@ExclusiveAutosport Archives

Posted by admin on Mar 31 ^st 2023 in News

EXCLUSIVE AUTOSPORT LEAVES SEBRING WITH THE USF JUNIORS DRIVER AND TEAM POINTS LEAD

Team drivers Brienza and Jeffers deliver first team win and five podium finishes

opening round of the 2023 schedule at Sebring International raceway on March 23-24. Driver Joey Brienza showed incredible speed and consistency, starting all three races from the pole, while collecting a pair of runner-up finishes before notching his first series victory in a dominant Race 3 performance. Brienza’s success has put him in the point lead heading to the next event for the first rung of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires ladder. Texan Jack Jeffers was also racing at the front of the pack throughout the event, eventually scoring a pair of third-place podium finishes to sit third in the points. The team has a dedicated quartet of drivers in the series. Erick Schotten in the #90 Exclusive Autosport car and Giovanni Cabrera in the #93 Exclusive Autosport car maximized the event to gain crucial experience, each making considerable progress. As a result, Exclusive Autosport left the Sebring weekend leading the Team Championship standings.

“I am thrilled to kick off the Juniors season with a win, 5 podium finishes, and the team and driver championship leads,” said Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “A lot of work has gone into this program, and it was great to celebrate the team’s success at Sebring. The unique part of our Juniors program is that we have drivers with very different levels of experience. That said, I am proud of all four of our drivers as I believe they each, individually, achieved their goals through the weekend. We are going to really keep pushing to develop their skills so we can have all four challenging upfront. We have very positive momentum to capitalize on as we shift our focus over to Barber at the end of April.”

“Race 3 was about how you would imagine it when you go to sleep or when you are in the car 10 minutes before,” Enthused Joey Brienza, driver of the UBS #91. “I made a good start, nothing fantastic, but enough to keep the lead through Turn One. Nicolas (Giaffone) and Jimmie (Lockhart) both pushed hard at the start of the race and applied a lot of pressure, but I was able to hold them off. As soon as I got some clear track, I was able to push. The car was fantastic. Exclusive Autosport did an awesome job with the car and I can’t say thank you enough to them. This win and my two second-place finishes in Race 1 and 2 give us good momentum for the long season.”

“The races started off decent. We didn’t have the pace of the other guys and we fell back a little bit,” said Jack Jeffers, driver of the Corpay Cross-Border Solutions #92. “We were still fighting hard and then they were battling so I was able to catch up a little bit. My pace really came through as I gained more confidence with the car. I was able to get past the two VRD cars and catch the leaders. Giaffone made a mistake at the end that allowed he and Brienza to battle a bit more. I think if we had a few more laps, I could have been there. Overall, a good comeback from what wasn’t an ideal start, especially after grabbing two podiums in my first two starts. I’d like to thank Exclusive Autosport, my parents, and Corpay Cross-Border for getting me here.”

The team will now head back to the shop and prep the cars for Rounds 4 and 5 at Barber Motorsports Park on April 26-27.

Posted by admin on Feb 25 ^th 2023 in News

CABRERA JOINS EXCLUSIVE AUTOSPORT FOR THE 2023 USF JUNIORS SEASON

Photo Courtesy of Exclusive Autosport

15-year-old Florida native ready for his USF Pro Championships debut.

BROWNSBURG, IN (February 24, 2023) – Exclusive Autosport is pleased to announce Giovanni Cabrera as their fourth driver in the 2023 USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires line-up. The 15-year-old, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida driver is relatively new to racing, but he amassed significant seat time in competitive karting at the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex before a planned run through the Lucas Oil School of Racing Advanced Course that led to F4 testing. Giovanni has been preparing for the 2023 season with a focused fitness regiment, testing his #97 Exclusive Autosport Tatuus JR-23, and competing in the YACademy Winter Series with his fellow EA teammates.

“I feel so fortunate to have been introduced to Exclusive Autosport,” Cabrera enthused. “From the very first meeting I had with Michael Duncalfe, I knew I wanted to be a part of this team. I have not had a lot of seat time, however, with just the few test days I have had with the team, including the YACademy Winter Series, I feel confident that I will be ready for the season. I am excited, ready to learn, and ready to keep improving this year. I am so appreciative of everything my parents and family have done to help me get to this level. I am fortunate to have Carico International, Millennium Merchant Services, and Cabrera Racing, who have supported me to make my dream a reality.”

Cabrera’s signing/announcement brings the Exclusive Autosport USF Juniors squad up to four full-season drivers. Cabrera will join his already-announced teammates Joey Brienza, Erick Schotten, and Jack Jeffers in the team’s quest for a 2023 USF Juniors Championship. Giovanni has been taking part in Exclusive Autosport’s off-season testing program leading up to his USF Pro Championships debut next week at the series yearly ‘Spring Training’ held in Sebring, FL.

“It has been a pleasure having Giovanni join our program,” said Exclusive Autosport owner Michael Duncalfe. “He is incredibly eager to learn and work hard to perfect his craft. He has a great family supporting him and we look forward to working with them this coming season.”

Posted by admin on Dec 15 ^th 2022 in Miscellaneous News

AVERY TOWNS JOINS EXCLUSIVE AUTOSPORT FOR FRESHMAN USF2000 SEASON

Texas native graduates from SCCA Formula X to USF Pro Championships ladder

BROWNSBURG, IN (December 15, 2022) – Exclusive Autosport is thrilled to announce the signing of 19-year-old Avery Towns as their second driver for the 2023 USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires season. The Texas native will pilot the blue, black, and silver #93 Tatuus USF-22. Unlike the usual path taken by most young racers, Towns did not compete in karting as a youngster but instead found motorsports in 2021 through the Sports Car Club of America. During his first two years of open-wheel competition, Towns has enjoyed success in the Formula X classification, earning numerous race victories and the U.S. Majors points championships in both of those years. Avery will aim to leverage the experience of the Exclusive Autosport crew, engineers, and teammates to help further develop his racecraft.

“I am so thankful for this opportunity to compete in the USF2000 series this upcoming season,” Towns enthused. “I’d like to give a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone involved, especially my parents who have supported me throughout the process. I’m super excited to be working with Exclusive Autosport for 2023 and I cannot wait for the season opener at St. Pete!”

“We are excited to welcome Avery to the program,” said Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “This will be his first year in professional open-wheel racing and we are really looking forward to helping him progress and develop in the sport.”

In preparation for the 2023 season, Towns will take part in Exclusive Autosport’s extensive off-season testing program for their USF Juniors, USF2000, and USF Pro 2000 teams leading into the upcoming USF Pro Championships season. Drivers with interest in joining or testing with the EA squad are asked to contact the team directly by emailing info@exclusiveauotosport.com.

Exclusive Autosport is pleased to be able to continue its partnership with a great company – Corpay Cross-Border Solutions (https://cross-border.corpay.com/exclusive-autosport/) – who specialize in helping companies of all sizes power their international payments, execute plans to manage their currency risk and support their growth around the world.

Posted by admin on Mar 2 ^nd 2022 in Miscellaneous News

Foster Delivers Double-Podium Performance In INDY PRO 2000 Debut

For Immediate Release: March 2, 2022

Exclusive Autosport leaves the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg sitting second in championship

ST.PETERSBURG, FL (February 26, 2022) – Exclusive Autosport returned to the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course of St. Petersburg, Florida for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season opener this past weekend. The team debuted three new Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires drivers to their line-up, including American Christian Brooks, and a pair of Englishmen in Louis Foster and Matthew Round-Garrido. The drivers came into this event feeling confident, having worked hard together and with their engineers during their extensive off-season testing. EA has been known for having great cars at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and they have numerous podiums on their resume, including three wins last year in USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, creating a powerful atmosphere among the drivers and the crew members.

“I am very happy with our podium finishes in Indy Pro 2000 this past weekend,” said Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “Louis Foster, in the #90 Copart.com Exclusive Autosport car, had a strong debut weekend in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship with his 2^nd and 3^rd placed finishes and is second in the overall championship (only 2 points back). He is in a good position, early in the championship as we head into Barber. Matthew Round Garrido in the #92 Corpay Indy Pro 2000 had an up and down weekend. We worked through some issues that inhibited performance in race 1 and he came back strong in race 2. Christian Brooks, unfortunately, had a terminal incident in qualifying. Christian, although a rookie to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, has had success on the Streets of St. Petersburg and had a really strong practice session. His incident reiterated how unforgiving this street circuit can be. We have a long break before we are racing again, and we are collectively working hard to get Christian back in the car for Barber.”

The weekend event got underway on Thursday afternoon with the lone practice session of the weekend. Friday morning kicked off bright and early for the only qualifying session to set the grid for Race 1. The drivers were all pushing hard but, unfortunately, Christian Brooks made a slight mistake late in the session, sending his car into the wall on the outside of Turn 3. The damage was so significant that it was unrepairable, forcing Brooks to the sidelines for the weekend. Foster finished the session in fifth, while Round-Garrido timed in ninth after battling some issues with his car.

The opening round of the doubleheader took place later that afternoon. Foster got a monster of a start, quickly advancing him into the 2^nd position. Louis slipped back to the third position by the end of the opening lap but continued to push, eventually claiming the first podium of his Road to Indy career. Matthew continued to fight and ended up finishing in tenth.

Race 2 was run early on Saturday morning, and Foster was quickly into the battle, starting from fifth. He was aggressive at the start but could advance, although he was into fourth on lap 2 and began to hunt down the driver in third. After an early full-course caution, Louis went into attack mode and grabbed third with a strong move around the outside in Turn 4. On lap nine, he made the move to second and set his sights on the leader. After a lengthy late-race caution, it was a four-lap dash to the end. Foster made his bid for the win with three laps to go, but he couldn’t complete the overtake. Settling in for the final laps, Foster scored his second podium of the weekend with a runner-up finish, giving him the points to sit second in the championship leaving the weekend. Round-Garrido had a huge task ahead of him, as his issues in Race 1 positioned him deeper on the grid for the start. The crew was able to sort out his issues, but it was a bit too late. MRG fought hard all race and gained several positions to score his second top-10.

The team will now head back to the shop and prep the cars for the series test at Barber Motorsports Park on March 21-22, before returning for Rounds 3 and 4 at the end of April.

Exclusive Autosport is pleased to be able to partner with a great company – Corpay Cross-Border Solutions (https://cross-border.corpay.com/exclusive-autosport/) – who specialize in helping companies of all sizes power their international payments, execute plans to manage their currency risk and support their growth around the world

Posted by admin on Mar 2 ^nd 2022 in Miscellaneous News

Exclusive Autosport’s Billy Frazer Scores First Road To INDY Podium

For Immediate Release: March 2, 2022

Australian runner-up at USF2000 season opener to set second in championship

ST.PETERSBURG, FL (February 27, 2022) – Exclusive Autosport returned to the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course of St. Petersburg, Florida for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season opener this past weekend and scored multiple podiums across their Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 programs. The team welcomed back New Zealand’s Billy Frazer for his second year in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship series, while adding another Kiwi to the squad in 16-year-old Jacob Douglas. Coming into the weekend knowing that EA has the data from winning the last three USF2000 races on the Streets of St. Petersburg, the entire team was extremely confident unloading off the trailer Wednesday afternoon. When the dust had settled, Frazer left with his first career series podium and a pair of top-five finishes to sit second in the championship standings. Douglas logged crucial track time and experience, although his weekend was cut short in the second race of the doubleheader when he was caught in an incident due to a blocked track.

“I am thrilled that Billy, in the #92 Corpay Exclusive Autosport car, was able to collect his first podium finish in the USF2000,” said Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “He showed his veteran skills as he navigated the carnage in Race 1 to end up on the podium and exit the weekend second in the overall championship. Jacob Douglas had an unfortunate incident in race 2 as he was innocently collected in a large wreck. It was really disappointing to see his day cut short, but he gained valuable track time and knowledge. I’m really looking forward to returning to racing at Barber at the end of April.”

Track activities got underway on Thursday afternoon with the drivers’ only practice session of the weekend. Unfortunately, two laps into the practice, Jacob made a slight error that caused damage that could not be fixed in time to get any true laps on the track. Billy had an engine, so his track time was cut short during practice. Friday morning brought on the only qualifying session of the weekend. The EA drivers both knew they had a big task ahead due to the lack of track time and both pushed hard. In the end, Frazer set a lap that put him sixth on the grid in Race 1, while Douglas found speed and was 13^th on the timesheet.

Late in the afternoon on Friday, the opening race of the USF2000 doubleheader took place under the hot sun. Frazer got a strong start, lunging himself from sixth to third on the opening lap. At the halfway point, he fell one position to fourth and while still pushing to advance, he was cognizant of the heated action ahead of him and kept his eyes open. On the final lap, the drivers in first and second came together in huge fashion, just as Billy had predicted, giving him the opportunity to capitalize on this event. After avoiding the wrecked cars and emerging from the chaos, he came across the start-finish line in second to score the first podium of his Road to Indy career. Douglas used this race to gain his first wheel-to-wheel experience in the USF2000 Tatuus USF-22, learning how to race with his new competitors. Jacob drove hard to keep his 13^th position while avoiding some of the on-track action in front of him.

The EA drivers had Saturday off to support their Indy Pro 2000 teammates, but they were back on-track on Sunday just prior to the NTT INDYCAR race. Neither driver had ideal starting spots, so they both knew they had to fight hard and move forward. The start was called off three times due to a car being stuck on the track. When it finally went green, the drivers only made one lap before their first full-course caution. Billy and Jacob had positioned themselves in the 10^th and 12^th positions for the restart. The race went back to green, but at the halfway mark a huge crash occurred in front of both drivers and although Billy was able to find a way through unscathed, Jacob had nowhere to go and hit one of the stalled cars. His race would end there. The accident moved Billy up to the sixth position, where he finished the race. Frazer leaves St. Petersburg second in the championship standings.

The team will now head back to the shop and prep the cars for the series test at Barber Motorsports Park on March 21-22, before returning for Rounds 3 and 4 of the series at the end of April.