2018 Paul Fodde Racing Preview

2017 was one of the best seasons I had behind the wheel, as I was able to showcase my talents with a great kart, and I had speed all year. Right off the bat, I was the quickest in practices and I showcased that this year, I was felt that I was a threat for podiums. While I was only able to secure one podium, I was consistent and finished in the top 5 multiple times, as well as having great finishes in big fields. The most fun I've had was racing in the first annual USAC Battle At The Brickyard, where I placed 17th out of 46 karts. I never would have thought when I was a kid that I would have raced on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway or Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but I was able to do complete that feat in 2016 and 2017.

Unfortunately, this year will be a little different as I have decided to take a different approach to my racing career. So far, I have raced in my own equipment, working on my own kart, and sometimes having help from the other competitors/sponsors. I can't thank the other drivers that helped me a ton this year, such as Jon Vernier, who I must thank for my great performances in 2017. I decided to sell my equipment after the final Ignite Series race at Gateway Kartplex, because I wanted to take an opportunity to show I know that Margay Racing has an excellent arrive-and-drive program, and I was looking to take advantage of that opportunity in 2018. Sponsorship dependent, I am looking forward to racing two big races in 2018- which are the races at Indianapolis and Daytona. I am also hoping to race the Rock Island Grand Prix, which was a great event that I always wanted to come back to. These tracks will test my talent as well as put me up against some of the best competitors, as last year, the WKA Daytona Kart Week featured drivers such as Gabby Chaves and Zach Veach, who race in the Verizon IndyCar Series. I am also actively searching for other opportunities, as I am not running for a championship in the Gateway Kartplex Ignite Series this year, opening up my schedule to run other events not on the schedule or participate in other opportunities as well. Last year, I volunteered for Jordan Anderson's race team during the Drivin' For Lineman 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park, as well as took pictures/social media for fellow competitor Austin Blair during the Junior Knepper 55 at DuQuoin. If this racing thing doesn't work out for me, there are plenty of opportunities outside of the driver seat for me to do. However, as a racer, I'd love to be back in the seat. Hope you guys get to see what I can do behind the wheel this year!