Mällinen finishes second 

Coming off an SCCA Majors win at Road America, 16-year-old Max Mällinen finished second in the high-profile 45th Anniversary Formula F race at Barber Motorsports Park Aug. 9-10 in Birmingham, Ala. The Liberty Lake resident nearly won against full-time IndyCar driver, Josef Newgarden.

According to a press release, the 16-year-old junior from Central Valley High School managed to put his No. 1 Swan Motorsports Spectrum/Honda on the outside of the front row. With the race off to a frantic start, it turned into a three-car battle for the lead for the opening 15 laps. Eventually with traffic, Newgarden was able to put a lapped car between himself and the No. 1, escaping from Mällinen with three laps to go.

Mällinen continues to attempt to qualify for the National Championship SCCA Runoffs at Laguna Seca in October.