Taking on his first Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires oval race of his career, Canadian Antonio Serravalle took on the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. The paperclip shaped oval was a challenge for the Indy Lights teams and competitors as some issues within the race weekend caused both races to be shortened.
This was Antonio’s first trip to the World Wide Technology Raceway and going there in an Indy Lights car is a big jump. Completing a one day test the week prior, Serravalle, at only 18 years of age, took the weekend to learn more to trust the aero and downforce of the Dallara IL-15.
“The Indy Lights car is a different animal and not only do you need to trust the car and try and stay flat through turns three and four, I needed to try and trust the car and myself more,” explained Serravalle. “I am pleased with how the weekend went and look forward to the future. With the goal of IndyCar and ovals an important part of the series, I will look to better myself as much as possible before my next oval event.”
In a weekend of firsts for the young PSerra Racing driver, Serravalle took on the single car, two-lap qualifying not knowing what to expect. With the first lap setting the grid for race one and the second lap for race two, Serravalle was the first driver to hit the 1.25-mile oval.
In the first wheel-to-wheel action of the double header weekend, Serravalle endured some difficult luck. With a tire issue hurting several of the drivers, Serravalle was the first with an issue as series officials shortened the race nine laps from the end due to concerns. A puncture in the right front saw Serravalle limp his car down the front straight and to a stop at pit out. As the crew scurried to him, a tire change and a front wing change allowed him to get back on track and gain valuable experience.
Serravalle added, “Obviously there was no chance at a good result, but the goal then was to gain as much data, knowledge and experience as possible to perform better in race two. A huge thanks to the guys for the quick work to make sure I could turn some more laps.
After being classified tenth on the results sheets from Friday evening’s event, Saturday would see changes made to the program due to safety concerns posed by the tires. A mandatory stop mid race for new tires was imposed by the series that changed the strategy for all competitors entering the race. Rolling off the grid from P12, the goal was to move forward and continue to add to the knowledge base
With a good start and advancement forward, Serravalle was primed for a top-eight performance before he lost drive in the middle of turns three and four. A broken drive shaft ultimately ended his day as he was forced to watch the rest of the race from pit lane.
“I was really hoping we could finish the race today,” explained Serravalle. “We made some changes to the car overnight that helped both the handling and the excessive tire wear. I was moving forward and think we could have been sixth or seventh in the end.”
Antonio Serravalle would like to thank all of his partners for the help and support to get the 2021 season off the ground as without them, none of this would be possible. A huge thanks to LedgeMark Homes / livgreen, Tycoon Capital Limited, TriBrik, Camptech ll Circuits, Coshore, Ferrari & Associates, Scuderia Ferrari Club Canada, Med-Scan and Sabelt.
For more information on Antonio Serravalle, please follow him on his social media pages by searching Antonio Serravalle or visit him online at www.AntonioSerravalle.com.
Photo Credit: Road to Indy