Mid-Ohio Reset: Rebuilt, Recharged, and Gaining Confidence

A Masterpiece

After my crash at Road Atlanta, Mazda committed to building a brand new Spec MX-5 car for me to race in for the remainder of the season. After an intense six weeks from everyone involved, the new car was finally ready. This car is absolutely stunning. Every single detail is perfect, and no corners were cut. I was so excited to drive it!

A New Vision

Going into Mid-Ohio we decided to try a brand new baseline setup on the car with hopes of finding more speed and building more confidence. During the practice day on Thursday, we made a ton of set up changes during and between every session with the goal of learning as much as possible and trying to eliminate every possible setup variable. I had never learned so much before in one day!

A Disappointing Qualifying

I ended up 17th after the first qualifying session which was disappointing to say the least. I knew that for the second qualifying session on Sunday I needed to get a better slipstream from cars ahead and manage the understeery nature of the car and track better. But the track was wet during Q2 the next morning, so I never had the chance to redeem myself.

A Tough Call

Around 40 minutes before Race 1 a massive downpour began and the track was super wet. As a result, I made the call with the team to switch to rain tires but remain on a dry setup in hopes of the track drying out. However I didn’t realise just how fast the track would dry out. On the outlap, the track was completely dry, I made the wrong call entirely.

Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons

I got a really good start to Race 1 despite being on the less optimal tire, but quickly the cars on slicks got around me and I fell back to 18th. However while everyone on the rain tire began to see their pace drop off, I only got faster and faster with my best lap being my last. I ended up being the fastest on rain tires.

A Consistent Drive

Race 2 wasn’t overly eventful, but it was one that I felt pretty decent about. I climbed from P18 to P13, doing a good job of keeping a train of cars behind me. This was also one of my most consistent races yet, which I felt great about. It’s races like these that build the much-needed confidence to push forward.

We Keep Learning, We Keep Improving

I’m leaving Mid-Ohio with a much-needed renewed sense of confidence. The 2025 season has been undoubtedly one of my most challenging yet, but it’s weekends like this that help you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can't wait to see what we can do at Road America in a couple of weeks!