April 21, 2023 – Earning a pair of top-five finishes in his Pro 1500 class debut at the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program, Racing With Autism’s Austin Riley is ready to get back on track and improve his results. Showing speed at the NOLA Motorsports Park for his first wheel-to-wheel action of 2023 and a return to Barber Motorsports Park on the horizon, a venue in which he has had success at in the past, Riley is hoping that he can find his way to the top step of the podium for his first win of 2023.
“I am ready to get back behind the wheel,” exclaimed Riley. “Barber is a track that I know well, love, and was successful at last season. While my top five finishes from NOLA are great, I am a racer and I want to win.”
As the reigning Pro 1340 champion, Riley’s move to the Pro 1500 category was no surprise when the first green flag of 2023 flew but with his new car arriving only two weeks before the event meant that he was going to have to learn the new car while in competition, which any racer will tell you isn’t ideal. As the weekend progressed at NOLA, he became more comfortable with the new chassis and that showed in his pace.
Riley added, “I feel more prepared entering Barber than I did for NOLA. Moving up in classes, racing in the largest division, new drivers and increased competition force me to really be on my game. Now knowing what to expect, and racing in both wet and dry weather in New Orleans, I am looking forward to scoring my first Pro 1500 podium.”
Competing alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Austin Riley and the rest of the Radical racers will hit the track Thursday, April 27th for practice. Friday will be the home of qualifying and the first wheel-to-wheel racing of the weekend while Saturday will see drivers battle in races two and three.
Racing With Autism and Austin Riley would like to thank their partners and supporters. A huge thank you to Spark Power Corp., Lincoln Electric, ACL Bearing, Hagerty, Ady’s Army, Hammond Manufacturing, Cal Chip Connected, 6 Sigma Sim Racing, B2C Transport, Forest Contractors, Utech Electronics, Braidan Motorsport as well as all family, friends, and supporters.
Austin Riley is a multi-time champion, the first race car driver with autism to win a major championship, and above all, an inspiration for all who've met him. His motto, “Just because you have autism, it doesn't mean you can't do great things,” is backed by his success both on and off the track.
