Fassnacht Maximizes Performance of Backup No. 15 Sword Performance Mazda MX-5
DANVILLE, Virginia (August 28, 2022) – Aidan Fassnacht turned in another competitive and milestone performance this weekend in the IMSA Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich doubleheader at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) where the 19-year-old series rookie swept the poles and led laps in both races in the No. 15 Sword Performance Mazda MX-5.
For the third consecutive MX-5 doubleheader weekend since scoring his first series race win in late June at Watkins Glen International, Fassnacht ran with the other leaders and was a pacesetter all weekend on the 3.27-mile Southern Virginia road course.
The performance was even more impressive considering Fassnacht was forced into a backup Mazda MX-5 after a contact incident in Friday practice left him uninjured but sidelined his primary McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) prepared MX-5 for the weekend.
“Looking at the weekend after what happened on Friday, I’d say I am pretty pleased with how it came out,” Fassnacht said. “We were able to get the backup car out of the trailer and MMR set it up up really well and got it prepared for qualifying. We put it on double pole which was definitely the high of the weekend. I had never been on pole in my career so it felt pretty good to get that.”
Fassnacht led the field to the green flag for the start of Saturday’s race for the first time in his three-year driving career.
“I was feeling a little bit of nerves starting from the pole for the first time ever,” Fassnacht said. “It’s a totally different mindset. When you are mid-pack or coming from the back, it’s like ‘I have this car to pass, and this car to pass, then this car.’ It kind of makes it a little bit simpler. I over drove the car, I wasn’t as comfortable as I wanted to be, and I definitely felt the car waning a little bit toward the end of the race.”
Fassnacht led the first six of the Saturday race’s 20 laps and crossed the line in seventh place for his third top-10 finish of the season.
“In the second race I thought I drove great but then I had a little contact that messed up my right front,” Fassnacht said. “I started to drop back and then I had a major mechanical failure that caused me to not finish the race. We really got everything we could out of the backup car.”
Fassnacht led the opening five laps in Sunday’s race and, combined with Saturday’s first 45-minute sprint, learned a great deal about lead-pack racing in a series as competitive as the MX-5 Cup.
“It was a lot of good experience for me, leading a lot of laps in both races, and starting to consistently race up front,” Fassnacht said. “I would say it was a successful weekend, I am pleased, but I am just ready to get to Road Atlanta. I love that track.”
The 2022 IMSA Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup season concludes with a Thursday and Friday, September 29 – 30, doubleheader during the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Fassnacht’s partner Sword Performance – The Leader In Healthy Hydration – is offering a 20 percent discount on products ordered through www.DrinkSword.com with the code RACE20 at checkout. This includes SHIELD Zero, a revolutionary all-natural zero sugar, zero artificial sweetener electrolyte hydration drink, that tastes light and refreshing without the junk. Packed with the same balanced electrolyte profile and natural ingredients found in SHIELD, the real fruit flavors of SHIELD Zero satisfy and help prevent hydration all day long without creating digestive issues.
About Sword Performance: Sword Performance, Inc. is an American manufacturer of performance hydration beverages, built around a system of proprietary electrolyte replacement products and heat stress subject expertise. Sword Performance Inc. was founded with a purpose: to provide great-tasting, effective hydration to hard-working men and women everywhere. From stadium lights to job sites, Sword Performance hydration products are designed to work with the body to battle dehydration and fatigue. More information can be found at www.DrinkSword.com.
About Aidan Fassnacht: A second-generation professional racecar driver, 19-year-old Aidan Fassnacht is conducting the 2022 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup for McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) in the No. 15 Sword Performance Mazda MX-5 Cup. Fassnacht, a student at Boston College, raced a Spec Miata in Regional and National Sports Car Club of America events for two seasons before taking on the Spec MX-5 Challenge in 2021, earning a slot in the prestigious Mazda Shootout before signing with MMR for his 2022 rookie campaign.
