News We Love: Student working toward becoming professional driver
My heart is pounding. It’s racing. *** dream to race at the top. My mindset is to work as hard as I possibly can. 18 races, 8 tracks. One champion. Yeah. Beautiful morning here at Indianapolis. We are set to go racing. He throws it green, green, green. Evagoras Papaavi, *** rising prospect in racing, climbing the ladder with his sights set on IndyCar. I feel like the pressure just comes from myself. The 16-year-old Loveland native in his 3rd season with Jay Howard driver development out of Westfield, Indiana. Last season, uh, came in 4th in the championship, so, um, really good season, uh, overall if we look at it, um, if we look back to it, *** lot of ups and downs, uh, but that’s very needed for, for growth. *** 4th place finish in the 2023 championship fight. Over the the past season I felt very, uh very different emotions in this car in the same car, different tracks, different scenarios, but yes it’s very, very serious. Papaabas is hungry for more in 2024. OK, yeah, we can try that. The USF 2000 champion takes home *** scholarship worth more than $450,000 to the next racing series, USF Pro 2000. Once we fix those problems that we got going, yeah, it was working fine. This preseason visit is where it starts. Fine tuning the steering wheel, the perfect distance for the foot pedals, and that all-important seat molded to his body to start the season hopefully on the podium. It’s where all the work comes into play because this is my favorite classroom. But before the green flag waves and he’s back on track, you too. Thank you. He’s back in class. English 1, honors algebra 2. The high school junior walking the halls of Loveland High, but his extracurriculars are *** bit different. My dad was *** race car driver. Uh, I started in go-karts when I was like 8 years old, um, and they kind of just follow my passion from there, so that’s really cool that you wanna do that yeah that’s yeah, I wanna make it like *** career. We also know that these two are going to be congruent because they are corresponding while learning about angles. His mind is never too far from apex’s. The school is very, is very important and I do take it serious, but it is, it is cool that, you know, like I look at the clock and it’s like, oh I’d be, you know, I’d be in 6, 6th period right now when, uh, I’m at the racetrack driving *** race car. So it’s really, uh, it’s, it’s *** really cool feeling. But while his friends stick to their math tests, what are we thinking that X is gonna go over? For Papa Savis, it’s *** different test, awaiting in Louisiana, the preseason. We were able to figure out how to drive this car like, you know, switching between wet tires and dry tires trying to figure that out and then just pull out just dry tracks slick tires just to really push the limits of the car and to find out um what it does and um and what we can do to make it better. It’s when race one in Saint Petersburg that you see who’s done the most work over the offseason and who’s best prepared for the season beyond preparing the car. It’s preparing your body for the rigors of racing. Right toe pointed forward. I’ll push *** little bit harder, relax now face me. It’s all about that static hold in the neck, um, so we’re just isometrically holding this this position for 20 seconds on each direction. Papaavas goes through *** specialized training program. D1 Cini North general manager Nate Beebe guides the young racer through it all. 3 box jumps and then we’re going to go 15 yards of single arm sled row each arm. 15 yards down, one arm, 15 yards back with the sled with the 25. Taking corners at high speed puts maximum strain on the neck for the length of the race. The exercise may look odd. 321, press up press up just push down static hold just hold that there. We’re gonna go 20 seconds and get *** laugh. working hard today, but it’s crucial to the ultimate goal for *** driver. last best set come on right alongside the. Physical is the fast twitch processing of information when milliseconds matter. I want you to go to neurotrainer, the latest technology in brain training with Doctor Joseph LaPlaca, and I want you to run the one-handed with Aries Elite sports vision helping Papaavas’s brain process decide. And react. From preseason tuning, it’s on to high-speed passes and these will count. Right up close and personal right now with Evagori Papaava, one of the top drivers in 2023. He will be *** championship contender out of the gate here for Jay Howard driver the development, the. And Ohio win the number 6, *** winner last year. He’ll start on the outside of row number 2. The 2024 season about to get underway for *** lightning start green, green, green from the number 6. Papasavas goes from 4th place to second in turn one. Later in the race, after leading nearly *** dozen laps, then *** clash for the lead side by side. We’ll see whether or not any kind of damage. Es opening weekend fight leaving with *** 2nd and 3rd place finish, some hardware, and *** celebration. *** celebration for the drivers here, *** solid start to the season with 16 rounds to go. USF 2000 is the second step of three before hitting the Indy NXT or IndyCar series with top speeds reaching 145 MPH. Pappasava spends free time at home on his simulator familiarizing upcoming tracks, which could be the difference in *** win or ending up in *** wall. Driving on track takes work and beyond. That guts knowing even *** small mistake by anyone in the race can be dangerous. After the break, that danger hits the Paasavas family. Sometimes the track is wet and sometimes they get in accidents, leaving them questioning if continuing the climb to IndyCar is worth the risk. It’s difficult to describe it in terms of the difficulty and how Cincinnati Children’s Hospital kept this young racer’s goals from becoming just *** dream. Do turn right. I think it’s it’s easier um *** lot easier you know it’s *** lot more calm and relaxed. He can do 145 MPH in *** race car, but on the streets of Loveland to get state approval, he’ll need to go *** bit slower. There is *** lot of things that you have to look out for and you always have to pay attention when you’re driving on the road, but you know, just the, the speed that we’re traveling on the track and the amount of things that we have to focus on while we’re driving at that speed, it just makes this, you know, seem pretty easy for this teenager used to taking high speeds, and we’ll just go straight down to the road, *** slowing down. The final test still got high marks and his Ohio issued driver’s license. Back on track in the Big Easy. Papasabas makes getting on the podium look easy. Second place is good and just looking to keep going. 2nd in race 1, 2nd in race 2, and another 2nd in race 3. After 5 rounds of racing and 13 to go, Papasabas has *** firm hold of 2nd place. Most racers start learning to drive in go-karts, tight turns, shoulder to shoulder racing where mistakes can impact everyone. Going fast has always been part of Eva Goris, winning multiple times, honing his craft to make the leap into the next series. His success on track turned into the 2019 Junior driver of the Year from Kart racers of America, *** promising start for what the entire family hopes will be *** successful career. Whose is this? That’s mine. OK. Around the house, Eva Gos with mom Sally Dad Nectarios, and sister Celia and family pup Kobe, they take the time to pump the brakes. The salad looks really good, honey. Family support is everything. It’s always sweet I think you know when my daughter does well we do well when Evaras does well we do well and we, it’s just *** support we’re always in it together. But The realities of racing are never far from their minds. There are still some occasions where something will happen because you are driving inches away, uh, from each other that crashes do happen. Walk us through that day and what happened. I, I know it’s not easy to talk about, but you and I have talked, talked about it before. It’s, it’s part of racing, yeah, um, I was December in 2021. Uh, we were in Las Vegas, uh, just me and my dad. We are under way in racing. Supercarts USA Supernationals is one of the biggest cart races in the world where young talent gets discovered going into. One of the fastest corners on the track I got pushed out, um, on like the dirty part of the track. I had no, uh, you know, I have no grip, and then, you know, I hit the wall. Hitting the barriers happens. It’s what came after that brings hesitation about the fine margins of the sport. It was just that there was someone behind me who um, who didn’t see me, you know, in time, uh, going so fast, um, and every and everyone’s so close, so they had no time to react and they go right into the back of me. And in go-karting we don’t have any seat belts or anything like that so then that launched me flying out of the cart and then I hit the, the, you know, the parking lot ground, um, the concrete. Dad in the stands remembers the moment vividly and could only watch from across the track. He hit him and they went into the barriers and then I, I saw that I’m like, oh God, I mean I I just said, OK, all right, our race is over. But then before I even finish my thought, I actually see him in the air. Uh, you know, hands and, uh, feet open like this and like literally flying out of I’m like, oh wow and then I don’t even, you know, my, my vision just went dark. After getting checked out at *** Las Vegas hospital, leaving early was the last thing on Eviggo’s mind. He actually said, no, I don’t wanna go race. I’m like, I can’t believe that happened to me. I’m gonna go race. I wanna go race. You wanted to go race. I’m like, dude, I mean. You, you, yeah, the, the car his toes. I mean you just had *** huge accident. I’m like, you know, it’s like, I don’t care. I don’t wanna go. He was like very upset. What are we thinking? Even after heading back to school, his parents both knew something was still wrong. He was not getting. Better he wasn’t feeling well, you know, he, um. He was getting dizzy at times. He was asking me to tell his gym teacher that he couldn’t run. And I’m like that doesn’t sound right. So then I went to go check him out and they, they said, OK, he has *** concussion and then the week after he started throwing up. If you think about how the brain looks that sent them straight to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for *** meeting with pediatric neurosurgeon Doctor Sutur Badalu. Of course he ran into an issue where he had *** brain bleed. bleeding within the cranium, the skull itself. He would need surgery, and I think that they took *** lot of piece into the idea of the example that this is *** hurdle that we can get through, but we just, there’s *** number of steps that we have to get through to do that. But hurdles come with questions, questions on if his career may be over after only *** short time. Do we take the risk. I mean he’s having *** hurt, you know, his head opened up again we’re getting the car again you never so it was *** very difficult time because we just didn’t know. The potential reality of no longer racing was hard, but Evigoris was determined and I was devastated. I was like, we’re done. We’re done with racing. We’re done with all of this. I can’t handle this and so. After he had his surgery, coming out of the coming out of the surgery, you know, you’re kind of, you know, with uh. You’re just groggy. You just don’t know where you are after the anesthesia, and the first thing he says is, Mom, ask the doctor when I can get back in that car. And he did wonderfully, uh, so right after surgery, awake, talking, less pressure, less pain, uh, and really asking the questions of when can I go back, when can I race again and we said there’s probably many people that don’t tell you this, but I’m gonna have to tell you to just slow down for *** little bit just take it easy right now we’ll get you right back to that. After follow-up tests. No recurrence of fluid around the skull, missing half the 2022 season to recover. Finally, road number 10 will see Eva Goris Papa Savas for J. Howard driver development. His debut weekend here on the Road to Indy, the rookie of the number 6 starting 20th alongside Jacob Douglas. He was back in the car. Race one back on track, ended early because of contact. With another driver, but he was racing. His speed and racecraft getting noticed late in the season with *** solid drive in Toronto just missing *** top 10 finish. This is the best we’ve seen young Papa Sava run here this weekend as well. And again for him again, drinking water out of *** fire hose like you said, wasn’t able to start the season at St. Petersburg, had *** head injury from ***. And Caring in November had to sit out for the first half of the season, and he has really started to learn, struggled in the first race he came at Road America, had *** better run in Ohio and has really been *** blessing in disguise according to his dad. No pressure to perform in those races, only learned, which had him ready for 2023. Now the first race in the following season in St. Pete’s P2. I was like ecstatic. I’m like, wow, like *** year ago, 12 months, he was on. On the uh on the surgery bed, you know, on the surgery table, and then 12 months later he’s on the podium so I’m like, OK, I guess it worked. Starting 4th, *** year after his career nearly ended, Is Papaabas has jumped past Nikita Johnson for the runner up spot now, and *** hug from the team owner that meant so much after everything, raising that trophy high. Now I don’t really think about that crash anymore. Um, you know, we got past it and you know I act now as if nothing happened. Fast forward to 2024. Indianapolis, Indiana, the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway looms large as the title fight continues. Eris is *** talent for sure. You have high hopes for him. Um, you know, one thing we get with him all the time is 110%. The mecca of racing for IndyCar. Evago’s Papasavas takes on the Indy Grand Prix, chasing the first checkered flag of the season. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indy 500. It’s *** goal to one day race across the iconic bricks in that race, but until then, Evigos Papasabas gets to prove he belongs. Pre-race is all warm up routine and above all focus for the long high speed drive into turn one. The anticipation builds as Eva Gore suits up. The Papaavas family is here watching, anxious, but ready for green. One last message father to son and to mom and sister. Then it’s off to the race. You want to go up there? Well, you can see up there. You can see everything. My heart is pounding. It’s racing. You can’t believe it, you know, for me the start is, I would say it’s the most difficult, you know, the, uh. Because you never know what’s going to happen in the first lap. I mean you can go from glory to zero. It’s just in an instant from the pits. To the stands. Mom waits and prays. Dad now in the stands, full focus on the number 6 car. Clean through turn one. Time to settle in, but an early accident on lap 3 right behind Papaabas resets the race. Another sprint into turn 1 coming. Evagoris still holding 7th. After another clean restart and half the race gone, the fight for every inch takes over. *** move down the inside by Papa Saas then contact. Spinning one driver’s Papa, who’s had some trouble and moved back. He was in the middle of that fight there. Breaking the front wing on his car, Papa, I believe has issues, Rob. I think he’s pulled off the track. He has fallen down the order of 17th, so Papas potentially with an issue in the J. Howard driver development. The damage done. The car dies on lap 12 of 15. But before this race is over, the scary realities of racing *** fight for the lead and the win. Thankfully all drivers are OK and walk away. Back in the pits, *** batter number 6 car is pushed back to the garage, *** disappointing day at the office. Too bad. We wanted to get *** few more points today, you know, I mean. Yesterday we missed out on podium just by here and today I wanted to get back on the podium but I guess it didn’t work out for us. On further inspection, the contact destroyed more than just the shell of the car. Evigo is feeling the weight of the season and what it could mean for that championship fight. I was losing power. I was really slow in the straight. I had no front wing. I couldn’t turn or break. It it will get our way. We gotta keep at it. This is racing. You’re fighting like with instant from each other, OK? It’s OK. We’ll take it on the chin and then we’ll try again next time. The pain of only scoring 2 points to his closest rival earning 30 hurts. It’s definitely frustrating because you know you want to do so well and then you work so hard, you know, just all of the commitments and all the sacrifices that you do back home, and then when something like this happens that’s out of your control, it’s definitely *** struggle, but. You know it is, it is what it is, um, and you know that’s really all you can say at the end of the day and you just got to move on. Stepping back, Papazabas takes it all in. One race doesn’t define *** season. It is quite special, um, you know, being like *** young kid, and then you know this is your dream to compete here with IndyCar and to do all of this, and it’s just it’s *** really good opportunity and I’m really thankful for that at the end of the day, even though stuff like this happens, you have to be thankful for what you have and that I’m here in the first place. And that good fortune would come on home turf and look at Papas offices, he’s gotten away, man. He’s *** gap leading every lap at mid- Ohio, that first victory of 2024. Hey Ohio, how about this kid here, Eva Gore’s Papa. And *** few races later, another checkered flag in Toronto. There you go, Papaabas P1. An exciting season of ups and downs. Here he is, folks out of the car. It’s still rolling. Evigo’s Papa Papasabas in 4th place, *** bit short of his goal to win it all, but not one but 2 steps closer to his dream. The 2025 season will be spent in Indy NXT as *** reserve driver with HMD Motorsports. The 2024 season is complete. I executed, I delivered, um, you know, bounced back from those results, um. And you know, and I did it in the best best way possible, um, you know, getting wins and and um and podiums. I feel like the pressure just comes from myself um the most because well it’s expectations that I set for myself because I know what I want and. And I know what I want to achieve. Give it up for Ohio driver waiting amid Ohio, Eva. But the promising career of this young driver, Evagoris Papasavas, still has many laps to go until the final checkered flag. This is driven.
News We Love: Student working toward becoming professional driver
Updated: 9:31 PM EST Mar 8, 2025
Balancing driving 150 mph with sixth-period English is not something many people have to deal with.But Evagoras Papasavvas is doing exactly that on his quest to the IndyCar Series.”It is quite special. Being a young kid and this is your dream to compete here with IndyCar and to do all of this,” Papasavvas said.This dream started years ago for Papasavvas, now 17.Starting in Karts, he’s worked his way up, now competing in open-wheel racing and chasing a coveted spot in IndyCar’s top circuit.Papasavvas says the pressure “just comes from myself,” but he has the backing of his family to help push him to keep going and keep grinding.In “Driven,” a documentary about Papasavvas, his family and the dream that many have but only a few get to realize, Hearst sister station WLWT followed the Loveland High School junior through the 2024 USF Pro Season.Papasavvas has seen the the ups of standing on the podium to the downs of coming face-to-face with a possible end of his career and everything in between, on and off the track.”It’s expectations that I set for myself because I know what I want, and I know what I want to achieve,” Papasavvas said.
Balancing driving 150 mph with sixth-period English is not something many people have to deal with.
But Evagoras Papasavvas is doing exactly that on his quest to the IndyCar Series.
“It is quite special. Being a young kid and this is your dream to compete here with IndyCar and to do all of this,” Papasavvas said.
This dream started years ago for Papasavvas, now 17.
Starting in Karts, he’s worked his way up, now competing in open-wheel racing and chasing a coveted spot in IndyCar’s top circuit.
Papasavvas says the pressure “just comes from myself,” but he has the backing of his family to help push him to keep going and keep grinding.
In “Driven,” a documentary about Papasavvas, his family and the dream that many have but only a few get to realize, Hearst sister station WLWT followed the Loveland High School junior through the 2024 USF Pro Season.
Papasavvas has seen the the ups of standing on the podium to the downs of coming face-to-face with a possible end of his career and everything in between, on and off the track.
“It’s expectations that I set for myself because I know what I want, and I know what I want to achieve,” Papasavvas said.
