Kiwi teenager Cormac Buchanan has secured his first top 10 finish in the Moto3 World Championship.
Impressively, it was achieved at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas – arguably one of the most challenging tracks on the MotoGP calendar and one 18-year-old Buchanan had never seen before.
“Super happy with the race and how I rode,” he said.
“I started the race just really trying to stay calm and get through the first few laps unscathed while making progress if it was possible.
“The tyre started to drop off really fast but this is where I feel strong. I knew the guys around me had overworked their tyres so I was confident that come crunch time in the latter stages of the race I could use my pace to take advantage and pounce.
“Even though my own tyre wasn’t in the best shape, I managed to get faster which is a real positive. I stayed patient and was able to determine when it was best to overtake which allowed me to eventually secure my place in the group fighting for seventh overall. I probably just needed another couple of laps to progress further up.
“To be top 10 is amazing, especially on a track like this which is considered the most difficult of the season. I had only done about 10 dry laps all weekend so to put it together for the race makes me feel proud of the work the team and I have put in.
“It’s been a weekend where we’ve taken massive steps forward so heading to the next round in Qatar the goal remains the same – keep the progress going and use our strengths.”
Buchanan’s efforts are the first foray into the top 10 of a grand prix by a New Zealand racer since 1998 when Simon Crafar earned second at Phillip Island.
“It’s always a nice feeling to add something new to the history books,” he said.
“Sure, motorcycle racing is an individual sport, but I’m representing New Zealand here and it’s incredibly important to me that everyone feels part of sharing this journey with me.”
Racing for the Denssi Boe Motorsports team, Buchanan wasn’t fazed by the wet conditions which greeted competitors on day one Friday. Instead, he posted the 11th fastest time in practice to automatically book his first appearance in Q2.
“Saturday’s qualifying was good but not perfect given I only had about four laps on this circuit in the dry leading up to it so I had to settle for 15th on the grid. I went into the actual race with such little dry experience here so I’m definitely happy with the result,” he said.
“Now it’s reset and refocus on our process for Qatar because it’s another completely new track, but we will come out swinging like always and try to make another step forward.” The latest result bolsters Buchanan’s points tally to 14th in the championship standings and the only rookie to earn points in all three races.
