Sage Karam Racing

Results of Palm Beach test 2/12/12

Sage Karam Racing — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:13:06 +0000

As I sit in West Palm Beach airport waiting for my return flight to Nazareth, Pa, I decided to update my blog on the test. I was way quicker than I was here (PBIR) last year. I was the quickest of each and every session over the two days of testing. Some sessions I was almost .9 quicker than the next closest car. Most impressive, was the fact that I could turn up 8 laps on new tires quicker before my tires dropped off to match my next closest competitors fast lap.

I am a totally different driver than I was at this point last season. The ability to manage my tires and still go quick has progressed immensely. The Andretti Autosport team of Poppy, Yancy and Fred, worked very hard with me and the #88 Comfort Revolution car. The weekend was without an incident. We put way too many laps on this track and cut things short a little early today.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @sagekaram88

More testing on Feb 11/12th

Sage Karam Racing — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:18:27 +0000

I will soon depart for this weekend’s testing at Palm Beach International Raceway. This is the most testing that I have ever done prior to the start of a season. The team is very excited about my ability to win the Star Mazda Championship this season and everybody is totally committed to perfection. This test will be a two-day test run in conjunction with the USF2000′s Winter Series. The team has some new parts they are going to try on my car and I am excited to see what we can do. I feel that I have such a stronger grasp on the characteristics of car, than I did last year.

I have never been in this type of physical shape in my life! Between wrestling and my dad’s personal training, I believe my level fitness will enable me to drive hard the time. I look to add some swimming and cycling to my program once the warmer weather approaches.

The new ArtRotondo designed helmets will not have the new radios installed in time for this weekends test. I was hoping to get some action photos posted on my site, but I guess it will have to wait.

I am excited to hear about all of the Star Mazda series signings that are happening. The series is very strong and extremely competitive. I look forward to the challenges.

Sage

Firebird test a success

Sage Karam Racing — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:23:21 +0000

I just returned from a two-day test at Firebird Raceway, outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The test went extremely well and I turned fast laps consistently. Surprisingly, I turned my five fastest laps, consecutively all within a tenth of each other at the end of day two. I feel the Andretti Autosport’s crew ability to secure a solid setup and my physical conditioning contributed to this feat. My engineer, Yancy, was impressed with the consistent fast laps we were able to produce.

We learned some valuable new setup points and discovered some interesting tendencies of the Star Mazda chassis. We are already planning my next test for the #88 Comfort Revolution car and I can’t wait to turn laps again. I will return to the mat again today and pickup wrestling for the Nazareth High School wrestling team.

The Andretti Autosport Indy Lights car was on-site testing too. I can’t wait until the day comes that I can jump into that ride. Because of my age (16), I am not permitted to test in the Lights car. Hopefully, if this season goes well, I may get some FIL races in before the season ends. However, my focus remains on Star Mazda and winning this Road to Indy scholarship.

Sage

Andretti Autosport Star Mazda Driver Sage Karam Launches New Website

Walters Web — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:53:41 +0000

JANUARY 23RD, 2012 (ST. LOUIS, MO) 16 year old Sage Karam placed 5th in points during his debut touring season with the Star Mazda Series. The Comfort Revolution driver also claimed the Rookie of the Year award. Karam a resident of Nazareth, PA recently signed with Andretti Autosport to compete for the Star Mazda championship title in 2012.

Sage Karam is happy to announce a continued partnership with Walters Web Design and together we are pleased to release the Star Mazda Series driver website design. Please log on at http://www.SageKaram.com to browse the new website.

Please check back to the new driver website regularly for new announcements pre 2012 season. The team will be updating the website regularly with news, photos, videos and results.

Motorsports design team http://www.WaltersWebDesign.com the manufacturer of this new website is excited to announce the continued partnership with Sage Karam Racing and we look forward to working with the series far into the future.

Sage Karam and Andretti Autosport would like to thank their current sponsors. These include; Comfort Revolution, The Michael Fux Foundation, iexpect Brand, Artrotondo, Sparco, Bell, Orwig Townhouse Apartments, SmitHahn Company and Walters Web Design.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities with Sage Karam Racing and Andretti Autosport, please visit the new driver website for contact information. They would be happy to go in to detail with you about how motorsports marketing can help to grow your business.

Follow Sage Karam on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SageKaram88 .

For more information on motorsports design team Walters Web Design please visit us online at http://www.WaltersWebDesign.com . To receive the latest race team news, photos, videos, results, website and graphic releases please follow us on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/WaltersWeb and we are also on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WaltersWebDesign .

You can follow the latest news, results and media on the new Sage Karam Racing website http://www.SageKaram.com .

About Sage Karam
Sage Karam is a talented young American racing driver launching a career in competitive open wheel racing through INDYCAR’s Mazda Road to Indy development program. As the winner of the 2010 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda with Andretti Autosport, he moved on to compete in the 2011 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear and secured seven top-five finishes, including three podiums and two wins, to earn the Rookie of the Year title. He has previously competed in various karting series, eventually becoming a 35-time World Karting Association and IRL Stars of Karting National champion. At the age of 13, Karam was the youngest driver to win the annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out. In addition, he was the only American driver to compete in both a national karting championship and an open-wheel professional series fulltime in 2009. For more information, visit www.SageKaram.com and follow Sage on Twitter twitter.com/SageKaram88.

About Walters Web Design
Founded in 2004, Walters Web Design specializes in motorsports website development and graphic design. We use advertising and social marketing to help facilitate visitors and potential customers to all our client websites. “We take pride in all of our customer websites and we want each design to be better than our last. We feel this is what has put us above all the rest in our industry.” Walters Web Design is pleased to partner with ‘Sage Karam Racing’ for the sixth year and we look forward to working with them far into the future.

Nazareth snow, wrestling and Star Mazda testing!

Sage Karam Racing — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:31:06 +0000

Got a lot going on this week. I have to start out with helping my dad dig out of the snow storm that hit Nazareth, PA today. My wrestling match with Northampton High School is scheduled for tonight – unsure if it is still going to happen??

Next week I will be on the West Coast burning up tires in the Star Mazda. The team is doing more testing with me than ever! Keep checking back for updates on the testing.

ArtRotondo.com checked in with me last night and said my two new helmets are looking good and should ship to me soon. I will post pics as soon as they arrive of course.

I am thinking about offering “Sage Swag” for sale through my website. Do you think this is a good idea?? Let me know in the comments please.

Sage

Karam pleased with Sebring Star Mazda test

Sage Karam Racing — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Sage tested at Sebring Raceway on Jan. 11 with his Andretti Autosport/Comfort Revolution #88. Even with the slower configuration in Turn 1, Karam was a lot faster than last year’s time while testing there. “I was really pleased with the car and the changes we made. Having my engineer (Yancy Diotalevi) and my crew chief (Dave “Poppy” Popielarz) back again from last year, we were able to just pick up from last year and move on. With the addition of our new mechanic, Fred, we tried some fresh ideas. I like the chemistry of the team even more and I have never been this focused on doing well”.

Star Mazda Rookie of the Year Sage Karam to Compete For 2012 Championship with Andretti Autosport

Sage Karam Racing — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:18:16 +0000

Written By: Andretti Autosport

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (DECEMBER 12TH, 2011) Andretti Autosport announced today it will welcome back driver Sage Karam for his second season in the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear in 2012. Karam will drive the Star Mazda car with support from Comfort Revolution, a leading distributor and marketer of high-end sleep products.

In his debut season in the competitive Star Mazda series, Karam had a total of seven top-five finishes, including three podiums, and secured two pole positions throughout the year. In June, Karam led 93 of 98 laps around the Milwaukee Mile to record his first victory of the season. He won his second race with a 7.8-second lead at Iowa Speedway. The up-and-coming young driver ultimately finished fifth in championship points standings and received the prestigious Rookie of the Year title.

Comfort Revolution, a longtime supporter of Andretti Autosport, will continue to sponsor Karam and his 2012 Star Mazda effort. The specialty bedding company, which includes brands such as Sleep Clinique, Fresh Foam and Body Therapy, was the first to create the egg crate foam mattress pads for retail and later unveiled the first memory foam mattress pads.

Karam, a 16-year old native of Nazareth, Pa., won the 2010 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda driver championship with Andretti Autosport, scoring nine victories in 12 starts during the season, and earned the Rookie of the Year award. He also helped Andretti Autosport clinch the USF2000 team title, its first championship since re-branding in 2009.

Karam began competing in karts at the age of five. He has since established himself as a 35-time WKA and Indy Racing League (IRL) Stars of Karting national champion. Karam also stands as the only driver ever to win a WKA Triple Crown Championship and titles in the IRL Stars of Karting (East, West and National) all in the same year (2007). In 2008, Karam – then 13 – established himself as the youngest winner in the history of the Skip Barber Shootout. He moved on to compete in the Skip Barber National championship, a part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder program, as well as the World Karting Association (WKA). He was the only American driver to compete in both a national karting championship and an open-wheel professional series full time in 2009.

In addition to his on-track duties, Karam volunteers with the nonprofit organization Operation Smile through the Michael Fux Foundation. He also is an honor student and a championship wrestler.

Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the Star Mazda Championship is one of two series part of both the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver program. Andretti Autosport is currently the only INDYCAR team to compete in each level of the Mazda Road to Indy.

The 2012 Star Mazda season will begin March 24 in St. Petersburg, Fla. For more information and a full season schedule, visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com and www.StarMazda.com.

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
“Sage has really matured a lot in his driving since we first put him in an USF2000 car a few years ago. After his success in 2010, he showed a lot of potential during his first season in Star Mazda and really exceeded our expectations. With his experience in 2011, we know he has what it takes to be a championship contender next season.”

J-F THORMANN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
“I’m pleased we are able to work with Sage and Michael Fux for another year in Star Mazda. It’s been eye-opening to see Sage come through the ranks of the Mazda Road to Indy—from dealing with rough finishes to celebrating wins, he has shown that he is a truly professional race car driver even at such a young age. I look forward to working with him again in 2012.”

MICHAEL FUX, COMFORT REVOLUTION:
“On behalf of Comfort Revolution, we are very proud of Sage and his accomplishments in the Mazda Road to Indy and his achievements as a rookie last year in Star Mazda. There’s no doubt in my mind that he has even more success ahead.”

SAGE KARAM, DRIVER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
“I am so happy Michael Andretti is providing me with the opportunity to compete at Andretti Autosport again. It’s such a privilege and honor to work with Michael, who has been such a large part of my career since I was 5 years old. J-F worked very hard with my long-time supporter, Comfort Revolution’s Michael Fux, to establish a championship-contending program for me. Nobody will give me a better chance at winning the 2012 Star Mazda championship than Andretti Autosport. Staying in the Mazda Road to Indy program is where I want to be to accomplish my dream of winning the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar title one day. I can’t thank Comfort Revolution and the dedicated crew at Andretti Autosport enough for believing in me.”

Follow Sage Karam at www.SageKaram.com and get instant updates on twitter.com/SageKaram88

Investing in Sage is easy and exciting. Anybody interested in latching onto this young American open-wheel sensation, should contact us at karamjody@msn.com.

Sage’s success is based on the generosity of his manager and sponsor Mr Michael Fux and associate sponsors, friends and partners: Comfort Revolution, Andretti Autosport, iexpect, Sparco, Orwig Management, ArtRotundo.com, SmitHahn Company, The Michael Fux Foundation, Bell Auto Racing Helmets and Walters Web Design.

Check in at www.SageKaram.com to keep posted on the latest news, photos, and much more.

About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About Comfort Revolution
Comfort Revolution®, headquartered in West Long Branch, New Jersey, is a leading distributor and marketer of high-end sleep products, including mattresses, mattress toppers and pillows. Comfort Revolution’s portfolio of brands include Sleep Clinique, Fresh Foam and Body Therapy. Comfort Revolution®. Good nights. Great Days. Revolutionary Comfort™. Visit Comfort Revolution online at www.ComfortRevolution.com.

Sage Karam Makes Steps Toward Star Mazda Series Rookie of the Year in Baltimore

Sage Karam Racing — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:17:24 +0000

NAZARETH, PA (SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2011) Over the past weekend, Andretti Autosport’s Star Mazda championship driver – Sage Karam, made a huge step towards securing the Rookie of the Year award and also a run towards the championship standings. Karam posted a huge second place finish at the Baltimore Grand Prix. The podium finish boosted Karam’s resume to finishing an outstanding 7 out of 10 events in the top 5!

“The series is just so competitive. It’s hard to believe that we have so many respectable finishes and are still only 5th in the standings.” Karam sits only 2 points out of 4th and 3 points out of 3rd. “It’s easy to point to the penalties at Mosport and Trois-Rivieras as reasons for not being in 2nd place, but I probably could have done a better job driving at St.Pete and Barber too. It was all part of the learning process”, said Karam.

The Comfort Revolution/MazdaSpeed Scholarship driver heads into Monterrey’s Mazda Raceway with a load of confidence. “Obviously, we have improved a lot as a team and I have made a lot of progress as a driver. It is the first year for both me and the team in Star Mazda; I believe we were respectable at every venue. It’s my last race as a member of the MazdaSpeed driver family in Star Mazda. I want to give John Doonan (Director of Mazda Motorsports) a proud result at Mazda Raceway. Hopefully we will convene on other Mazda programs in the future. I believe that once you are in the Mazda family, you never really leave it”.

Baltimore was a sweet ending to an up-and-down weekend for the 16-year old. Karam started Friday’s only practice in P1 by an amazing 1.1 second margin over the next fastest driver. Due to track repairs and setup, Saturday’s qualifying was replaced with another practice session. It was during this session that Sage found the limits of the #88 in turn four and tapped the wall. The accident caused Karam to sit out the session. “It was a surprise to damage the car. I only had damage on two other occasions (St.Pete race and Indy practice) and I am usually pretty good at taking care of my equipment. Repairing a car on race weekends really sets a team back. I know the team really appreciated my ability to keep the car out of trouble all year long”.

Qualifying for Sunday’s race was relegated to the point’s standing and Sage was forced to start in the 5th position. With only 10 laps on the track, the top American teenager made quick work of advancing into the top three spots. Karam held this position until an opponent’s error moved Sage into the 2nd spot. The race finished under yellow and Sage crossed the finish line in 2nd place. “Yea, I was hoping for a restart. I knew Tristan couldn’t afford to tangle with me on a restart, because of his pending championship. But I also knew he wouldn’t just step aside and let me by neither. But, we ran out of time and the green never came. I think we proved a lot this year, but I still have some unsettled business”.

Follow Sage Karam at www.SageKaram.com and get instant updates on twitter.com/SageKaram88

Investing in Sage is easy and exciting. Anybody interested in latching onto this young American open-wheel sensation, should contact us at karamjody@msn.com.

Sage’s success is based on the generosity of his manager and sponsor Mr Michael Fux and associate sponsors, friends and partners: Comfort Revolution, Andretti Autosport, iexpect, Alpinestars, Orwig Management, ArtRotundo.com, Walters Web Design, SmitHahn Inc.

Check in at www.SageKaram.com to keep posted on the latest news, photos, and much more.

About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis, Andretti Autosport is led by racing legend Michael Andretti. Andretti Autosport, which is the winningest team in Indy Racing League history, fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns two cars in Firestone Indy Lights in a joint venture with AFS Racing and one car in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About Sage Karam
Sage Karam is a talented young American racing driver launching a career in competitive open wheel racing through the USF2000 National Championship series. He has previously competed in various karting series, eventually becoming a 35-time World Karting Association and IRL Stars of Karting National champion. At the age of 13, Karam was the youngest driver to win the annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out. In addition, he was the only American driver to compete in both a national karting championship and an open-wheel professional series fulltime in 2009.

Karam Takes Back to Back Wins After Iowa

Sage Karam Racing — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:16:44 +0000

NEWTON, IA (JUNE 29TH, 2011) Using the lessons he learned in the USF2000 series in 2010, Sage Karam upped his win total to two in the Star Mazda Championship series, with another oval win at the Iowa Speedway. Karam was fast right out of the trailer on Thursday, and went without incidence the entire weekend.

The Comfort Revolution/MazdaSpeed Developmental sponsored driver turned consistent laps in the Andretti Autosport machine during the race to win by a near eight (8) second margin. “The opening laps were about as close as you can get without contact. Martin (Scuncio) raced me hard, but we both knew neither of us was lifting. I figured the smartest thing to do was to lift, draft and pass under. It ended up being the correct decision – it probably won the race for me and I was able to make distance”, said Sage.

With the second victory, Karam ties for most wins in the series and moves into second (2nd) place in the standings. “This series is ultra-competitive and the speeds are very close. I think the USF2000 series really served me well as a basis for learning to set the Star Mazda car up. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn, and I know the road courses are going to be a huge challenge for my team and me. But I think my confidence has grown and it should help”.

My engineer, Yancy (Diotalevi) and crew chief Poppy (Dave Popielarz) worked with me on developing a unique setup that never compromised my Good Years. Andretti Autosport does a great job of prepping the car”.

“I was really happy to get the win, but it was very special to win on the same day, same track, as Marco Andretti. I live right across the street from Marco and it was a very cool flight home.”

Sage Karam was the youngest winner of the Skip Barber Shootout and went on to win the USF2000 championship with nine victories in twelve races. This year Karam broke the record for the youngest winner in the Star Mazda Championship series. Considered on the fast track to the Mazda Road To Indy, Karam has aspirations of competing in the IZOD IndyCar series.

Follow Sage Karam at www.SageKaram.com and get instant updates on twitter.com/SageKaram88

Investing in Sage is easy and exciting. Anybody interested in latching onto this young American open-wheel sensation, should contact us at karamjody@msn.com.

Sage’s success is based on the generosity of his manager and sponsor Mr Michael Fux and associate sponsors, friends and partners: Comfort Revolution, Andretti Autosport, iexpect, Alpinestars, Orwig Management, ArtRotundo.com, Walters Web Design, SmitHahn Inc.

Check in at www.SageKaram.com to keep posted on the latest news, photos, and much more.

Karam Drives to First Star Mazda Victory in Milwaukee

Sage Karam Racing — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:15:56 +0000

WEST ALLIS, WI (JUNE 22ND, 2011) Andretti Autosport’s rising star Sage Karam put on a dominating performance in his first victory in the challenging Star Mazda series. The Comfort Revolution/MazdaSpeed driver led 93 of the 98 laps with a near half lap margin of victory at the Milwaukee 225 IndyCar weekend. With the win, Karam only 16 years-old, broke IndyCar driver Graham Rahal’s record as the youngest winner in the series, by 102 days.

Starting in 3rd position, the series rookie driver stated, “I knew that I would be attacking once the green dropped. It’s way too early to be concerned with championship points and being conservative. My crew chief, Poppy, kept coming over the radio telling me to slow down and save tires. The car’s balance was superb and I really wanted to go after the track record, but the team held me back, which was probably the right call. My team is focused totally on the Star Mazda series and nothing else. We are challenged as a team and working hard at figuring things out. I was hoping for a pole in qualifying, but we took a gamble and it didn’t work. I knew we’d hit the target for the race though”.

As a MazdaSpeed developmental scholarship driver, the Nazareth, Pennsylvania resident earned his ride by capturing the 2010 USF2000 championship. “Michael Andretti, my manager Michael Fux and Mazda have put together a great program for me. The Star Mazda series is ultra competitive and I can’t believe that we’ve had this type of success already. I think we’ve got a solid grip on the ovals, but Iowa will be the real indicator this weekend.”

As the lone driver on the Andretti Autosport Star Mazda team, Karam faces huge challenges. “ The burden of developing setups is placed solely on me. Having a teammate would have been great, but hey, it is making me work harder and develop quicker as a driver. The challenge to find speed on race weekends is intense with only a one-car team, but it’s rewarding when things work out. The competition in this series is top-notch”.

Karam met the minimum age to compete in the Star Mazda series, just days before the season opening St. Pete event. Amazingly, Karam is younger than any competitor, even in the feeder USF2000 series. “The USF2000 series really prepared me for the Star Mazda. The Road to Indy program is perfect for me and I hope to compete in the Indy 500 before I graduate from high school”.

As a volunteer for the Operation Smile organization, Sage travels to developing nations partaking in the surgical procedures on children with cleft lip/palate deformity. “Volunteering with Operation Smile has changed my life and I believe in their missions. I hope that racing will enable me to someday maintain a larger role within their organization”.

Follow Sage Karam at www.SageKaram.com and get quick updates on twitter.com/SageKaram88

Investing in Sage is easy and exciting. Anybody interested in latching onto this young American open-wheel sensation, should contact us at karamjody@msn.com.

Sage’s success is based on the generosity of his manager and sponsor Mr Michael Fux and associate sponsors, friends and partners: Comfort Revolution, Andretti Autosport, iexpect, Alpinestars, Orwig Management, ArtRotundo.com, Walters Web Design, SmitHahn Inc.

Check in at www.SageKaram.com to keep posted on the latest news, photos, and much more.

* Please note that Karam Racing refuses to expose and exploit the names of minors in their press-releases and website content. We would hope that the same discretion is extended to us, by our fellow racers. As a minor, we request that any photos, videos or mention of Sage Karam utilized in website content, receive written permission first.