LEBANON, Ind. – After scoring a second-place finish last month in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship event at Road America, Simon Sikes and the Legacy Autosport team continued that momentum last weekend by claiming three more podium finishes at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“Coming off a strong weekend at Road America and missing out on the win by 0.06 seconds, I felt great about our chances to win at Mid-Ohio,” said Sikes. “The car progressed nicely throughout the weekend. After only running 12th quickest in practice, a confident fourth in qualifying was the boost we needed to finish on the podium in all three races.
“I have raced the Mid-Ohio Sports Car course multiple times over a period of several years, including a USF2000 weekend last year and several dominant weekends in F1600 competition.
“I had several takeaways from this weekend. In triple header events, qualifying is everything. At tracks like Mid-Ohio where passing is difficult, cold tire pace can make or break your race. Lastly, aggressive starts can be extremely rewarding if executed well.
“With little downtime between Road America and Mid-Ohio, my preparation consisted of turning laps on iRacing and reviewing onboard video footage from last year.
“My greatest moment of the weekend was easily the third race. I equaled my best finish in USF2000 with second place and set a season record for the most consecutive podiums with four, starting at Road America.
“Without the amazing support of Legacy Autosport and the Metalloid family, none of this would have been possible. I can’t thank the Meyers and Edwards’ enough for everything they’ve done to make weekends like these possible.”
In addition to the sequence of fine results for Sikes, Nathan Byrd also rejoind the team for his first taste of a USF2000 car in road course configuration after making his series debut on the Lucas Oil Raceway oval in May. Byrd completed every lap in all three races, gaining valuable experience as he looks toward the future.
“Heading into the three-race event at Mid-Ohio we wanted to continue the momentum from Road America,” said Legacy Autosport Owner Louis Michael Meyer. “Mid-Ohio is a very tricky track in how much it changes from session to session. We were able to keep the car consistent and faster each race. We were one of the only teams that had not run the track since last year. I was so happy with our results with Simon and the progress we made with Nathan.
“I am so proud of this team, and I am excited to get to New Jersey and show more of what Legacy Autosport is capable of. I want to thank Metalloid and Sturgis Finishing for all they do in support.”
With USF2000 rounds 14, 15 and 16 taking place at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J., on August 27-29, Legacy and Sikes will only have three more chances to stand on that elusive top step of the podium for the first time.