USA Today via Reuters
Feb 27, 2021; Miami, FL, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver AJ Allmendinger (16) leads the field during the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Feb 27, 2021; Miami, FL, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver AJ Allmendinger (16) leads the field during the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
A couple of weeks ago, news broke that IndyCar driver Sage Karam would make his NASCAR Xfinity debut. The 26-year-old has joined the ranks of the Jordan Anderson Racing team. The American driver’s transition to the car wasn’t seamless and he had a few issues adjusting, as evidenced in the practice sessions.
While he was chasing after Bayley Currey, he locked up his tyres and likely flat-spotted them. Luckily, the potentially run-compromising error came only in practice and hence didn’t matter much. When it came to race day, Karam ended the day in 26th place, a fairly respectable finish for his first time.
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It's a learning curve.@IndyCar driver @SageKaram is trying to make his @NASCAR_Xfinity Series debut this weekend on the @IMS road course. pic.twitter.com/lckiT3YyOf
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 13, 2021
The Pennsylvania native has now added to a fairly diverse resume. Karam’s solitary Xfinity Series race start joins his 24 NTT IndyCar Series starts. Aside from the Xfinity race, Sage Karam competed in the Indianapolis 500 eight times and has a career-best finish of 7th. Additionally, the Pennsylvania native boasts of 17 starts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
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How did Sage Karam perform in the race?
Karam talked about how he was practically coached throughout the entire race. His spotter, Steve Barkdoll gave him a walkthrough during the entire race and with the aid he was able to complete his first race. The advice ranged from pit road procedure to not changing lanes before the start/finish line on the start and restarts.
USA Today via Reuters
Feb 27, 2021; Miami, FL, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier (7) races ahead of Tyler Reddick (23) during the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
“They talked a lot, and that’s something different from IndyCar. They don’t talk as much in the Indy cars,” Karam said. “You can see more in the IndyCar mirrors. In these cars, you can’t see as much, so you have to rely more on the spotters and yeah, they were talking a lot.”
Sage Karam admitted that the race was quite difficult for him and he had to concentrate on the instructions and driving. His experience beforehand was limited to a mere 15 laps and he would have appreciated another practice session. Nevertheless, he managed to survive the race, which is the most important thing.
READ MORE: IndyCar Driver Sage Karam to Make NASCAR Xfinity Debut at Indianapolis
