Canadian Resumes Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS Campaign
Toronto, Ontario (September 04, 2014) – The 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS series resumes this weekend, 5th-7th September, at Italy’s Mugello Circuit following a lengthy summer break, one that was used to the maximum by Canadian challenger Luke Chudleigh.
The 19-year-old Milton racer suffered a Bennett’s Fracture to his thumb in Round 5 in Monza, also in Italy, back in July so the gap between ALPS events proved to be the silver lining to his injury allowing him adequate time to heal and rehab before returning to open-wheel action this weekend.
The pre-event test at the 15-turn Mugello track confirmed to Chudleigh, who competes for the French-based Tech1 Racing outfit, that all was normal with his thumb as he enjoyed a solid outing at the high-speed circuit.
The penultimate round of the ALPS series will see Luke continuing to build on his form and target a maiden podium finish, having secured several top-six finishes this season already with a series of hard charging races. Having proved his race craft already, Chudleigh’s hopes for Mugello include front-running qualifying sessions.
“Passing’s hard at this track due to its flat out configuration,” explained Luke. “It’s a high speed track which is great but it makes overtaking that much more of a challenge. The best way to set myself up for some great races is to ensure we’re fast out of the box this weekend. We’ve struggled sometimes in qualifying but proved time and again that we have excellent pace during the races. I want to hit the ground running and be fighting at the front and not having to race my way to the front!
“Ultimately I’m just happy to be back in the car at Mugello. It’s been a productive summer break for me, not least with the rehab on my thumb, which felt absolutely fine during last week’s test. I’ve also been working hard on securing sponsorships for next season as we look to 2015 and the best path to continue my European campaign. Things are looking positive on several fronts which is encouraging and I’ll be supported this weekend by Trevor Wickens which is always fun. He’s taught me a lot from karting into cars and having him on-site is always a bonus.”
Luke sits 8th overall in the 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS standings – and the lead Tech1 Racing entrant, with Dutchman Nyck De Vries continuing leading the title battle.
Race 1 at Mugello gets underway at 5:10pm CET / 11:10am EST on Saturday 6th September, with Race 2 set for 1:30pm CET / 7:30am EST on Sunday 7th September – both races 25 minutes plus one lap in length.
Luke Chudleigh is supported by Vitamindrip®, Chudleigh’s, ARM Training, Tech1 Racing, Adidas and PRIME/Wickens Management.
