Illinois racer will make series debut following championships in karts and sedans
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – JDC MotorSports is pleased to confirm that up-and-coming racer Zac Silver will drive for the standout junior formula car squad in the 2012 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. The Illinois teenager is poised to challenge for the rookie title in the Mazda Road to Indy series after a highly successful start to his motorsports career.
JDC MotorSports has a long history of finding and developing young racing talent, and that looks to continue in 2012 with the addition of Silver to its USF2000 National Championship driver line-up. The 15 year-old joins the Minnesota-based team having already shown the speed and skill to win championships, capturing multiple karting titles and a sedan championship crown. With multiple test days already under his belt, where he impressed the race-winning JDC crew, Silver now has his eyes firmly set on steering his No. 93 JDC MotorSports/Red Line Oil backed Mazda-powered Van Diemen into victory lane this coming season.
"I am obviously excited to be running with JDC MotorSports next year," said Silver. "I already tested with my future teammates Scott and Mike earlier this year with JDC at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, and think it will be a great year with a great group of people around me. I know both of them from running at Skip Barber and we work well together.
"JDC MotorSports is one of the most successful junior formula teams in the US. They have won championships in F2000 and Star Mazda in the last couple of years, so there is no question they know how to win races and championships. That’s the team I want to be with hopefully for a long time to come."
"Zac impressed us the very first time he tested with us in July," commented JDC MotorSports principal John Church. "He is mature beyond his years and certainly knows how to use the loud pedal. I am really looking forward to the 2012 USF2000 season."
Silver will make his USF2000 debut having impressed many in both the karting and car competition ranks. The Hinsdale, Ill.-based driver has won over 100 races in his kart career, capturing the 2006 and 2007 Great Lakes SuperKarts USA! titles, and the 2009 Championship Enduro Series crown in the process. Silver made the transition to cars in 2010, and was quickly up to speed, finishing on the podium in the Skip Barber Winter Series. This past season, the young racer further showcased his talents, earning two podium finishes in a limited Skip Barber National program, as well as winning a round in the Formula Car Challenge, finishing second in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) National Championship race in the Formula Mazda class, and winning the NASA Midwest Region Spec Miata title, earning the Midwest Rookie of the Year award.
JDC Motorsports and Silver officially begin their new partnership on October 28-29, when the inaugural Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Open Test takes place on the Indianapolis Motorsports Speedway road course. JDC will continue preparations for both the Cooper Tires USF2000 Winterfest Series and the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda season following the two-day test, and further announcements are expected in the coming weeks. Interested parties are urged to contact the squad about testing and race opportunities.
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. 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 National Championship and Prototype Lites Championship in 2012.