(Originally published on GOPUSA.com 08.03.2015)
The 2015 season of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires continued in Lexington, Ohio at the famous Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. All Mazda Road to Indy series were in action to support IndyCar’s race, and the weekend could not have been better. This is the track were I participated in my first pro race in 2013, and it was definitely great to be back.
Thursday and Friday were very productive days. After each session, we made a number of changes to the car, and the results were faster and faster lap times. From springs to aero to everything in between, the team was focused on getting the right combination for the tricky Mid-Ohio course. I was also getting closer and closer to the guy in front of me on the time sheet, and I was well ahead of my Expert Class competition.
In qualifying, we had a great set of goals, and we met every one. However, we should have set our goals a little higher, because all of a sudden, the other Expert Class driver dropped more than two seconds from his lap time and out-qualified me by a few tenths of a second. Lesson to be learned: Don’t give your competition free “lead-follow” laps during qualifying!
For both races, I was on used tires, and the other Expert driver was on new tires. In Race 1, I moved ahead of him at the start, but he passed me in lap 6. I moved ahead of him later in the race, and he was closing in when I put my best laps together and held him off. In Race 2, I had better pace throughout, and I was focused on chasing down one of the other drivers. It was a great effort, but the track conditions for Race 2 were different than we expected, and that kept us from going even faster.
When all was said and done, I picked up two Expert Class wins, and I had my most competitive race starts yet. I also wrapped up the 2015 Expert Class Championship with two races still to go.
A special thanks goes out to Mazda and Cooper Tires for their continued support of the Mazda Road to Indy. These folks do so much to keep us racing, and their efforts are both welcomed and appreciated.