I attended my first Racing America formula event this past weekend at NOLA Motorsport Park. I was blown away by the event. It was a fan’s dream.
First, the series’s accessibility was unmatched. An open garage all weekend made it possible to have conversations with owners, crew members, and drivers. You were able to get up close and personal with the teams and cars. Every person I spoke to was kind, courteous, and willing to answer any questions I had with a smile. They wanted fans to connect and ask questions.
The Fan Walk was something I haven’t seen in any other event I’ve been to. During lunch break, the FR Americas cars and drivers were lined up on the track for all the fans to visit. Racing America employees passed out posters so everyone could get autographs. It was a happy environment to get to speak with drivers, get autographs, and take photos.
I struck up a conversation with a man wearing an MLT Motorsports shirt. It turned out to be the owner, Dr. Michael Thompson, and we had a 15-minute conversation as we walked to the podium. Race Director Scott Goodyear took time out of his busy day to do an interview. PR Director Ashleigh Aungst held my phone during the interview after my tripod broke. In what other series would you get to meet people that high up just walking around? This series cares about its fans, and it shows.
Second, was the amount to do at the event. Hagerty sponsored a car show called Hagerty Cars and Coffee. It’s open to all classic, vintage, exotic, and collector cars. It had a nice turnout and was cool to see the cars. SVRA was at the event with vintage car races. Optima Ultimate Street Car was also in attendance. The event was a great mix for car lovers and race fans.
Lastly, you get to see the stars of tomorrow in action. All drivers have to start somewhere; this series is a great place to start. If you want to look back and say, “I saw them drive before they made it big.” This is the series for you.
If interested, the remaining schedule is posted below.
Road America May 14-17
Mid-Ohio Jun 11-14
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Jun 18-21
New Jersey Motorsport Park Jul 31- Aug 2
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Sep 3-6
Virginia International Raceway Sep 17-20
Barber Motorsports Park Oct 16-18
Image Credit: Levi Powell
