Three Champions Crowned

Yesterday I previewed the season finales for GP2, GP3 and USAC Sprints. Today I report all three championships have been clinched.

We'll start at Perris Auto Speedway where for the second consecutive year Bryan Clauson has won the USAC National Sprint Car Championship. Clauson finished fourth last night, three positions ahead of championship rival Dave Darland. Clauson holds a sixty-six point lead over Darland entering the season finale tonight at Perris. Darland is one-hundred and three points ahead of third Brady Bacon.

Nick Faas led all thirty laps to take the race win last night at Perris. Chase Stockton and Bacon rounded out the top three.

Earlier this morning the GP2 title was locked up by Swiss driver Fabio Leimer after he finished fourth in the feature race with nearest championship rival Sam Bird finishing tenth. Leimer holds an eighteen point lead over Bird heading into the final race tomorrow.

Alexander Rossi picked up his first career GP2 victory from pole position. It is the first win by an American in GP2. Brit Joylon Palmer finished second with Swede Marcus Ericsson in third. Leimer was fourth with Dani Clos in fifth. James Calado finished sixth ahead of Felipe Nasr in seventh. Johnny Cecotto, Jr., Daniel Abt and Bird rounded out the points.

With the inversion of the top eight for the sprint race, Cecotto, Jr. will start on pole tomorrow.

Daniil Kvyat locked up the GP3 with a grand chelem, leading every lap from pole position and picking up fastest lap along the way. Kvyat defeated Brits Alexander Sims and Nick Yelloly for the win. American Conor Daly finished fourth ahead of British drivers Jack Harvey and Dean Stoneman. This was Stoneman's first single-seater race since recovering from testicular cancer that keep him out of racing for all of 2011 and 2012. Cypriot Tio Ellinas was seventh with Finn Patrick Kujala in eighth and starting on pole for the sprint race tomorrow. Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Dino Zamparelli rounded out the points.

Kvyat leads Argentina Facu Regalia by twenty-four points heading into the final race after Regalia was dropped from the points after receiving a twenty second penalty for exceeding track limits during the race. Daly moves up to third in points after Estonian Kevin Korjus stalled on the grid but he did manage a thirteenth. Jack Harvey is fifth but could finish as high as third in the final standings.