Nick Cassidy has come out on top in a tight tussle with Jake Dennis to win the Portland E-Prix by 0.294 seconds this afternoon.
Victory puts the Envision Autosport racer within one-point of the championship lead, which is held by Dennis, with only four races left in the season.
It was another charging win for Cassidy, who had qualified 10th and failed to make the duels for pole. With energy saving being of focus for the teams from the start, the Kiwi was at the front in no time, only sacrificing his lead when he entered attack mode for the first time.
Two Safety Car periods during the race brought the field close together through the final stages, with Cassidy pressured and exchanging the lead multiple times with the likes of Antonio Felix da Costa, Dennis and Norman Nato over the closing laps.
Energy saving was again a concern after four laps were added on to make up for the Safety Car interferences.
Dennis passed da Costa for second on the final lap and had an energy advantage over the Kiwi ahead, but ultimately ran out of time to get a move done, settling for second ahead of da Costa.
Cassidy’s victory marks three wins from the past five races.
Elsewhere, it was a solid recovery for Mitch Evans who started on the grid from 20th having missed qualifying for a battery and powertrain change which left him unable to drive. The Jaguar TCS Racing competitor drove through the field to come home a commendable fourth and keep his championship hopes alive.
Just four races remain in the 2023 Formula E season, beginning with a double-header in Rome (July 15-16) and concluding with a double-header in London (July 29-30).
