Top 5 for Thomas Nepveu in the Streets of Miami!
Thomas Nepveu took on Miami International Speedway, a street circuit designed specifically for Formula 1, last weekend in his #24 All Rem | Richelieu | GFL | Cromwell car. It was a successful event as he scored a 7th place finish in qualifying for the first race, followed by a Top 5 finish in the second race.
It was under the blazing heat of the sun, and surrounded by breathtaking views, that Thomas Nepveu set the 7th fastest time in Saturday morning's qualifying session in preparation for the first race of the weekend, taking place later in the day. It was also his first time claiming a Top 10 place on the grid.
From the very start of the race, Thomas wasted no time making up ground and gained a position in the first corner, closely following the leaders. He drove masterfully, avoiding a crash in front of him and driving around the damaged cars without losing any positions.
On the restart, with 15 minutes remaining in the race, he moved up to 5th place, once again avoiding competitors who crashed in front of him. Taking advantage of this incident, he further moved up to 4th place before a caution put a stop to his ascent. As the race resumed during the second restart with 5 minutes to go, another driver moved down the inside line into the first turn while Thomas was making his move around the corner. The two drivers collided, and he finished the first race in 32nd place.
"The first race went very well overall," said Thomas. "The car was perfect and I was making good progress, but an accident at the end of the race forced me to retire. It's a shame because we had a real chance at making it on the podium."
Thomas started from 9th place on Sunday afternoon, in front of packed grandstands filled with fans who came to see the Formula 1 race, which was set to take over the track just a few hours later.
Although the race was punctuated by cautions, the action was exciting. Not wasting any time, Thomas quickly began to climb up the leaderboard, breaking into the Top 6 in the first few laps.
Once again, Nepveu narrowly avoided accidents on the track, steering his Porsche through the battles and pitfalls taking place around him. He finally finished the event in 5th place, crossing the finish line 6th, although he was promoted following a penalty given to a competitor.
"It was an incredible weekend with many ups and downs," said Thomas. "McElrea Racing put together a great car that allowed me to set good times in qualifying. We made some adjustments for the races, and in terms of driving, my confidence is building, which allowed me to bring home some strong results."
"It was very impressive to be able to race in Miami," explained the young driver. "Allrem and Evirum were there to cheer on me trackside, and we had a great time together. I'm already looking forward to the next race!"
Thomas' next event will be this weekend at Sunset Speedway as he prepares for his first race in NASCAR Pinty's with Jacombs Racing. He will be back on track at Watkins Glen in late June for the fourth round of the Porsche Carrera Cup.