X-Bow Cup USA

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. 

KTM X-Bow Comp R Featured in Road & Track

In the September issue of Road & Track magazine, fans and drivers of the KTM X Bow Comp R Limited Edition can find a nice write-up of the Young Schwarzenegger (a nickname given to the car by R&T editors) to gain some valuable insights about its performance, build, and thoughts from industry pros.

Overall, the KTM X-Bow Comp R has gained lots of popularity in the racing world, claiming its own profile last February in R&T by the same writer, Sam Smith.

In his initial breakdown, the KTM X-Bow Comp R boasts…

-300 hp @ 6400 rpm

-310 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm

-Six-speed manual transmission / Six-speed twin-clutch automatic

-Rear-wheel drive

-0–62 mph: 3.9 seconds (MFR testing)

-Top Speed: 144 mph (MFR testing)

-MSRP: $104,500 (Plus destination charge, which varies by dealer)

Fast-forward a season later, and Smith and other racing pros are still impressed with the high-performance machine:

“It’s an impressive race car, and that’s what it is; a race car. When I climb in, I close my brain’s road-car file and open the one for open-wheelers. Get the tires up to temp, really work them. There’s noticeable downforce.”

If you’re questioning whether or not the KTM X-Bow Comp R is right for you, Smith recommends the experience for “anyone who takes life seriously.”

Check out the full article by clicking the download below or visit R&T to learn more! For information about our racing programs or to get involved in our Simraceway Series, feel free to contact us!

Race Report – X-Bow Cup USA

Simraceway hosted the first of four race weekends for the KTM X-BOW Cup USA on the final weekend of June. The inaugural event was a success, going down flawlessly with no mechanical issues or on-track incidents of any kind. All the competitors had a memorable time, and the event proved that the KTM X-BOW Comp R in Cup Spec really is the perfect platform for Simraceway’s ‘Arrive-and-Drive’ series. 

Race Day 1

Day one saw all Cup competitors immediately getting comfortable with their cars and setting fast lap times. The top four competitors were covered by a mere 0.624 of a second! Daniel Doerr qualified on pole for the first race of the weekend, his first ever pole position.

Adam Miller, who had never been to Sonoma Raceway and only driven one session by the time qualifying came, was already showing he was a strong contender for the podium in race one. After a hard fought battle throughout the field, Doerr came out victorious. Will De La Rosa finished in second in his first ever car race, and Adam Miller came close to taking a maiden podium.

Race two was gridded based on finishing position from race one and evolved into a battle of tire management. Miller and Doerr fought hard on track, but Miller managed his tires best, in addition to having the fastest race lap, and secured the win. Michael Kopper was the picture of consistency and showed impressive pace on aging rubber, finishing fourth after other competitors struggled late in the race.

Race Day 2

All Cup racers were given new tires for the second day of racing which dramatically tightened the competition. Qualifying saw the top four cars separated by only a second, and Miller nearly broke into the 1:49’s with a blistering time of 1:50.156.

Race three – the first race on race day two – showed that all the drivers had really found their stride and lap times were consistent and fast throughout the race. Doerr, Miller, De La Rosa, and Jastremski exchanged spots during the entire race in daring out-braking maneuvers, and Doerr and Miller had some truly exciting battles even going side-by-side through the Esses. While Miller set the fastest lap time of the race and even broke into the 1:49’s, Doerr won the race by only 0.191 seconds over Miller.

Race four was the final race of the weekend and was a true dog fight. Despite being tired from racing all weekend, every driver was unafraid to drive in each other’s mirrors, stick their noses in everywhere they could, and attempt some heroic late braking.

Jastremski showed his speed and was quickly hunting for the lead. Miller had a late-race spin which pushed him out of the lead and mixed up the order. Jastremski, Doerr, and De La Rosa continued to fight furiously, and De La Rosa and Doerr were inches apart toward the end of the race. At the checkered flag, it was De La Rosa who came out on top despite a last lap pass attempt in the final corner by Doerr, giving Will his first race win ever on his first ever race weekend!

After winning two of the four races, Daniel Doerr walked away with a commanding points lead in the X-BOW Cup. In second place was Will De La Rosa, who isn’t even old enough to drive on the street, but showed incredible race pace on his first race weekend. Rounding out the podium was Adam Miller who had great pace and kept a cool head among stiff competition.

More Great Racing To Come

It was wonderful to see that the formula of a full day of practice and two identical race days with two races each worked so well. The competition between all the drivers was tight and exciting, the cars worked perfectly, and most importantly, the series gave people the opportunity to drive competitively and safely. We’re excited for the upcoming race weekends, having even more cars and drivers competing, and for even closer racing!