by Elliot Cox ~ TeamWWF
Our USF2000 weekend in Portland started off strong. We had a decent pace early in the weekend. We qualified second and fourth place for races one and two and felt confident about fighting for the podium!
In race one, the race was rough. We got a penalty on lap one and had to fight back as far as we could through the field in the rain. I made it back to 12th before the checkers fell, feeling more determined than ever to fight for the win.
In race two, we were the fastest car on the track, taking the lead early in the race and leading 95% of the laps. Unfortunately, we were overtaken at the end and had to settle for second place, knowing we had the pace to race for the win in race 3, where I would start from P5.
In race three, I started in fifth place and made my way to second place by turn one. From there, I started to work up onto the lead car, which I passed to take first place on lap five. I led the race until I was taken out in a fight for the lead. It was a bummer to end the season that way, but I was so grateful for the hard work of my team and our ability to take the car to the front.
At the end of the weekend, we ended up in sixth place in the championship by one point and hungrier than ever to fight for wins next year.
Off-track, Portland was also a great experience. The crowd was awesome, and I had the opportunity to take photos with fans around the paddock. I even got to meet a little girl who said my American flag car was her favorite, and I let her sit in my car.
I could not be more thankful for the support of the Wings and Wheels Foundation. They came on board when we may not have been able to finish the season strong and made it possible for our team to perform excellently. Their support made it possible for my team to truly show what we are capable of—fighting for wins with a one-car team!
