Linus Lundqvist pressing on as iconic Corkscrew comes into view

California’s Laguna Seca staging penultimate Indy Lights round of 2021
Field enters second leg of crucial west coast double-header
Swede looking to build on Portland podium momentum

Linus Lundqvist is heading south along the U.S. west coast following his double podium in Portland last weekend, with the Indy Lights paddock shifting its focus towards California – and one of the most iconic motorsport features in the world – for the penultimate round of the season.

Only a matter of days after wrapping up proceedings in Oregon, the INDYCAR contingent and its leading support championship prepare to do it all over again. This time around, the pack heads to Monterey, California to take on one of the most popular circuits in the USA – Laguna Seca – and its world-renowned number one feature: the Corkscrew.

Named after the shape it resembles, this section of track sees the cars arrive at high speed into a heavy braking zone at the top of a hill, before lunging down a steep left-right sequence while bouncing across the apex kerbs in dramatic fashion.

*Laguna Seca’s iconic Corkscrew section*

“The Corkscrew is definitely a unique feature, but there are other parts of the track that are very technical too,” says Linus Lundqvist. “I drove at Laguna Seca this winter in one of my first tests in the Indy Lights car, and it’s a real rollercoaster. It’s up and down all the time, it’s fast, and it’s one of those circuits where you can actually experiment quite a lot with different lines and driving techniques. For a driver, it’s a very interesting track.”

Lundqvist and his team, Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports, enjoyed a strong showing last weekend in Portland – not least in qualifying, where Lundqvist and team-mate David Malukas locked out the front row of the grid for both races.

“We think it will be very difficult to overtake at Laguna Seca in these cars, so qualifying will be extra important this weekend,” the 22-year-old Swede adds. “We had great one-lap pace in Portland, and we actually set some record times when we tested at Laguna at the start of the year, so we have every reason to be optimistic. I want to win and I’m looking forward to hitting the track on Friday.”

Lundqvist heads into the penultimate round of the season holding third in the overall Indy Lights standings, behind leader Malukas and second-placed Kyle Kirkwood.

Like always, live streaming will be available throughout the weekend at www.linuslundqvistracing.se. Swedish DIY chain Jula retains their position as Event Title Sponsor for a second consecutive weekend.