Formal fights through heavy rains to win Shifter ROK
From dry to wet, a changing course did not slow down the Costa Rican.
A broken clutch cable in Heat 4 was the only issue to come between Danny Formal and a perfect weekend here at ROK Festival New York. The HR Racing driver put it all together in the 26-lap final, grabbing an enormous win in Shifter ROK, ahead of Antonio Pizzonia and Rory Van Der Steur.
Changing weather conditions played the biggest factor of the day in the Shifter ROK division, as we started the final with a dry track, but ended it with a damp track with drivers on slick tires. Formal excelled in the conditions, using his curb-jumping prowess to gain maximum grip around the 12-turn circuit at OVRP. Van Der Steur gained the holeshot, but by lap three Formal had moved inside the Kosmic of Van Der Steur. Formal's lead ballooned to over 11 seconds by the end of the race, which also earned him the Team USA ticket to Lonato, Italy for the 2018 ROK International Finals.
Pizzonia drove safely in second position ahead of a visibly struggling Van Der Steur. The Northeastern driver struggled at times with the changing conditions, but did find the final step of the podium and a ticket to Las Vegas and the ROK The Rio event.
Race Results - Top Five
2018 ROK Festival New York Shifter ROK Final
| Rnk | # | Driver | Gap | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 437 | DANNY FORMAL | 38.789 | ||
| 403 | ANTONIO PIZZONIA | 13.081 | 38.947 | |
| 429 | RORY VAN DER STEUR | 23.454 | 39.029 | |
| 454 | JOSHUA CONQUER | 34.632 | 38.935 |
Full standings
| Rnk | # | Driver | Gap | Best Time |
|---|
Race Results - Top Five
2018 ROK Festival New York Shifter ROK Master Final
| Rnk | # | Driver | Gap | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 544 | GONZALO APONTE | 39.471 | ||
| 555 | TIM HANNEN | 0.225 | 40.434 | |
| 554 | CHRIS ROK | 15 laps | 40.488 |
Full standings
| Rnk | # | Driver | Gap | Best Time |
|---|
