First Endurance Race, First Podium
A new team, a shared car and my first-ever endurance race. We fought a power steering problem to finish P3 in Race 1, then made the call to sit out Sunday with the car not fit to drive.
Every season starts somewhere. Mine started at Sonoma with a lot of firsts: my first race with AOA Racing, my first race in the Zenith series, and my first-ever endurance race.
Endurance racing is a completely new experience. It's not just you and the car anymore. You share it, which means sharing the setup, the tires, the fuel and the plan. I shared the car with Ren Messinger, and it was a pleasure to work alongside Chris Walsh as well. Learning how to hand a car over, and how to drive it so your teammate gets it back in good shape, was a big part of this weekend.
“New team, new format, shared car. Walking away from the first one with a podium is more than I could have asked for.”
— Alex PollardRace 1: a podium the hard way
The car didn't make it easy. The power steering started giving us trouble, and without it every corner turns into a workout. We kept pushing, kept the car on track, and brought it home in P3. My first podium with the team, in my first endurance race.
Sunday: knowing when to stop
By Sunday the mechanical issues had caught up with us. The car simply wasn't drivable the way it needed to be, and we decided to opt out of Race 2. It's never an easy call, but it was the right one, for the car and for everyone out on track.
One race, one podium, and a lot of lessons about what endurance racing really asks of you. Thanks to AOA Racing, Ren and Chris for making the first one count.
The season is underway. Next up: a dream come true, my first weekend in the McLaren with RWE.