Pete Olson Takes Podium in Asia Formula Renault R5

June 15, 2013 - PRLog -- Zhuhai, China –

In yet another inspired drive today, American race Pete Olson of PS Racing, with sponsorship from Sideways Driving Club in Hong Kong, ChildFund International, and Drift Innovation, took to the podium 3rd overall and 2nd in the International Class for Asia Formula Renault [AFR] Round 5, at Zhuhai International Circuit under mixed weather conditions.

With qualifying this morning held under heavy rain, Olson showed his rain skills with some driving reflecting his sponsor’s name “Sideways Driving Club” of Hong Kong.

Flat out in the rain, Olson took P3 in qualifying to secure a spot on the 2nd row on the start of today’s Round 5.

However, after qualifying, during the warm up lap of today’s race start in the afternoon, the Pole Position/P1 Champ Motorsports car had a mechanical failure and was unable to start, moving PS Racing’s Olson up to 2nd place for the race, with Champ Motorsport’s Julio Acosta moving to P1 for the race start.

With fellow Bridgestone Racing Academy Champion and graduate Julio Acosta now starting in P1 instead of P2, due to the empty grid position in P1, Olson was able to start in P2.

With sand on the track due to a blown engine from the motorcycle race just before the AFR event, with sand all over the track, Olson and Acosta got off to a wheel-spinning start, enabling Taiwanese driver Roy Chiu to pass Olson into P2 and almost pass Acosta into P1.

Olson kept up with Chiu until they hit traffic and had to lap a slow-moving car. While Chiu was able to get by quickly, Olson was held up for a valuable few seconds to complete the pass.

“I think he didn’t see me in the mirrors, or maybe he was just trying to give me room” said Olson. “It cost me valuable time in what is a sprint race, essentially – only ten laps. But that’s racing – I am incredibly happy to be on the podium today but I know that there is still a great amount of room for improvement, as my mentor and triple Formula Renault Champion Pekka Saarinen tells me.”

“Our job, as racing drivers, is to be on the limit, all the time, each corner each lap – and if you are not doing that, not pushing hard enough, then you should not be in the car, because that is not racing - no matter what the weather conditions or whatever, we are not here to have fun, we are here to win, for PS Racing.”

“In the end, we did quite respectably today as a team and I really want to thank my sponsors and family for giving me this opportunity to prove something to a lot of people. But also, I would like to dedicate this trophy to my brother Matt. With proper dedication, guidance, and above all, Faith, nothing is impossible.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chVcforrXZc