Cypriot teenager positive after Grand Prix of Road America

Teenage Cypriot race car driver Evagoras Papasavvas said he will focus on the positive aspects of his experience at the Grand Prix of Road America, despite only finishing eighth and 19th over the weekend.

Held at the renowned Road America track in Wisconsin, the Grand Prix of Road America is one of the most important in the USF2000 Championship, where Papasavvas is competing.

Although the 15-year-old Cypriot, who drives for Jay Howard Driver Development, did not manage to finish on the podium as he was hoping for, he impressed with his overtaking manoeuvres.

He also stopped the clocks a mere 0.133 seconds behind his more experienced team-mate Lochie Hughes, securing the second-fastest time during the initial practice session on the 6.4 kilometre-long, high-speed circuit.

“We managed to try out some new adjustments to our car’s setup and make it fast and reliable on the resurfaced track,” he said. “I learned the secrets of maintaining grip on the asphalt during critical turns, which allowed me to move swiftly.”

In the first race, Papasavvas fought hard to regain the ground lost at the start, climbing as high as sixth place and engaging in a battle for fifth. The race, however, was interrupted several times by accidents and yellow flags.
While attempting to overtake the driver in front of him at the last corner of the last lap, Evagoras slid wide, resulting in a loss of three positions.

During the second race on Sunday, Papasavvas once again engaged in thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles to overtake multiple drivers and quickly climbed to fifth place in the early laps.
Unfortunately, he was later involved in a collision with Elliot Cox of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development and was penalised by the marshals.

“It was very disappointing because I had the speed to win at Road America,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, so I’ll have to wait for the next round of the championship, which will take place in two weeks at the equally spectacular and technically demanding Mid-Ohio circuit.”