Lessons from Watkins Glen

A Wet Start

Watkins Glen is known for its high speed flowing turns and there was no better way to “get my feet wet” than for FP1 to be in the rain. Even though the session didn’t mean much for the rest of the weekend as there was no rain, I thoroughly enjoyed every lap.

Getting Up To Speed

The rest of the practice day went relatively smoothly as I continued improving in each session. Working hard with the guys at Advanced Autosports we continued to make progress and I was feeling confident going into the qualifying day.

A Chaotic First Qualifying

Qualifying 1 was chaotic to say the least. Three cars ended up in the wall in the first 10 minutes of the session and it was called off early. I came into the pit lane for spacing only to then be shocked seeing the chequered flag come out knowing that I did not get a single push lap in.

A Better Second Qualifying

Qualifying 2 was much better as I was finally able to get a push lap in. Despite being held up in “Turn 6” I still managed to qualify 10th, our best result of the season so far.

Frustrations

Race 1 was one to forget as my car saw the engine temps run way too hot from the start of the race. As a result the car started losing power and there was nothing I could do about it. I ended up finishing P14.

Our Best Result Of The Season

We fixed the cooling issue overnight, and for Race 2 I finally had full power. I put in my best drive of the season to finish P9—our best result so far. It felt good… but also frustrating. We’re still not competitive and underpowered compared to the rest of the grid. It’s tough knowing that even our best might not be enough without the same horsepower. That kind of deficit is hard to overcome, especially in a field this tight.

But we’re not here to make excuses—we’re here to race. Still, we’re not giving up. Every time we suit up, it’s another shot to fight harder, dig deeper, and prove what we can do with what we’ve got. We’ll keep pushing, keep learning, and keep showing up—because that’s what this sport demands.

A Feeling of Relief

This is the first race weekend in 2025 where I am leaving feeling a much needed sense of relief. Finally, I was able to maximize the performance of the car confidently and had a result to show for that. This year’s SCCA Super Tour has been a huge challenge but one that I have embraced. 

Now time for a fun non-championship round at Road America this weekend!