In December of 2018, Robert hopped into one of his new Jay Howard Racing Formula 4 (F4) cars for three days of testing at the NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans.
It didn’t take long for Robert to become comfortable in his new ride and gain confidence on the track. He managed to drop his time lap after lap, continually finding and pushing new limits. The hard work paid off when Robert got the top time of the week. When testing was done for the day, it was time for some good, old-fashioned fun. All the drivers hopped into their karts and a friendly wreckfest ensued. Work hard, play hard.
Rain was the theme for the next two days. Expecting clearer weather, Robert had left his clear visor at home in Canada which made things a bit more interesting. A few spinouts later, Robert’s inexperience driving in the rain became apparent. However, unphased and eager to conquer this new challenge, he was able to claim the fastest time in the wet of all the F4 drivers.
When the rain was too heavy, the drivers and team owner Jay Howard piled into their rental KIA and took to the puddle-filled track for some fun and track talk among teammates. With the traction-control turned off, Jay pulled the e-brake in a hairpin and spun the car into the grass.
Despite the rain, the three days were immensely productive. Robert had the opportunity to improve on his weaknesses and gain experience driving in different conditions. He enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the track changes each lap and focusing on picking the best line. Overall, the week was successful in preparing Robert for the 2019 season.
