The 2015 season of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires continued in Indianapolis with the second running of the Grand Prix of Indy this past weekend. Unlike every other race venue this season, the weather was absolutely perfect. Rain rolled in on the last day, but we were finished by then. Before that, we had warm temperatures and sunny skies… and plenty of good racing.
There’s nothing quite like being at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s an iconic venue with so much history. Racing here is truly a thrill of a lifetime.
After a few practice sessions, our first order of business was to have a make-up race for the one that was cancelled in New Orleans. The start of a race is always exciting, but Turn 1 at Indy brings it to a new level. There is always something happening. In this race, it was no different as one of the lead cars cartwheeled into the gravel. After multiple caution periods, I was able to bring home an Expert Class win, and I finished 14th overall out of 21 drivers. It was a great race and a solid finish.
Our second race of the weekend started out just as chaotic as one car literally drove over another as the pack entered Turn 1. You can see the action in the video below. After the mess was cleaned up, I was able to earn another Expert Class win.
The final race of the weekend brought out my best, most competitive start yet. My coach and I had several objectives that we wanted to hit on the opening lap, and we checked off each box on that list. Unfortunately, a car spun in front of me which held me up while others got around much quicker. I spent the rest of the race trying to catch up, and when the checkered flag waved, I was less than two seconds behind the Expert Class winner. Oh well… It would have been fantastic to go three for three, but the lessons learned were much more important.
Racing wasn’t the only thing going on this weekend. Three members of the Texas A&M Formula SAE Team were in attendance, and they were able to see what goes on behind the scenes to get the car and the driver ready for a race. We reviewed data following my sessions, and they were able to hear the interaction between me and my coach. They were also briefed on the changes that were made to the car throughout the weekend.
But, it wasn’t all work. On Friday, we all went to the racing museum at the Speedway. It’s an incredible facility with so many cars and so much history. Then, on Saturday morning, the students were surprised to find they were getting two-seater IndyCar rides from several drivers including Mario Andretti! We all had a great time.
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.
~ Bobby Eberle (reprinted from GOPUSA.com)