The NEOM Island X Prix in Sardinia, which was jointly organized by the Automobile Club d'Italia and the Regione Sardegna, was the first Extreme E race for FOX, the official suspension partner of the championship.
We caught up with Bryan Harrold, FOX Motorsports Program Manager, to look back on the series' first race: "You're always a bit nervous when you embark on a new project, especially when some of the biggest names in motorsport are involved, a completely new platform and a different race format for us. We had a lot of confidence in our race-proven products and technologies, but we knew that all eyes would be on the new dampers and that this was our first appearance in front of a completely new audience.
The pressure was on, but the initial test feedback from the teams was positive. As soon as we saw the cars running and received feedback from drivers and teams, the adrenaline and sense of validation kicked in. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to attend the race in Sardinia last season, so we had a bit of a head start to know what to expect at this event. I would say that the double event and the change of schedule was more of an advantage than a challenge for us for a number of reasons. We only had a few weeks from rapid prototyping to proof-of-concept testing.
From there, we went from a completely new, bespoke package for the ODYssEY 21 amidst global supply chain issues, to a proper tuning test session in France, to full production and delivery of all 120 dampers to all teams worldwide in just a few months. As Sardinia was a double date, the drivers had more seat time and more race action, which meant we got more real-world data by observing the cars and gathering feedback from the drivers.
Given the limited testing time we had during development, the feedback and observation in a real race scenario was invaluable. We were also able to spend more time working directly with the teams to better tune the cars and improve their performance.
Over the course of the race week, it became clear how much of an advantage this combination was. More seat time, familiarity with the track, confidence in the handling of the cars and settings tailored to the drivers allowed them to push the cars much harder and the result was great racing! Overall, we are delighted with our first race laps and the increase in performance we were able to achieve with a minimum of testing and feedback.
What was the feedback from the drivers?
A handful of riders who were already familiar with FOX and our products were very receptive and enthusiastic about our involvement right from the start. We received positive feedback from them and some team managers immediately after the first tests before Sardinia. Over the course of the week in Sardinia, we received more and more positive feedback from the entire paddock and staff about the visibly better handling of the cars, but the most important feedback came from the teams in terms of setup and settings. This allowed us to make suggestions on how to achieve certain handling characteristics that the drivers wanted.
The best feedback comes from an excited rider, fresh off a ride, with a big grin on their face because we were able to give them exactly what they were looking for. Even if the settings are going in the wrong direction, with the feedback from each ride we can steer them better in the desired direction and better understand how their dampers are working - that's a win in our eyes, especially when it comes from experienced racers from other top motorsports."
"The use of FOX dampers in the Extreme E race cars has not only greatly improved handling, but also safety," says Sara Price, driver of the GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi No. 99. "I have been racing with FOX alongside the best in off-road racing for many years. I choose FOX not only because of the quality of the product, but also because of the quality of the people behind the brand." Price and her co-driver Kyle LeDuc won the inaugural Island X Prix race in Sardinia. She is the first female driver to win in Ganassi's 30-year motorsport history.