Burgeoning American rallycross driver Conner Martell earned a 2nd Overall finish at the Silverstone round of the RX2 International Series this weekend with a breakthrough driving performance. The 21-year old Vermont native, driving in only his second RX2 race, battled through the pack on several occasions to impress the crowds at the UK’s iconic Silverstone Circuit.
“Earning a podium in just my second RX2 race is a great feeling,” explained Martell at the finish. “It was a battle out there, the competition is very close all the time. To be in front of all these fans at such a historic track like Silverstone is really special. This result gives us a lot of confidence and momentum going in to the rest of the year.” A challenging start to the weekend saw Conner in eighth position after the four qualifying rounds. Martell turned things around with a 2nd place finish in the Semi-Final, after a crowd-pleasing around-the-outside pass into turn-one. In the hotly-contested six-car, six lap final Martell nearly got the hole-shot at the start but settled into 2nd overall position where he stayed for the entire race. “This track was a challenge, we were hunting for the right setup early and it cost us a bit in the qualifying rounds,” explained Martell. “I had things dialed for the Semi and the Final and knew I needed to just send it around the outside and hope to get around some cars early, it worked! I owe a big thanks to my crew at Team Faren and the support of Vermont SportsCar this weekend.”
Martell heads next to the town of Hell, Norway June 9-10 for round three of the 2018 RX2 International Series. The 2018 RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires includes seven rounds across three continents in support of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. The series visits Belgium, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Canada, France and South Africa. Martell is supported by Sweden based Team Faren as well as the USA based Vermont SportsCar team.
Conner Martell 2018 Competition Schedule
2018 RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires Calendar: 1. May 12/13 - Mettet, Belgium 2. May 26/27 - Silverstone, Great Britain 3. June 9/10 - Hell, Norway 4. June 30/July 1 - Höljes, Sweden 5. August 4/5 - Trois-Rivières, Canada 6. September 1/2 - Lohéac, France 7. November 24/25 - Cape Town, South Africa
Follow Conner Martell: Instagram: @connermartell21 Facebook: @connermartell21