Latorre showcased racecraft skills in California and earned Tilton Hard Charger award PALMETTO, FLA. – JAY Motorsports and rookie Florian Latorre further showcased their talents this past weekend (September 7-8) at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with two strong drives in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. The French rising star overcame a frustrating qualifying run to secure two top-10 finishes in Rounds 11 and 12, and take home a Tilton Hard Charger award, giving the Florida-based squad momentum heading into the season-finale.
Like the majority of the skilled USF2000 Championship field, both JAY Motorsports and Latorre entered the penultimate event on the series calendar with no previous junior formula car experience at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Despite the lack of past track time or data/information, both the crew and driver were confident of success. Making the most of the three test runs on Friday to develop the car for the renowned 2.238-mile California road course, Latorre ended the day having cracked the top-four in the second outing, and been inside the top-10 in all three sessions.
The No. 91 13th Avenue/MASM-Cogny/Accent du Sud Ouest/JAY Motorsports racer continued to display his talents in the lone practice outing, posting the fourth best time.
Poised to be among those to challenging for the pole position in qualifying, things unfortunately did not go as planned. In what proved to be a frustrating affair, Latorre was unable to garner the result he and the JAY Motorsports squad desired due to contact with another driver, ultimately ending the timed run in an unrepresentative 16th. While disappointed with the outcome, everyone under the awning quickly refocused on the Round 11 race a short-time later.
Returning to the cockpit later in the day, Latorre promptly wasted little time making his mark. In what was one of the drives of the day, the former French Formula 4 National Auto Sport Academy Championship Rookie of the Year executed several exciting passes for position on a track that his limited overtaking opportunities. The 16 year-old in the end worked his way all the way up to seventh, earning the Tilton Hard Charger award.
Given his performance in race one of the twin bill, everyone at JAY Motorsports was excited to go back racing on Sunday morning. Getting the green from 13th, Latorre yet again was a driver on the move. The French rookie, further highlighting his superb racecraft skills, made the most of any opening to move forward, ultimately taking home another top-10 via a seventh place finish.
“We had a good car this weekend," stated Latorre. "I was regularly among the fastest drivers in practice, unfortunately a collision with another driver in qualifying destroyed all the hard work done with the Jay Motorsports crew. That being said, we showed in the races we can move forward. We are ready for the last races of the year in Houston, and I will do everything to move up in the standings and add another podium finish. Actually why not end the year with a victory."
JAY Motorsports and Latorre end their Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda campaign on October 5-6, with Rounds 13-14, on the streets around Reliant Park in Houston, Texas. Latorre enters the season-finale doubleheader fifth in the driver standings, while JAY Motorsports is eighth in the team fight, second among single-car squads.
Drivers interested in joining JAY Motorsports, are encouraged to contact team principal Jay Green.
Additional information on JAY Motorsports can be obtained from the team’s website @ JAYMotorsports.com. For direct contact, please contact Jay Green @ 304-610-5663 or jaymotorsports1@gmail.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ jaymtrsprt and on Facebook @ JAYMotorsportsLLC. Videos also available on YouTube @ JAY Motorsports.
Learn more about Florian Latorre via Twitter @ FlorianLATORRE and Facebook @ Florian Latorre Pro.
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About JAY Motorsports:
JAY Motorsports, LLC is a family owned and operated racing organization based in Florida. Led by former racer Jay Green, the team became one of the highest rated customer service representatives within the SCCA's spec categories. With countless wins in SCCA Club and Pro competition, the team has become a mainstay in junior driver development over the years. By winning the 2009 and 2012 SCCA Formula Enterprises National Championships, they propelled their drivers to win spots on the prestigious MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Team in 2009 and 2012. In addition to the 2009 and 2012 Runoffs gold medals, JAY Motorsports was the 2006 MARRS Spec Racer Ford champion, 2007 SCCA National Great Lakes Division Spec Racer Ford champion, 2008 SCCA National Great Lakes Division Spec Racer Ford and Formula Enterprises champion, 2008 SCCA Great Lakes/Central Division Formula Car Magazine Formula Enterprises champion, 2008 Carolina Cup Pro Series Spec Racer Ford champion, and 2009 SCCA Southeast Division ECR Spec Racer Ford champion. This past season, JAY Motorsports entered the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda full-time, contesting both the National and Championship classes.