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First female Indy winner in 14 years eyeing promotion for 2025

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First female Indy winner in 14 years eyeing promotion for 2025

As a gamer and a huge fan of motorsports, especially IndyCar racing, I’ve been following Jamie Chadwick’s career with great interest and excitement. Her recent achievements in American single-seater racing have been truly impressive. It’s amazing to see her break records and make history as the first female podium finisher and winner in the series since 2010.

I, Jamie Chadwick, prepared for a new challenge in my gaming career by making the switch from European single-seater racing to American single-seater racing before the 2023 IndyCar season. Excitedly, I joined Michael Andretti’s Indy NXT team as their full-time driver, taking the helm of car No. 28.

In 2024, I stayed with Andretti Global. Just under a month after earning the first podium finish for a woman in the series since 2010 with a third place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, I made history once again by becoming the first female winner since 2010 with my triumph at Road America.

In the past five races of the Indy NXT series, which has seen many full-time drivers compete, she has finished in the top 10 each time. This consistent performance has moved her up to fifth place in the championship rankings.

A 26-year-old female British racer, who has previously won in Indy NXT alongside Ana Beatriz and Pippa Mann, has surpassed her best finish of sixth place at Portland International Raceway from last year in this season on three different occasions. She has harbored aspirations of advancing to IndyCar racing as early as 2025.

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: Although Andretti Global currently has me, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, and Marcus Ericsson on their roster, and they seem content with sticking to three cars after having four last year since their championship win with Ryan Hunter-Reay, there might still be potential openings for me elsewhere in the IndyCar series next season.

She is hoping to take advantage.

With numerous gifted racers presently in the series and an extended roster of promising drivers annually failing to secure racing spots, Chadwick acknowledges the challenge in securing a place for herself. However, her determination remains unwavered.

Chadwick shared with Beyond the Flag that no decisions have been made regarding her plans for next year. Her aspiration is to advance to IndyCar racing, but she acknowledged the challenge of securing a spot in this highly competitive series.

Consider both the drivers who have already secured a spot and those still hoping to join. It won’t be an simple task, but indeed, our objective is to ensure a place for the upcoming season.

Chadwick isn’t celebrated for her skills in oval racing due to her past experience in road course racing. In fact, it was at Road America where she earned her first victory just last month. However, during her initial oval race start of the year at Iowa Speedway, she managed to qualify in third place on the second row and ended up finishing in seventh position.

I’ve had six top 10 finishes this season so far; that’s quite a leap from my rookie year when I managed just five throughout the entire season, ending up in 12th place in the championship rankings.

With her experience in road course racing, she’s excited for the upcoming oval races this season. The last four events will feature a total of three races that only include left turns.

Chadwick commented on her Iowa performance, acknowledging its positiveness but expressing some uncertainty about the upcoming oval races towards the end of the year. The season seems to be divided into two distinct parts: the first half with road courses and street tracks that she’s more accustomed to, and the second half featuring oval tracks which present new challenges.

I was thrilled with our performance at Iowa. Our strength there gave me confidence. But I admittedly had doubts about how we would do on the oval tracks. So, to qualify strongly and then finish seventh was, in my perspective, both encouraging and disappointing. This setback, however, has left me optimistic. It positions us well for the remainder of the season, particularly as a team.

In the closing stretch of the racing season, there are four remaining events: three oval races at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, where she placed 12th last year, and two fresh additions to the calendar, the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

Based on my perspective, we’ve significantly advanced on the oval tracks. Consequently, I’m looking forward to discovering the potential outcomes for the remainder of the year.

As a long-time motorsports enthusiast and fan, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation as we approach the final stages of this racing season. With just one race left on the calendar, I find myself reflecting on the thrilling experiences I’ve had at each event and looking forward to the finale at Portland International Raceway.

Chadwick, who joined Indy NXT last year, still plays an active role in European motorsport. As a three-time W Series champion, she continues to work with the Williams Formula 1 team in a development driver position. Her responsibilities have now shifted towards mentoring the members of the all-female F1 Academy.

She confirmed her ongoing association with Williams. In this capacity, she mainly supports Lia Block, who drives for their F1 Academy team. Given that she has raced in W Series before, there are some parallels between Lia’s current experience and what she went through. Consequently, she is providing guidance to help Lia navigate this new phase.

I’m in awe of Chadwick’s racing prowess! She’s the one and only driver to claim the W Series championship title, an impressive feat achieved in the years 2019, 2021, and 2022. In total, she dominated the scene by winning an astounding 11 races out of the 21 held during those championship seasons. Incredibly, she barely missed a podium finish just three times!

It’s evident that Lia, the 17-year-old daughter of the late rally champion Ken Block, has made significant progress in the F1 Academy. She went from being in last place to finishing 11th in just a few races, and even managed a sixth-place finish at Spain’s competition.

“From her background in off-road racing, which is significantly distinct from anything she has experienced before, she’s moving on to F4. To facilitate her adjustment and guide her through the upcoming transition into single-seater racing over the next year or so, I will be providing support and mentoring.”

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2024-07-25 17:32

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