Lagudi earned first series top-three in Round 12 on Maryland street circuit
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – JDC MotorSports ended its race-winning 2011 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda season this past weekend (September 3-4), with an up-and down affair at the Baltimore Grand Prix. Roman Lagudi enjoyed a breakthrough event in Maryland, securing a top-five result in Round 11, before earning his first-ever podium finish with a third place finish in Round 12. Juan Piedrahita and Rodin Younessi, unfortunately, did not fare as well, with both racers involved in a first turn crash in race one, the duo finishing 14th and 19th respectively in race two.
Seeking to end the 2011 USF2000 season on a high note, the talented JDC trio of Piedrahita, Lagudi and Younessi were all looking forward to the inaugural street races in Baltimore. The entire field however had to wait to sample the bumpy and demanding circuit, as track repairs due to Hurricane Irene resulted in the opening practice being pushed back on Friday to after the lunch break. When the cars did roll on-course for the shortened session, the goal was to get acclimated to the new track as quickly as possible, and attempt to dial in the cars. Piedrahita in the end led the JDC contingent with the seventh best time, while Lagudi was 11th fastest and Younessi 19th. Due to time restraints, this proved to be the only session prior to Round 11, with the grid set by the current championship points.
Given the very little track time prior to the green flag waving for race one in Maryland, the goal for the JDC racers was to avoid the expected incidents and steadily advance up the scoring charts. Things unfortunately did not go according to plan for Piedrahita and Younessi, as neither driver made it through turn one, becoming entangled in a multi-car crash. That being said, the JDC pit crew still had something to cheer for, as Lagudi skillfully avoided the incident to position himself in the lead pack. In fact, it initially appeared as though the No. 10 High Performance Distributors/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports Van Diemen-Mazda was leading the way. Amidst some further confusion when the racing action resumed, Lagudi battled for positions all the way to the checkered, initially being classified second. Following some post race analysis by series officials, Lagudi was awarded fifth place, earning his best result to date in his partial 2011 campaign.
Returning to the JDC cockpits one day later in front of a large crowd, all three racers were focused on moving forward come race time. While race two again featured some early race contact, the entire JDC contingent managed to avoid the incidents. That being said, Piedrahita’s No. 19 Petrosur/GFK Motors/Montopharma/Colombia es pasion/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports Van Diemen-Mazda poor luck continued in Round 12 as another incident resulted in an uncharacteristic result. Younessi’s No. 16 Younessi Racing/Red Line Oil/ JDC MotorSports Van Diemen likewise struggled to advance up the timing charts. That however was not the case for Lagudi, as the teenager rapidly joined the fight for places among the top-five. Just as it appeared Lagudi would match his race one result of fifth, an incident on the last lap between the duo ahead propelled the JDC racer into third. Running mistake-free through the final few corners to the checkered flag, Lagudi secured his inaugural USF2000 podium finish. Piedrahita, in what was a frustrating end to his 2011 season, came home in 14th, while Younessi crossed the stripe in 17th, seventh in the National class.
“I’ve had a great season with JDC MotorSports,” stated Lagudi. “The Baltimore race was fun and interesting. It was amazing racing in front of that many fans. I am excited for my future in racing.”
“This weekend was one of the more difficult weekends I’ve ever had,” commented Piedrahita. “We crash in both races, and it is very frustrating because both of them were caused by contacts in which we were on the middle. We had very bad luck, and we couldn’t show our true potential. I want to thank JDC for their hard word all season, especially Troy, Rick and John.”
With the results in Baltimore, JDC MotorSports ends the 2011 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda fourth in the Team standings. Piedrahita completes his rookie campaign in seventh place.
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.
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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.