QUICKEST PRACTICE LAP, POLE POSITION, LAP RECORD, AND A PUNCTURE AT THE END OF THE RACE
All-Star Speed51 Super Select - Saturday, September 7, 2019
Raphael Lessard drove the Wilson Motorsports Super Late Model #1 FRL Express car and kept it in the spotlight with a remarkable driving performance all day yesterday. During the test session, the young driver stormed the Lucas Oil Raceway circuit and set the quickest time of the session, setting a new track record on his quick lap. He did it again in qualifying, grabbing pole for the start of the first of the three 25-lap segments as well a setting a new lap record in the process. However, while he was in third place in the third segment, a slow leak on the right front tire abruptly ended his race with only ten laps to go in the last segment.
"The whole team worked efficiently and the new set-up we used was doing what we were looking for, especially towards the end of segments 1 and 2. We were convinced we would come out of the first two segments well positioned for segment three, as we were sure that we had the winning car. I had to work for it, as the cars would line up in a single file right off the restarts and were difficult to overtake. In the second segment, the car went from understeer to oversteer as the laps went by, and we were missing a little bit of speed to overtake the first two drivers from my third place. In the third segment, a tire failed on the early laps and took us right out of any chance to do well in the end," explains Raphael Lessard.
The weekend lacked a victory, but Raphael Lessard's driving feats were nevertheless brilliant (pole, a new lap record, 4th in the first segment, 5th in the second segment). Despite the tire issue in segment 3, Raphael Lessard once again put on a convincing display of his talents, which observers of the top teams and manufacturers certainly did not miss.
Photo Credit: Speed51
