Extending Our Points Advantage at Races 5 & 6

This past weekend, we raced at Sonoma Raceway for Formula Pro USA Rounds 5 & 6. We had toasty weather for all 3 days, which made for a very greasy circuit. Despite the track conditions, this was probably the best driving I’ve ever done, and I’m stoked to still be climbing such steep learning curves.

Friday Practice:

We spent the whole test day on used sets of tires from our last race at Laguna Seca. Despite not having access to a brand new set to simulate a qualifying run, we had very strong pace all day. I set my personal best lap around the track at 1:34.5 on the first session, but we never got within range of that lap time again for the rest of the day. The 2nd and 3rd runs were throwaway sessions because we shared the track with 30 cars during the afternoon, which meant that we would come across slower traffic every lap. Despite losing out on 2 practice sessions, we felt good about our speed for the last 2 runs when I decided to work together with my World Speed teammate, Jay Horak. We ended the day on a positive note, working on our race craft / tire management, and ready for qualifying.

Saturday Rd. 5:

Our qualifying session was very short, thanks to a car in our run group suffering a mechanical failure, and blocking pit entry. The track got red-flagged before I could find an opportunity to position myself clear of slow traffic and attempt a flying lap. When we were sent back out, I only had two chances to lay down a fast lap on cold tires. I remember the crew telling me over the radio that this was my last shot to make something happen, and I responded with “I’ll make it count.” My first lap ended up being a 1:33.6, and my second lap was a 1:33.1, which put us in P2.

During the race start, a Formula Atlantic car that wasn’t in our class jumped the green flag, and my competitor in F3 followed through to take 2nd away from us. I then got shuffled back to P6 overall while getting blocked out by the car that jumped the start. I spent half the race trying to get around the Formula Atlantic car, but by the time I finally overtook it, I was so far behind. I was exiting Turn 7, while the F3 leader was already approaching Turn 11. To make matters worse, I even got stuck behind very slow lapped traffic through the 8-8a esses where passing is impossible. To everyone’s surprise, I caught up to the race leader over the course of just 9 laps, and was in a position to attempt an overtake for the lead on the final lap. I outbrake my rival into Turn 7, but couldn’t quite get the car to stick. I go wide, and slip back into position for one more attempt in Turn 11. They defend into the final corner, and we cross the line only a 0.1s apart. Despite losing out on a potential win with the setbacks we had, I was still very happy with my performance during the race. To catch up to the leader from as far back as we were was a very impressive drive.

Sunday Rd 6:

The 2nd qualifying went a lot more smoothly for us. There were no incidents that halted the session, and I had a lot of open space, which meant I no longer had any excuses to underperform. I qualified on Pole overall with a 1:32.4, my new personal best!

For the Sunday race, I was starting alongside a Pro Formula Mazda (PFM), a car that performs well at a track like Sonoma Raceway due to its huge wings and shorter wheel base. On the start, I took the lead into Turn 1-2, but by Turn 11, the PFM outbrakes me by a long margin, and I had to give them space to save my own race. Throughout the course of the 30 minute race, we were stuck behind the PFM that would continue to make mistakes and defend their track position, making it nearly impossible to attempt a safe overtake. This allowed the F3 car behind me to apply pressure the whole time, which made it even more crucial that I don’t throw away my class lead trying to get around a slower car. To stay focused, I would tell myself every lap that my tires feel good. In actuality, the tires were degrading rapidly. Toward the end of the race, we approached some lapped traffic, and the cars in front found themselves in a tangle going through Turn 4. To avoid contact, I had to compromise my speed, which allowed the F3 car behind me to go for a bold lunge into Turn 6. I slip into their draft, and saw the opportunity to brake extremely late into Turn 7, realizing that I can use the aero to my advantage. We go side-by-side throughout the long hairpin, and I end up back in front going the long way around. We crossed the line 1st in our class, and extended our championship lead to 44 points.

Wrap-Up:

This race weekend was a very strong one for us. We were the car to beat the moment we showed up to the track on Friday. Every time I hop in the F3 car, I continue to adapt to it, and we learn more about what kind of setup it appreciates. I want to say a massive thank you to the World Speed team for an unbelievably wild first half of the season. Six months ago, I would have never expected to be leading the championship by such a huge margin. I hope to carry that momentum over to the next rounds at Portland International Raceway, which will definitely be one of our more challenging circuits.