PREMA Racing Secures Best Finish at World Wide Technology Raceway
PREMA Racing demonstrated significant progress during the latest IndyCar Series event at World Wide Technology Raceway, achieving its best result of the season with a tenth-place finish by rookie Robert Shwartzman. Starting from 24th position, Shwartzman showcased his racing skills, battling with competitors early in the race and gaining valuable experience on an oval track.
Shwartzman, leveraging the expertise of his pole-winning engineer Eric Leichtle, steadily improved the performance of his No. 83 Chevy throughout the 260-lap contest. He engaged in a notable duel with Christian Rasmussen, who ultimately finished in third place.
“I’m really happy that we’ve finished the first short oval with our best result of the season so far, a top 10,” said Shwartzman. “Starting from 24th, I worked to build confidence in the car. By the final stint, I felt I had control, and it was fast. A big thank you to the team for their amazing job and solid pit stops. Chevy also provided an incredible engine; it was flying.”
The significance of this top-10 finish is amplified by PREMA’s limited experience on oval tracks. Meanwhile, veteran teammate Callum Ilott led laps 248, 249, and 253-255, positioning himself as a strong contender until a late-race fuel strategy forced him to pit from the lead, resulting in an 18th-place finish.
“Today’s result is hard to take in, especially when we were leading with just a handful of laps to go,” Ilott reflected. “The car felt really good; our pace was strong, but we had to make the tough call to pit when fuel became tight. It’s tough, but that’s racing sometimes.”
As the team prepares for the upcoming race at Road America, they aim to maintain the momentum from this performance and continue to improve in their rookie season.
