Motorsport: Champion racer can't get fulltime gig

Young Kiwi racing driver Wade Cunningham made the motor racing world sit up and notice in 2003 when he won the world's premier karting class, Formula A.

In October of that year he became New Zealand's first and only world karting champion and the second Kiwi to win an official FIA world championship behind Denny Hulme who won his Formula One title in 1967.

The next year Cunningham headed to the US and his breakout year came in 2005 when he was offered an Indy Lights seat with Brian Stewart Racing, who would soon be rubbing their hands with glee.

Despite no pre-season testing, Cunningham finished in the top 10 in every race and handed the championship to BSR at the end of the season.

Cunningham was well on course to land another title in 2006 but was hauled up sharply by an emergency appendectomy. On his return he was 18th in the series but clawed his way back to finish third, collecting his first Indianapolis Motor Speedway Freedom 100 (the first driver from New Zealand to do so).

Things were looking good for Cunningham by now, especially when he joined a team aligned to IndyCar series team Andretti Green Racing and he gave them their first two poles in 2007. He finished third that year.

When IndyCar and Champ car united in 2008 Cunningham hoped to get a drive but it wasn't to be. He accepted a limited drive, only racing three times.

The following year looked better and while he didn't win the series (finishing fourth), he did become the only driver to set two poles at Indianapolis and win two Freedom 100 races.

Not wanting to take just any seat in 2010, Cunningham's first race this year was the Freedom 100, which he won for the third time.

"I've been back in New Zealand to compete in an endurance race that was held at Hampton Downs and I'm now heading back to the States," said Cunningham.

"I was hoping to finish the rest of the season with Sam Schmidt Motorsports but that doesn't look like it's going to happen now. But things change quickly and that's why I'm going back."

It's a strange thing that a driver who's won a series, finished in the top five twice and has three Freedom 100 trophies to his name can't get a full-time gig in a race car.

"It all comes down to funding. Everyone says you're more than qualified to be in a car. Except for the top three teams in IndyCar racing all the other teams need a driver who can bring a lot of money and it's not based only on talent," said Cunningham.

"It's not just about being a driver anymore. What you're trying to do is build your personal network of people you do business with and find out where they overlap and make something out of that."

It's not all doom and gloom, though: "There's a chance to do a few more Lights races this year. There's also a Kiwi expat group in New York who are helping me raise enough money to do at least two IndyCar races this year."

WADE CUNNINGHAM

Firestone Indy Lights Series

Starts: 56

Wins: 7
(including three Indianapolis Freedom 100 races)

Poles: 9

Championship titles
* 2001 Asia-Pacific Championship
* 2003 World Karting Championship
* 2005 Indy Lights Series