Lamorinda Weekly Issue 23 Volume 11
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Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 www.lamorindaweekly.com 925-377-0977 LAMORINDA WEEKLY Page: B1 ~ Life in LAMORINDA ~ Campolindo high-schooler tracks toward Formula One career By B. B. Kaye this guy being successful?” best drivers to compete in the ROK “There are very few families Cup International Finals. “My six in the world who can self-fund years of kart racing provided the an Indy Car. Some families can skills to quickly learn new track self-fund through Go Karts, some layouts. This enabled me to race through this, some can self-fund competitively against the local Ital- through Pro Mazda or Indy Lights, ian drivers, even though I had only but at some point you’re going to one day to learn their track.” need somebody’s help,” said Stew- Bryson enjoys mentoring art. “And so, the sooner you start younger kart racers. “To be suc- developing that skill off the track cessful in racing, one must have a to couple with on-track skills, the passion for race cars, be competi- better. Drivers who can fund up tive, willing to stay focused, have to Indy Lights are suddenly hit a technical mind to analyze your with a multimillion dollar budget driving, and have the dedication to raise. Being able to keep some- to spend many hours practicing at body engaged and feeling like they the track,” he said. Though enjoy- are getting a reasonable return on ing every moment of racing now, Photos provided investment is just as important as his sights are fi rmly set on future the driver is: at some point, they’re learning how to drive this thing.” goals: “In fi ve years I hope to be going to need external funding to Bryson’s years of kart racing racing Formula 2 or Indy Lights. In keep the whole thing going. To be came to some fruition in 2017. He 10 years I hope to be successful in an ambassador for those partners is took multiple wins and podium Formula One or IndyCar.’ pretty important.” placings, and in October was se- For updates to Bryson’s grow- Less than one-sixth the expense lected to be one of seven drivers ing career, you can visit www. of Pro Indy racing, the Formula Car representing Team USA in Lonato, brysonlewracing.com. Keep your Challenge was designed with cost Italy, where 48 countries sent their eye on this young man. containments to allow drivers to make the move from karts into cars without breaking the bank; but it is still an expensive sport to make headway in. “It’s a nice step com- ing out of karting, although not less than some people spend on karting. It doesn’t matter what racing it is, if you travel around the country it adds up. We designed these cars to be the perfect car to graduate people up into car racing,” said Stewart. Formula Car Challenge engines go 6,000-8,000 miles before being replaced, whereas full-on pro Indy cars only get between 1,000-2,000 miles between complete engine re- builds. The total cost of running an entry-level FormulaSPEED car is about $7 per mile, compared to a pro- fessional Indy car at $20 per mile. Bryson’s father, Brad Lew, said, “I was at an event where there was an Indy Lights driver, retired, a local guy. He said his family had funded everything. He said his best Bryson Lew advice is not to self-fund, because otor sports require a lot of I was 5 years old,” Bryson said. “I you don’t really have a benchmark Mspace to play in, and enough grew up watching IndyCar and oth- as to the quality of your driving. If distance from housing to soak up the er races at Sonoma Raceway.” His you’re getting outside funding, you ear-splitting roar of unmuffl ed big- sights are set on racing as a full- have other eyes looking at you, as- bore engines. That much space in time career path. “Hopefully we sessing ... what’s the prospect of Lamorinda is impossible; but travel can make it happen, but the budget North along the two-lane freeway is a huge factor of whether you can of Route 37 through the fl at, coastal move up the ranks or whether you wetlands and nature preserves of have to stay down in the lower cost San Pablo Bay National Wildlife stuff. You have to reach out for Help Whole Foods stores Preserve, and at the junction with sponsors.” support the community Route 121 you will fi nd, nestled in Bryson trains at Sonoma Race- hills overlooking the bay, a true mo- way with World Speed Motorsports, torhead sanctuary: historic Sonoma designers of the FormulaSPEED Raceway. car and a comprehensive racing SHOP FOR A CAUSE 5% DAY The track hosts nearly every driver development program. He kind of motor racing – NASCAR, cross trains by playing basketball IndyCar, SuperBike, Top Fuel, year-round, mountain biking, run- Local Whole Foods Markets Funny Car and Pro Stock drag, En- ning, and possesses a black belt will donate 5% of their sales on duro, Truck, Drifting, and Go-Kart. in Kung Fu. “These sports require Opened in 1968, the course has seen upper and lower body strength as rubber laid down by racing greats well as cardio conditioning, which Thursday, January 11, 2018 whose names even those with the is crucial for kart and auto racing,” most fl eeting of glances at sports he said. to support the programs of White Pony Express, news will recognize – Al Unser, Any sport is a challenging pro- whose mission is to eliminate hunger and poverty in Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue, and fession to aspire to, and Bryson many more. is not neglecting to build alterna- Contra Costa County. Participating locations are: Aspiring to such greatness, tive skills: “Even though I spend Campolindo High School student a lot of time at the race track, I’m 100 Sunset Drive, San Ramon, CA Bryson Lew has been building his very focused on maintaining good 1333 Newell Ave, Walnut Creek, CA racing skills with Cameron Karting grades. As a backup plan to profes- 2941 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA at Sonoma Raceway every week sional auto racing, I hope to study since the age of 8. Now 14 years mechanical engineering because it 3502 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA old, and already with an impres- impacts many aspects of race cars.” 2085 Diamond Blvd Ste 125, Concord, CA sive record of wins and podium There is diffi culty for racers placings, he is transitioning from to attract sponsors at this level, the Karting class of racing into full- because televising of entry-level sized, FormulaSPEED race cars. events is practically nonexistent. Bryson is training to race this car, Tevo Stewart, president of About White Pony Express potent at 200 horsepower, with a World Speed Motorsports, said, WPE operates a Food Rescue program that picks up six-speed transmission and weigh- “Production costs are pretty high, ing about 1,150 pounds, in the as far as them putting out a real more than 5,000 lbs of surplus food every day from local Goodyear Formula Car Challenge televised show. So a lot of the se- supermarkets and delivers it to people in our county who are for which it was designed, a series ries – even if they have done it in hungry. The “Free General Store” distributes 10,000 items of created to cultivate motorsports the past – are backing off from that teams of the future. Each individual and going to online stuff. There clothing, toys and books every month to families in need. car is made to fi t a particular driv- are benefi ts – because it’s easier to er’s body like a glove and, given quantify viewership. It’s also easier Please remember to shop at Whole Foods on January 11th! the power-to-weight ratio and so- to have on-demand viewing, so phisticated engineering, is faster even a series like this, that a lot of on a road course than any “exotic” people never heard of, would (oth- street sports car in the world. erwise) end up on TV at a less-than- www.whiteponyexpress.org “I have loved cars since before optimal time. It doesn’t matter who .