Talented four-car line-up showcased mix of speed and racecraft in pre-season series races at Sebring and PBIR
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – For JDC MotorSports and its talented group of USF2000 Championship racers, the recent six-race Cooper Tires Winterfest series proved to be a valuable experience. With the ultimate goal being gaining vital data/information, and building chemistry between the racers and the crew, second-year racer Michael Johnson and rookies Stefan Rzadzinski, Arthur Oliveira, and Clark Toppe did just that during tripleheaders at Sebring International Raceway (February 5-6) and Palm Beach International Raceway (February 9-10). The skilled foursome additionally showcased good pace and racecraft, setting the stage for a strong 2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda campaign.
Right from the get go of the opening practice run at Sebring International Raceway - which hosted the first three rounds of the Winterfest series - the JDC Motorsports squad was focused on driver and car development. With only limited testing prior to the two-day tripleheader in central Florida, all four drivers spent both practice and the lone qualifying session working on continually improving themselves and their racing steed. That being said, the JDC cars were still among those to keep an eye on.
Rzadzinski making the most of his limited Star Mazda Championship effort in 2012, posted the third best time in qualifying, and finishing among the top-10 in all three races around the historic road course, highlighted by a fourth place in race one. Johnson, who is the lone paralyzed driver in the entire Mazda Road to Indy program, likewise was in the top-10 in both practice and qualifying, prior to steering the No. 54 Universal Coating/ SpeediCath/FlatOutNation.com/Red Line Oil/Bell Racing/Alpinestars/JDC MotorSports entry to a best finish of 11th in the opening round. Toppe, making his USF2000 debut as a 15 year-old in the No. 19 Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports car, utilized every session on track to gain speed, ending the triple bill with a best result of 13th. Oliveira, a native Brazil who had never previously seen the fast and bumpy 3.74-mile track, rapidly developed behind the wheel as the event progressed, exiting Sebring with a solid best finish of 14th (twice).
A mere two days after racing at Sebring, the JDC drivers were back in the cockpits going head-to-head against some of the premier up-and-coming drivers in North America via three more races at Palm Beach International Raceway. In a repeat of the opening Winterfest event, the focus during the PBIR tripleheader was not on overall results, but preparing for the full 13-race USF2000 Championship. With that in mind, the skilled JDC mechanics and engineers worked with the talented foursome in and out of the cockpit to fine tune their racing steeds and skills. The efforts certainly did not go unnoticed. Rzadzinski's No. 93 CanTorque/Christenson Developments/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports racer was again a regular top-five contender, highlighted by fifth place in race five. Oliveira and Toppe added top-10 results, showcasing their abilities with eighth and 10th finishes respectively in race four. Johnson, meanwhile, despite some minor mechanical issues hampering his overall results, turned laps on par with the front-runners.
"It was a great experience learning the USF2000 car and working with the JDC MotorSports team this past week," stated Rzadzinski. "A top-five overall in Winterfest was a decent start, but I know the best is yet to come. The No. 93 CanTorque/Christenson Developments JDC MotorSports car run flawlessly all week, so I can't thank the team and my supporters enough. Now I'm really looking forward to the start of the regular season."
"Sebring and West Palm Beach were a little rough with motor problems and mistakes by me," said Johnson. "That being said, I learned a lot and improved my aggressiveness with regards to passing. I'm looking forward to learning from my mistakes and moving on to Sebring in March."
"I really enjoyed taking part in the Winterfest series with JDC MotorSports," commented Oliveira. "The crew gave me a lot of support, as well as my coach and manager Jefferson Jorge. I learned a great deal in the two events. Given I had never seen the tracks before, and have only been in a USF2000 car twice before, I'm happy with what I accomplished. Now I'm looking forward to the start of the season at Sebring."
"Winterfest was a great learning experience for me," added Toppe. "I had only driven a USF2000 car three times before the event, so I went into Sebring with the goal of trying to learn the car and the track. I came out of it feeling positive about myself and the team. At PBIR, I felt that my driving was strong, but I had some bad luck and didn't get the results that I'd hoped for. JDC has been a huge help in my driver development, and looking forward to the opener at Sebring in March."
With the Winterfest series now complete, the highly-regarded JDC Motorsports squad now has a brief break to further prepare for the 2013 edition of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. The quest for race wins and a potential series title commences on March 14-15, when Sebring International Raceway plays hosts to Rounds One and Two as part of the 61st running of the renowned Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring event.
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.
Learn more about Michael Johnson at michaeljohnsonracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Racer54isCool and Facebook @ Michael-Johnson-Racing.
Learn more about Stefan Rzadzinski at www.rzadracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ rzadracing and Facebook @ Stefan-Rzadzinski.
Learn more about Clark Toppe via Twitter @ ClarkToppe and Facebook @ Clark-Toppe-Motorsports.
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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. The following 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. In 2011, the Minneapolis-based squad captured its third Star Mazda Championship title with Tristan Vautier, scored a win in the USF2000 National Championship, and made its Prototype Lites Championship debut, earning five podium finishes. JDC MotorSports added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up in 2012.