Gabby Chaves Sweeps VIR Doubleheader

Colombia’s 14-year-old Gabby Chaves won both ends of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda double-header at VIR in spectacular fashion, coming from 18th on the grid and taking the lead three corners from the checker in race one, and then in race two, he passed leader Josef Newgarden a couple yards before the finish line to win by .082 of a second. Felipe Polehtto finished second and Mark Bumgarner third in the first race, while Newgarden and Stevan McAleer rounded out the podium in race two. Chaves has not lost in the National this year, but doesn’t head the standings; he won the opener at Sebring in March but had to miss that weekend’s second race in order to get to Malaysia to run an FBMW race in front of the F1 crowd. After four of 14 rounds, Polehtto has 121 points to Newgarden’s 106, Chaves’ 105, Orsolon’s 103 and Conor Daly’s 95.

Results of round 3 of 14, BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda Virginia International Raceway, 17-turn, 3.27-mile road course (Starting position in parentheses)

1. (18) Gabby Chaves, Colombia, 10 laps, 90.746 average mph 2. (3) Felipe Polehtto, Brazil, 10 laps 3. (9) Mark Bumgarner, Philippines, 10 4. (8) Chris Holmes, England, 10 5. (1) Fabio Orsolon, Brazil, 10 6. (5) Steven McAleer, Scotland, 10 7. (2) Josef Newgarden, Henderson, Tenn., 10 8. (12) Gustavo Linares, Brazil, 10 9. (16) Lee Carpentier, New Canaan, Conn., 10 10. (10) Hamilton Smith, West Hartford, Conn., 10 11. (21) Tyler Schaal, Sioux Falls, S.D., 10 12. (7) Conor Daly, Noblesville, Ind., 10 13. 1M (17) Peter Tucker, Dallas, Texas, 10 14. (4) Connor De Phillippi, San Clemente, Calif., 10 15. (23) Eoin Ryan, Ireland, 10 16. (11) Dale Kistler-Collins, Thornton, Colo., 10 17. (13) Dex Tuttle, Charlotte, N.C., 10 18. 2M (20) Dom Bastien, West Palm Beach, Fla., 10 19. (24) Nick Tonkin, Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada, 10 20. (19) Victor Pedrosa, Brazil, 10 21. (6) Marcio Pasaneli, Brazil, 7 (accident) 22. (22) Blake Kreiger, U.S., 6 (accident) 23. (15) Hayden Duerson, St. Petersburg, Fla., 3 (accident) 24. (14) Victor Carbone, Brazil, 1 (vibration)

Race length: 10 laps of 3.27-mile road course for 32.7 miles