The Star Formula Mazda World Speed team finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the Thunderhill Park Saturday and Sunday for a double-header weekend in Willows, California, part of the Formula Star Mazda Series Best Western Championship weekend. The highlights of the weekend came about on Saturday’s race, when World Speed drivers Grant Ryley and Chantz Wade finished on the podium for 2nd and 3rd place followed by Scott Bradley in 4th. Team Bucknum driver Bryan Selby took the checkered flag.
“Selby had a jump right from the start, basically he was four seconds ahead of me. But, I quickly caught him and then the track went yellow,” said Ryley.
As soon as the track went green again, Ryley got a jump on Selby and almost passed him for the lead, until World Speed teammate rookie Alex Figge, who was running third, spun out, causing another yellow flag to drop. Ryley dropped back to second under caution.Bradley was battling Wade for third. “Saturday’s race was very trying do to the extended periods of yellow flags. Toward the end of the race I had the fastest car on the track and closed the gap to the leaders. On the restart, I was following Alex when he spun. I was forced to check up allowing Chantz to get back by,” said Bradley, rookie to the Formula Star Mazda series. The race finished under yellow caution.
With the exception of Wade’s podium finish, 2nd place, Sunday’s race was the low point of World Speed’s weekend. Bradley finished 7th and Ryley did not finish the race due to a wreck. Ryley had a great start and ran side by side with Matt Beardsley, until Ryley was knocked off into the dirt coming into Turn 3. He immediately got back on track in 15th place where the track was three cars wide. Ryley tried to get out of the crowd while coming into Turn 9. Michael Choquette turned too soon right into Ryley, which sent him airborne. “It was a scary feeling, my car flipped over three or four time. My roll bar broke off and I could feel my head hit the track. I landed upside down. I was shaken, but walked away. I’m very lucky. That was by far the worst wreck I’ve had,” said Ryley.
Bradley struggled throughout the second race, “Sunday’s race was a test of my patience. In Turn six, I was hit from behind and spun out, but was able to get back into the race. Then, coming through Turn eight, I had someone spin in front of me and we made contact,” said Bradley. The contact was enough to damage the nose and front wing of Bradley’s car, which made it necessary for him to make a pit stop. Bradley re-joined the race dead last, but was able to move up to 7th, where he finished the race.
“I think we are beginning to prove that myself and World Speed Motorsports are going to be contenders at every event. It’s great to be with a team that is capable of giving me the tools I need to win races. Now it’s time I pay them back with a win,” said a very positive Bradley.
The World Speed team overall finishes at Thunderhill, for race number one: 2nd, Ryley, 3rd, Wade, 4th, Bradley, 14th, Rick Waddell, 15th, Alex Figge, and 19th, Frank McCormick. Race number two: 2nd, Wade, 7th, Bradley, 15th Figge, 18th Waddell, 19th, McCormick, and 21st, Ryley.
Round six of the Formula Mazda series will be June 2-3 at Irwindale, part of the Formula Mazda Western series.