Carlos Munoz may have won the Firestone Indy Lights season finale at Fontana but, in the end, the star of the day was Tristan Vautier who won the 2012 championship battle.
Munoz took over the lead of the race right from the start when his Andretti team-mate and polesitter Sebastian Saavedra saw his car suffering a mechanical problem and had to retire before the end of the first lap.
David Ostella, who was part of the lead pack all thru the race took second, 0.6 seconds behind Munoz.
With 10 laps remaining, Esteban Guerrieri passed Tristan Vautier for third but, still, in order for him to move in front of Vautier for the championship crown, he had to fight his way to second place.
But, soon enough, Guerrieri found out that Ostella was extending his lead over him and that he had no chance of getting around him in the final laps. The Argentinean had to settle for third.
Vautier finished fourth, earning the championship in his rookie season. Victor Carbone completed the top 5.
Indy Lights Fontana Results - 50 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Carlos Munoz Andretti 37m38.3281s
2. David Ostella Moore + 0.6344s
3. Esteban Guerrieri Schmidt + 3.3394s
4. Tristan Vautier Schmidt + 6.8818s
5. Victor Carbone Schmidt + 8.2987s
6. Stefan Wilson Fan Force + 12.2089s
7. Bruno Palli Juncos + 12.4233s
8. Oliver Webb Schmidt + 12.8229s
9. Mike Larrison Belardi + 34.6025s
10. Juan Pablo García Jeffrey Mark + 35.0477s
11. Gustavo Yacaman Moore + 1 lap
Retirements:
Peter Dempsey Belardi 15 laps
Jorge Goncalvez Belardi 6 laps
Sebastian Saavedra AFS/Andretti 0 laps
Munoz took over the lead of the race right from the start when his Andretti team-mate and polesitter Sebastian Saavedra saw his car suffering a mechanical problem and had to retire before the end of the first lap.
David Ostella, who was part of the lead pack all thru the race took second, 0.6 seconds behind Munoz.
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| Tristan Vautier, 2012 Indy Lights champion. (Photo: IndyCar) |
With 10 laps remaining, Esteban Guerrieri passed Tristan Vautier for third but, still, in order for him to move in front of Vautier for the championship crown, he had to fight his way to second place.
But, soon enough, Guerrieri found out that Ostella was extending his lead over him and that he had no chance of getting around him in the final laps. The Argentinean had to settle for third.
Vautier finished fourth, earning the championship in his rookie season. Victor Carbone completed the top 5.
Indy Lights Fontana Results - 50 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Carlos Munoz Andretti 37m38.3281s
2. David Ostella Moore + 0.6344s
3. Esteban Guerrieri Schmidt + 3.3394s
4. Tristan Vautier Schmidt + 6.8818s
5. Victor Carbone Schmidt + 8.2987s
6. Stefan Wilson Fan Force + 12.2089s
7. Bruno Palli Juncos + 12.4233s
8. Oliver Webb Schmidt + 12.8229s
9. Mike Larrison Belardi + 34.6025s
10. Juan Pablo García Jeffrey Mark + 35.0477s
11. Gustavo Yacaman Moore + 1 lap
Retirements:
Peter Dempsey Belardi 15 laps
Jorge Goncalvez Belardi 6 laps
Sebastian Saavedra AFS/Andretti 0 laps