MEXICAN INT'L F-3 TEAM'S DIRECTORY (Feb. '97)
(DIRECTORIO de EQUIPOS de F-3 Internacional, a feb. de 1997)
TEAMS (EQUIPOS):
1.- AV-CANEL'S
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax):52/48/123312, f.--122081.
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Canel's
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Alejandro Villasana
Technical director (Director tecnico): Oscar Torres
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Alejandro Villasana,(S.L.P., Mexico)
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): Alejandro Villasana
Chassis/Engine in '96 (Auto/Motor '96): Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo
8 valv.
Chassis/Engine for '97 (Auto/Motor '97):Reynard 933/
2.- CS RACING
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax):-52/5/2775138, mobile (celular)--4042100
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): LADA/Philips
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Jorge Comas
Technical director (director tecnico): Guillermo Echeverria
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96):Pergrino Guerrero/Carlos VTlez/Luis
F.Perea/Horacio Richards
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): Luis F. Perea/t.b.a.
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor):Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor):Reynard 933/
3.- G.O.I
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): -52/5/5575874, 5561453, 5561398,
f.--5577682
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Quaker State
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Guillermo Oliveras
Technical director (director tecnico):Gustavo del Campo/Steve
Miller
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Rod MacLeod (G.B.)/Derek Higgins
(Irl.)
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): Derek Higgins (Irl.)/Luis M.Diaz
(Mex)
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor):Reynard 933/
4.- G.O.II
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): -52/5/5575874, 5561453, 5561398,
f.--5577682
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Quaker State
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Guillermo Oliveras
Technical director (director tecnico):Gustavo del Campo/Steve
Miller
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Guillermo Oliveras
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): t.b.a.
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/
5.- GALI
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax):-52/5/3610964,--3622650,--3978691
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Pennzoil
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Eduardo Galicia Sr.
Technical director (director tecnico):Eduardo Galicia Sr.
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Eduardo Galicia Jr.(Mex)/Higinio
Cabiedes(Mex)
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): Eduardo Galicia Jr.(Mex)/Rodrigo
Galicia (Mex)
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/VW JUDD 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/VW JUDD 8 valv.
6.- JIMENEZ/MONTANA RACING
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax):-52/8/3793233,-3790821, f.---2623,
---5359
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): MONTANA (cigarrettes)
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Filiberto JimTnez
Technical director (director tecnico):Carlos Gonzalez (Arg.)
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Gilberto JimTnez(Mex)/Oswaldo Negri
(Bra)
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): Gilberto Jimenez(Mex)/Oswaldo Negri(Bra)
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Chrysler 16 v. ?
7.- JIMENEZ/CARUSI
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax):-52/8/3793233,-3790821, f.---2623,
---5359
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): CARUSI LINE (Wheels)
Team owner (due±o de equipo):Filiberto JimTnez
Technical director (director tecnico): Norberto Molina
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Cesar JimTnez(Mex)
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): t.b.a.
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Chrysler 16 v. ?
8.- JIMENEZ/MEXLUB
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): -52/8/3793233,-3790821, f.---2623,
---5359
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Mexlub
Team owner (due±o de equipo):Filiberto Jimenez
Technical director (director tecnico):Carlos Percudani (Arg)
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96): Waldemar Coronas (Arg)/Craig Bennett
(USA)
'97 drivers (pilotos en '97): Waldemar Coronas (Arg)/t.b.a.
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Chrysler 16 v. ?
9.- LOZANO
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): -52/5/5981963
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96):Corona (beer)
Team owner (due±o de equipo):Alberto Lozano
Technical director (director tecnico):Alberto Lozano
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96):Homero Richards (Mex)
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96):Homero Richards (Mex)
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor)Reynard 933/Alfa Romeo 8 valv.
10.-PEREA RACING
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): -52/5/6617218, --6630674
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96):
Team owner (due±o de equipo):Jose Luis Perea
Technical director (director tecnico): Jose Luis Perea
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96):Luis F.Perea/Franco Sfara/Ricardo
P.de
Lara/Jose L. Perea/Gerson Molina/Octavio Giron/Oscar Peralta/Jose
Sierra/Horacio Richards
'97 drivers: (pilotos en '97):t.b.a.
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor: VW-Perea, 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor: VW-Perea, 8 valv.
11.-SENTRA
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): 52/427/26063, --27032, f.
--20486
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Coca Cola
Team owner (due±o de equipo): Oscar Peralta
Technical director (director tecnico):Mike Rowe/Ivan Chimal
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96):Allen Berg (CDN)/Carlos Peralta
(Mex)
'97 drivers: (pilotos en '97):Carlos Peralta/t.b.a.
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor: VW-Bertils, 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor: VW-Bertils, 8 valv.
12.- TROCONIS/BOSCH
Phone and fax Nrs.(Tel. y fax): --52/49/785636
'96 sponsor (patrocinador en '96): Valvoline/Bosch
Team owner (due±o de equipo):Alejandro Troconis
Technical director (director tecnico): Alejandro Troconis
'96 drivers: (pilotos en '96):Eduardo Troconis(Mex)
'97 drivers: (pilotos en '97):Eduardo Troconis
Chassis/engine in '96 (auto/motor: VW-Bertils, 8 valv.
Chassis/engine in '97 (auto/motor: VW-Troconis, 8 valv.
Courtesy of Interticket SA
INTERNATIONAL F-3
F.I.A. and Mexican Motorsports Federation SANCTIONED
1997 SCHEDULE
DATE CITY, STATE TRACK
Apr.13 Monterrey, N.L. Int'l. Monterrey Autodrome (3.0 km.)
May 11 Mexico, D.F. Rodriguez Brothers G.P. circuit (4.421 km.)
Jun.8 Zacatecas, Zac. Int'l. Zacatecas Autodrome (2.06 km.)
Jun. 22 San Luis Potosi, S.L.P. Tangamanga Park Racetrack (2.3 km.)
Jul. 27 Veracruz, Ver. Superjarocho Autodrome (2.5km.)
Aug. 31 Saltillo, Coah. Gerardo "Dominico" Martinez Autodrome (2.3 km.)
Sep. 28 Chihuahua, Chi. Pancho Villa Autodrome (2.0 km.)
Nov. 2 Guadalajara, Jal. t.b.a.
Nov. 23 Monterrey, N.L. Monterrey Int'l. Autodrome (3.0 km.)
Dec. 7 Mexico, D.F. Rodriguez Brothers, 4km circuit or International Event (out of the Country) event.
Monterrey, N.L., Mexico, April 14, 1997.- The first Mexican "Montana Grand Prix" Series' race with the F.I.A. International FORMULA 3 as main event to be held Sunday April 13th in the Monterrey Racetrack, had to be cancelled because of the bad weather that unexpectedly hit the northeastern part of the country this weekend.
The practices and qualifying sessions took place on Saturday the 12th, on schedule at unusually low temperatures for this time of the year in Monterrey. The first practices were held at 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit)and it was never warmer as 12 degrees C., under very low and dark menacing clouds, but it never rained.
Some of the drivers and team engineers complained that the slicks never reached their ideal working temperature,but young Argentinian Wakdemar Coronas managed to break the existing track record established last year by Gilberto Jimenez in 1' 7.419".
This year the cars are the same Reynard 933s mostly powered by Alfa Romeo 2 liter, 8 valve engines, every one using Good Year Eagle slicks. Waldi's time was 1' 7.082" which even bettered the so called F-3000 pole time of 1' 7.119" put here last month by the 3.5 liter engined Lolas!
Sunday morning the sky was dreadful and the temperature 2 degrees cooler than the day before, but it was still dry when the warm-up laps started for all four categories, Formula Reynard, Formula 3, Open Class and 750c.c. Bikes.
But the forecast showed 40% of rain possibilities which proved to mean that during 40% of the day it would rain and it started right after the warm-up laps finished.
In any other track, the race would have started anyway because first it was a very light rain, and there were wet tires for everyone, but in this track there's a concrete section right in the starting and grid formation zone in which the drag races (quarter mile) also start and they leave a sticky compound forming a thick film that under wet conditions turns like butter and it's impossible to handle a car coming out of the banked curve in that section, the rest of the track being asphalt (tarmack).
It was the international local airport's weather office that confirmed that it would rain from 10 o'clock and every hour heavier until the evening hours. It turned to be that way and the race would have been redflagged at less than half of the 36 laps or one hour programmed.
The decission was taken with OMDAI officials (Mexican FIA affiliated association), Interticket promoters and the teams participating, that the race will be subtituted by another one maybe during October and that it'll be anounced as soon as the date and track is assured, avoiding a coincidence with the F-3000 and Mustang Series' events.
Hector Sanchez-Rosaldo. April 1997.
Mexico City preview, Mexican F-3 FIA sanctioned.
The second race of the 1997 Montana Grand Prix Series' schedule has been confirmed and will be the first race really after the Monterrey cancellation. It seems that the 4 km. circuit will be used instead of the 4.421 km F-1 circuit, since the lap times are shorter and thus making it a more interesting race for the fans in the only permanent stands which are in front of the finish line, the main one in the outside with a good view of the former-banked curve and the sun-roof one above the pits with access to the pits and paddock area, but more restricted view of the race itself.
All 1996 participating teams have confirmed their taking part, the changes being in some of the sponsors and in the drivers line-up. One of the absentees will be Scottish Rod MacLeod, the 1996 champion who moved to the so called F-3000 in a 3.5 liter V-6 powered Lola Canel's Team car. His GO/Quaker State car goes to rookie Luis M. Diaz, former Reynard 2000 driver, alongside Irish Derek Higgins who is running both series.
The Montana cars will be driven by Gilberto Jimenez, 1996 runner-up and Costarican Javier Collado substituting Brazilian Oswaldo Negri who goes to the Indy Lights Series.The other Monterrey based team, Mexlub, will have Argentinian Waldemar Coronas and former Indy Lights driver and Gilberto's brother, Cesar Jimenez who also was this same F-3's 1992 Champion.
Alberto Lozano and GALI Team have joined forces and together will start three cars for Eduardo Galicia, the one with a yellow Pennzoil body and the others for Eduardo's younger brother Rodrigo (if he passes the rookie test) and the third one possibly for Canadian Graeme Pepplar. The Richards brothers, Homero and Horacio will partner in the Corona/Perea cars with Jose L. Perea driving a 903 chassis, all three powered by Perea VW based engines.
Alejandro Villasana from San Luis Potosi will fight with or without Canel's backing and Eduardo Troconis goes on with his father's Bosche sponsored car.
The Sentra Team didn't sign with Coca Cola but will be there anyway with 1996 rookie of the year Carlos Peralta and 1996 Reynard Formula Champion, Jose A. Ramos. Enthusiastic Jorge Comas will have Luis F. Perea and Franco Sfara and promises his best season yet. Luis showed his possibilities in the Monterrey qualifying, but every body has the same intentions so a very competitve season is expected, with Gilberto Jimenez and Derek Higgins as favorites, mainly for their experience.
DEREK HIGGINS RETURNS TO HIS 1995 TREND
The first round out of ten of the 1997 "Montana Grand Prix" Series, featuring the International F-3, the support F-Reynard 2000 and the Open class and 750 c.c. Bikes, finally took place on May 10 (mother's day) and 11, after the first scheduled race in Monterrey last month had to becancelled. This time the problems were bureaucratric ones originated by the sanctioning bodies actuating in auto racing in Mexico (heard anything similar elsewhere lately?). Fortunately everything came into order just in time. Because of this, the event, far from being cancelled, recieved additional covering by the media of the supposedly world's biggest city (around 20 million in the metro area) .
QUALIFYING
On Saturday, 19 International (F.I.A.) F-3 cars showed up and ran their practice and qualifying sessions around the 4 Km. circuit of the Rodriguez Brothers Racetrack without accidents but with delay because the track "should be used by everyday joggers, runners, cyclists, and aerobics practisers until 10 AM", so states the official permission.
Since the first time out, the Mexlub Team driver, Waldemar Coronas from Lezama, Argentina, seemed to be the man to beat which he confirmed putting the best lap time of 1' 16.221" better than Derek Higgins' 1' 16.243" in the first qualifying.
For the second and final session, the weather changed from sunny to cloudy, cool, windy and very humid, but Derek went out as soon as they opened the pit lane and with a new set of tires, he stopped the watches at 1' 16.147" in the sixth of a maximum of 12 laps. Moments later it started to rain so half of the field including Waldi, had to settle with their first qualifying time.
Even when Gilberto Jimenez bettered his time, down to 1' 16.830", he wasn't able to push Waldi out of the second spot. Fourth was Eduardo Galicia who now races for Alberto Lozano which immediately paid him, since Alberto's experience setting up the car, no doubt helped to raise him from 14th to 4th place, while his kid brother Rodrigo (18), driving his former car, was the slowest of the day.
Luis Miguel Diaz, another rookie coming from the Reynard Formula and climbing directly to vacant Rod MacLeod's seat in the Quaker State Team as Derek's teammate, qualifyed in fifth place only a tenth of a second ahead of Costarican Javier Collado who now substitutes Brazilian Oswaldo Negri in the Montana Racing Team and also ahead of a whole lot of experienced drivers, the likes of Cesar Jimenez of Mexlub (7th), Carlos Peralta of Sentra (8th), Alejandro Villasana of Canel's (9th), Gerson Molina reappearing with Sentra in the place of Canadian Allen Berg (10th), Homero Richards of Corona Team (11th) now with a Perea car, Luis F. Perea of Tempo (J.Comas Team, 12th) and Horacio Richards now as his brother's teammate in a second Corona/Perea car (13th) .
Only in 14th spot another rookie appears, also a Reynard 200 Formula graduate, Oscar Rico with a GALI/Pa'la Sed car, followed by Guillermo Oliveras with his own car, Eduardo Troconis (Bosch), Franco Sfara (El Tigre Balsam), Brazilian Luiz Flores (Perea) and young Galicia (Pennzoil).
WARM-UP
Sunday morning the smog seemed to be lighter than usual, it was sunny and warm (26 C or 77 F), so fans started to arrive and fill the main stand and the sun roof bleachers above the pits where you can't see much of the race but for the easy access to paddock and pits, it's the better place to be if you don't belong to the sponsor's suites.
Derek Higgins was the fastest in the wam-up laps, followed by Gilberto Jimenez, Waldemar Coronas, Luis M. Diaz, Eduardo Galicia and Javier Collado.
THE RACE
When the green light went on, at one o'clock sharp, it was Eduardo Galicia who started out as catapulted and led the pack if only one time around. Derek overtook him and led the rest of the 30 laps until the checkered flag gave him the first win of the year (in this F.I.A. International F-3) and the corresponding 20 championship points which he dedicated to his wife Erika and Mara Emily, his one month old daughter, born in Mexico City.
Waldemar Coronas and Gilberto Jimenez also managed to pass Eduardo and for some laps Waldi seemed to be able to get Derek, but after lap 18, his Alfa Romeo engine started to loose power allowing him only to coast to a final seventh place. By then, Gilberto had been an early retirement (in lap 9 with mechanical failure).
It was Eduardo Galicia who kept a constant pace and finished second, 11 seconds behind the winner, the best he has managed since two years, this way giving back a big reward for Pennzoil sponsor, car owner Alberto Lozano and his father who is always with him and was his technical manager until last year.
Javier Collado, from Costa Rica who in 1994 started the season with a win in this same track, now, with more than a year out of a single seater, followed the leaders and after falling behind Diaz and dicing the whole race with Cesar Jimenez, finally left Diaz behind and passed Cesar for the Nth time three laps before the end, winning the right to climb to the winner's circle with a wider smile than Filiberto's, who as team owner, confirmed he made a good decision in calling Collado when Negri announced he would go to Indy Lights.
Cesar Jimenez was fourth, Homero Richards fifth, Luis F. Perea sixth and Waldi seventh, all within the same lap as Derek. Luis M. Diaz and Horacio Richards finished with 29 laps and the rest retired but there were no accidents, only spins and mechanical failures.
The next one will be in Zacatecas, June 8.
1997 MONTANA GRAND PRIX SERIES' ROUND 1 OF 10, MAY. 11, 1997 MEXICO CITY, RODRIGUEZ BROTHERS RACETRACK, 4 KM. CIRCUIT FIA'S INTERNATIONAL F-3 STARTING GRID POS. Nr.DRIVER NAT. TEAM LAP TIME 01 0 Derek Higgins IRL Quaker State 3 01:16.147" 02 10 Waldemar Coronas ARG Mexlub 14 01:16.221" 03 11 Gilberto Jimenez MEX Montana 5 01:16.830" 04 14 Eduardo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 11 01:17.008" 05 2 Luis M. Diaz MEX Quaker State 3 01:17.153" 06 12 Javier Collado C.R. Montana 12 01:17.284" 07 44 Cesar Jimenez MEX Mexlub 5 01:17.951" 08 7 Carlos Peralta MEX Sentra 12 01:18.004" 09 6 Alejandro VillasanaMEX Canel's 12 01:18.162" 10 8 Gerson Molina MEX Sentra 10 01:18.406" 11 5 Homero Richards MEX Corona 11 01:18.522" 12 26 Luis F. Perea MEX Tempo 8 01:19.594" 13 4 Horacio Richards MEX Corona 6 01:20.443" 14 17 Oscar Rico MEX Pa' la Sed 4 01:23.368" 15 3 Guillermo Oliveras MEX G.O. 3 01:23.383" 16 16 Eduardo Troconis MEX Bosch 4 01:23.536" 17 25 Franco Sfara MEX El Tigre 6 01:24.693" 18 21 Luiz Flores BRA Perea 5 01:28.099" 19 15 Rodrigo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 9 01:30.309" MONTANA GRAND PRIX, INT'L. F-3. ROUND 1 OF 10, MEXICO CITY, MAY 11, 1997 RACE RESULTS POS Nr. DRIVER NAT. TEAM TOTAL TIME LAPS 1 0 Derek Higgins IRL QUAKER STATE 43'30.082" 30 2 14 Eduardo Galicia MEX PENNZOIL -11.819" 3 12 Javier Collado C.R. MONTANA -18.117" 4 44 Cesar Jimenez MEX MEAXLUB -23.230" 5 5 Homero Rochards MEX CORONA -55.729" 6 26 Luis F. Perea MEX TEMPO -57.582" 7 10 Waldemar Coronas ARG MEXLUB -1'18.953" 8 2 Luis M. Diaz MEX Quaker State 29 9 4 Horacio Richards MEX CORONA -40.820" 10 21 Luis Flores BRA PEREA 24 n.r. 11 3 Guillermo Oliveras, MEX G.O. 19 n.r. 12 8 Gerson Molina MEX SENTRA 12 n.r. 13 6 Alex Villasana MEX CANEL'S -0.530" 14 17 Oscar Rico MEX Pa' la Sed 11 n.r. 15 11 Gilberto Jimenez MEX MONTANA 9 n.r. 16 16 Eduardo Troconis MEX BOSCH 8 n.r. 17 15 Rodrigo Galicia MEX PENNZOIL 8 n.r. 18 25 Franco Safara MEX El TIGRE 6 n.r. 19 7 Carlos Peralta MEX SENTRA 0 n.r. Fastest lap: 1' 16.751" by Waldemar Coronas, ARG, MEXLUB,in lap 2 (vuelta mas rapida) 1997 MONTANA GRAND PRIX SERIES' ROUND 2 OF 10, JUNE 8, 1997 ZACATECAS, ZACATECAS INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, 2.04 KM. CIRCUIT FIA'S INTERNATIONAL F-3 STARTING GRID POS. Nr.DRIVER NAT. TEAM LAP TIME 01 0 Derek Higgins IRL Quaker State 00:52.761" 1 02 10 Waldemar Coronas ARG Mexlub 00:52.961" 1 03 11 Gilberto Jimenez MEX Montana 00:53.156" 2 04 12 Javier Collado C.R. Montana 00:53.262" 2 05 44 Cesar Jimenez MEX Mexlub 00:53.470" 1 06 14 Eduardo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 00:53.860" 1 07 5 Homero Richards MEX Corona 00:53.971" 1 08 7 Carlos Peralta MEX Sentra 00:54.097" 2 09 2 Luis M. Diaz MEX Quaker State 00:54.551" 1 10 4 Horacio Richards MEX Corona 00:55.288" 1 11 26 Luis F. Perea MEX Tempo 00:56.238" 2 12 16 Eduardo Troconis MEX Bosch 00:57.339" 1 13 25 Octavio Giron MEX El Tigre 00:57.515" 1 14 15 Rodrigo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 01:02.916" 2 15 17 Higinio Cabiedes MEX GALI 01:02.931" 1 16 42 Luiz Flores BRA FLORES 09:59.999" 2 17 25 Franco Sfara MEX El Tigre 01:24.693" 1 MONTANA GRAND PRIX, INT'L. F-3. ROUND 2 OF 10, ZACATECAS, JUNE 8, 1997 RACE RESULTS POS Nr. DRIVER NAT. TEAM TOTAL TIME LAPS 1 0 Derek Higgins IRL QUAKER STATE 54'00.999" 55 2 12 Javier Collado C.R. MONTANA 54 3 2 Luis M. Diaz MEX Quaker State 53 4 10 Waldemar Coronas ARG MEXLUB -1.939" 5 15 Rodrigo Galicia MEX PENNZOIL 49 6 16 Eduardo Troconis MEX BOSCH 39 7 5 Homero Richards MEX CORONA 30 n.r. 8 44 Cesar Jimenez MEX MEXLUB 27 n.r. 9 4 Horacio Richards MEX CORONA -3'35.486" n.r. 10 14 Eduardo Galicia MEX PENNZOIL 24 n.r. 11 7 Carlos Peralta MEX SENTRA 23 n.r. 12 6 Luis F. Perea MEX TEMPO 18 n.r. 13 17 Higinio Cabiedes MEX GALI 17 n.r. 14 42 Luis Flores BRA PEREA -45.762"n.r. 15 25 Octavio Giron MEX El TIGRE 16 n.r. 16 21 Jose L. Perea MEX PEREA 8 n.r. 17 11 Gilberto Jimenez MEX MONTANA 2 n.r. Fastest lap: 53.136" by Derek Higgins, IRL, QUAKER STATE,in lap 18 (vuelta mas rapida) HIGHTECH TAGHEUER TIMING SYSTEM. Interticket/Ra·l Montes de Oca. INTERTICKET, S.A., Monterrey, N.L., MTxico. F.I.A. sanctioned event. 1997 MONTANA GRAND PRIX SERIES' ROUND 3 OF 10, JUNE 22, 1997 SAN LUIS POTOSI, MEXICO, TANGAMANGA PARK RACEWAY, 2.30 KM. CIRCUIT FIA'S INTERNATIONAL F-3 STARTING GRID POS. Nr.DRIVER NAT. TEAM LAP TIME 01 11 Gilberto Jimenez MEX Montana 01:09.963" 2 02 0 Derek Higgins IRL Quaker State 01:10.044" 2 03 10 Waldemar Coronas ARG Mexlub 01:10.056" 1 04 12 Javier Collado C.R. Montana 01:10.450" 2 05 14 Eduardo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 01:10.655" 2 06 5 Homero Richards MEX Corona 01:10.831" 2 07 44 Cesar Jimenez MEX Mexlub 01:11.591" 2 08 7 Carlos Peralta MEX Sentra 01:11.839" 2 09 2 Luis M. Diaz MEX Quaker State 01:11.851" 2 10 26 Luis F. Perea MEX Tempo 01:13.063" 2 11 4 Horacio Richards MEX Corona 01:13.373" 2 12 16 Eduardo Troconis MEX Bosch 01:14.537" 2 13 17 Oscar Rico MEX Pa' la Sed 01:16.823" 1 14 25 Gerson Molina MEX TV Azteca 01:17.418" 2 15 21 Jose L. Perea MEX Perea 01:19.956" 2 16 42 Luiz Flores BRA FLORES 01:20.231" 2 17 15 Rodrigo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 01:20.804" 2COSTA RICA'S JAVIER COLLADO GOT THE CHECKERS AT VERACRUZ IN THE FOURTH MEXICAN INTERNATIONAL F-3 RACE
Veracruz, Mexico, July 27th, 1997.- Costarrican Javier Collado got it all together for his Montana Racing Team when everything pointed to anotherone of Derek Higgins' triumphs in the Mexican International F-3 of the Montana Grand Prix Series. Javier reacted like a drag racer when the green flag appeared after the last yellow flag laps, overtaking Derek on the inside of the last turn entering the main straight at the 'Superjarocho' Racetrack, located in the outskirts of this Gulfcoast vacationing port.
The impeccably performed move not only allowed Javier to take the lead in the next to last lap, but also left the gate open for his teammate Gilberto Jimenez who didn't hessitate a 100th of a second and also passed Derek, both drivers taking a 1-2 win for the team one lap afterwards. This left Derek in third spot and brought out a spontaneous cheering of the crowd and the expected flying hat of Filiberto Jimenez, the proud and happy team owner.
Derek had taken the pole Saturday evening breaking the track record with a flying lap of 1' 07.009" which everybody tried to beat until the last minute, Derek being the only one bettering his own previous time thus showing the rest of the field that their efforts were in vain.
Argentinian Waldemar Coronas was second and Gilberto JImenez third. Derek was the fastest in the Sunday morning warm-up laps and led the race from the start until the unexpected moment (for him) when Javier flashed by. No wonder Javier did the fastest race lap in lap 12 with 1' 7.917".
The race took place under a clear sky, an unmerciful sun , 100+ degrees F. and 99% humidity. (Been in the Everglades in mid-summer?). But in a race whatever conditions you may encounter, they are the same for everybody, so under the described tormentous conditions, only the fittiest drivers and the most reliable engines would finish the race. Such was the case this time in Veracruz where besides the three afore mentioned drivers, Cesar Jimenez (Mexlub Team), Homero Richards (Corona Team), and rookies Luis M. Diaz (Quaker State), Francisco Perea (Gali), Luis R. Flores (Magalos) and Rodrigo Galicia (Pennzoil), made it to the checkered flag after 51 minutes of hard, fast and exciting racing.
As for the rest of the drivers, a lot of spins, run-offs and mechanical failures left them out of the race and the F.I.A. ruled championship points.
Ecuatorian driver Wilson Amador, and former Reynard Formula racers Alejandro Antunez and Lorenzo Mariscal were first timers, but neither of them had a good result to bluff about.
Wilson plans to do the rest of the races this year since the promoter company has announced the season closer event will be in Ecuador's Yahuarcocha Racetrack, located in the city of Ibarra somewhere between the Country's capital Quito, and the northeastern border with Colombia. Wilson drove one of only two Reynards 903s, but he'll likely have a 933 which is the only chassis here for the next race in Saltillo, August 31.
MEX F3 ROUND 4 QUAL. & RACE RESULTS
1997 MONTANA GRAND PRIX SERIES' ROUND 4 OF 10, JULY 27, 1997
VERACRUZ, MEXICO, SUPERJAROCHO RACEWAY, 2.52 Km. PERMANENT CIRCUIT
INTERNATIONAL F-3, F.I.A. EVENT
STARTING GRID
POS. Nr.DRIVER NAT. TEAM LAP TIME
01 0 Derek Higgins IRL Quaker State 01:07.009
02 10 Waldemar Coronas ARG Mexlub 01:07.545
03 5 Homero Richards MEX Corona 01:07.648
04 11 Gilberto Jimenez MEX Montana 01:08.094
05 12 Javier Collado C.R. Montana 01:08.281
06 2 Luis M. Diaz MEX Quaker State 01:08.446
07 14 Eduardo Galicia MEX Pennzoil 01:08.622
08 7 Carlos Peralta MEX Sentra 01:09.606
09 4 Horacio Richards MEX Corona 01:11.239
10 44 Cesar Jimenez MEX Mexlub 01:12.887
11 16 Eduardo Troconis MEX Bosch 01:13.341
12 26 Luis F. Perea MEX Tempo 01:13.667
13 42 Luis Flores BRA ACER 01:16.621
14 17 Francisco Perea MEX Gali 01:17.772
15 20 Wilson Amador ECU Ecuador 01:19.543
Championship Results 1 Derek Higgins 133 pts 2 Javier Collado 113 3 Waldemar Coronas 104 4 Miguel Diaz 88 5 Cesar Jimenez 76 6 Gilberto Jimenez 65