Sebring WRL Race
This past weekend, I got to experience the historical Sebring International Raceway with BSI Racing in an MX-5 Cup car.
With an 8 hour race on Saturday and an 8 hour race on Sunday, I was excited to maximize this opportunity and get quality seat time for the upcoming MX-5 Cup Shootout.
With 2 cars and 8 drivers (including myself) under the BSI Racing tent, we each got one practice session on Friday and 4 one hour stints throughout the weekend.
With the car on street tires, instead of the usual slicks, the car had a completely different feel then the car I drove at Road Atlanta. However, I decided to use this weekend to get comfortable with the sequential shifter, tires, and track.
After my practice stint on Friday, I was ready for two full days of racing. Although I knew Sebring pretty well from Iracing, I found myself learning a lot about the track. The tracks surface was very interesting compared to racing online, especially with the 200 tread wear tires.
On Saturday, we had multiple mechanical issues with both cars, decreasing our chances of a podium. However, all 8 drivers got to experience some wheel to wheel racing in their one hour stint!
On Sunday, we came across a major mechanical issue and the team was forced to retire both cars. Although we didn’t get to finish the race, the team collectively shared a unique bonding experience.
Getting to know my co-drivers and bonding as a team really changed the way I view endurance racing. Although we didn’t have an ideal weekend, I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a blast!
I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive team. Not just my co-drivers, but the mechanics and crew chiefs who worked all night to make sure we had a car to race in the morning. Not to mention Shea Holbrook, the mastermind of it all.
Huge thanks to my dad for supporting me and being my driver coach, BSI Racing for working so hard to prepare the cars, my teammates for making this experience so fun, and Shea Holbrook for all of her help in advancing my career with Mazda.
11/12/2023
