Junior Open Wheel Talent

British driver, Charles Hall is victorious in his Anderson Racing entry at Watkins Glen. Hall has been quick all week, never dropping out of the top two spots during the Star Mazda on-track sessions. In fact, his quick time on Wednesday morning's opening session was his best lap of the weekend @ 1:45.651. Having never run Watkins Glen, the Englishman researched the track layout via YouTube and other internet sites prior to his appearance.

The victory tastes extra sweet for this 28 year old pilot after being sidelined following a terrible street car accident in 2005. Hall was a shoe-in to run the GP2 series (Formula One Development) in 2005, when he was struck by a drunk driver in early February. Both the driver of the other vehicle and Hall's passenger were killed in the crash. Charles managed to survive but didn't escape unharmed. He suffered a crushed femur among other injuries. After having corrective surgery, he now stands one inch shorter than he did prior to the accident. Hall made a brief (3 race) stop in the Champ Car Atlantic Series in 2006. After that horrific February night, he has been rehabbing (physical therapy) and training in Italy to make a full comeback, and today he has done just that. It won't be long before you see this driver standing at the top step at the next level. He has the heart and the skill to make it happen. Job well done!

In other weekend news, Star Mazda drivers who were under 18 years of age were not allowed to participate at Watkins Glen due to insurance reasons. A few drivers, Billy Goshen and John Edwards, emancipated themselves this weekend in order to compete. I can tell you that Championship contender Tom Gladdis sat out this weekend as he was not able to attain emancipation in time. Cody Jolly missed this weekend as well, although I'm not sure if he has committed to run a full season. In reaction to the situation, Star Mazda officials have changed their rule book to allow drivers to drop one race from the championship. In other words, their top 11 finishes will count towards their final points tally. I like the fact that they have offered the young drivers an opportunity to stay in the championship hunt, but the ruling still puts them at a disadvantage should there be a future DNF or DNS. Drivers not affected by the Watkins Glen insurance policy will have an extra race to drop if they attend all events.

Star Mazda: Round 3
Watkins Glen Full Results