The track on the outskirts of Snoqualmie, Washington, presented a variety of dirt, gravel, mud, concrete and asphalt, including a run through a long warehouse building. On top of that, rain soaked the area on the first day.
“I loved the different racing surfaces and the challenges of the changing conditions,” said Geoff Sykes. “I posted second fastest times in the practice and seeding sessions, this was my favorite kind of track!”
However mechanical problems and contact in the first heat race meant missing the second heat race due to lengthy repairs. “The crew did an incredible job of getting the car ready for the final,” said Geoff, “it may not have been dialed in, but at least we had a shot at a decent finish!”
Sykes started on the back row and was battling with Tyler Benson, when they touched wheels as Geoff was completing a pass into turn two and they both spun. But in rallycross, the thrill is that it could have gone the other way. Benson and Mitchell deJong had earlier battled side by side for the lead, with Sykes in third place and had those two then spun, Sykes could have gone on to win the race, which would have made for an epic comeback story for the team!
“This was a terrific track and the fans here in the northwest were fantastic. I have great confidence when I can do well at tracks like this, it’s just a matter of everything coming together at this point.”
ABOUT RALLYCROSS AND GEOFF SYKES
Rallycross combines circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition with intense, crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment, featuring a challenging course that includes jumps, unbanked turns and changing track and surface conditions that can include dirt, gravel and wet asphalt.
Geoff Sykes is driving his second season in Global Rallycross, having come from an autocross and road racing background with multiple records and championships in the BMW CCA racing series, and is the 2013 GT champion in the US Touring Car Championship.
Sykes’ rallycross racing includes support from SONY Team Action Cam, RallyPro at The Firm, BendPak, Midnight Oil and Stepco Insurance.
Photos: Patti Southworth
