OKA, Quebec, Canada – Thomas Nepveu and his Cape Motorsports team will be at Lucas Oil Raceway, near Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday and Friday, where he will race his #2 Cromwell | Karting Excellence | Home Hardware single-seater for the first time on an oval. This presents the young driver with a whole new challenge, especially as this race offers a special points bonus towards the championship. The oval track is wider than the road courses he is used to, and Nepveu will certainly benefit from the day of testing held there a few weeks ago, as well as from the expertise of Cape Motorsports.
Cape Motorsports and the rookie driver have paid particular attention to the preparation for this race. Dominic Cape, the team manager who is preparing Nepveu's car, told us that seat time is directly correlated to confidence and speed on an oval.
The test day held when everyone was in the area for the Indianapolis Grand Prix was particularly beneficial for the new driver: “We ran for a full day on the Lucas Oil Raceway oval, and I covered about 330 laps," sais Nepveu. "It was my first time on an oval and I enjoyed the experience. The physical and mental challenge, the precision required to follow the correct lines and the concentration required in traffic during the 75 laps of the race will be a big challenge. There is no room for error, as the outside wall is very close, and I don't want to damage the car. Moreover, the race is important as 50 percent more points are awarded towards here towards the championship than at normal road race events. You must always be precise and avoid any sudden moves – a real challenge!”