We arrived in Indianapolis after the relatively short nine-hour drive from home just in time for load-in at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. With severe thunderstorms and a tornado watch in the area, we were only allowed to drop off the trailer before being sent on our way. Setting up would have to wait until the morning, making for a very early start to Day 1.
The crew was back at the track before 6:00 a.m., immediately getting to work laying the flooring and setting up the awning. Jeremy, our lead mechanic, had the unenviable task of preparing Izzy for Practice 1, which was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thankfully, everything came together just in time, and we all watched as Austin rolled onto the grid for his very first laps at one of the most famous racetracks in the world.
For me personally, it was an incredibly special moment. Watching Austin race at Indianapolis is something I had dreamed about for many years.
Austin wasted no time getting up to speed and was near the top of the timing sheets almost immediately. A late-session red flag created our only real issue of the day when the car wouldn't restart after the session resumed. During the frantic morning preparation, the battery simply hadn't had enough time to recharge. Other than that, it was a smooth and productive opening day.
Day 2 featured another practice session followed by qualifying later in the afternoon, leaving a long break in between. Austin made the most of it by heading over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum with some of the crew to hand out hero cards and sign autographs, while the rest of the team stayed behind preparing Izzy for qualifying.
My favourite moment of the day came when a busload of camp kids, who Austin had invited over, arrived to learn more about Racing With Autism. Austin signed autographs, answered questions, and every single child had the opportunity to climb into Izzy for a photo. The smiles never stopped. Those moments are every bit as rewarding as standing on the podium.
Qualifying later that afternoon proved difficult with heavy traffic making it nearly impossible to put together a clean lap. Even so, Austin qualified 1st in class and 9th overall, but we all knew there was more speed left in both the car and the driver.
Saturday brought Race 1 in the morning and Race 2 later that afternoon.
Race 1 saw Austin get another excellent start, immediately moving up several positions. Throughout the race he continued improving his pace, comfortably beating his qualifying lap time. At the checkered flag, the streak continued with 1st in class and an incredible 6th overall.
Race 2 followed a similar script. Austin launched brilliantly again, climbing as high as 5th overall, but a late caution erased his advantage. On the restart, the more powerful cars used the long front straight to reclaim a few positions. Austin still crossed the finish line 1st in class and 8th overall.
Sunday morning brought Race 3, but once again the weather threatened the weekend with severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings forecast later in the day.
Before the racing began, Austin and the crew completely surprised me with an unforgettable Father's Day gift. They whisked me away for a ride in a 1919 vintage Indianapolis race car. The team had a great laugh watching me dressed in period overalls, leather helmet and goggles, but driving down Gasoline Alley in that incredible piece of history is a memory I'll cherish forever.
Then it was time to race.
Austin saved his best performance for last. Another fantastic start saw him running 3rd overall for much of the race before yet another late restart allowed some of the higher-horsepower cars to slip by. He still finished 1st in class and 6th overall, set his fastest lap of the weekend which is also a track record for a Revolution around Indy, completing another perfect weekend.
Twelve races. Twelve class wins. 2 track records and countless new fans
It has been an unbelievable start to the season.
Now, however, we face some difficult decisions.
After paying all the expenses from Indianapolis, we currently have enough funding remaining to compete in the Canadian race we had already planned for August. It will give Austin valuable seat time and the opportunity to race on home soil for the first time in a couple of years.
The remaining Revolution Cup rounds at Virginia International Raceway and Circuit of the Americas aren't until September and November. Our challenge now is finding the funding to compete in at least one of those events. Austin has built a commanding championship lead, and we may be able to maintain it if we miss one race weekend—but missing both would almost certainly end our championship hopes. If anyone has any fundraising ideas I am certainly open to anything at the moment.
No matter what happens from here, this past weekend was truly a dream come true. Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is something we'll never forget, and the way Austin and the entire team performed made the experience even more special.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in us and supporting this journey. Every lap Austin completes, every child he inspires, and every dream we chase is only possible because of people like you.
Thank you.
