MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – British open wheel standout Raoul Owens will join JDC MotorSports for a full-season assault on the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2015.
The 20-year-old Briton has made his transition to the United States following four years of motor racing in Europe. In 2014, Owens competed in the North European Cup of Formula Renault 2.0, achieving podiums and concluding his season in the top 10.
After just eight days of testing in a Pro Mazda car at the end of 2014, Owens demonstrated his confidence in the car by setting the pace and breaking the JDC MotorSports lap record lap record at Blackhawk. Owens consequently brings with him pure racing talent that will work well alongside our team, which has won the overall Pro Mazda Championship three times in the past seven years.
“I am very excited to be working with JDC MotorSports in 2015," said Owens. "They have won three Pro Mazda Championships, two with European drivers, which is very encouraging for me. It will be my first ever season racing in the USA so I want to take every opportunity I can. I also want to give both JDC and myself the best chance of taking a fourth championship. The team and I both believe this is possible."
“We are very excited and happy to have Raoul drive for us in the 2015 season,” stated John Church, team principal of JDC MotorSports. “The speed and professionalism he has shown us during testing has already indicated what he is capable of accomplishing. We expect Raoul to be a front runner and championship contender in the 2015 Pro Mazda Championship.”
Owens’ management, DCM, further support today’s news: “After much deliberation, we are pleased to announce that Raoul Owens shall be competing for this year’s Pro Mazda title with JDC MotorSports, a team with excellent racing heritage and an underlying passion for motor racing that fits with the overall vision of Raoul Owens.”
Owens will be part of a multi-car title challenge by JDC MotorSports alongside Michael Johnson, who is expected to return for the 2015 season. The team’s third driver to compete in the Pro Mazda Championship will be announced in due course.
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from
RedLineOil.com, HR Sportswear and Showdown Displays.
Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @
www.jdcmotorsports.com. For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 612-963-3352
Learn more about Raoul Owens at
http://www.raoulowens.com and keep up to date via Twitter https://twitter.com/raoul_owens
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. Expanding into the Pro Mazda in 2005, the Minnesota-based team remained focused on not only challenging for top honors, but also helping develop young drivers.
Over the years, JDC MotorSports has won numerous races and championships. JDC captured both the driver and team titles in the 2007 Star Mazda Championship, with Rookie of the Year Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. The Minnesota-based team followed that up with a second Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009.
JDC continued its winning ways one year later, 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 with Mikhail Goikhberg.
The junior formula car standout team secured its third Star Mazda Championship title in 2011 with Tristan Vautier, in addition to scoring a win in the USF2000 National Championship with Luke Ellery.
Also starting in 2011 JDC MotorSports added a IMSA Prototype Lites Sports Car team to its racing programs and scored five podium finishes including one pole position already in its first season of competition in Sport Car racing.
Since then JDC MotorSports IMSA Prototype Lites program captured additional 33 podium finishes, eight pole positions and 10 wins. Finishing second (2012) and third (2013) in overall driver championship points and winning the 2014 overall driver and team championship with driver Mikhail Goikhberg.
2014 was also the first year JDC MotorSports entered under JDC Miller MotorSports a program in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype Challenge class, finishing fourth at its maiden race at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and scored its first podium finishing with a third-place finish at Road America.
For 2015 JDC MotorSports will again operate multicar entries in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda series as well as the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship Powered by Mazda series.
In addition the team will run again under the entry of JDC Miller MotorSports a full season entry in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype Challenge class, starting with the 53rd running of the legendary Rolex 24 At Daytona in January.