Danny Formal Is among the Few Drivers with Past Experience, Albeit Limited, at the New Orleans Track
By Mark Robinson
NOLA Motorsports Park Entry List
AVONDALE, La. – Unlike most of his fellow drivers in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Danny Formal has experience racing at NOLA Motorsports Park, the track the series visits this weekend. Admittedly, that experience is minimal.
Formal competed in a world karting championship at the circuit in Avondale, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans in 2013. The native Costa Rican remembers it well, not only because he qualified first.
“The track looks very technical and very, very fast,” Formal said. “Super excited to get there.”
The 26-year-old and the rest of the competitors head to the 2.75-mile, 16-turn road course as the series makes its first visit in what could be a record showing. Thirty-two cars are on the entry list, one more than the record grid that raced three weeks ago at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to open the 2022 season.
It was there that Formal and co-driver Kyle Marcelli finished first and second in the two races in the No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Paramus Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2. They are a single point behind Pro class leaders Edoardo Piscopo and Patrick Kujala, who share the No. 50 O’Gara Motorsport/Change Racing/US RaceTronics, Lamborghini Beverly Hills Huracán in the single-make series.
The strong start for Formal and Marcelli picked up where they left off to close the 2021 season. After Marcelli absorbed a 150-mph crash at Watkins Glen International when a tire suddenly went down, the team rebuilt the car and set out on a mission that saw the No. 1 win three of the last four races of the year.
Formal said their goal for 2022 is nothing short of the North American championship and to follow it with a world championship when the North American and European racers square off in the World Finals at Portimao, Portugal, in November.
“There’s nothing less than that for us,” Formal said. “We have to get the (North American) championship – at least fight for the championship every single race. And everyone wants to be a world champion. … At the end of the year at Portimao, we want to try to beat the Europeans and come away with a world championship.”
Other class leaders heading into the weekend are: Ashton Harrison and Tom Long, co-drivers of the No. 25 Harrison Contracting with Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Paramus Huracán in ProAm; David Staab and Nikko Reger, co-drivers of the No. 48 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Lamborghini Huracán in Am; and Slade Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Flying Lizard Motorsports, Lamborghini Newport Beach Huracán in LB Cup.
Since LSTNA has not raced at NOLA before, a pair of test sessions were held Thursday, with two official practices set for Friday. Qualifying starts at 10:30 a.m. ET Saturday, with the first 50-minute race at 5:30 p.m. that same day. Race 2 begins at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Both races will stream live on IMSA.com/TVLive and Peacock, with a weekend recap airing at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28 on USA Network.