Piedrahita, Lagudi and Younessi to be joined by former pro champion Miller in USF2000 doubleheader
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – JDC MotorSports’ multi-car Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda effort returns to competition this weekend (August 19-20) with a pair of races at Road America. Returning to fight for top honors on the squad’s home track in Rounds Nine and Ten will be talented rookies Juan Piedrahita and Roman Lagudi in the Championship class, as well as National class racer Rodin Younessi. Adding to the depth of talent under the awning will be former junior formula car champion Chris Miller, who will make his series debut in Wisconsin.
While the goal every time the JDC MotorSports cars take to the track in USF2000 National Championship competition is to challenge for top honors, during the upcoming Road America doubleheader there is added incentive to just that. Not only is 4.0-mile Wisconsin road course the home track for the renowned junior formula car squad, meaning lots of fans and supporters on-hand, but JDC has proven record of success at the track to build on. In fact, JDC has earned at least one podium finish in every event it has contested at Road America over the past four years.
When Piedrahita returns to the cockpit of his No. 19 Petrosur/GFK Motors/Montopharma/Colombia es pasion/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry at Road America, his focus will be on returning to the highs he enjoyed earlier in the campaign. The Colombian, having earned back-to-back podium finishes prior to the summer break, will be seeking to utilize his previous experience at the high-speed track (sixth in the 2010 Star Mazda race) to improve on his recent solid outing of seventh and eight at Mid-Ohio, re-establishing the JDC racer as series front-runner.
“This weekend we will be working very hard with JDC to be back on top of the charts after a tough weekend in Mid Ohio,” stated Piedrahita. “I’m very confident of my team, and this is going to be a great weekend.”
Lagudi, unlike his teammates, enters the doubleheader having never sampled the Wisconsin track. That being said, the Australian-American plans on making the most of the vast experience under JDC tent to help propel the No. 10 High Performance Distributors/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry up the scoring charts, ideally bettering his recent run of ninth in the two races in Ohio.
While Younessi has numerous laps around Road America, the USF2000 doubleheader will mark his first chance to do so in a ‘pro’ series. The No. 16 Younessi Racing/ Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports driver therefore wants to make the most of the opportunity to race in front of the large enthusiastic crowd by challenging for the win in the increasingly competitive National class (featuring cars using the slower Ford Zetec engine package).
For Miller, the USF2000 doubleheader represents a chance to return to his championship-winning race roots. Back in 2008, the No. 85 Miller Milling/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports race pilot was the premier pro F2000 driver, winning the F2000 Championship Series title with JDC. While this time around the now part-time (focusing on post-graduate education) Star Mazda driver will be running a Mazda-powered car in the Championship class, many expect Miller to be quickly up to speed and challenging for a podium position.
“I am looking forward to being back in an F2000 car for JDC,” commented Miller. “The competition in USF2000 is intense, but I am confident that we can get up to speed quickly and run at the front. My mechanic Rob Pretts and I have had a lot of success together, and JDC always gives me great cars. Road America is a track I love and know well, so hopefully I can get some good results for the team. I want to thank Miller Milling Company, Stockholm Motorsports Park, and JDC MotorSports for making this possible.”
The talented JDC MotorSports foursome will begin their quest for Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda glory at Road America on Thursday (August 18) with a morning test session, followed by the lone practice run around the 4.0-mile track. Day two will feature a morning qualifying session, proceeded by Round Nine just after the lunch break. Race two (Round 10) is slated to get underway early Sunday morning (August 20).
Fans and supporters of JDC MotorSports can keep abreast of the action at Road America via - http://livetiming.net/imsa/usf2000/html.asp - Live Timing.
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.
JDC MotorSports
www.jdcmotorsports.com