Alberico, Hargrove, Johnson and team newcomer Forgeois poised to be among front-runners in Rounds 13 & 14
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – The 2012 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda journey concludes for JDC MotorSports this coming weekend (September 14-15) with a pair of races at VIRginia International Raceway. The multiple junior formula car champion will have a talented line-up of up-and-coming racers behind the wheel during Rounds 13 and 14, with rookies Neil Alberico, Luca Forgeois, Scott Hargrove, and Michael Johnson all more than capable of being part of the mix for top honors in the season-finale doubleheader.
Like the vast majority of the highly-regarded USF2000 field, JDC MotorSports has experienced both highs and lows on-track in the 2012 edition of the championship. The standout squad from Minnesota, however, travels to Virginia for the final two races with spirits high under the team awning and a skilled group of drivers confident they can score their best results to date at the fast 3.27-mile road course.
Alberico, has repeatedly showcased both speed and skill in his return to North American competition - having raced a Formula Ford last year in England - but some bad luck and incidents have halted his advances on multiple occasions. That being said, the former Bondurant Championship Race Series champion enjoyed his best run to date last time out on the streets of Baltimore, earning a fourth place finish. When combined with the experienced gained via the single-day series test at VIR just one week ago, the No. 19 Kartel Motorsports/Bondurant School/RaceLite Protection/ Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry is positioned to be challenging for a place on the podium during the Virginia twin bill.
Hargrove, unlike his three teammates, has not had the benefit of running a full campaign, having missed the lone oval event and the mid-season run at Mid-Ohio. That has obviously not slowed the Canadian down, as evidence by an impressive podium finish in race two of the Baltimore doubleheader. The No. 38 Analytic Systems/Race Energy/Skip Barber Racing School/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports pilot is now poised to build on that late season success in Rounds 13 and 14.
While Johnson has garnered a great deal of attention as the lone paralyzed racer in not only the USF2000 Championship, but also all of the Mazda Road to Indy program, it is his performances behind the wheel that has impressed fellow racers and onlookers. Steadily becoming more and more acclimated to his one-of-a-kind hand control racing steed and the stiff series competition, the No. 54 Universal Coating/Alpinestars/Coloplast/FlatOutNation.com/Red Line Oil/Movement Arts Motorsports Marketing/JDC MotorSports racer is set to build on a top-10 result at the similar Road America race track during the year-end VIR doubleheader.
Though Forgeois will be a newcomer under the JDC awning at VIR, he joins his new teammates with experience and success in the USF2000 ranks. Switching teams for the finale, the No. 9 Café Noir/Splashlight/Gearup/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports driver is eager to put his early season frustrations behind him and add to his 2011 National class title in the two Virginia races.
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda on-track action at VIRginia International Raceway commences for the highly-regarded JDC MotorSports on thursday (September 13), with Alberico, Forgeois, Hargrove, and Johnson taking part in a pair of morning practice runs, followed by the lone qualifying session. Round 13 is slated to start at 11:40 am local time on Friday (September 14), while Round 14 is scheduled for 9:15 am on Saturday (September 15) in Virginia. JDC MotorSports enters the doubleheader currently fifth in the team standings. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx
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 Neil Alberico at neilalberico.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ NeilAlberico and his Facebook page @ Neil-Alberico-Racing
Learn more about Luca Forgeois at www.lucaforgeois.com and keep up to date vis Twitter @ LucaForgeois and his Facebook page @ LucaForgeoisRacing
Learn more about Scott Hargrove at scotthargrove.com keep up to date via Twitter @ Scott_Hargrove and his Facebook page @ ScottHargroveMotorsports
Learn more about Michael Johnson at michaeljohnsonracing.com keep up to date via Twitter @ Racer54isCool and his Facebook page @ Michael-Johnson-Racing
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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 will contest the Star Mazda Championship, USF2000 Championship and Prototype Lites Championship in 2012.