After completing all the laps at Claremont, we went back to the garage, discussed the changes we needed to make, and got ready for White Mountain Motorsports Park. Over the last few years, we have had plenty of practice but not as many racing laps as we would have liked. Being able to complete the full race at Claremont, even with a loose car at the end, really helped us understand what the car needed and allowed us to make adjustments accordingly.
The last time we were at White Mountain, we ended up having the air cleaner ripped off and suffered a flat tire. We were hopeful that this trip would be different—our goal was to complete all the laps and continue building on the notebook we started at Claremont. We went with a similar setup to our last visit, but with a few changes based on how I’ve been driving lately.
Right from the first practice, I felt like the car was overall pretty good. It had solid rotation and good drive off the corner but lacked grip. For the second practice, we added some wedge, and it woke the car right up. It was a lot better, and the stopwatch showed it. We made a quick adjustment and went back out, but the car started to develop a push. For the third and final practice, we removed the last change, made another adjustment, and ran our fastest lap of the day on tires with more than 130 laps on them. We were very happy with the car and knew we had a solid piece to work with.
For the heat race, the draw put us near the back of the field. We started seventh in the second heat. The first lap was a little crazy. The car in front of me nearly spun but managed to save it, and we charged hard through Turns 3 and 4. I was able to clear sixth and fifth by the end of Lap 2 and then settled into position. I knew how strong the top four cars were, and they were going to fight hard to stay there, so I focused on saving my tires, feeling out the track, and mentally preparing for the feature.
Finishing fifth in the heat race put us starting tenth in the feature. The goal was to settle in, ride, avoid losing positions, and be there at the end. I quickly settled into tenth at the start. Over the next 25 laps, I was able to pick off two cars and move up to eighth. During that stretch, one pass came easily, while another driver blocked aggressively, drove me onto the grass, and showed very little respect. Fortunately, I was able to clear him before he eventually dropped to the back. A caution came out shortly after I settled into eighth.
I held that position for the next 20 laps or so before I started pressuring seventh place. A hard-fought battle eventually moved me up to seventh and then sixth as another car faded. With 20 laps to go, it was all-out. Unfortunately, while attempting a pass for sixth, the car ahead of me shut off and created too large of a gap. Even though I was catching fourth and fifth, they were simply too evenly matched with me, and I ran out of time, bringing the car home in sixth.
As a driver, I was a little too cautious early on and needed to fight harder in some of those battles. The difficult part is that when you go off the feel of previous races, you often second-guess yourself and focus on simply making it to the end. I definitely had some of that mindset early in this race. Overall, I am really happy to finally deliver a strong result, and I learned a ton. Now it’s about taking that knowledge to the next race and continuing to build on it.
As for what it will take to get to the podium, the driver simply needs more laps. We were only a very small adjustment away on the car, and as I continue to gain experience racing up front, I believe we will be fighting for podium finishes very soon.
It has been a long battle over the last two and a half years, but the hard work finally showed. With how the car felt and how the driver felt, I know this is only the beginning. I can’t thank all of my crew guys enough for sticking it out with me—my dad, my mom, Timmy, Robert, Ian, Nick G., Dave G., and Dan.
In addition, I could not do this without my marketing partners: NH Oil Undercoating, P1 Web Development, Reed Property Services, and West Street Auto Body.
Our next race is scheduled for August 1st. We have a few weeks off before what will be a long stretch of races, and I’m excited to get back after it. Thank you to everyone for following along, and I’m excited to keep the momentum going!
