LIONHEART RACING SERIES POWERED BY HYPERX
  • Home
  • Open Wheel
    • 2022 Schedule >
      • Upcoming Race
      • Race Broadcasts
    • Race Results
    • 2022 Standings >
      • Rookie Standings
      • Team Standings
    • Series Drivers
    • Oval Championship >
      • Oval Race Results
    • Road Championship >
      • Road Race Results
    • Triple Crown Points >
      • Triple Crown Race Results
    • Historic Standings
    • Rules
  • Lotus 79
    • 2022 Schedule >
      • Upcoming Race
      • Race Broadcasts
    • Race Results
    • 2022 Standings >
      • Rookie Standings
      • Team Standings
    • Series Drivers
    • Oval Championship >
      • Oval Race Results
    • Road Championship >
      • Road Race Results
    • Triple Crown Points >
      • Triple Crown Race Results
    • Historic Standings
    • Rules
  • Speedway
    • 2022 Schedule >
      • Upcoming Race
      • Race Broadcasts
    • Race Results
    • 2022 Standings >
      • Rookie Standings
      • Team Standings
    • Series Drivers
    • Triple Crown Points >
      • Triple Crown Race Results
    • Historic Standings
    • Rules
  • News
  • 2022 Sponsors
    • Become a Sponsor
    • HyperX
    • ButtKicker
    • Next Level Racing
    • MOZA Racing
    • Gomez Sim Industries
    • Simrace 247
    • Guys Games and Beer
  • Contact
  • Registration

karam charges from back to front, wins at phillip island

5/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
​By Justin Prince
 
In what could potentially be the drive of the season, Sage Karam went from the back of the field to the front in the span of 22 laps to win at iRacing’s virtual Phillip Island Circuit.

Karam, who entered the round with three victories this season, had to start in 29th position after having to serve an end of longest line penalty for the HyperX Grand Prix of Phillip Island.


The NTT IndyCar Series driver set a blistering pace, running lap times 0.7 seconds quicker than the leader, Richie Hearn, had been in the process of closing the gap.
 
Karam went on to win the Lionheart Retro Series Presented by SimXperience race by more than 22 seconds.
 
Aaron Morgan, Mike Rasimas, Chris Ragan and Richie Hearn completed the rest of the top five.
 
“It was hard to get up there,” said Karam from HyperX Victory Lane. “Once we were able to break the draft, we were able to just do our own thing and put our head down and run quick laps. I am really happy about that.”
 
Karam immediately had to dodge several cars who had checked up while rolling from the grid. Chris Staples was hit from behind by Trevor Malone as the cars began to roll. As Covy Moore stopped for the first collision, Cody Wenzen also made contact with the cars. The collision launched Moore into the grass.
 
A major crash then struck on the first lap in Honda Corner. Both David Sirois and Matt Taylor, who started second and third respectively, were sent flying into the grass after Chris Fowler locked up his brakes. Fowler also collected Rasimas in the incident.
 
Both Fowler and Taylor were knocked out of the race because of the crash.
 
The incident gave Hearn a lead of more than two seconds.
 
Karam dodged the carnage to get to 12th position by Lap 3.
 
“That’s what kept me in this thing,” said Karam. “Originally, my plan was to pit on Lap 12 and try and get clean air and try and run fast laps and hopefully jump guys just having clean air. But, once I got top ten pretty quickly, I was able to just go on the strategy as them.”
 
On Lap 11, Karam reached the battle for second. He passed Michael O’Brien heading into Honda. However, in Turn 10, Karam slid off the grass, sliding for several seconds before driving back in line. The incident damaged the right front wing of Karam’s car.
 
Karam then set his focus on Ragan and Morgan, completing a double-overtake down the Gardner Straight to get into second.
 
On Lap 22, Karam went for the lead. Karam picked up the draft down the Gardner Straight and passed Hearn quickly.
 
The Elite West Motorsports driver kept within Karam’s draft until Lap 26. Hearn clipped the grass coming into Siberia, sending him sliding towards the tire barrier. Hearn then cut back to the right, quickly getting back on track.
 
He lost one position as a result of the mistake.
 
The slide damaged the front wing on Hearn’s car.
 
Hearn eventually spun a second time on Lap 43, costing him several more positions.
 
“I didn't have Sage's pace and then just got on the gas too hard trying to stay with Aaron,” said Hearn on the series discord after the race. “It was fun though.”
 
One of the bigger incidents of the day came on Lap 30 after O’Brien missed a shift in the Southern Loop while running fourth.
 
The miscue sent O’Brien sliding sideways into the grass. O’Brien was carried by the momentum straight into the grass and the sandtrap, sending him slamming into the tire barrier. The crash demolished the front suspension and wing on the Avatar Auto Racing car.
 
Then, on Lap 41, the battle for 12th position led to contact after Danny Roberts attempted to go side-by-side with Sirois in Lukey Heights.
 
Roberts overran the corner exit heading into Turn 10, sliding fully into the grass. As Roberts attempted to lock up his tires, he slid into the right side of Sirois’s car, launching him off the ground. The hard contact sent Sirois into the grass and end his race.
 
Overall, 12 drivers did not take the checkered flag.
 
Next race, the Lionheart Retro Series Presented by SimXperience will be going left and right for a second straight round for the Minus 273 Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Presented by ButtKicker. It can be seen live on RaceSpot TV and ESTV on June 3rd at 10:35 p.m. EST.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONTACT
RESOURCES
MEDIA
EXTRAS

Contact Us             
About Us
FAQ's
Schedules and Calendar
Race Archives
Record Book
Rulebooks
Lionheart News
Member Resources
2022 Sponsor Guide
Retro News Archive
Lionheart Forums
​The Lionheart Racing Series was founded on July 1, 2014 and is the premier IndyCar and Lotus 79 league on iRacing.com. Competition. Commitment. Excitement. This is Lionheart.
​Copyright 2022 Lionheart eSports LLC .
  • Home
  • Open Wheel
    • 2022 Schedule >
      • Upcoming Race
      • Race Broadcasts
    • Race Results
    • 2022 Standings >
      • Rookie Standings
      • Team Standings
    • Series Drivers
    • Oval Championship >
      • Oval Race Results
    • Road Championship >
      • Road Race Results
    • Triple Crown Points >
      • Triple Crown Race Results
    • Historic Standings
    • Rules
  • Lotus 79
    • 2022 Schedule >
      • Upcoming Race
      • Race Broadcasts
    • Race Results
    • 2022 Standings >
      • Rookie Standings
      • Team Standings
    • Series Drivers
    • Oval Championship >
      • Oval Race Results
    • Road Championship >
      • Road Race Results
    • Triple Crown Points >
      • Triple Crown Race Results
    • Historic Standings
    • Rules
  • Speedway
    • 2022 Schedule >
      • Upcoming Race
      • Race Broadcasts
    • Race Results
    • 2022 Standings >
      • Rookie Standings
      • Team Standings
    • Series Drivers
    • Triple Crown Points >
      • Triple Crown Race Results
    • Historic Standings
    • Rules
  • News
  • 2022 Sponsors
    • Become a Sponsor
    • HyperX
    • ButtKicker
    • Next Level Racing
    • MOZA Racing
    • Gomez Sim Industries
    • Simrace 247
    • Guys Games and Beer
  • Contact
  • Registration