By Varun Choksey

Three races into the season with RAFA Racing Team, I think the biggest positive has been seeing just how much potential this program has.

We have shown speed everywhere we have gone so far this year, and while the results have not fully reflected it yet, there is a lot to be encouraged about.

I think we were the fastest car on track in both of the last two races at Sebring and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and everyone inside the team believes the breakthrough results are coming.

The atmosphere within RAFA has been really strong as well. Everyone is pushing hard, everyone wants to improve, and everyone is pulling in the same direction. That makes a huge difference over the course of a season.

From my side, it is about focusing on what I can control and doing the best job I can. If my teammate Kiko Porto and the team does the same, eventually the stars have to align.

At this point, we are not where we want to be in the championship, so the goal is simple: get good results and steal as many wins as we can in the second part of the year.

Getting pole at Sebring was a really cool moment for me. It was my first ever pole, and it was a bit unexpected. I basically did one push lap, parked the car, and then sat in the cockpit watching the timing screen. I saw P1 and then spent the next 10 minutes hoping it would stay there.

It did, which was pretty nice.

But ultimately, being fast and not finishing does not mean much. There are no points for potential. There is no real reward unless you turn that speed into results.

Working with Kiko has been great. He is super driven, very quick, and he cares a lot about the details. He really digs into the data and video, and that has helped me a lot, especially getting up to speed with the Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.

We are also very similar in what we want from the car. We both like a pointy front end and a car we can attack with.

We are both comfortable when the car is on the edge, a little loose, and moving around. That makes life easier for Jeff, our engineer, and it makes our debriefs easier because we are not arguing about two different directions.

RAFA’s experience with the Supra also shows. When we need to make changes at the track, the team usually makes the right call. If we go the wrong way, we get back on track quickly.

The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge data and video have been helpful, especially with Kiko driving the same car. The SRO side is a little different with tires and power settings, but the more experience the team has with the car, the better it is for everyone.

The Michelin Pilot Challenge field is extremely strong. There is talent across the entire grid, and every weekend, you are figuring out which manufacturers have pace. The Mustangs have been strong, the Porsches have been strong, and the BMWs seem to have more ups and downs.

But I try not to focus too much on that. The main thing is making sure we get the most out of our car.

At Daytona, I had never driven the car and had never driven a GT4 car, so looking at his laps and video was extremely helpful. It will be the same going into Mid-Ohio.

Kiko has been there in this car before, so I can use that video to get up to speed quickly and make sure we are focused on improving the car rather than just getting me comfortable.

Mid-Ohio is a cool track, and with a four-hour race, strategy will matter. Driver changes will be important. Kiko and I need to make sure we nail those and avoid any stupid mistakes.

I think the track should suit our car, and I think it should suit Kiko and me as a pairing. I believe we are one of the strongest driver pairings in the field, and more green-flag running should benefit us.

Now we just need to put everything together.