Month: February 2018

Posted by admin on in Mazda Road to Indy

Exclusive Autosport Enters PRO MAZDA With Parker Thompson

 

For Immediate Release: February 2, 2018

SASKATOON, SK (February 2, 2018) – The impressive pairing of Exclusive Autosport and Parker Thompson has delivered much success over the past three years, locking race wins in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the F1600 Super Series, the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship in Ontario and the Formula Tour 1600 series in Quebec.  Thompson drove to major home country wins for Exclusive Autosport in both F1600 at the F1 Grand Prix in Montreal and USF2000 in Toronto in 2017. This year, he will aim to extend this streak into the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Exclusive Autosport has signed the 19-year-old Canadian to lead their rookie charge into the series, which is the second rung of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.  Exclusive Autosport debuted in the USF2000 series in 2017 and promptly won three races enroute to third in the Drivers’ Championship.  With teams in F1600 and USF2000, Pro Mazda is the logical progression in their expansion and development and Thompson represents the first of two driver announcements for this level of their program.

 

“We are thrilled to welcome Parker back to the Exclusive Autosport program for 2018,” commented Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “I couldn’t think of a better driver to make our debut in Pro Mazda Championship with. He is an incredibly well rounded athlete and a fan favourite. I have said it before, Parker’s work ethic on and off the track is second to none. Whether it’s training at the gym, working on his marketing campaign or continuing his development as a driver, he invests so much of himself into his racing program/career. Although we feel we have some unfinished business (coming up short in the USF2000 driver championship in 2017), we made huge strides last year and it is such a positive that we get to build on that success and momentum from 2017. Crew Chief Jay Green will be moving up to the Pro Mazda program. Joining him is the addition of Tim Lewis as our lead engineer on the PM program.  With the leadership and knowledge these two gentlemen we have added more depth to the Exclusive Autosport Pro Mazda operation. I am confident that we will see Exclusive Autosport and Parker Thompson back in the winner circle in 2018.”

 

Exclusive Autosport made their USF2000 debut in 2017 after many successful seasons in both Canadian and American F1600 series, and they notched their first wins last July, sweeping the street race weekend in Toronto. Thompson provided their third win of the season at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just two weeks later enroute to third in the overall championship standings. He also led the squad to fourth in the USF2000 Team Championship, the highest finishing rookie team.  Thompson also ran with the operation’s Formula 1600 program last year, winning the F1600 Super Series on the strength of seven wins in 11 races, which included victories during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal and at the famed Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (aka Mosport) in Bowmanville, Ontario.

 

Earlier in January, Duncalfe announced his hiring of veteran race engineer Tim Lewis to manage the engineering staff of the Exclusive Autosport Pro Mazda effort.  Testing has gone extremely well with Lewis and Thompson having already developed a very strong working relationship.  The team is planning to run a pair of cars in the Pro Mazda Championship and hopes to be able to announce its second driver by the end of February.

 

“I am extremely proud to have the opportunity to continue working with Michael Duncalfe and the Exclusive Autosport family,” Thompson enthused. “We have all enjoyed some immense success together over the last few years, and I look forward to bringing our momentum from 2017 into the 2018 Pro Mazda Championship. It’s an honor to lead EA’s charge into the Pro Mazda category, and I can’t wait to pick up where we left off last year in USF2000. It’s not often when a driver has the opportunity to work with the same group of guys in back-to-back years, and I want to capitalize on this relationship. Getting to work with a veteran engineer like Tim Lewis and crew chief Jay Green developing this new Pro Mazda is going to be game changer. Anything but a championship this year will not be acceptable. Thank you to all of my partners, and Exclusive Autosport for making this all possible and believing in my abilities. I look forward to proving that they made a good decision in 2018.”

 

Thompson is pleased to have Badlands Motorsports Resort returning to his group of marketing partners for 2018; a list that includes valued associates like Wheelhouse Media, Openhwy, One-to-1 Fitness, TriQuest NDT, Todayville, Sparco, and Bell Helmets.

 

“When not behind the wheel, Parker is an active member our community, and a strong advocate for responsible road driving habits, crusading across Canada with his teen focused program ‘Drive to Stay Alive’,” commented Jay Zelazo, the CEO of Badlands Motorsport Resort. “Driving for the Saskatoon-based Exclusive Autosport team, Parker epitomizes the spirit of Canadian Prairies, and demonstrates many of the values held in high regard by Badlands Motorsports Resort. We are excited to continue our relationship with this up-and-coming Canadian race car driver as the development of our world-class motorsports facility and tourism resort progresses.”

 

With the opening round of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires just over six weeks away, at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida on March 9-11, pre-season testing will continue.  In addition to their pair of Pro Mazda cars, Exclusive Autosport is also planning to run at least three cars in the USF2000 program this year, and will announce their first driver next week.

Posted by admin on in World Challenge

ST RACING Announces Exciting Lineup And New Category For The 2018 Season In Pirelli World Challenge
Nick Wittmer/ Samantha Tan

 

Toronto, ON (February 1, 2018) – ST Racing announced today new plans and a new driver lineup for the upcoming season.  In 2018, the Team will feature a 2-car/4-driver lineup in the Pirelli World Challenge SprintX program. Samantha Tan and Nick Wittmer will be joined by teammates Aurora Straus and Connor Bloum, both moving over after competing in IMSA’s Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge last year.

Team Principal Kenneth Tan was ecstatic with all the changes for 2018: “We started looking at our options about half-way through the season last year, and decided it was time to move up into the GTS SprintX category for 2018 because it requires more team effort with two drivers taking turns in the same car during the same race and a required pit stop. It’s a good progression for Samantha and the whole team. Furthermore, there was an opportunity for us to have another outstanding female driver to race with us, so we requested, and were granted, two of BMW’s amazing new M4 GT4’s. I have always wanted to see more women in auto racing and now for the first time, we have two driving in our team for a total of 4 fabulous drivers. The whole Team is excited and we can’t wait for COTA. Let’s go racing!”

Both Samantha Tan and Nick Wittmer are looking forward to getting into the new car, and having two new teammates.  “The upcoming season is already looking amazing” stated Tan. “We have new cars, new teammates, and we are entering a new class. The BMW M4 GT4s are much faster than the M235s we were running last year and they look incredible. I’d like to thank Laurel BMW for their support and for helping us secure these cars. Stepping up in GTS SprintX, where the races last one hour with a driver change will be different from the TC races as it will require much more planning and strategies before and during the race. We will have to learn how to adapt on the spot!”

“And, how cool to have Aurora and Connor on board with us.” she added. “I’m really happy to have another female on our team and grateful for the opportunity to be able to work with such great drivers. Altogether, I am positive that we will grow as a team and be extremely successful in the upcoming season.”

Tan’s teammate Nick Wittmer was quick to welcome the new addition to ST Racing’s family: “A great big welcome to our new teammates Aurora and Connor. I’m super happy to run this year again with ST Racing in a BMW M4 GT4 in the SprintX races, where Sam and I will be running in the Pro-Am class.” he said. “I think our new lineup will make sure the M4 runs on top.”

While being two female drivers on a racing team, Samantha and Aurora are hoping to inspire and empower all the young girls and encourage them to take their place in the motorsports world.

Aurora Straus, a high-school senior from Cold Spring, New York, has made a name for herself as a racer, student, musician, writer and strong advocate for young girls. The 19-year old is also a part of Harvard’s Class of 2022, with intended majors in English and/or Mechanical Engineering. Straus started driving at 13 years old in a Mazda Miata and never looked back. Last season, she was the highest-finishing rookie in IMSA’s Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge (ST Class) alongside teammate, 26-year old racer Connor Bloum.

Straus can’t wait to go racing with ST Racing. “I couldn’t be more excited to be joining ST Racing for the 2018 season, especially in their debut of SprintX with the BMW M4 GT4s. Last year, Connor and I proved to be extremely competitive in the ST class in IMSA, and moving to the horsepower and perfect handling of the M4 is the right next step. This deal couldn’t have happened without the expert guidance of Nick Longhi and Ken Tan, and I’ll be forever grateful to the two of them for giving me this opportunity. I have no doubt that with the combination of this experienced team, Connor’s record-setting pace, and momentum from 2017, we’ll be making a name for ourselves in the Pirelli World Challenge Series in no time. At this point, I’m just itching to get behind the wheel of that BMW and see what it can do!”

The duo Straus/Bloum put in strong performances in 2017 at Daytona and Sebring in the Continental Tire Challenge. San Diego native and accomplished racer, Connor Bloum shared the same enthusiasm as Straus in joining ST Racing. “I’m really looking forward to my first season of World Challenge in the BMW M4 GT4 with my co-driver, Aurora Straus. After 5 years of competing in the IMSA, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge – with multiple podiums and track records under my belt – I can’t wait to join the PWC series and see what the competition has to offer” said Bloum.

“I was able to test the BMW M4 GT4 in December and was absolutely blown away by the performance and handling of the car” he added. “BMW has been building racecars down to a science. I think the M4 GT4 will be extremely competitive against other manufacturers. Being a part of the ST Racing team is going to be the experience of a lifetime, and driving along side Aurora for another season is just icing on the cake. Both Samantha and Aurora are extremely talented young drivers with incredible potential and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunity. Let’s go win some trophies.”

For ST Racing, the season begins on March 23-25 where they will race at the fabulous Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Stay tuned !

Posted by admin on in World Challenge

The Racing Company Enters PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE With Assistance From M1 GT RACING

 

Montréal, January 31, 2018 – The Racing Company (TRC), with assistance from M1 GT Racing, is proud to announce its participation in the highly competitive Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) series for the 2018 season. Set to enter the TCR class with an Audi RS3 LMS, goals are set high for the upcoming season.

The Racing Company is a young and dynamic family business located in an ultramodern complex and is able to service several racing cars. Racing Director, Jocelyn Daniel, enjoys a wide experience in motorsports and has led the team from its beginning.

“To start our effort in an international series such as the Pirelli World Challenge corresponds with our long-term vision,” explained Jocelyn Daniel. “We want to stay in this series for a long time and evolve with the program. It will eventually open doors to other series and will surely allow us to meet drivers wishing to drive a second Audi RS3 LMS entry.”

Jérimy Daniel will race the 2018 season for The Racing Company in the highly competitive TCR class with a 2017 Audi RS3 LMS. Daniel is an experienced driver who raced for many years in the Formula 1600 Championship before entering the Star Mazda series, which is the second step in the Mazda Road to Indy. In 2014, Jérimy was crowned Vice-Champion of the GT3 Porsche Canada Cup, Gold Class and he has since been driving in the Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) series.

The Racing Company will be assisted by M1 GT Racing, an American team having competed in the Pirelli World Challenge with an Audi R8 LMS GT3. Rémi Lanteigne, M1 GT’s Technical Director, is excited with this partnership between the two teams.

“This is a technical partnership between The Racing Company (TRC) and M1 GT Racing,” explained Lanteigne. “We will be able to help TRC develop their side of the program in America since they are already very well known in Québec, Canada. Together, we will be a winning combination.”

Jérimy Daniel will be back behind the wheel after a one-year hiatus. “I am excited to come back to racing after not driving for a season. For me, this is a great comeback because I really think that the Pirelli World Challenge is a well-established series that could open a lot of doors for us.”

The Pirelli World Challenge series races will be broadcast via live stream on the series website, www.world-challenge.com. The TC, TCR and TCA classes are spread over six doubleheader event weekends.