First race back after a long hiatus! After fracturing my scaphoid back in March in Florida, I had some time to heal up before the first 3 rounds of the Lucas Oil Formula Car Championship at Putnam Park Road Course. I arrived in Indianapolis Sunday night, and on Monday, I had the amazing opportunity of visiting PitFit Training Center in Indianapolis. While there, I met Jim Leo, who was so kind and willing to show me around the training center and share how Indycar drivers train and prepare for races. I also stopped into Apollo Sports Performance, where Mike Stevens took me through a few PT Exercises to improve my mobility and allow me to prepare for the week back in the car. Thank you so much to both of these guys for their incredible support and hospitality.
During the 2 practice days leading up to the races, I worked hard to learn the subtle nuances of the track and gain as much confidence as possible. After struggling with speed early, I was able to gain pace and set very fast times thanks to the expertise and help of my coach Dan Clarke. On Wednesday, I qualified p3 after missing the draft in qualifying, but was confident going into race 1. At the start, I moved up a spot into p2 and battled with the lead group for the entire race, even leading a few laps midway through. I ended up crossing the finish line p3, but was given a penalty for contact while battling on the final lap, dropping me to p7. On Thursday, I struggled with the car in qualifying, and was 6th fastest. With the help of the Lucas Oil Racing School mechanics’ hard work, we were able to make changes that would have made the car faster. However, it started raining before we went out on track, completely changing the dynamic of the race. I started 7th for race 2, and with my experience in wet weather conditions, made my way to 2nd by the end of lap 2, and to the lead by lap 4. After a mid race red flag and restart, I was able to pull away from the pack and win the race. This boosted my confidence going into race 3, where I started 6th. I made my way up to p3 by lap 2 in changing weather conditions, and battled back and forth for the top 5 spots. After a hard fought last lap battle, I ended up p3. Overall, it was a great weekend considering I hadn’t been in a car for 3 months prior to the event. I showed great speed and racecraft, and I’m very confident that I can continue to run up front, win races, and fight for the championship.
I’d like to thank RC, Juan, and all the mechanics and personnel at Lucas Oil Racing School for the hospitality and the opportunity to drive their cars! I’d also like to thank my family for always supporting me, Dan Clarke for the Coaching, World Speed Motorsports, VMB Driver Development, PitFit Training, Apollo Sports Performance, Exclusive Racing, Harris Group Inc, Molecule, Chegg, and Casa Gourmet Burritos for their support, and God for allowing me to have opportunities like this. On to Mid-O!
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