Motorsport: Callum Hedge looks to make amends after Indy NXT crash

Kiwi driver Callum Hedge. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi Indy NXT racer Callum Hedge is owning his mistake at the opening round of the championship at St Petersburg, Florida, last month.

He and his team are at the second round of the series at Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama this weekend looking forward to a better result and moving up the points table.

“It wasn’t the result I wanted, and I take responsibility for the accident I had in qualifying that put us on the back foot for the race,” Hedge said.

“I got it wrong and as a result, I had my two fastest results deleted, so I had to start at the back of the field.

“Everything after that, I was really happy with how it all went [finishing 11th].”

In an added incentive to do well, Hedge is dedicating the race to long-time sponsor Sir Colin Giltrap, who died last week after decades of supporting countless talented young Kiwi drivers.

“This weekend, I’ll be racing for Sir Colin Giltrap, as the Giltrap Group has been on my cars for a number of years. It was sad to see him go and I’m hoping to get a great result in honour of him,” said Hedge.

The Barber track will be a challenge for the 20-year-old as it’s a fast circuit with high-speed corners.

Having spent most of his time in sports cars, Hedge is on a steep learning curve when it comes to getting to grips with the high downforce these single-seater cars produce at speed.

“I haven’t been at the track before and unfortunately everyone else has tested here. I like the look of the circuit, as it’s fast and flowing.

“That may or may not be to my advantage, as I haven’t driven a car with so much downforce on a high-speed track. Generally, I go quite well on a high-speed circuit, so it’ll be interesting trusting the car in the corners.

“It’ll be a bit of a learning curve for me. When you approach these high-speed corners and start to turn the car in, in my brain, having never driven anything with so much grip, I’m thinking there’s no way I’ll make this corner, and then it just hooks in.”

Due to the lack of testing and limited practice time at race weekends, Hedge is playing a game of catch-up with the rest of the field when attempting to get the best out of these cars.

Finding that fine balance between hustling the car through a corner on its limit or firing off into the barrier demands a great understanding of what is underneath the driver.

Hedge is no stranger to pushing his cars to the limit, as indicated by his Toyota GT86, Formula Regional Americas Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Pro titles, so he believes it’s only a matter of time until he gets the best out his Indy NXT car.

“You have to keep pushing until you realise the car has nothing left. You learn to get it [car] up to that point and not go over because that’s when you crash.

“St Pete wasn’t what I wanted [with the crash] but we ticked a lot of boxes. Every time I go out, it’s more learning and the better I’ll get.

“I’m always looking forward to getting back into the car and learning more about how it works and I’m gaining a better understanding of how to get the most out of it.

“At least this weekend, I only really have to learn the track and not so much the car.”