Alex Keyes #32, Thunderhill Raceway
FRONT ROW START AND PODIUM FINISH AT THUNDERHILL
Thunderhill Raceway Park / Willows, CA (April 13-14) With a podium finish, a front-row start and a pair of top-5's, Lynx Racing Academy drivers Alex Keyes and Andrew Evans showed extremely competitive form in their first-ever open-wheel race during the Formula Pacific F1600 season-opener at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Northern California.
"We're delighted with the performance of Alex and Andrew in their first race as Lynx Racing Academy drivers" said team principals Peggy Haas and Jackie Doty. "The Lynx philosophy has always been 'learn to go fast,' and that's what they did; you could see them learning all weekend, and getting faster every time they went out on track. We expect great things of these young men this season."
On Saturday, Keyes battled a mysterious fault with his car's ECU that kept his engine from firing on the grid. He was late out on track as a result and retired after the pace lap.
"Not exactly how you want your first race to go, but both drivers handled it very professionally, looking for solutions and looking forward to Round 2 on Sunday," says Lynx Racing Academy team manager Steve Cameron. "Their example helped inspire the team to make sure the cars were perfect for the next session. We got Andrew's gearbox sorted out and replaced the brand-new ECU on Alex's car, and both were ready to get their weekend turned around."
And turn it around they did. As with Saturday, the conditions at the scenic 3.0 mile, 15-turn Thunderhill road course were ideal; clear and sunny with temperatures in high sixties and a slight breeze. Qualifying was extremely competitive, with the top four drivers finishing within one second of each other and many having improved their times over Saturday.
Alex Keyes, enjoying the kind of day he should have had on Saturday, put his #32 Lynx Racing Academy/Symbizio.com/Spectrum/Honda on the outside of the front row, with a lap of 1:51.117, just 0.483s behind pole sitter David Cheng. As in Round 1, Andrew Evans qualified 5th with a lap of 1:52.419 in his #19 Lynx Racing/Spectrum/ Honda, and had a clean drive to a 5th-place finish.
"It's amazing how much you learn at your first race, including how to be patient with your car when it won't behave," said Keyes, 15, a 10th grade student at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom, CA, currently on independent study for Spring 2013 semester. "I'd say the big lessons I came away with are that you catch other cars a lot faster than you catch karts, so there's more passing than you'd think. And you can, in fact you have to, go a lot deeper into the turn on your brakes than in a kart. I found myself adjusting the brake bias during the race to keep my braking zone as deep as possible. It was a big lesson, and made a big difference in the race. I’d like to thank my sponsor for the race, Symbizio.com, a company that raises sponsorship money by finding businesses willing to do B2B. It’s going to be really cool because the company is going to let other drivers access these businesses to raise money for their racing too.”
See full article at http://www.cameronracingusa.com/news/04_17_13.html
Thunderhill Raceway Park / Willows, CA (April 13-14) With a podium finish, a front-row start and a pair of top-5's, Lynx Racing Academy drivers Alex Keyes and Andrew Evans showed extremely competitive form in their first-ever open-wheel race during the Formula Pacific F1600 season-opener at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Northern California.
"We're delighted with the performance of Alex and Andrew in their first race as Lynx Racing Academy drivers" said team principals Peggy Haas and Jackie Doty. "The Lynx philosophy has always been 'learn to go fast,' and that's what they did; you could see them learning all weekend, and getting faster every time they went out on track. We expect great things of these young men this season."
On Saturday, Keyes battled a mysterious fault with his car's ECU that kept his engine from firing on the grid. He was late out on track as a result and retired after the pace lap.
"Not exactly how you want your first race to go, but both drivers handled it very professionally, looking for solutions and looking forward to Round 2 on Sunday," says Lynx Racing Academy team manager Steve Cameron. "Their example helped inspire the team to make sure the cars were perfect for the next session. We got Andrew's gearbox sorted out and replaced the brand-new ECU on Alex's car, and both were ready to get their weekend turned around."
And turn it around they did. As with Saturday, the conditions at the scenic 3.0 mile, 15-turn Thunderhill road course were ideal; clear and sunny with temperatures in high sixties and a slight breeze. Qualifying was extremely competitive, with the top four drivers finishing within one second of each other and many having improved their times over Saturday.
Alex Keyes, enjoying the kind of day he should have had on Saturday, put his #32 Lynx Racing Academy/Symbizio.com/Spectrum/Honda on the outside of the front row, with a lap of 1:51.117, just 0.483s behind pole sitter David Cheng. As in Round 1, Andrew Evans qualified 5th with a lap of 1:52.419 in his #19 Lynx Racing/Spectrum/ Honda, and had a clean drive to a 5th-place finish.
"It's amazing how much you learn at your first race, including how to be patient with your car when it won't behave," said Keyes, 15, a 10th grade student at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom, CA, currently on independent study for Spring 2013 semester. "I'd say the big lessons I came away with are that you catch other cars a lot faster than you catch karts, so there's more passing than you'd think. And you can, in fact you have to, go a lot deeper into the turn on your brakes than in a kart. I found myself adjusting the brake bias during the race to keep my braking zone as deep as possible. It was a big lesson, and made a big difference in the race. I’d like to thank my sponsor for the race, Symbizio.com, a company that raises sponsorship money by finding businesses willing to do B2B. It’s going to be really cool because the company is going to let other drivers access these businesses to raise money for their racing too.”
See full article at http://www.cameronracingusa.com/news/04_17_13.html
Pacific F1600: Lynx Racing Academy Announces 2013 Drivers
Lynx Racing Academy principals Peggy Haas and Jackie Doty, along with team manager Steve Cameron have announced that two rising young West Coast karting stars, Andrew Evans and Alex Keyes, have been signed to bring the team's legendary logo, colors, and car numbers back to the track for the first time in nine years.
The duo, running the car numbers (19 and 32) used by Lynx alumni Memo Gidley and Alex Barron during the team's 1997 championship season in the Atlantic Championship, will compete in the 2013 Pacific F1600 series, a six-weekend, 15-race series running on tracks up and down the U.S. West Coast.
"Both drivers have tested several times in the Lynx Racing Academy's Spectrum F1600 car and their performances were impressive," said team manager Steve Cameron. "The jump from karts to open-wheel cars is bigger than most people think, but they both handled the transition very professionally. They're quick on track, understand the importance of data analysis and setup, and most importantly, they're eager to learn. After a long career in racing at the top levels, I find myself really looking forward to working with Alex and Andrew this season. Not only do I expect the team to win races this season, I expect it to be fun."
Keyes, 15 years old, is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and lived in Michigan for 12 years before moving to Northern California in 2012. During a trip to England at age 12, he participated in a driving school, and has been rising through the karting ranks ever since. Racing in the Red Line Oil Karting Championships at Sonoma Raceway, he won the Rotax Junior Championship, took second place in the TaG Junior class, and was Junior Driver of the Year. Earlier this year, he won the California ProKart challenge in the TaG Senior class. He is a 10th grader at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom, Calif.
"The first thing the team did was have me help with assembling the car so that I know how it goes together and how things work, and that was a huge education right there," said Keyes. "The first time on track I was amazed at how well the car handled and how responsive it was to changes that the team made. It took me about two days to get used to the car as compared to the karts I race, with different speed, shifting, different racetracks, but now I feel very comfortable and am working on how to make changes to the car's handling while I'm driving. The first race of the season is next Friday at Thunderhill, which is where we did our most recent test. It'll be the first time we've been on track with other cars and start learning how to pass, how to work with the team on a race weekend, and all the other things. It's a lot to learn and I have to learn it fast, but I'm excited."
See full article at: http://www.eformulacarnews.com/news_info.php?n=12291
The duo, running the car numbers (19 and 32) used by Lynx alumni Memo Gidley and Alex Barron during the team's 1997 championship season in the Atlantic Championship, will compete in the 2013 Pacific F1600 series, a six-weekend, 15-race series running on tracks up and down the U.S. West Coast.
"Both drivers have tested several times in the Lynx Racing Academy's Spectrum F1600 car and their performances were impressive," said team manager Steve Cameron. "The jump from karts to open-wheel cars is bigger than most people think, but they both handled the transition very professionally. They're quick on track, understand the importance of data analysis and setup, and most importantly, they're eager to learn. After a long career in racing at the top levels, I find myself really looking forward to working with Alex and Andrew this season. Not only do I expect the team to win races this season, I expect it to be fun."
Keyes, 15 years old, is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and lived in Michigan for 12 years before moving to Northern California in 2012. During a trip to England at age 12, he participated in a driving school, and has been rising through the karting ranks ever since. Racing in the Red Line Oil Karting Championships at Sonoma Raceway, he won the Rotax Junior Championship, took second place in the TaG Junior class, and was Junior Driver of the Year. Earlier this year, he won the California ProKart challenge in the TaG Senior class. He is a 10th grader at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom, Calif.
"The first thing the team did was have me help with assembling the car so that I know how it goes together and how things work, and that was a huge education right there," said Keyes. "The first time on track I was amazed at how well the car handled and how responsive it was to changes that the team made. It took me about two days to get used to the car as compared to the karts I race, with different speed, shifting, different racetracks, but now I feel very comfortable and am working on how to make changes to the car's handling while I'm driving. The first race of the season is next Friday at Thunderhill, which is where we did our most recent test. It'll be the first time we've been on track with other cars and start learning how to pass, how to work with the team on a race weekend, and all the other things. It's a lot to learn and I have to learn it fast, but I'm excited."
See full article at: http://www.eformulacarnews.com/news_info.php?n=12291
Alex Keyes - Formula Ford F1600
ALEX KEYES TESTS F1600 FORMULA CAR WITH STEVE CAMERON (LYNX RACING)
March 15, 2013 – Alex Keyes tests Lynx Racing's Formula Ford F1600 car with Steve Cameron at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California. Additional testing is planned at Buttonwillow Raceway over the next several weeks. Alex is hoping to race the F1600 class in the Pacific Formula F Racing Series. Videos of Alex's first outing in the car can be found under the Photos and Videos tab.
Information on Pacific Series http://www.pacificf2000.com/
March 15, 2013 – Alex Keyes tests Lynx Racing's Formula Ford F1600 car with Steve Cameron at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California. Additional testing is planned at Buttonwillow Raceway over the next several weeks. Alex is hoping to race the F1600 class in the Pacific Formula F Racing Series. Videos of Alex's first outing in the car can be found under the Photos and Videos tab.
Information on Pacific Series http://www.pacificf2000.com/
ALEX KEYES TAKES TOP HONORS AT PRO KART CHALLENGE OPENER
“Rookie Senior driver tops the blocks in PKC debut”
February 4, 2013 – Making the move to the senior ranks after the 2012 SuperKartsI USA (SKUSA) SuperNationals, CRG West pilot Alex Keyes exploded onto the California karting scene at this past weekend’s opening round of the Pro Kart Challenge (PKC) California program. Making his rookie debut in the TaG Senior category, Keyes went on to take a pair of heat race wins and main event victory at the .69-mile Buttonwillow Raceway Park kart track in Buttonwillow, California.
Working with karting veteran Arie Ouimet as both a driver coach and tuner, Keyes started his weekend off strong proving to be one of the fastest drivers in unofficial testing. Utilizing a SwedeTech Racing Engines Rotax powered CRG, Keyes was able to continue his speed through official practice and qualifying where he would be classified second and third respectively.
Running under the two-heat race format where both heat races results would determine the next on track sessions starting position before the afternoon’s main event, Keyes began to flex his muscles when the wheel-to-wheel action commenced. Quickly moving to the point at the drop of the green flag in heat race one, the rookie driver would fall back on a few occasions but rise again before the final checkered flag flew. Taking the win by scant 0.882 seconds, Keyes would also score the fastest lap of the race.
Heat two would be much of the same for the CRG West pilot as again he quickly moved to the point, and this time never looked back. Unable to match the fastest lap of the race, the one of only two Rotax drivers in the 32 kart field went on to a commanding 3.237 second victory and claimed the pole position for the day’s main event.
Looking to carry his momentum throughout the 20-lap final, Keyes did just that as he showed that he would be a threat for the overall series title. Running some of the fastest laps of the weekend and a very smooth, consistent racing line, the now California resident went on to take the checkers just under a second ahead of his closest competitor and will now enter round two as the point leader and driver to beat.
“My entire family recently made the move to California from Michigan so the Pro Kart Challenge and all the facilities in California are new to me,” explained Keyes. “I am not used to one day events and this was my first TaG Senior race in the PKC program. I would like to thank my mechanic Arie for all the hard work and effort in helping me achieve this win.”
A few weeks prior to the PKC event, Keyes would see action in Tucson, Arizona at the opening round of the Rotax Challenge of the Americas. As his first event as a Senior driver and first time he had worked with his new tuner, Keyes would show his speed running in the top five for the majority of the weekend. With a disappointing 14th place result on Saturday after a ten second penalty for avoidable contact at the drop of the green flag, Keyes would rebound on Sunday and challenge for a podium. Crossing the stripe in the fourth position, the aggressive pilot would end the weekend on a good note before heading back to California.
Press release by Race Tech Development
February 4, 2013 – Making the move to the senior ranks after the 2012 SuperKartsI USA (SKUSA) SuperNationals, CRG West pilot Alex Keyes exploded onto the California karting scene at this past weekend’s opening round of the Pro Kart Challenge (PKC) California program. Making his rookie debut in the TaG Senior category, Keyes went on to take a pair of heat race wins and main event victory at the .69-mile Buttonwillow Raceway Park kart track in Buttonwillow, California.
Working with karting veteran Arie Ouimet as both a driver coach and tuner, Keyes started his weekend off strong proving to be one of the fastest drivers in unofficial testing. Utilizing a SwedeTech Racing Engines Rotax powered CRG, Keyes was able to continue his speed through official practice and qualifying where he would be classified second and third respectively.
Running under the two-heat race format where both heat races results would determine the next on track sessions starting position before the afternoon’s main event, Keyes began to flex his muscles when the wheel-to-wheel action commenced. Quickly moving to the point at the drop of the green flag in heat race one, the rookie driver would fall back on a few occasions but rise again before the final checkered flag flew. Taking the win by scant 0.882 seconds, Keyes would also score the fastest lap of the race.
Heat two would be much of the same for the CRG West pilot as again he quickly moved to the point, and this time never looked back. Unable to match the fastest lap of the race, the one of only two Rotax drivers in the 32 kart field went on to a commanding 3.237 second victory and claimed the pole position for the day’s main event.
Looking to carry his momentum throughout the 20-lap final, Keyes did just that as he showed that he would be a threat for the overall series title. Running some of the fastest laps of the weekend and a very smooth, consistent racing line, the now California resident went on to take the checkers just under a second ahead of his closest competitor and will now enter round two as the point leader and driver to beat.
“My entire family recently made the move to California from Michigan so the Pro Kart Challenge and all the facilities in California are new to me,” explained Keyes. “I am not used to one day events and this was my first TaG Senior race in the PKC program. I would like to thank my mechanic Arie for all the hard work and effort in helping me achieve this win.”
A few weeks prior to the PKC event, Keyes would see action in Tucson, Arizona at the opening round of the Rotax Challenge of the Americas. As his first event as a Senior driver and first time he had worked with his new tuner, Keyes would show his speed running in the top five for the majority of the weekend. With a disappointing 14th place result on Saturday after a ten second penalty for avoidable contact at the drop of the green flag, Keyes would rebound on Sunday and challenge for a podium. Crossing the stripe in the fourth position, the aggressive pilot would end the weekend on a good note before heading back to California.
Press release by Race Tech Development
2012 Update
Sonoma Raceway Junior Rotax Champion
In 2012, Alex relocated to the West Coast (Northern California). Given several locations to chose from, the Keyes' family picked California in part due to its year-round racing opportunities.
Alex began his racing year in Sonoma, California in March with a win in Junior Rotax. He went on to win an additional 4 races (5 out of 10 finals) and won the Championship. This class was very competitive with an average of 15 Juniors per race. He also raced TaG Junior for several events in Sonoma.
In late June Alex attended the Rotax Shootout at MRP in Indiana and won Saturday's race in Rotax Junior. He was back at MRP in August for the Rotax Grands where he qualified 2nd out of approximately 60 Juniors. He did well in the heat races and went into the pre-finals in 6th place. An on-the-grid issue caused him to start in last (34th), but he finished the final in the top 10. In September, he attended Pan Am in Colorado, but had engine issues that impacted him all weekend.
Alex attended SuperNats in Las Vegas for the second year, but had disspointing results as he had poor power down the long straight. He was in the LCQ, and missed the finals by two spots despite his engine issues!
In 2013, Alex will be moving up to Senior Rotax for the Gatorz Challenge. He will be in Tuscon in January, Pheonix in February and near Los Angeles in March. He is also planning to compete in several California ProKart events, and will run multiple club races at Sonoma. Alex is excited to be working with Arie Ouimet as his tuner and coach.
2013 looks like it will be the year that Alex begins to move up into cars. We are hoping that he will begin working with Steve Cameron (Cameron Racing Team) and possibly be running in the Formula Ford Division in the Pacific F2000 Championship series. Alex is also scheduled to test drive a RallyCross car in early 2013.
Alex began his racing year in Sonoma, California in March with a win in Junior Rotax. He went on to win an additional 4 races (5 out of 10 finals) and won the Championship. This class was very competitive with an average of 15 Juniors per race. He also raced TaG Junior for several events in Sonoma.
In late June Alex attended the Rotax Shootout at MRP in Indiana and won Saturday's race in Rotax Junior. He was back at MRP in August for the Rotax Grands where he qualified 2nd out of approximately 60 Juniors. He did well in the heat races and went into the pre-finals in 6th place. An on-the-grid issue caused him to start in last (34th), but he finished the final in the top 10. In September, he attended Pan Am in Colorado, but had engine issues that impacted him all weekend.
Alex attended SuperNats in Las Vegas for the second year, but had disspointing results as he had poor power down the long straight. He was in the LCQ, and missed the finals by two spots despite his engine issues!
In 2013, Alex will be moving up to Senior Rotax for the Gatorz Challenge. He will be in Tuscon in January, Pheonix in February and near Los Angeles in March. He is also planning to compete in several California ProKart events, and will run multiple club races at Sonoma. Alex is excited to be working with Arie Ouimet as his tuner and coach.
2013 looks like it will be the year that Alex begins to move up into cars. We are hoping that he will begin working with Steve Cameron (Cameron Racing Team) and possibly be running in the Formula Ford Division in the Pacific F2000 Championship series. Alex is also scheduled to test drive a RallyCross car in early 2013.