Colombian teenager advances up Mazda Road to Indy ladder with defending champion
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – JDC MotorSports is excited to announce that Juan Piedrahita will rejoin the squad via a full Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear campaign in 2012. The talented Colombian teenager will continue up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder this coming season with the three-time series champion, having impressed many with his skill behind the wheel last year with the Minnesota-based squad in the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda.
With the ultimate goal of securing a second consecutive - and fourth overall - Star Mazda Championship title, JDC MotorSports has begun assembling what is expected to be a formidable driver line-up. USF2000 graduate Piedrahita is the first piece of that puzzle, with the 19 year-old rejoining his 2011 squad for a full 18-race Star Mazda campaign. The Colombian, who will pilot a Petrosur/Color Mach/Colombia es Pasion/GFK-backed entry, reunites with the reigning Star Mazda title holders having impressed in his first full-season of North American junior formula car competition, earning two podium finishes in the highly-competitive USF2000 National Championship. Piedrahita previously contested a partial Star Mazda campaign in 2010, in which he scored one top-five and two top-10s as one of the series youngest competitors.
"We are very happy to continue our relationship with Juan and move him up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder into our Star Mazda program," stated JDC MotorSports principal John Church. "We expect to see Juan on the podium and challenging for wins."
"I am very excited to be back with JDC MotorSports and racing in the highly-competitive Star Mazda Championship," stated Piedrahita. "I believe we have all the tools and talent to be able to fight for podiums and race wins. I want to thank all my sponsors for making this possible."
A native of Colombia who currently resides in Mexico City, Mexico, Piedrahita has raced a variety of formula cars to date. First getting behind the wheel at the age of nine, Piedrahita won back-to-back Easykart Mexico titles and a Super Karts Cup Mexico Jr. ICA Jr. title before advancing to car competition in 2008. After a one-off outing in Formula VEE Mexico, the teenager raced a Formula Renault 2.0 car, earning two podium finishes. Advancing up the motorsports ladder, he contested two Molecule Formula Car Challenge races in the Pro Mazda class, before running eight races in the highly competitive Star Mazda Championship. Last season he joined JDC MotorSports for a full campaign in the USF2000 National Championship, securing seventh in the title chase with two podium finishes, three top-fives, and eight top-10s.
JDC MotorSports and Piedrahita commence their pursuit of top honors in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on March 24-25, on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series. Prior to the season-opening doubleheader JDC will conduct private testing and take part in the annual Star Mazda Championship Spring Training event at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on March 19-20. JDC MotorSports is currently continuing to evaluate drivers for the upcoming race season, with Interested driers urged to contact the squad. Further driver announcements are expected in the near future.
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 won a third Star Mazda Championship with Tristan Vautier in 2011, in addition to being victorious in the USF2000 National Championship and earning multiple podium finishes in its Prototype Lites Championship debut campaign. JDC MotorSports will once again contest full seasons in the Star Mazda Championship, USF2000 National Championship and Prototype Lites Championship in 2012.