Lynx Racing Academy principals Peggy Haas and Jackie Doty, along with team manager Steve Cameron have announced that Alex Keyes has been signed as one of two drivers to bring the team’s legendary logo, colors, and car numbers back to the track for the first time in nine years.
“Alex has tested several times in the Lynx Racing Academy’s Spectrum F1600 car and his performance was impressive,” said team manager Steve Cameron. “The jump from karts to open-wheel cars is bigger than most people think, but he handled the transition very professionally. He’s quick on track, understands the importance of data analysis and setup, and most importantly, he’s eager to learn. After a long career in racing at the top levels, I find myself really looking forward to working with Alex this season.”
Keyes, 15 years old, is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and lived in Michigan for 12 years before moving to Northern California in 2012. During a trip to England at age 12, he participated in a driving school, and has been rising through the karting ranks ever since. Racing in the Red Line Oil Karting Championships at Sonoma Raceway, he won the Rotax Junior Championship, took second place in the TaG Junior class, and was Junior Driver of the Year. Earlier this year, he won the California ProKart challenge in the TaG Senior class. He is a 10th grader at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom, Calif.
“The first thing the team did was have me help with assembling the car so that I know how it goes together and how things work, and that was a huge education right there,” said Keyes. “The first time on track I was amazed at how well the car handled and how responsive it was to changes that the team made. It took me about two days to get used to the car as compared to the karts I race, with different speed, shifting, different racetracks, but now I feel very comfortable and am working on how to make changes to the car’s handling while I’m driving. The first race of the season is next Friday at Thunderhill, which is where we did our most recent test. It’ll be the first time we’ve been on track with other cars and start learning how to pass, how to work with the team on a race weekend, and all the other things. It’s a lot to learn and I have to learn it fast, but I’m excited.”
