SAGE KARAM TAKES iRX iRACING ALL-STAR INVITATIONAL FINALE SATURDAY AT SONOMA TO WIN VIRTUAL SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

Sage Pilots Dreyer & Reinbold/WIX Filters Car to 4th IRX Win of 2020

SONOMA, Calif (Dec. 6, 2020) – It was a sensational trifecta for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Sage Karam Saturday when the 25-year-old Nazareth, PA, racer captured his third consecutive

iRX iRacing All-Star Invitational Rallycross presented by Yokohama series final in the 10-lap feature race in his No. 24 DRR/WIX Filters car at the exciting Sonoma Raceway pavement/dirt course.

Saturday’s finale victory saw the NTT IndyCar Series driver clinch the 2020 iRX iRacing All-Star Invitational Rallycross point championship with a spectacular start against a strong field of North American Rallycross racers at the tough Sonoma circuit.

The win was Karam’s fourth final triumph in the 2020 All-Star Invitational virtual competition. In April, Sage also won the iRacing IndyCar Series virtual event at Watkins Glen, NY.

In Saturday’s Sonoma final, Karam started in seventh and jumped to second by the third turn. On the opening lap, Sage dove to the “joker” section of the course and grabbed the lead in the ten-car field.

Out in front after the “joker” portion, Karam drove smoothly and held off his challengers Nick Ottinger, the 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Champion, and four-time Rallycross Series titleholder Scott Speed at the checkered flag to take his fourth 2020 iRX victory.

Sage’s DRR teammate, Conner Martell in the No. 21 DRR/Motul car, placed fourth in Saturday’s final followed by IndyCar driver Stefan Wilson.

“This is my first iRacing championship after competing in a variety of virtual action,” said Karam, the former Indy Lights and F2000 series champion. “I have won a bunch of races but never a title, so this feels great. Winning the previous open-wheel championships led me to IndyCar racing, but this championship is nice to add to my virtual racing resume. Maybe this title can lead me to something else in Sim racing or even a Rallycross ride in real life. I did have fun driving the DRR/WIX car in ARX2 last year.

“With some of those recent starts, I have to admit I’ve been lucky. Today’s final was wild into turn one. I was able to find a way through the mess and came out second from seventh starting. It went the right way for us then. I took the ‘joker’ on the first lap and grabbed the lead. I stayed consistent and smooth after that.”

In the racing off-season, Karam is also taking real estate classes in addition to searching for potential sponsors in IndyCar racing.

“Obviously, it is hard to find sponsorships during this COVID time,” Sage said. “But we are working hard as well as I’m trying to get my real estate license for some money on the side. Plus, the upcoming wedding (to fiancé Abby) is a big thing, and I didn’t expect a wedding to take that much planning. Haha.”

Earlier in the day in Sonoma action, Karam and Martell won their respective qualifying heat races to advance to the 10-lap finale. Martell placed third in the final IRX All-Star Invitational points