ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Every driver in the Mazda Road to Indy paddock is fully dedicated to the craft, but it would be hard to argue that anyone is more focused than Bobby Eberle, the 48-year-old Pro Mazda Championship driver. Heading into his third full season with the series, Bobby immersed himself in an off-season fitness regime that put him in the best shape of his life, all with the goal of challenging the young guns of the series.
The effort has paid off, as Eberle has drastically improved his pace and racecraft, and has dominated the National class of the series, sweeping the victories at the most recent weekend on the 4.018-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, WI. Eberle races with the technical support of JDC MotorSports and they have helped him raise his game, and his improved consistency paid off with a pair of seventh place overall finishes on the iconic racing facility, which has given him a commanding lead in the National class point standings.
“With JDC, I have seen my race pace continue to improve," commented Eberle, who drives the #13 GOPUSA.com entry. "What was really great about Road America was the experience I gained in race craft. It was incredible to go wheel to wheel with other drivers. I don't have the karting experience that the other drivers have, so for me, this event was exactly what I needed."
In both races, Eberle and his engineer Bud Wilkinson were searching for grip and by the end of the weekend, they almost had it just right. What Bobby lacked in speed, he made up for in a new level of racecraft. Eberle was right in the thick of things, mixing it up and making passes. The second race of the doubleheader was a challenge because of the restarts, which meant that any gains made on other drivers were instantly wiped away. But, the restarts also allowed a second shot at making more passes and moving up the order. This race weekend added another piece to the puzzle, and the 2016 season is definitely a step. It’s helped to prepare Bobby for next year, and a planned move to the Indy Lights series.
“Road America gives very few laps to learn the track well and get the job done in terms of lap time,” offered Wilkinson, Eberle’s engineer at JDC MotorSports. “When something ‘clicks’, the lap time falls off in large chunks. I think the loss of just five minutes for qualifying hurt our progress a little. We really could have used one or two laps in each new tire run then to find the thing that ‘clicks’, allowing Bobby the jump to the next level. Both races were challenging and had moments when Bobby could have gotten down on himself or just stopped trying. He never quit, remained positive and persevered in each instance to finish with the class win and seventh overall in both races. Road America has highlighted areas we need to work on, so that's what we'll do for the next event. When someone like Matt Brabham comments to me on how much Bobby has improved this year, that is saying something. Bring on Toronto.”
Since moving to JDC MotorSports, Eberle has been focused on improving his racecraft and taking his driving to the next level. The atmosphere under the team awning has been extremely positive and the relationship with his engineer is excellent.
“From the first phone call before IMS road course to the finish of Race 2 at Road America so far, it is obvious that Bobby has a very focused dedication to progressing as a driver,” Wilkinson continued. “With JDC MotorSports, Bobby, and his coach CR Crews, it feels like we've struck on a chemistry that just works. Sometimes a team change can be difficult, but in this case it has been great. It's been so much fun to be a part of helping him go through this transformation. It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of working with such a positive attitude behind the wheel. As Bobby and I work together with CR Crews, we learn something at every event. I can't wait to get to the next one.”
With the Road America weekend now in the books, Eberle will look forward to heading north to Canada to tackle the popular street circuit in Toronto. The Honda Indy Toronto is scheduled for July 15-17.
DRIVER PERFORMANCE
ROAD AMERICA – ELKHART LAKE, IW
JUNE 24-26, 2016
Qualifying: 8th – 2:10.129
Race 1: 7th
Race 2: 7th
About Bobby Eberle:
Dr. Bobby Eberle is a former aerospace engineer who then moved over to the world of politics. Dr. Eberle uses his experience and analytical training to present editorial views on current affairs to over one million email subscribers daily with updates on political news and commentary. Eberle has appeared on
FoxNews.com's Strategy Room, MSNBC with Joe Scarborough, NBC Houston, and has been a guest on numerous radio programs including Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Bloomberg Radio, the G. Gordon Liddy Show, Fox Radio and Dennis Miller. Bobby has a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Rice University, and was a former nationally ranked tennis player. Bobby competed in the 2013 Skip Barber Winter Series and finished 9th overall out of 75 drivers and was the Masters Class Champion. In the Skip Barber race series, Bobby had 1 win, 5 podiums, and countless Top 10s. He then turned his attention to the Formula Car Challenge where he finished third in the overall championship in 2013 with 3 podiums and 8 top-five finishes. In 2014, Bobby finished 16th overall in the Pro Mazda Championship and was the Expert Class Champion with 3 in-class wins. In 2015, Bobby finished 15th overall and was again Expert Class Champion with 11 in-class wins.