Ellery and Piedrahita overcome Round Three incident to score valuable points in Round Four
JDC MotorSports added to its 2011 Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda points tally this past weekend (March 26-27), scoring two top-10 results on the streets of St. Petersburg, FL. Both Australian Luke Ellery and Colombian Juan Piedrahita overcame a race one incident to finish eight and ninth in Round Four.
One week after visiting victory lane in the season-opening doubleheader at Sebring International Raceway, the JDC squad was back on-course for Rounds Three and Four on the streets of St. Petersburg, FL. While neither Ellery nor Piedrahita had previously piloted an USF2000 car on the challenging street circuit when the action got underway on Friday, both were immediately up to speed in the two practice sessions. Ellery, showing superb skill in his No. 85 Melbourne IT/Luke-Ellery.com/Red Line Oil JDC MotorSports entry, adapted to the ever-changing grip levels to end day one at the top of the charts. Piedrahita, having turned the second quickest time in the opening morning run, ended the day P4 overall.
Given their performances leading up to qualifying, it came as no real surprise that the JDC MotorSports duo were among those to watch in the fight for the Round Three pole position. Piedrahita’s No. 19 Petrosur/GFK Motors/Montopharma/ Colombia es pasion/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry led the way early on, and it appeared the Colombian was headed towards his first series pole position, when a last lap flyer by another competitor sent the talented rookie to P2 in the final order. Ellery likewise looked good early on in qualifying, but the Australian was unable to find the space he desired to run a flyer late in session, ultimately earning a row four starting position.
When the JDC racers returned to their cockpits one-day later, the stage was set for potentially another series win. It was however not to be, as almost immediately after the green flag waved for Round Three in Florida, both Piedrahita and Ellery’s race came to premature end, the result of a multi-car collision in turn one.
JDC drivers and crew, while severely disappointed in the result, immediately but the incident behind them, repairing the cars and refocusing on race two of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix doubleheader.
Despite starting at the rear of the field for Round Four – the result of the grid being set by fast race times from Round Three – the JDC rookies made their mark come race time. With both Ellery and Piedrahita turning lap times on par with the race leaders, the duo steadily advanced up the scoring charts lap after lap. Advancing up to the fight for fifth place in the closing stages of the 21-lap race, Ellery and Piedrahita in the end earned valuable championship points by finishing eighth and ninth respectively.
JDC MotorSports and its talented rookie duo now have a nearly two-month hiatus, before returning to action on May 28th via Round Five of the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana. The prestigious ‘Night Before the 500’ event marks the first of two oval races on the series calendar.
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com
Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075
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About JDC MotorSports:
Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. This past year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. The Minneapolis-based squad will compete in the Star Mazda Championship, USF2000 National Championship and Prototype Lites Championship in 2011 via multi-car operations.