Sonoma is a fun track with lots of elevation changes. It is mostly mid to low-speed turns but requires thinking ahead and lots of commitment. It is also a track you use every inch of. This weekend was a bit interesting because we only had one practice. This was because of a track surface problem leading to them having to repave very large sections of the track overnight. It is very hard to pass at Sonoma since you need clean air on the car to be fast. We are constantly working to improve the car and develop the setup, we will improve from race to race. The team did a great job all weekend long under very unusual circumstances, and we have lots of great data to build upon.
Race #1
- Watch Race #1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geguWRgHvFM it gets VERY interesting at the end of the race
- Qualified in 4th place with a lap time of 1:51.796 just 0.274 seconds off of pole position
- I was able to snatch 3rd off the start and finish out the race on the podium in 3rd place.
Race #2
- Watch Race #2 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-tdyhK3E0g
- Qualified in 4th place with a lap time of 1:50.662 just 0.224 off of pole position.
- I was able to move to 3rd place with a pass. The stewards said I used too much grass on the pass and so I had to give the position back. Please watch race 2 and tell me what you think?
We leave Sonoma in 3rd place in the Toyota GR Cup North America Championship. I feel good about the team, I feel good about the car, I feel good about my preparations, and I am excited to race in Sebring, FL and Austin, TX in the two upcoming races.