November 7, 2024
Blakely Fabiani’s 2024 SR1 Championship season at Atlanta Motorsports Park was a battle of perseverance, strategic racing, and a few surprising twists.
What started as a back-and-forth contest between Fabiani and fellow competitor Evan Lowrey turned into a year-long chess match for the championship, with every race carving the season’s outcome.
The SR1 class saw strong fields, producing thrilling action throughout the year. Fabiani and Lowrey traded wins in the opening rounds, but as the season progressed, Blakely faced increasing challenges due to an aging engine that had exceeded its rebuild interval. Despite these mechanical difficulties, Fabiani and his team, led by Justin Montgomery of Montgomery Motorsports, fine-tuned the car, which kept him competitive.
Consistency was key to Fabiani’s championship run, as he managed to keep his SR1 machine out of trouble and avoided major incidents. Even during a weekend where mechanical issues forced DNFs, Fabiani’s team ensured the car crossed the start line, securing crucial points. However, a conflict in September forced him to miss two races, which dropped him from the top spot to third in the standings, trailing by 60 points.
The tables turned in October when an unexpected development worked in Fabiani’s favor. Due to a scheduling conflict, Primal Racing, a major player in the SR1 class, was unable to rent cars to other competitors, leaving Fabianni as the sole entry in the SR1 class.
To qualify for series points, per AMP rules, at least three cars must be present in the class. Fabiani rose to the occasion, finding two privately-owned SR1 cars and drivers, ensuring that the minimum entry requirement was met.
What followed was an anticlimactic conclusion to a hard fought season. With the three-car grid secured, Fabianni only needed to take the green flag in the first race to lock up the championship.
In a strategic move, he and the other drivers chose to start and park their cars. Fabiani took the green flag from the rear of the field, and watched from the pits as the race unfolded.
“I got a great view of the crazy off-track excursion by Chris Huhn at turn three of lap one,” Fabianni recalled, “and then I headed back to the observation deck to watch Huhn chase down Greg Folger for the final 10 minutes of race one.”
With the 2024 SR1 championship secured, Fabiani now looks ahead to 2025.
“Though many people think I should move up to the SR3 class, I’m going to hold off for one more season. Next year, I will compete for both the AMP SR1 Summer Series Championship and the SCCA SAARC SR1 Championship.”
2024 SR1 Final Results
- Blakely Fabiani
- Evan Lowrey
- Jose Aveillez
- William Leighton
- Hank Pate
- Will Franklin
- Aaron Smith
- William Robinson
- Jarvis Li
- Hayden Kasmen
- Gavin Poteet
- Luke Kendall
- Henry Banks
- Robert Dahm
- Pete Folger
- Callahan Warlick
Cover photo: Steve Newbold/Liberty Racing Review
Liberty Racing Review 