This past weekend at Sebring International Raceway, Austin Riley and the Racing with Autism team tackled one of the most demanding circuits in North America in the Radical Cup North America series. With its notoriously bumpy surface and technical corners, Sebring challenged every driver—but Austin once again proved his skill, determination, and resilience in a weekend full of highs and heartbreak.
Qualifying & Race 1 – A Tough Start
Austin came into the weekend strong, showing his trademark speed and consistency during practice and qualifying. Unfortunately, on lap 4 of qualifying, he dropped a wheel on the exit of Turn 1, damaging the rear diffuser and prematurely ending his session. Despite the setback, he still managed to secure P5, an impressive result given his limited track time.
However, the damage to the underside of the car was significant, leading to a long night of repairs for the team to get the car ready for Race 1 early Saturday morning.
Race 1 – Heartbreak at the Finish
Austin wasted no time at the start, making quick moves in lap 1 and moving up to P4. Despite the early-race chaos, he maintained his position but found himself nearly a straightaway behind the top three. Determined as ever, he put his head down and chipped away at the gap, closing within striking distance of second and third place with just five minutes left in the race.
Then, disaster struck.
In the closing laps, the third-place driver had a big slide in Turn 1, leaving Austin nowhere to go. In a split-second decision at over 180 KPH, Austin swerved off track to avoid a major collision—but in doing so, he re-damaged the diffuser the team had worked tirelessly to replace the night before. The damage was too severe, forcing him to retire from the race with just two minutes left.
It was a heartbreaking end to what had been an incredible comeback drive
Race 2 – A Test of Resilience Saturday afternoon
With race 2 grid positions set by lap times from race 1, Austin’s impressive pace put him in a strong starting spot. The team worked right up until the last moment to complete repairs, finishing just in time for him to head to the grid.
When the green flag dropped, Austin launched off the line, quickly moving up to P2 by the end of lap one! He built a comfortable gap to the cars behind—only to have his hard work erased by a full-course caution.
At the restart, Austin kept his composure under pressure, rebuilding his lead. But with eight minutes to go, another caution once again erased his gap, and lapped traffic made the closing laps even more challenging.
But Austin held firm.
In a spectacular drive, he fought off late-race pressure and crossed the line in second place, earning a well-deserved podium!
The cheers from the crowd as he stood on the podium were overwhelming. Considering everything the team had been through in the last 24 hours, it was a special moment for everyone.
Race 3 – A Gritty Comeback
For Race 3, Austin had another strong starting position based on his pace in Race 2.
However, as the lights went out, turn 1 turned into chaos. Multiple drivers were caught in the mayhem, leading to several early retirements. Austin, trying to avoid the wreckage, lost multiple positions and came around under caution near the back of the field.
When racing resumed, Austin methodically picked off cars, slowly but surely making his way back to P7 by the checkered flag. While he was capable of more, he made a mature decision to balance risk vs. reward.
On the long drive home, Austin confided that with the damage sustained earlier in the weekend and the reality of tight finances this season, he couldn’t afford to take unnecessary risks. His focus is on finishing the season strong, knowing that every race counts.
