nine races were contested only by the EuroInternational teammates Luciano Gomide and John C. Antonio. Gomide won all but one race and took the championship title.

Initial schedule
Date Track
April 22 Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
May 20 Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
June 10 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
June 30/July 1 Quebec City Street Course, Quebec City, Quebec
July 8 TBA
September 23 TBA
October 27/28 Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California
November 3/4 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
November Streets of San Diego, San Diego, California
[9]

Schedule and results
Rnd Date Track Location Pole position Race winner Winning team
1 May 20 Mosport Park Bowmanville, Ontario Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
2 June 24 Mosport Park Bowmanville, Ontario Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
3 July 29 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— August 5 Circuit Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières, Quebec Race cancelled
4 August 19 Mosport Park Bowmanville, Ontario Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— September 1 Circuit Ste-Croix Sainte-Croix, Quebec Race cancelled
— September 2
5 September 1 Mosport Park Bowmanville, Ontario John C. Antonio Race abandoned
6 September 2 ? Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
— September 16 Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania Race cancelled due to the September 11 attacks
7 September 22 Circuit Mont-Tremblant Mont-Tremblant, Quebec Luciano Gomide Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
8 September 23 John C. Antonio Luciano Gomide EuroInternational
9 October 21 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York John C. Antonio John C. Antonio EuroInternational
— October 27 Sears Point Raceway Sonoma, California Race cancelled
— October 28
— November 3 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Race cancelled
— November 4
[13]

Points standings
Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1
Pos Driver Team Chassis MOS MOS WGL MOS MOS MTB WGL Pts
1 Luciano Gomide EuroInternational Dallara F399 1 1 1 1 NC 1 1 1 8 70
2 John C. Antonio EuroInternational Dallara F399 2 2 2 DNS NC 2 2 2 1 46
3 Paul Dana Bertils Racing Engines Dallara F399 2 6
4= B. J. Zacharias Olsson Engineering Dallara F399 3 4
4= Jacek Mucha Orion Ralt F3/2000 NC 3 4
[14]

See also

References
  1. "SCCA Pro Racing to sanction U.S. Formula Three". Press release. 18 August 1999. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  2. Örnerdal, Stefan, ed. (11 August 2010). "Formula 3 2000 Championship Tables". Formula2.net. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  3. "2002 USF3 tentative schedule". Press release. 5 December 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  4. "US-F3 Schedule Announced". Press release. 10 December 1999. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  5. "Irwindale event cancelled". Press release. 17 September 2000. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  6. "Largest filed heads to San Diego GP". Press release. 31 October 2000. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  7. Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Race Calendar: US Formula 3 - Season 2000". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  8. Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Complete quali- and race-results: US Formula 3 - Season 2000". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  9. "US-F3 2001 race schedule". Press release. 4 December 2000. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  10. "Series looses backing". 8 February 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  11. "United States Formula Three 2001 schedule". Press release. 21 June 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  12. "USF3 to consider Super Vee as 'Group B'". 11 January 2001. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  13. Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Race Calendar: US Formula 3 - Season 2001". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  14. Zenger, Michael (ed.). "Complete quali- and race-results: US Formula 3 - Season 2001". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
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