Interview: Calvin Storb fulfills a dream with his own Formula Toyota
The racer driver from Gelsenkirchen will contest oval races in his own Formula Toyota for the first time in the 2021 season – The experienced mechanic is fulfilling a lifelong dream
Calvin Storb knows Autospeedway racing like the back of his hand. The Gelsenkirchen native worked as a mechanic for the Bachor Racingteam for a number of years and has already had his first experience in a formula car on the oval. Now he has bought his own car from the Severens family to take off in the 2021 season in the open wheel class on the Autospeedway ovals in the Netherlands.
‘Leadlap.net’ spoke exclusively with Storb about his new project. The Gelsenkirchen native comes from a real Autospeedway family, as his father Marcus competes in the National Hotrods and his brother Nico in the Ministox. By buying his own race car, Calvin Storb has fulfilled a real lifelong dream. He has already competed in one race in Helmut Laumen’s car and one practice session in the Bachor Racing Team’s Formula BMW.
André Wiegold: “It’s the first time you’ve had your own car and you’re going to contest a complete season, what’s it like? And why did you choose Formula Toyota?”
Calvin Storb: “I started working in the Ministox class, but I’m a bit too old for that series now. I then grew up with Philipp Bachor in Formula Toyota as a mechanic. I helped build his car, had a lot of fun with it and just stuck with it. That’s why my first race car had to be a Formula Toyota. Now, of course, it’s all about practicing and gaining a lot of experience. I hope it will be a successful project, of course.”
André Wiegold: “You sit in an open-wheeler, which is a rarity in Autospeedway racing. You sit very low in the car and have to tame the roughly 400-meter ovals without banking. What does it take to be fast in Formula Toyota?”
Calvin Storb: “First of all, of course, I have the respect for the open wheels. That’s the number one point, because if you don’t have that, it’s not going to work. In the end, it’s a question of the setup. The car is very light; mine weighs less than 400 kilograms. The car has an output of around 160 horsepower, so we have a very high power-to-weight ratio here.”
“The tires, the suspension, it all has to be right to be fast on the ovals. The car has to lie well to get it around the corners. The braking system is also very important for us because we spend more time in the corners than on the straights. And of course, whoever is sitting at the wheel has to deliver, that’s clear.”
André Wiegold: “Which tracks will you be competing on?”
Calvin Storb: “My home track is the oval in Posterholt. But there will probably still be, if the situation allows, four race days in Lelystad, where we will start as a guest class. Otherwise, unfortunately, there is not much on offer for this championship. The class has already disappeared at the old track in Venray and we don’t race in Ter Apel either. I will of course try to compete in all races in Posterholt and Lelystad.”
André Wiegold: “What are your goals for the 2021 season?”
Calvin Storb: “First of all, I want to gain as much experience as possible and create a good basis for the car. It has to be good to drive as well as become competitive and we will work on that. Of course, I want to celebrate as many personal successes as possible. We’ll certainly have around ten drivers on the grid, so I’m aiming for the top-5. I don’t believe in it yet in the first races, but if it’s possible, I’ll give everything.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are currently no official Autospeedway races in the Netherlands. As soon as spectators are allowed again and the championships start, Calvin Storb, who is unconditionally supported by his family on his journey, is ready to conquer the ovals in Posterholt and Lelystad. Like his father and brother, he will be driving the #226 car.
