Race Recap

Photos from Weekend 2 of the X-Bow Cup

If you missed the action from last weekend at the X-Bow Cup, check out these photos to get back up to speed!

X-Bow Cup USA Weekend 2 – The 8 race incident free run continues

For the 2nd weekend of the X-Bow Cup, 2019, temperatures were a bit higher than usual, but the cars and competitors did very well. 

With 8 races completed by the end of last weekend, there have been zero on-track incidents, which serves as a testament to the KTM X-Bow platform.

New Drivers to Watch Out for

There were also two new faces in the X-Bow Cup paddock this past weekend, Josh Sarchet and Mathias Pelzmann.

Sarchet is an interesting racer with experience in Formula Ford cars and lots of time behind the wheel of go-karts. 

Mathias Pelzmann is a competitor from Europe and a regular driver in the X-Bow battle across the pond. Stateside, Pelzmann did quite well, but he noticed some major differences between the European Circuits he’s used too and the course at Sonoma:

 “The car is familiar to me, but the track here is challenging compared to the tracks in Europe.” 

He agreed that a racing school set at a track like Sonoma Raceway is a huge advantage to learning drivers. 

Top Performers for the Weekend

On the other hand, a few returning riders enjoyed the challenge and showcased impressive results.

Daniel Doerr, Michael Kopper, and Will De La Rosa flexed their muscles on the track, but the first race belonged to newcomer Josh Sarchet.

This was his first event and first time at Sonoma raceway, and after doing some simulator work and studying race videos, he won the first race and posted the fastest time that session. 

Daniel Doerr took second, Michael Kopper placed third. 

In race two, things improved for everyone across the board. Will De La Rosa, a 15-year-old phenom who still only has a driving permit, won the 2nd heat of the day. 

Josh Sarchet was second on the podium, and Mathias Pelzmann placed third.  

For race number three, Josh Sarchet won again, Daniel Doerr finished second, and Will placed third. 

In the final race, Daniel Doerr led the pack once more with Josh Sarchet behind him, and Will De la Rosa at third. 

KTM X-Bow Cup Driver Takeaways

According to Matt Bell, Chief Instructor and manager of the KTM program, he states that everyone performed quite well.

“Josh Sarchet just tapped into some of his Formula Ford experience and really ran super smooth races. Even if he wasn’t the fastest guy out there, he found where the difficulties were for other people to pass and exploited them.” 

“Daniel Doerr was just a missile all weekend long. He posted some of the fastest times and made some great passes, but in the end, he didn’t win the weekend because he was too fast for his own good. Tire attrition is a great lesson to learn”

It’s important to consider that everyone was on a new tire package—Michelin tires which tend to go longer throughout the weekend, but harder to cool off if abused. 

Despite the changes, “Will De La Rosa was consistent the whole way through. He maintained the same lap times every race and had no real issues the entire weekend.” Bell explains. 

“However, Mathias Pelzmann found the track really challenging but still managed to stay consistent. By Sunday, he really showed his competitive nature, giving some of the other racers a hard time. 

Lastly, “Michael Kopper increased his times with each lap and each race, steadily climbing up the ladder. He’s just happy to be here and his enjoyment really shows. Every weekend he spends with us he gets closer to that top step of the podium.” 

Final Event Results

By the end of the weekend, it was Josh Sarchet with 90 points, Daniel Doerr with 79 points, Will De La Rosa with 69 points.

As far as the Championship results go…

Daniel Doerr is leading with 177 points

Will De La Rosa is in second with 151 points

Michael Kopper is in third with 98 points

Josh Sarchet is in fourth with 95 points

Learn More About the X-Bow Cup at Simraceway

With two more weekends left in the X-Bow Cup, it’s still anyone’s cup. 

Not to mention, the winner of the X-Bow Cup receives a voucher to compete in the X-bow championship in Europe in 2020, so there’s bound to be some fierce competition ahead. 

To learn more about the X-Bow Cup and to inquire about races at Simraceway, visit our site or contact our team. 

Simraceway F3 Series August 2017

Simraceway F3 Summer Series

12 races in 4 months held over 4 weekends

August 18-20, 2017

The Simraceway F3 Summer Series final three races were about to kick off. The long summer all led up to this weekend as there were multiple championship outcomes yet to be finalized. The anticipation was thick—and the drivers arrived focused and ready for battle. There were three drivers in the championship hunt for the top standing: John Schauerman, John Purcell and Jonathan Haswell, all of whom had a chance to clinch the title. The pressure was on and you could tell there was some great racing to come.

Race 1

Qualifying

For qualifying, the drivers split into two groups from the practice times of the morning. The first group headed out and began their session. Walter Kuhn would start P8 as he came in with his best time of a 1:43.612. Gus Doppes was able to set a 1:40.905 good enough for P7. Joe Gardner set a 1:39.576 on his third lap earning him P6. The remaining 5 drivers watched as the track was heating up. They climbed into their cars and headed out. John Schauerman’s best lap of a 1:38.407 was only good enough for the 5th spot on the grid as he uncharacteristically struggled with pace. Mark Siegel was looking strong and laid down a 1:38.158 on his 5th lap good enough for the 4th spot on the grid. Kai Schuette came out swinging and put down a smooth fast lap of 1:37.738 that would earn him the 3rd starting position. Jonathan Haswell was eager to start this weekend off right and threw down a 1:37.646 earning him the 2nd spot on the front row. John Purcell headed out and did what needed to be done and was fast right from lap one. On his third lap he bested the field with a blistering 1:36.269 and claiming the pole position.

Race 1 Results

Race

The green flag dropped and the field started the climb into turn one. John Purcell did his job well and got a good jump cleanly from the lead. Kai Schuette from the third spot had a great run and passed Jonathan Haswell claiming the second spot into turn two. Gus Doppes pounced on Joe Gardner as he was a little slow at the start and moved up one spot to 6th. Jonathan Haswell on lap two, eager to repair his slow start, closed in on Kai Schuette and showed him that he wanted the spot back. Meanwhile from the lead, John Purcell started to stretch his legs and gap the field with a 4 second lead by the fourth lap. Mark Siegel on lap four was a little too eager to the gas and spun on the exit of turn 2. The car became unable to continue when it became stuck on the edge of the grass and curb. While this was happening, just before the yellow flag came out, Jonathan Haswell got a great run out of turn six and closed up on Kai Schuette in 2nd place. He was late to the brakes and dove to the inside of turn 7 claiming his spot back. Moments later, the course went full course caution and the pace car was deployed to pick up the leader in turn 7. The disabled car was cleared and the restart was underway.  All cars cleanly had a good restart and were underway. Kai Schuette from the third position spun his car on the exit of turn 9 and John Schauerman dove off the track and into the dirt to avoid him. Both cars continued eventually after many of the cars passed, but this appeared to hurt Schauerman’s campaign for the championship. Gus Doppes now running in the third position ran wide at the exit of turn 7 and this was all Joe Gardner needed to pounce and reclaim his spot he lost at the start of the race. They had a drag race all the way from turn seven and into turn eight. Joe was able to get to the apex first and take the third spot. John Purcell had this race almost won as they were in the closing laps. Unfortunately, his car became disabled in turn 12 and his day was over. Meanwhile John Schauerman was trying to claw back every point he could and stay in the championship. He was able to make a good pass on Walter Kuhn into turn 9 and take the 4th spot. An unexpected outcome in a tough race that would give the win to Jonathan Haswell who fought hard early on. Joe Gardner kept his nose clean and finished second. Gus Doppes third. John Schauerman battled back to fourth. Walter Kuhn fifth. Kai Schuette sixth. Mark Siegel seventh and John Purcell eighth.

Race 2

Qualifying

As day two rolled off and the drivers were climbing in their cars you could tell there was an eagerness in the air to try and seal this championship. The weather was again ideal and clear.

Walter Kuhn would start 8th with his time of 1:43.805. John Schauerman struggled with some problems in this session and would start 7th with his best time of a 1:40.782. Gus Doppes was able to go over a second quicker than the previous qualifying and would start 6th with his lap time of a 1:39.887. Mark Siegel 5th with his 1:38.913. Joe Gardner surprised the field with his fastest lap of the weekend in the 1:38’s. He would start 4th with his 1:38.672. John Purcell wasn’t able to put a clean lap together and would have to settle for third with his lap of 1:38.445. Kai Schuette had a great run on his sixth and final qualifying lap and his 1:38.134 was good enough for the 2nd spot on the grid. Jonathan Haswell shook up the grid with the fastest lap of the group. His 1:37.208 would take the pole position on the front row.

Race 2 Results

Race

Kai Schuette from 2nd, got a great jump on the green flag and took the lead from Jonathan Haswell. John Schauerman moved up one spot on lap one into the sixth spot. At the end of the first lap, John Purcell from the third spot felt his car lose power due to a broken driveshaft. This was not an ideal way to try and clinch a championship. The car was rolled back into pit lane and he was given a spare car and try to recover some points. Joe Gardner on lap 4 was able to close in on Jonathan Haswell and put some pressure on him. For the next 5 laps Joe filled Haswell’s mirrors looking for a way by. Haswell, feeling the pressure, occasionally locked the tires under braking. Meanwhile, Mark Siegel was able to reel in Haswell and Gardner and make it a three-car battle for the second spot. Mark was trying hard to get on that podium, but he almost spun on the exit of turn 7 as he jumped on the throttle. Kai Schuette was continuing to stretch his comfortable lead as he was clicking off smooth fast laps. Towards the closing laps of the race Mark Siegel was trying to keep the pressure on Joe Gardner and had a spin coming out of turn 7, losing two positions. Gus Doppes and Johsn Schauerman took those two spots and ultimately had a drag race, side by side into turn 8. Gus narrowly took the position for 5th.

Kai Schuette confidently took the win with a comfortable 7 second victory. Jonathan Haswell finishing a solid 2nd. Joe Gardner 3rd.  John Schauerman 4th. Gus Doppes 5th. Mark Siegel 6th. Walter Kuhn 7th.  John Purcell 8th.

Race 3

Qualifying

John Purcell was eager to have a good day as he had to retire from the last two races with rare mechanical failures. If he was going to clinch this championship he knew he had to keep it together today and perform.

At the end of qualifying Walter Kuhn’s best lap of 1:42.250 put him in the 8th spot on the starting grid. Joe Gardner’s 1:41.670 would start him 7th. Gus Doppes would start 6th with his best lap of 1:39.657. Kai Schuette coming off of his first race victory the previous day had a good lap of 1:39.107 earning him the 5th spot. Jonathan Haswell’s 1:38.749 was a solid lap and good enough for the 4th spot on the second row. Mark Siegel narrowly edged out Haswell with his lap of 1:38.529 taking the 3rd spot. John Schauerman was looking back to his usual self on the front row with his 1:38.171 lap earning him the 2nd spot. John Purcell got the job done and blistered the field with another pole position in the 1:36’s. His lap of 1:36.981 was a warning shot announcing that he wanted this championship.

Race 3 Results

Race

After the past two days of racing, the championship was down to either John Schauerman or John Purcell taking home the title. This was looking like it was going to be a tense battle as they were both starting on the front row. Every point would be valuable in determining the outcome.

The pace car slowly released the field and the green flag flew. John Purcell got the best of the field and cleanly took the lead into turn two with John Schauerman close behind. Everyone else filed in nicely nose to tail. Jonathan Haswell had an attempt on Mark Siegel heading into turn four but was not able to close the deal. He would have to wait for another opportunity. Then again, he looked for a way by in turn Six. He was close enough to him into turn seven he attempted to out brake him on the inside and made the pass claiming the third spot.

Jonathan Haswell, after getting by Siegel, was not settling. He closed up on John Schauerman and showed no championship mercy and went for a pass again down the inside of turn seven. He was not able to make it stick and would have to stay close if he wanted another chance. The battle between Joe Gardner in 7th and Guss Doppes in 6th had been brewing all weekend with some great racing. Joe had some weaving and several attempts to pass but was not able to complete the task. At the halfway point in the race John Schauerman’s car momentarily shut off in turn eleven and wouldn’t power for about 8 seconds. He finally got it going again but lost the position to Haswell and was pushed back to the third spot. This was very concerning to the championship outcome. Joe Gardner was still battling with Gus Doppes and went side by side into turn eleven but again could not find a way by. John Schauerman was determined to close back up on Haswell and reclaim his position. He kept his head down and put together some great laps closing the gap to Haswell. Schauerman would make several attempts to get by but would have to keep trying. Towards the end of the race Haswell had a lock up heading into turn four. This allowed Schauerman to get inside and they headed into turn six again side by side! Haswell got a better exit out of turn six. As they were approaching turn seven Schauerman dove to the inside for a pass. Haswell went wide and again they were in a drag race towards turn eight. Haswell would keep the spot. They both had smoky lock ups in turn seven and in eleven! This was a nail bighting battle that had been brewing all summer. Again, in turn four Schauerman dove to the inside for a pass and this time was able to make it stick. Haswell stayed strong and tried to take it back in turn eleven but couldn’t do it. On the last lap and in true dramatic fashion John Purcell was comfortably in the lead and looking to win. But as far as the championship went, the outcome of John Schauerman’s finish was yet to be determined. If he finished second he would claim the title but if Jonathan Haswell could find a way by in the next couple of turns he would squash those chances. Schauerman was driving slightly on the defensive in turn seven and Haswell looked to the outside, but couldn’t make it stick. Haswell made a good run out of turn 9 and had one more chance to grab the second spot. They barreled into the hairpin right handed turn eleven. Schauerman driving down the right-hand side of the track on the defense, forcing any attempt to be made on the difficult outside. Haswell rolled the dice and was late on the brakes locking up the tires, gathered the car back and put his car side by side with Schauerman on the exit of eleven. Schauerman had to get to the line before him to claim the championship. But it wasn’t meant to be. Haswell was able to get there first, narrowly beating him by .012 of a second! Mark Siegel Finished 4th. Kai Schuette 5th. Gus Doppes 6th. Joe Gardner 7th. Walter Kuhn 8th. What a great finish to a great season. John Purcell was able to do the impossible–after having two mechanical failures the past two days. He knew he had to be flawless and he was. He claimed the pole position in qualifying, lead every lap, won the race, and ultimately clinched the championship!

The trophies were out and shining. The champagne was set to flow. The winning cars were aligned nearby. The season finale came to an end in a great way. John Purcell was able to win the championship with 523 points over the 12 races. John Schauerman finishing second with 510 points. Johnathan Haswell in third with 483 points.

SIMRACEWAY F3 SUMMER SERIES 2017 ROUND 2

This weekend, the racers were back for round 2 of the Simraceway F3 Summer Series: 12 races being held over 4 weekends. After last months battling in race 1, 2, and 3, our points leader John Schauerman was back to try and keep his winning streak alive. John Purcell, learning the car quickly, was on a steady climb towards the front last month and many were eager to see how far he would keep progressing in race 3, 4, and 5. Mark Siegel and Johnathan Haswell had some great back and forth battles during round 1 and we were hoping to see some more. Series regular Jim McGuire joined in for race 4 this weekend. It was looking to be an exciting weekend–and it absolutely was.

Since the last race weekend, Simraceway made a bold statement of its continued presence in the racing school industry by updating, among many other things, a fresh new look on the cars with new AERO paint liveries. For some nine years, these F3 cars sported a singular black exterior paint, but now they burst in colors each car ranging from bright radiant orange to an intriguing white, rich black, vibrant gold, and fearless red. The new color palette and look of the cars brought something totally different to the scene, and the track was electric with a new and unrivaled energy.

Friday, June 9, Race 4

The drivers climbed into their newly facelifted, colorful F3 cars and headed out for qualifying on the 2.5 mile Sonoma Raceway. This weekend, they would be on the true classic layout of the track utilizing the daunting “Fast 10” turn, a 100+MPH right handed kink that must be taken with smooth confidence. It’s an important turn to take as quickly as possible because there are long straights before and after the turn, so it becomes a literal true test of time.

John Schauerman grabbed the quickest lap time in qualifying and would be starting from the front row. He was able to lay down a 1:33.135 on his ideal third lap. John Purcell took his time getting up to speed and put together a great last lap of a 1:34.937 good enough for the second spot on the front row. Jim McGuire quickly getting back into the rhythm of these complex cars was consistent from lap one and put down a good lap of 1:35.162 and would start third. Jonathan Haswell and Mark Siegel were not far behind McGuire as they all went back and fourth for the next spot on the grid. Only two tenths separated the three racers. Haswell would start fourth 1:35.280. Siegel fifth with a 1:35.427. When three racers are that close in lap times during qualifying, we can project that the battle for that spot on the podium would be an exciting one.

Race

At the drop of the green flag, Jim McGuire from third had the most noticeable quick reflex, and passed John Purcell for the second spot. Purcell dug in and they went two wide at the apex of turn 2. They had a short drag race out and Purcell got the better run, taking his spot back from McGuire. John Schauerman had a good clean start from first. Jonathan Haswell had a couple of looks to overtake McGuire on two occasions in lap one, but was waiting for a better opportunity. John Schauerman slowly started his departure and started to gap the field. Mark Siegel closed in on the back of Haswell when he dropped two wheels onto the grass on the exit of turn 6. Siegel pulled up along side of Haswell entering turn 7 and took the fourth position nicely. Haswell would head to the pits to have his car looked over after the brief jaunt through the grass. He rejoined the race in fifth, after the car was looked over. Schauerman and Purcell both had a large gap on each other and the rest of the field. They were looking very safe in first and second place. Mark Siegel was still hungry after passing Haswell and had his sights set on McGuire. He closed in and was looking for a way by. McGuire, feeling the pressure of Siegel filling his mirrors, pushed a little hard out of turn six and dropped two wheels in the grass. McGuire did not appear to lose any speed as he kept his foot planted on the gas. For the remainder of the race Siegel was all over McGuire trying a couple of times into turn 7 but could not get it done. Meanwhile, Schauerman cruised to a smooth victory and fastest lap of the race of a 1:32.317. John Purcell confidently finishing second. Jim McGuire was able to hold off Mark Siegel in fourth and claim the third spot. Johnathan Haswell finishing fifth after having pit and unable to make the time back up.

Race 4 Results

Saturday, June 10, Race 5

After a good day of racing, and some time to plan a strategy for the remainder of the weekend, the drivers were back at it on Saturday for qualifying. Once again, John Schauerman was able to put together the fastest time of a 1:33.409. But John Purcell was able to close the gap to Schauerman with a 1:33.888 to take the second spot, a big improvement from the previous day. Mark Siegel had a better result than Friday with his 1:34.227 for third. Jonathan Haswell would start fourth with his lap of a 1:35.766.

Race

The start of the race was a race directors dream. They all filed in nicely, nose to tail on the entry into turn 2. John Schauerman extended his lead slightly on John Purcell in second. They both would pull away from the remainder of the field over the first 5 laps. Purcell was able to hang on and match the lap times of Schauerman throughout the race but was unable to close the gap that was opened up early on in. Towards the last half of the race Mark Siegel had a large lock up in turn 7 and this developed a flat spot on his tire. On the last lap he couldn’t nurse it any longer and the tire lost pressure. He lost a spot and slowly made his way into the pits. John Schauerman took the win as he sailed cleanly to the checkered flag and also taking the fastest lap of the race with a 1:33.359. John Purcell finished second with a 5 second gap from the leader. Jonathan Haswell finished third after gaining a spot on the last lap to Mark Siegel who finished fourth.

Race 5 Results

Sunday, June 11, Race 6

Something was in the air as the drivers took to the track for their final qualifying session of the weekend. It’s almost as if they knew ahead of time that things would develop very differently this round. John Purcell was looking very fast in practice and all were watching to see if he could put together a good lap to have a chance to steal the top spot from John Schauerman. Schauerman up to this point had five consecutive pole positions and had won all five races so far. To the excitement of all, John Purcell was able to capitalize on the new tires and also new skills he’d been working on up to this point and threw down the fastest lap time of the whole weekend with a 1:31.877 on his ideal second lap. Then, Jonathan Haswell surprised the whole field as he went massively quicker than his previous best lap time of the weekend. Haswell grabbed the second spot on the grid with a lap time of a 1:33.315. To top it off, Mark Siegel also put together his fastest time of the weekend with a third best 1:33.352, only .037 shy of Haswell. John Schauerman followed close behind with a 1:33.479. Less than 2 seconds separated the field. Considering this shakeup in qualifying, this was looking to be the most exciting race of the weekend.

Race

With the starting grid mixed up and turned upside down after such an exciting qualifying session, the cars took the green flag and headed up the hill towards turn two. John Schauerman got a good jump and was able to pass Mark Siegel as he was looking to pass Haswell in second but had to back out as he was getting squeezed into the wall at the starting line. John Purcell in first got a good clean start and started to open up a couple of car lengths on the field as he was looking very fast and smooth. Schauerman now in the third position started to close in on Haswell in second. With a good run out of turn six, Schauerman tried to overtake into turn 7 but Haswell defended and Schauerman would have to try again. On the next lap he tried the same and couldn’t get it done. As they exited turn seven they appeared joined together as they headed towards turn ten. Schauerman, with a good exit had to make this one stick as he dove to the inside into turn eleven. Side by side at the apex, Schauerman was able to get out ahead. With all that defending and passing, Mark Siegel was able to close in and join the party as well. Schauerman instantly started to open up a gap and was comfortably in second. Now the exciting battle to watch was the battle between Haswell in third and Siegel very close behind. Seigel was trying some moves in turn eleven but he would need to find a better spot. Siegel was glued to his gearbox for several laps looking for a way by. He would try another three times to make it work but Haswell was not letting his spot go easily. Finally, with a great run out of turn ten, Siegel went to the inside and stabbed to brakes at the last possible second and was able to make it stick, stealing the spot from Haswell.

John Purcell showed he is still not done exploring the limits of these cars and cruised to a great win and grabbing the fastest lap of the race with a 1:32.053. John Schauerman drove a great race and battled through the field nicely, finishing a comfortable second. Mark Siegel in third showed how patience and determination can work together nicely. Johnathan Haswell finishing fourth put up a great fight and is closing the gap of lap times to these veterans.

Race 6 Results

Podium and Points

In first place, John Schauerman was awarded the laurel wreath again and amassed 175 points in this round. He now possesses a total of 355 points in the race for the championship. In second place, John Purcell took 170 points for the weekend, with a total of 322 points in the 12 race summer series showdown. In third place, Mark Seigel gained 152 points for the weekend, and now has 276 points total for the series. Johnathan Haswell, not far behind in fourth place, amassed 148 points for the weekend, with a total of 271 points. As the champagne flew and they held their trophies high, we can tell that the winner of this championship series is still to be determined. With new drivers looking to improve their skills and series veterans looking to step up their game, this is going to be an exciting finish to a series with the most advanced school car in the world. The Simraceway F3 Summer series is only halfway done. The drama, the unknown, the twists and turns are still unfolding. Come on out and join us for the next round of races, July 7, 8 and 9 as this story advances to find out who will ultimately take home the championship.

Protected: Race 5 & 6 Recap — Post Race Analysis

Protected: Race 3 & 4 – Post Event Analysis