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A race driver never slows down, whether we are on the track or off, so I want to apologize for not keeping my fans and potential race sponsors up to date with what is happening in my life. I am still racing and very interested in returning to the Firestone Indy Lights Series open-wheel series, where I competed last year and posted four top 10 finishes, including a season-best fourth at Mid-Ohio. I am staying fast on the kart track, winning a shifter race recently at Homestead, Florida, and finishing fifth in the TAG division during a Florida Winter Tour karting event. I am also instructing other kart drivers. I am staying in this country hoping to find a ride in Indy Lights or another professional series and I am interested in talking with sponsors. I believe I have what it takes to win and remain committed to becoming a top driver. I believe I am popular with the fans, especially young fans, and have personality and knowledge to help promote the sport and any series where I might drive. If you are interested in talking with me, you can reach me at cyndie@cyndieallemann.com
has fun !!!! Go to discover the new pictures of Cyndie where she had so much fun in front the lens...
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Chicagoland – The last one of the season
The last race of the Indy Lights championship was this past weekend at Chicagoland Superspeedway. Cyndie was looking to finish the year out with a solid performance with the view to carry momentum into the winter and on to the 2009 season.
From the first practice session, to the race on Sunday, Cyndie struggled to find Top 5 speed. The balance of the car was good but the speed was not there. The team have had the same issue at the last couple of ovals, and have been unable to resolve the problem. Cyndie had a huge task ahead of her for the race, starting from 23rd position. Cyndie drove a very good race making her way through the field to a strong 14th position finish.
Cyndie said: “Unfortunately, my goal was not reached this weekend. However, I could show in the last few races that I could fight very well and I am able to race my way to the front. I gained a lot of valuable experience and will take this into my 2009 season! For now, I will be focusing on signing my deal for 2009.”
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Infineon – California
The last race was a double header at the road course circuit in Sonoma, Infineon Raceway. The circuit is set on the beautiful mountains of Napa Valley, just north of San Francisco. This was for sure to be a good weekend where Cyndie would be heading back to her ‘grass roots’, a road course.
Cyndie was also very happy to have the chance to see the famous “Golden Bridge” and the fantastic landscape.
Cyndie got off to a great start at Infineon Raceway, testing went extremely well leading up to the double header race, with 9th overall going into qualifying. This gave Cyndie a lot of confidence building up to qualifying. After some issue’s in qualifying, Cyndie ended up 15th on the time sheet, a good job by her with all things considered. Cyndie was ready to make her way forward to the front of the field, confident in the cars ability, for sure this would be a good race. Things quickly went sour before she even crossed the start line, with a competitor driving in to her causing a flat tire, Cyndie had to make a pit stop on lap 1 for a new tire. This took Cyndie out of contention for any kind of good result. To make things worse, the way the double header weekend’s work is, you start the second race in your finishing position of race 1, so, Cyndie had last place to look forward to for race 2.
Race 2, 22nd on the grid, an impossible task to get to the front, Cyndie was looking for a strong finish, good points and gain some valuable experience. That she did and more, coming through the field incredibly finishing 11th.
Cyndie said: “ I felt very good during that race, full attack but very confident with my car. I was as fast as the Top 6 which is a great confidence booster for next season where I expect to run at the front.”
Only one race left before the end of the championship on the 7th September at Chicagoland. |
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Back to the ovals – Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky is a 1.5 miles oval, very bumpy but flat out all the way around. The set up and the aero of the car are crucial on this kind of oval.
Cyndie and her team struggled all weekend to make the car faster. Indeed she only qualified 23rd. However, Cyndie put on a great show during the race and moved forward to P13, using the draft of the other cars to get some positions back and performing good restarts after several caution periods. Cyndie showed a lot of confidence to overtake cars and using the draft properly. The spectators enjoyed her overtaking and her attacks…
Cyndie said: “Unfortunately, my car wasn’t fast enough while I was driving without using the draft. In consequence, my qualifying run wasn’t good at all. However, if I could use the draft, the speed was there. That’s how I set my strategy for the race, which allowed me to finish 13th”. |
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Cyndie Breaks Into The Top-5
The events go on… Cyndie got to Mid-Ohio last weekend to compete for the 11th and 12th race of the Firestone Indy Lights Series.
A very technical road course about 2.25 miles long which brought good luck to Cyndie in Sunday’s race. Saturday, in race 1, a technical problem with her front wing required her to make a pit stop as she was on her way to a potential Top 10. Sunday, starting 17th, she had to use all her experience to advance through a field of cars in terrible weather conditions. Indeed, the track conditions were horrible. Two very strong rain storms came through just before the start of the race. Cyndie, who had never driven this car in wet conditions, didn’t really know what to expect and started the new adventure which ended up a big success as she drove through the field to finish in 4th place.
The joy on her face at the end of the race was wonderful! Especially after struggling in the previous few races.
“It was a very exciting race,” commented Cyndie. “When the rain started, it was quite stressful as I didn’t know the reaction of this car in the rain and I couldn’t see any of the cars ahead of me through the spray. But once the race got going, I felt confident that I could catch the guys up front. The team did a great job and gave me a very competitive car in the rain. It’s a great result which has given me and my team a good boost for the next races!”
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Nashville Superspeedway
Travelling from race to race at the moment, Cyndie is more than motivated to show what she is able to do! After a Top-10 finish the last weekend on the road course in Watkins Glen, Cyndie was back on the Nashville 1.3 miles oval with a strong finish as her goal. Starting the race from the last row, she finished the race in 13th position.
The weekend started out a lot differently than the Team expected. “We came to Nashville with last year’s race-winning set-up, but it just didn’t work. The track was a lot bumpier and the surface quite different from last season. We struggled to get the car balanced during the first practice session, the car was quite loose, Cyndie continued. “We changed the set-up significantly for the second practice, but encountered a technical problem which made adjusting the car from the cockpit difficult.”
The Team regrouped for Qualifying and made adjustments which made the car more stable. “In qualifying, we only have four laps and only two of them count towards the staring position,” said Cyndie. “After a difficult day with the car being loose, I didn’t want to risk putting it into the wall, so I was a little conservative on my first hot lap, but decided to go for it on the second lap. The car felt well balanced, like the car I was used to and was able to post a quick second lap. Unfortunately, they average the two laps, which placed me in the back of the field.”
“We had a good car for the race and I felt very confident. However, right before the start of the race, a large thunderstorm hit the track and the race was postponed for almost 2 hours. The resulting rain washed off all the rubber on the track, which made the track quite slippery. Because we went through pre-race tech before the rain storm, we were not allowed to make any changes to the car prior to the race to accommodate the changing track conditions.”
To say the car was a handful for Cyndie to drive at the start of the race was an understatement. But, she did her best to keep her car in the pack. “The car was loose in the beginning of the race, so I focused on being smooth and making changes in the cockpit. The Team kept in contact with me throughout the race on the radio to assist me in making the right changes and Jon Lewis, who is also my spotter kept pushing me and keeping me informed about accidents happening in front of me.” Around the half way point in the race, Cyndie was turning competitive lap times and started moving up in the field, but with another caution period, the car began to feel unbalanced again. “We really worked hard as a Team to bring the car to the finish in the best position we could. With all the difficulty we had in practice, to finish 13th was not so bad.”
At this time, Cyndie is focusing on the next race this coming weekend in Mid-Ohio, a road course…. |
Back on road course – Watkins Glen
Last weekend, Cyndie returned to her roots as she was back on a road course, the famous Watkins Glen road course. A track of more than 3.4 miles long, fast and with different levels of elevation. But Watkins Glen is also a wonderful track with lots of history, including formula 1 races back in the 70’s.
Cyndie struggled a bit to drive her car in qualifying to finish 14th on the grid. Her team set up the car differently for the race and obviously Cyndie was happy with its performance. Indeed, she ended up 9th in the first race, starting from P14. For the second race, Cyndie started 9th. After a contact in turn 1, she lost few positions but went back on track and advanced to P10 until she made a late race mistake. Her car went on the outside curb at the exit of corner number 10. The curb unsettled her car which made it slide over and make contact with the barrier. Unfortunately, her car was too damaged to continue. The good news is that Cyndie was unhurt except for a sprained thumb.
Cyndie said, " my car was balanced and I felt very confident. In race 2, the 9th place car was just ahead of me and I wanted to gain another position so I kept pushing hard, unfortunately I have paid a big price to want too much… Two Top-10’s were possible this weekend, we were fast enough to fight between the 6th and the 10th position ! "
Cyndie’s car owner Jon Lewis commented, “Cyndie has had a lot to learn this season with a mixture of oval and road courses. I’m very pleased with her progress. She showed again at Watkins Glen that she has the talent to succeed in this Series. Her late race shunt in the second race was unfortunate, but she was pushing hard and trying to gain positions. I wouldn’t want it any other way. We’ve still got seven more races ahead of us and Ihave all the confidence in the world that she will show the world what she’s made of ! "
Iowa
Last weekend, Cyndie visited Iowa where corn is one of their specialities. That fit very well with our Swiss driver as corn is one of her favorite vegetables as well.
A few weeks ago, Cyndie tested on this 0.78 miles oval and was satisfied with her car. During qualifying, she set the 12th starting position on the grid.
“The split times between the cars are so small on a such short oval. Moreover, we keep full throttle all the way around, so the most balanced car will be the fastest!” said Cyndie before her qualifying run. “The race will be another story, as we will have to work with the draft, and our strategy during the race will be very important…”.
Before the race, her team was forced to change a defective front wing on the car and this change unsettled the balance of her car giving her a loose car. Early on, a spin sent her into the grass, but luckily without any damage to the car. She did a good job holding onto the poorly handling car to finish 18th.
Milwaukee
Cyndie learned a good lesson at the Milwaukee race. A crash in the first free practice made her lose the chance to fight for the front position in the race. Indeed, Cyndie lost the rear of her car at the end of the free practice on the 1 mile oval.
“The wind blew very strong during the free practice and that destabilized the rear of my car”.
Cyndie missed the second free practice but was able to make it to the qualifying session in the afternoon. She qualified 18th. However the race should have been a new learning point for Cyndie, enabling her to get her confidence back and at the same time gain a few positions on the field. But destiny had decided something else, as during the first lap she lost half of her front wing and the suspension was bent due to contact with a spinning car in front of her.
“Another driver took the outside line of the last turn in the first lap, lost the control of their car and I couldn’t avoid it. With the front wing broken and the suspension bent, I had a lot of understeer! I worked hard to keep my car on the track and get the best out of it. It was important for me to finish this race!”
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Cyndie at the Racing Capital of the World
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is billed as the “Racing Capital of the World” and this past weekend you could sure understand why. With over 350,000 people in attendance, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway becomes one of the most impressive events in the world.
Cyndie impressed the crowd with an 8th place qualifying run (her best to date in the Indy Lights Series). “It was a really amazing qualifying for me. When you come from Europe, you don’t realize the impact of this race. The number of fans that follow the Indy Lights Series is incredible and I was overwhelmed by how many fans have already come to know me and came by to wish me well in the race.”
“We really had a great car for the race, but unfortunately we incurred our first mechanical DNF of the season, when the gearbox input shaft broke. It was really disappointing, because I expected to do so well at this race. But, that’s racing and we’ll go onto bigger and better things at Milwaukee.”
“Wow, what can I say about the Indy 500? It is truly amazing to see the speeds and closeness of the cars. To race at this speed for 500 miles and 3.5 hours, you really need to be focused and in excellent physical shape. I admire all the drivers in this race.”
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Kansas
Cyndie took part at the fourth Indy Lights Series run in Kansas. After 2 Top-10 finishes at the last races in St Petersburg and a 5th place at the Indianapolis test on the April 11, 2008, she hoped to continue these good results.
Due to a low track temperature, qualifying was cancelled and the starting grid had been determined from Driver Championship point standings. At the race, Cyndie started 14th and moved forward easily to the 8th position and caught the leader group. At the 25th lap, in the 2nd corner, the rear of her car lost grip and spun, hitting the wall. She was able to make it back to the pit but the right side suspension was bent. Unable to continue, Cyndie finished in 22nd place.
Cyndie says, “The car was very fast and very free in the corner. I had a bit of oversteer but it was manageable. Unfortunately at this speed, if you really lose the rear, it is impossible to get it back again. It is a pity because I really felt confident and I was with the leader group, therefore I had a good chance to be in the Top 5”. She continues, “ My team is doing an excellent job. We really get a competitive race car. I am looking forward to the next races!”.
St Petersburg
Last weekend was the second and third race of the Indy Lights Series in St Petersburg, street course like Monaco formula 1 race. Our swiss driver enjoyed this track with a mix of fast and slow corners, a bit bumpy in braking points. However, driving between two walls with such a high speed is always impressive said Cyndie, but she showed as early as the first free practice session that she was competitive and that the experiences she gained from Europe in the last few years helped in her American debut. Indeed, Cyndie ended up 8th at the first race and 10th at the second race.
Starting 11th for race 1, Cyndie gained a few positions lap by lap to get her car in P8 at the finish line. The race conditions were very difficult confided Cyndie after her race. The weather temperature was more than 30 degrees and the race lasted 50 minutes, longer than any previous race she had participated in.
Cyndie should have been able to claim a top 6 finish in race 2, but unfortunately she was stuck behind two crashed cars in the forth corner after the start. She was forced to restart the race in last position, but drove consistently back towards the front. A late race hit from another car spun Cyndie and she had to again, restart from the rear of the field. Cyndie was pushing hard and drove steadily back to the front to finish respectibly in P10.
Cyndie was very impressed with the large group of spectators waiting on Sunday morning as early as 7 o'oclock to get a good seat in the grandstands of St Petersburg city.
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Cyndie completes her first race in America
Last weekend, the swiss driver took part in her first Indy Lights oval race at Homestead. Following very good tests these last few months, Cyndie hoped to be at least in the top 10. After the qualifying session where she set her car in 12th position, she took part in her race with calm and confidence. Therefore after the first half of the race, Cyndie was already 7th and was right in the middle of the lead group. With very hot weather conditions, more than 30 degrees, the front grip of her car was starting to go away and she fell back to position 16th.
However, this first race was a positive experience. In the beginning of the race, Cyndie could fight in the lead group with a speed of more than 300 km/h and she perfectly managed the strategy used on the oval. So the American Spirit Racing Team and their driver Cyndie Allemann keep working hard together to get the car to remain consistent for the entire 100 mile distance.
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Firestone Indy Lights
Indy Pro Series returns to its original name, the Firestone Indy Lights Series in 2008. Although the name of the series has changed, the Championship still remains on the same race schedule as the Indy Car Series.
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Back to Switzerland
Cyndie returned home recently to enjoy some time with her family and friends prior the beginning of the 2008 Indy Pro Series season.
When she arrived in Switzerland, she noticed the big change in temperature as it was snowing and the day before she left, it was sunny and very warm in Florida. She also realized her appreciation of the beautiful scenery in Switzerland. Florida, although sunny and warm most of the time, is very flat and without the forests and mountains found in her home contry.
As a real driver, Cyndie can't stand even one week without driving a race car. Therefore, she spent the weekend in competition, racing go karts with her brother.
Cyndie really enjoyed her time in Switzerland and now feels regenerated to be back in Florida and ready for the first race in Homestead on the 29th of March 2008. |
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Cyndie's new helmet
Arai helmet and paint by JCB Creation. Cyndie would like to thank Arai and JCB Creation for their support and wonderful paint design!!!
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The first laps for Cyndie in 2008
In the last few weeks, Cyndie tested the Indy Pro car. Two test days in Sebring (a race track in Florida well-known for the annual 12 hours of Sebring) where she could learn more about this new race car. Then, she went to the high-banked oval in Homestead, Florida south of Miami, for a one-day test and then, the whole team moved on to Phoenix, Arizona for a two-day test on a one mile oval.
Cyndie is satisfied about her first test days. In Sebring, she met the entire team staff and moreover, she got her first contact with this race car.
"I was surprised in a good way with the handling of the car, it has good grip and it is light to drive" said Cyndie.
Then, her oval track adventure started well and Cyndie seems to feel very confident with this type of track. She drove over 300 km/h after only 20 laps!!!
Cyndie will have two more test days before the beginning of the Championship on the 29th March 2008. Until then, she gets ready physically and mentally to be her fittest for the opening race of the Championship in Homestead. |
Cyndie off to America to drive in the 2008 indy pro series
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