Indy Pro / Lirim Zendeli carries the Albanian band in viola

Zendeli triumphs at Road America

Nothing less than a perfect day in the United States for the Monaco Augmentation Managementan Italian company that takes care of the managerial interests of many drivers entered in various categories: while in IndyCar Alex Palou won his second consecutive victory at Road America, on the same circuit there was no lack of important successes for Release Zendeli in USF Pro 2000, better known as Indy Pro and known as IndyCar’s main prep category.

The pride of a nation

On the Wisconsin circuit, the 23-year-old won his first success in this series, symbolic both for him and for one of the two countries he represents. Born in Germany, Zendeli obviously has a German passport, which is however added to the Albanian one, given the origins of the 2018 German Formula 4 champion. In this sense, the victory in Race 2 at Road America will therefore remain in the story to be the performed for the first time by an Albanian driver in an international series.

The departure you don’t expect

After coming close to pole position, compromised only by displaying the red flag on his fast lap, Zendeli found himself sensationally leading the race even before the start, thanks to a contact in the warm-up lap between his teammate Christian Weir and Michael D’Orlando, i.e. the two who occupied the front row just in front of the driver from Bochum: « At first I didn’t know what to do. – He admits – I didn’t know if I should wait for the green flag, but then the team radioed me that I was in the lead and could set the pace. »

The strategy to win

A victory that the German-Albanian achieved after a fight between him and the other teammate Francesco Pizzagood to pass the 23-year-old player on the restart after the yellow full course but returned shortly after behind the future winner: “It was difficult – He continued – because a margin of seven tenths of a second was not enough to escape the guys behind me and I had to try to get it wrong, otherwise I was defending myself at every turn. Sometimes, when you haven’t won your first victory yet, you go out of your way and end up being a little too aggressive. But now I have it and we’ll see what the future holds!