Stefan Rzadzinski experienced a variety of challenges at the Mosport High Octane Weekend in his No. 2 Brian Graham Racing Formula Ford.
Heading into qualifying with no prior practice on Saturday, Rzadzinski placed his car in 4th position on the grid. As the race commenced, the outside row where Stefan started was very slow to accelerate causing Stefan to lose momentum and two positions. After regaining 4th position throughout the race, Rzadzinski showed consistency and speed but lacked the draft which prevented him from challenging the top three drivers. Unfortunately, his solid run was cut short as a piece of debris hit his radiator causing water temperatures to skyrocket. Immediately noticing that there was an issue, Rzadzinski turned off the car and saved an engine in the process.
On Sunday, Rzadzinski head out into qualifying and was in 2nd until the final minutes of the session when his time was bettered, giving Rzadzinski a 5th place slot on the grid. Off the start, Rzadzinski attempted a pass but lost momentum and dropped to 6th position. However he quickly regained and returned to 5th spot by the end of the first lap. He then went on to chase down and take 4th place, placing him right on the tail of the leading pack. The 16 year old was right on the tail of the veterans up front and looking to challenge for a podium finish. However, lap traffic caused Stefan to use a slippery part of the circuit to overtake. This manoeuvre cost Rzadzinski precious time and the draft of the top three cars. Rzadzinski battled hard to maintain pace and crossed the finish line in 4th position, adding another good result to his inaugural season in formula cars.
“On Saturday, it was really unfortunate that things went the way they did. I had a good run going and a 4th place finish would’ve been great, but a small piece of debris entered my radiator and ended my day. It was encouraging that no serious damage was inflicted on the engine though.
I also had a fantastic experience sharing this day with The ABL Group who came out to see their car on track. We all had a great time, and I look forward to continuing our partnership!
A lot of positives came out of Sunday for me as well. I had a good qualifying run, just being knocked out of a top three starting position in the final minutes. I felt confident with the car and in myself to put together a strong finish in the final race of the weekend. The Brian Graham Racing / TLM Racing team car was running very well and a podium was possibly in our grasp.
After dropping slightly off the start, I worked my way back into 4th position and right in the scrap for the lead. It was slightly unfortunate that I was caught on the wrong part of the circuit when passing a lapped car which caused me to lose the draft of the leaders. At that point I tried all I could to hang on, but they slowly managed to put a distance on me. Nonetheless, I held on to the position and feel very positive about the progress I made this weekend. I was even holding the fastest lap of the race early on as well!
I would not be able to compete without the support of The ABL Group, SuperTint, and AMSOIL/SyntheticLubricants.ca. I thank them and all of my other supporters who are getting me on the track this season.”
Now Rzadzinski is working to find the funding necessary to compete in the second half of the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge Series. Rounds 7 and 8 of the series will resume on July 24-26 at Calabogie Motorsports Park. For more information about Stefan Rzadzinski’s progress please visit http://www.rzadracing.com/
To contact Stefan Rzadzinski with partnership or general inquiries, please contact: http://www.blogger.com/
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