F1600’s Verhagen Named to FIA’s 20 Under 20

By admin January 6, 2017 F1600 Formula F Championship Series

Salem, NH – Neil Verhagen, the 2016 F1600 Formula F Championship Series title winner, has made the FIA’s 20 under 20 list, published in the most recent edition of AUTO, the FIA’s magazine.

Verhagen, who won the 2016 F1600 title for K-Hill Motorsports, is the only American on the list; and the F1600 Series is the only American Championship named. The North Carolina native was also the youngest driver listed.

Other names on the list include Mick Schumacher, Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen.

AUTO brought six expert motorsport journalists together to “choose the 20 young drivers who are destined for greatness.”

“By claiming the US F1600 Championship Series at the age of just 15, Verhagen has demonstrated his talent. A career limbing the single-seater ladder in the US or Europe in the coming years is expected,” the magazine said.

Over the course of the 21-race season in 2016, Verhagen took nine wins in the No. 3 K-Hill Mygale/Honda.

It was a year of race craft and strategy, as 20 of 21 races were decided by half-a-second or less.

At Pittsburgh International Race Complex in August, Verhagen powered to the win for K-Hill Motorsports by .002 seconds. And the next day, Verhagen extended his victory margin to .009 seconds in yet another thrilling drive.

Another highlight reel moment came at New Jersey Motorsports Park in round 17 of the season, when he went from last to first, one of two victories in three races that weekend.

While Verhagen is expected to move up in 2017, the next generation of F1600 talent debuts at VIR in the season-opener, April 28-30.

2017 F1600, F2000, Atlantic Schedule:

April 28-30: VIRginia International Raceway
May 12-13: Mid-Ohio
June 8-11: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
June 30-July 2: Mid-Ohio
July 28-July 30: Pittsburgh
August 25-27: Summit Point
October 6-8: New Jersey Motorsports Park

Photos:
1. Neil Verhagne

About Formula Race Promotions:
Formula Race Promotions (FRP) operates the F1600, F2000 and Atlantic Championship Series. Starting with F2000 in 2006, FRP added F1600 in 2011 and Atlantic in 2012. The Series’ philosophy is to offer a vertical integration between club and professional racing, while offering some of the best race tracks and significant amounts of track time in single-class running. The 2017 schedule is composed of seven-points paying weekends. FRP is privately owned and sanctioned by USAC.

Sources: Monty Mathisen/MathisenMedia