Connery returns from surgery to join Booth and Johnson for Mid-Ohio doubleheader
LAKEVILLE, Minn.– This coming weekend (August 2-3) marks the 10th and 11th rounds of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented By Cooper Tires. JDC MotorSports will leave their Minnesota race shop and travel to Lexington, Ohio, home of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, for this important doubleheader event. JDC drivers Michael Johnson and Ryan Booth are all ready to make their Pro Mazda debuts at the world-renowned racetrack, which presents a supreme challenge with its undulating characteristics, while Kyle Connery will return to the facility where he made his series debut in 2013. Johnson and Booth are both coming into Mid-Ohio following a strong weekend in Houston, which was the last event on the 2014 Pro Mazda schedule. Booth scored back-to-back fourth place finishes in Texas, while Johnson drove to a 14th place result in the opener, before climbing the leaderboard to finish 12th in the second race of the weekend. Connery makes his return to the team following ankle surgery, and he is anxious to get back to work.
Entering Rounds 10 and 11, Booth is focused and ready to take on whatever challenges that the 2.25-mile long, 13-turn course cares to throw at him. The South Carolina pilot has had a strong 2014 season in which he has continued to develop front-running pace. As a rookie in Pro Mazda this year, Booth has made his first trip to several racetracks thanks to the diverse series schedule, but this will not be the case this weekend at Mid-Ohio. Despite not having raced at the track in a Mazda Road to Indy event, Ryan did take part in the Pro Mazda test session at Mid-Ohio over the June 4-5 weekend. At the series test session, Booth impressed the team by laying down the fastest time in the second session of the weekend. The Charlotte, NC resident enters the Mid-Ohio weekend sitting eighth in the Pro Mazda championship fight, and he is poised for his first podium finish of the year.
“I am really looking forward to Mid-Ohio,” offered Booth. “We had a strong test and the track is super fun to drive. We had a solid race at Houston and hoping to carry that momentum into Mid-Ohio. The guys from Wisko Racing are coming to hang out as well and I'm hoping we have a good showing for them.”
Much like teammate, Michael Johnson is also a rookie in the Pro Mazda series this year. Unlike Booth, however, Johnson competed at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with the Mazda Road To Indy program last year as a USF2000 driver for JDC MotorSports. Johnson drove to a pair of top-20 finishes in last season’s tripleheader. Johnson also joined the team for the official series test session back in June and the Michigan pilot finished the weekend 10th fastest while consistently improving from session to session. Sitting 13th in the overall point standings, Johnson is close enough and plenty capable enough to move into the 12th spot by the end of weekend.
“I'm really looking forward to the Mid-Ohio race this year running in the Pro Mazda Championship,” offered Johnson. “I did pretty well in the series test a few months back. I'm excited to improve even more and have a good couple of races!”
Kyle Connery will re-join the team this coming weekend after having ankle surgery. Connery has significant and successful two-liter open-wheel experience at Mid-Ohio, which will give him a level of comfort heading into this weekend’s event. His planned surgery following the Indianapolis events in May put him on the sidelines for Houston, so he is primed and ready to get back on track, having gotten back in shape running shifterkarts in Florida.
“More than anyone under the JDC Motorsports tent this weekend, I would say I’m the most excited to get back into the racecar,” commented Connery. “Since my surgery to repair my left ankle, I have been training flat-out in preparation for Mid-Ohio. This time last year, I made my Pro Mazda debut and I can't wait to push for a great result. I happen to really enjoy Mid-Ohio and all its little secrets that rewards drivers with seat time here, which I have. Aside from myself, the team has done an incredible job prepping the car and we have a special edition to my steering wheel, which has brought me luck in the past. I have a lot of work in front of me to get back up to speed, but I'm confident in myself and the team.”
Johnson, Connery and Booth followers will be able to keep up with the weekend’s action by tuning in to live time from Mid-Ohio via the following link - http://www.promazda.com/results/live-timing. The trio will hit the track for test sessions at 8:50 am and 2:10 pm on Thursday, July 31. Friday’s schedule will begin with practice at 9:15 am, followed by qualifying at 12:30 pm. Race 1 of the weekend will go green at 5:35 pm. The second race of the weekend will take place at 10:45 am on Sunday, August 3.
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 Philippi, 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 added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up in 2012. Last year, the squad continued its run of Pro Mazda and USF2000 podium finishes, and was third in the Prototype Lites title fight.