Giebler Wins Race and Title at Brands Hatch

Nov 19, 2000
Dartford, England — Team USA Scholarship winner Phil Giebler scored a storybook victory at Brands Hatch, England, this afternoon to clinch the hard-fought Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series championship. Giebler’s triumph ensured the third winter series title in as many years for Team USA Scholarship drivers.

Giebler, 21, a former karting star from Oxnard, Calif., who has raced in France for the past two years, was in masterful form at the Brands Hatch “Indy” circuit, despite having missed the series test day on Thursday due to a prior commitment with the Paul Stewart Racing Formula 3 team. Giebler qualified on pole for both of today’s races. He was beaten into second place in the first race by teenaged Czechoslovakian Jaroslav Janis — ensuring that five drivers held a legitimate title hope prior to the final race — but the gifted American came back with a vengeance to lead from flag to flag in Race Two.

“I made sure I got a killer start. I knew it would put me in good shape, because it’s very difficult to pass at this track,” said an ecstatic Giebler after following in the footsteps of fellow Californian Paul Edwards, who won the 1998 Formula Opel Winter Series and 1999 Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series carrying the Team USA Scholarship colors.

“I’m thrilled to be the Winter Series champion. It’s been an unbelievable weekend, and this is the icing on the cake. It was a do or die situation. Five people could win the championship; whoever won the race would win the championship. I was under pressure the whole race. When I saw the checkered flag, I said, ‘Thank God!’”

Team USA Scholarship teammate Joey Hand was out of luck today. He qualified third for Race One but was punted off on the first lap and did well to fight his way back to eighth. A sixth-place finish in the final race left him a disappointed sixth in the final points table.

“It was a tough day,” said Hand, 21, from Sacramento, Calif. “Everything went wrong. I guess I used up my luck at Snetterton [last week]. But hey, I learned more these last two weekends than in three years of racing. It’s been a fantastic experience. I can’t say enough for everyone who has worked so hard to put this scholarship program together, and at the end of the day it’s good that Phil was able to take the championship for Team USA.”