New Zealand’s Bailey Cruse recognises his debut MX5 Cup round for Hixon Motorsport at Road America was one of the most significant steps in his career to date, saying he has never learnt so much in such a short time. The Kiwi teenager finished 19th in Race 1 and charged from 22nd on the grid to finish 12th in Race 2.
“It was probably the biggest learning weekend of my career, really, and I mean that whole-heartedly,” Cruse told Velocity News. “I learnt and took so much out of it.”
“It’s a mega competitive series, and really different. They’re bumping each other down the straight and using hand signals to switch or go on their draft or lift off so you can hit them. It’s nuts; it really is.”
Cruse took to the track for a practice session on Thursday before returning for second practice and qualifying on Friday. His best time of 2:35.565 was the 20th-fastest out of 28 competitors, something he believes he could have bettered should he have utilised the practice sessions more efficiently.
“I was out there by myself for those practices, I should have been with a train or a pack, but that was my mistake,” he said. “When I went into quali, I got kind of a half-draft, which was OK, but you would get two or three seconds just from drafting, which is just ridiculous.
“As soon as you get in the draft, you’re like, ‘Wow’, so that was an eye-opener.”
He would go on finish 19th in his debut race on Saturday morning.
“Race 1 was alright because I didn’t know what to expect,” said Cruse. “I went into this weekend as a whole wanting just to keep all four corners on the car and take it all in.
“I was following the other cars a bit too much and not running my own race. I also got stuck behind a car I felt shouldn’t have been behind.”
An opening lap crash in the mid-pack of Race 2 saw Cruse have to take evasive action, but he worked his way to sit 14th when the Safety Car was called, a gain of seven places over the opening few corners, having started 21st.
He would gain further places over the following laps to come home twelfth as the fourth-best rookie.
“Race 2 was chaotic, there was a big accident at the start, so I was dodging to get out of the way. I still need to get my moves right. It’s a big thing in my learning. It’s a lot like chess in this series. I felt like my lap times at the end were good. They were on par with the top runners, which was good.
“It was successful, the last half of Race 2. I was figuring it all out, and I started making connections in my brain and getting comfortable with everything, like bumping and switching positions. I was running with a good pack, too.”
The teenager recognises it was a successful debut given how much he learnt and that he kept “all four corners on the car.”
“All the cars are doing that, and the top 15 are all on the button, really, so you’ve got to adapt quickly,” Cruse said. “The series is run really professionally. It’s brilliant, and I’m so happy to be running in it.
“It was a big step each time because I’m going to a new track in a new car. There was so much to take in. The series is like nothing I’ve ever driven in. Even compared to the 86s, it’s not even comparable.
“It’s a full overload all at once. Just trying to get used to everything and getting up to speed.”
Running in support of an IMSA weekend was also a plus, with the headlining IMSA SportsCar Championship taking centre stage.
“It was awesome, the fans and everything. Everything was so professional, including the team we’re with, Hixon Motorsport. Everything was just awesome. Just being at an IMSA weekend and seeing your goal right next door in the paddock beside you is inspiring.”
Cruse will remain in the United States for the rest of the month before returning to action at Virginia International Raceway on August 25-27.
Images: Supplied
