Streets of St. Petersburg - MX-5 Cup Rounds 3 & 4
St. Pete was a whirlwind of emotions! With no prior street course experience, I was determined to make the most of the weekend. I spent weeks training on the sim and in the gym to prepare for the intensity of racing through the city.
In practice, I focused on learning the track, finding my rhythm, and improving my braking performance. Time-wise, I didn’t feel like I was where I needed to be—I had a lot more potential to unlock—and I wasn’t even in the top 20. The walls were definitely intimidating, but I knew it was just another track, and to be fast, you have to drive with no fear of crashing. Determined to improve, I spent hours after the session studying footage and preparing to have a solid qualifying run the next morning.
However, qualifying didn’t go as planned—I made a mistake that could have ended my session, but before I could recover, a spinning car collected me, causing more damage than I anticipated. The impact broke my steering rack, bent my frame, and much more on the front left. With only two laps completed, I was set to start both races from the back.
Disappointed and facing the risk of not having a car to race, I began to panic. The damage was so extensive that as my team, JTR, inspected the car further, they discovered even more issues. After hours of uncertainty, they worked tirelessly to repair the car and get me back on track. Thanks to their dedication and hard work, I was able to race after such a significant impact.
Starting P32 in Race 1, I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me. I approached it like a video game, almost as if I were racing on iRacing. I pushed hard, charging from P32 to P14, gaining 18 positions and earning the Penske Shocking Performance / Hard Charger Award for the most positions gained.
After a strong drive, I was confident that with more pace, passing, and careful maneuvering, I could achieve an even better result on Sunday. Starting from the back in Race 2, I knew I had to push myself even harder to make it happen.
After a night of studying and reviewing race footage, I knew exactly what needed to be done. At the start of Race 2, I gained seven positions in Turn 1 alone and kept pushing forward. I had to navigate several incidents and make some assertive last-lap passes to secure my position. By the checkered flag, I had climbed from P30 to P10, earning my first Top 10 of the season, another Penske Shocking Performance / Hard Charger Award, and finishing as the Top-Performing Female of the weekend! I couldn’t believe how incredible the weekend turned out, especially considering how it started!
From never having driven a street course to delivering two amazing comeback drives, every bit of hard work paid off. I’m incredibly grateful to my team, JTR Motorsports Engineering, for ensuring I had a car to race after such a hard hit, and to my sponsors—Coble Commercial Properties, AE Victory Racing, Smart-Energize.com, Ribtect, and Shift Up Now—for making all of this possible.
Next up, Barber Motorsports Park in May! Let’s make it even better!
March 2, 2025
