Morris Sweeps Again!

August 29, 2021 (Joilet, IL) – Rounds 10-12 of the Lucas Oil Formula Car Series served as an excellent test for our talented drivers as the technical nature of Autobahn Country Club challenged each of our drivers to find patience, compromise, and consistency in order to achieve success. And a challenge it was — nearly every driver had a moment on course they would’ve happily taken a redo on. Ultimately, the weekend rewarded the driver with the least mistakes and the greatest precision, which on this occasion was Bryson Morris who completed his SECOND sweep on the season, winning all three races.

The battle for second only intensified between Hayden Bradley and Titus Sherlock who each notched 2nd and 3rd place victories over the weekend. Alex Benavitz and Konnor Gutting also found their way to the podium in the weekend’s first race, keeping them in frame for a potential Vice Champion title. With six more races to contest it’s impossible to predict how the season ends, but one thing is certain — it’s only going to get more exciting. A HIGE thank you to our mechanics, instructors, and crew who helped create a thrilling event for our drivers. 

Race 1

Setting the early tone for how his weekend would go, Bryson Morris secured pole with a 1:32.830 in his second flying lap. Lining up alongside Morris, Hayden Bradley missed pole by two tenths. Just six hundredths back was Titus Sherlock who had Alex Benavitz alongside him in the second row.

At race start, Morris was quick to get the early jump leaving Bradley and Sherlock to battle for position, which only furthered Morris’ gap over the field. The fight between Bradley and Sherlock was the battle to watch for the race, but unfortunately the fight ended prematurely for Sherlock who was sidelined with a mechanical issue. Despite finishing second on course, Bradley was hit with a post-race 35″ penalty for contact.

The combination of calamities for Bradley and Sherlock, benefited the duo of Alex Benavitz and Konnor Gutting who were subsequently rewarded with second and third place, respectively.

Finishing Order

Bryson Morris
Alex Benavitz
Konnor Gutting
Yeoroo Lee
Tony Mcintosh (Master’s Winner)
Hayden Bradley
Luke Steele
Tyler Delgado
Titus Sherlock
Donnie Steele

Race 2

Finishing Race 1 with both the win and fastest lap, Bryson Morris found himself in the familiar position of starting on pole. The bright spot for Titus Sherlock following a DNF in Race 1 was a lap time fastest enough to secure P2 at race start. Alex Benavitz and Hayden Bradley completed the second row of drivers ahead of the remaining six drivers.

The race start would prove a familiar refrain for Morris who again got an early lead as a result of his quick but also highly-precise driving that was only widened by the four car battle between Sherlock, Benavitz, Bradley, and Konnor Gutting. Having briefly slid to fifth, Bradley would regroup by the third lap overtaking by Benavitz and Gutting. Benavitz would see his race end early with a failed attempt to avoid contact with Gutting, as the latter ran loose out of turn 8. With the safety car out to gather the field, Gutting was able to quickly return to pits for a safety check and get back out on course to stay on the lead lap. With an outstanding recovery drive, Gutting piloted his #2 machine all the way from ninth to fourth place at the checker. But further upfront, it was another Morris, Sherlock, and Bradley podium.

Finishing Order

Bryson Morris
Titus Sherlock
Hayden Bradley
Konnor Gutting
Yeoroo Lee
Donnie Steele (Master’s Winner)
Tony Mcintosh
Luke Steele
Tyler Delgado
Alex Benavitz

Race 3

Despite a rare mistake from Bryson Morris in qualifying that resulted in his fastest lap being deleted, his second fastest qualifying lap was enough to keep him on pole ahead of Hayden Bradley who was 0.15″ behind with Konnor Gutting and Alex Benavitz completing the second row. Honorable mention to the field that saw the top-seven drivers all qualify within a second of each other, highlighting how much progress the drivers made over the course of the weekend.

Once again, Morris was quick to separate himself from the field as the four-car battling continued on between Bradley, Titus Sherlock, Gutting, and Benavitz. Following a tough lap one for Bradley who slipped from second to fourth, he would quickly recover to third behind Sherlock. Bradley would eventually overtake Sherlock on lap 7 and hold the position through the remainder of the race to claim second with Sherlock in third.

The big winner on the weekend was of course Bryson Morris who delivered a lights out performance winning from pole in all three races. As he further separated himself in the championship classification it has become increasingly likely that his lead will prove insurmountable. The battle for second however is alive and well between Hayden Bradley and Titus Sherlock, with the two drivers only separated by three championship points. With twelve races in the books, we’ve seen race wins from Morris, Bradley, Sherlock, and Alex Benavitz. In addition to that group, Konnor Gutting and Yeoroo Lee have also found their way to the podium on several occasions. With six races to go between Homestead-Miami and Sebring where the draft can be a decisive influence on race outcome the question now is who will find their way to the podium next?

Finishing Order