2014 race winner returns to series for seat time, joins Connery, Nicklin and Davis
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – JDC MotorSports will add a significant weapon to its arsenal for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented Cooper Tires event this weekend (May 7-9) on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Last year’s championship runner-up Scott Hargrove will race alongside team regulars Kyle Connery and Parker Nicklin on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn layout, as he looks to gain track time to keep his skills sharp in anticipation of his return to the Indy Lights series. JDC has also added Autobahn Country Club Pro Mazda champion Kevin Davis to the squad for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, running in the Expert category.
“We’re very happy to welcome Scott back under the tent for this weekend’s events and I believe that he will provide a positive tone and very useful data,” offered John Church, Team Principal. “Scott ran for us in USF2000 and we’ve watched him mature into one of the best young drivers in open-wheel racing. Kyle and Parker should benefit from having Scott with us, and it’s great to have Kevin under the tent as well. We think that he’ll be able to challenge for the Expert class win this weekend.”
Connery and Nicklin return to competition primed to build off a challenging weekend at Barber Motorsports Park two weeks ago. Connery sits ninth in the championship standings, but knows that he has the speed to run in the top five, as was evident at the St. Petersburg season opener when he finished fifth in the second race of the doubleheader. Nicklin is focused on continued driver development and he has steadily cut the gap to the leaders with each weekend, as he is visiting every facility for the first time. Where the veteran drivers are looking to shave off tenths of a second, Parker is finding much more between each session.
Hargrove scored three Pro Mazda Championship wins in 2014 en route to second in the championship, and he won both main events here on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course last year. The Canadian made the jump to the Indy Lights series this year and contested the opening round at St. Petersburg, running to an impressive fourth-place finish with 8Star Motorsports. Scott is working diligently to assemble the funding to return to the Indy Lights program, and JDC MotorSports is proud to have him run with the team this weekend. Scott will driver the #19 BCPitCrew.com / Race Energy Performance entry.
Alvin, Ill.’s Davis, who runs at the Autobahn Country Club in its Pro Mazda series, won nine of 10 events last year and is excited to take on three other Expert class competitors this weekend in the #44 Quicklube Pro Mazda. The 44-year-old will be making his first start in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, and it is also his first time running at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Like many racers, getting the opportunity to run at this famed circuit is a dream and Davis is already enjoying himself during pre-event testing.
The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires drivers will be on-track for two 30-minute practice sessions on Thursday at 9:15 am and 2:15 pm Eastern. The series will run the make-up race that was rained out at NOLA Motorsports Park at 5:55 pm that evening. The Pro Mazda drivers will qualify on the morning of Friday, May 8 at 10:15, ahead of the official ‘opening’ race of the doubleheader at 2:00 pm. The second main event, and third of the weekend, will take place at 12:15 pm on Saturday, May 9. Team followers can tune into live play-by-play and live timing by downloading the new ‘Road to Indy’ app in iTunes or the Google Play store. You can also follow through the series website – www.promazda.com.
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from RedLineOil.com, HR Sportswear and Showdown Displays.
Kyle Connery - #91
Age: 23
Hometown: Stuart, Fla.
Residence: Vero Beach, FL
Sponsors: Hi-Tide Boat Lifts, SeaRock, Connery Concrete
Driver Quote: “I'm excited that we are having a make-up race from NOLA. It gives us a chance to claw back some valuable points in the championship. My engineer Tim (Lewis) and I briefed about Indy before we left Barber and we have a different strategy for the weekend that will hopefully make a difference for me in qualifying. Aside from that, the track itself is going to be an incredible show. Not just for the fans, but for us as well. Indy provides plenty of passing opportunities and an unbelievable draft.”
Scott Hargrove - #19
Age: 20
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Residence: Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Sponsors: BCPitCrews.com, Race Energy Performance
Driver Quote: “I’ve been spoiled with high horsepower, high downforce and flappy paddle shifters recently while driving the new Indy Lights car, so it will be fun to get back in a Pro Mazda car and see if I still have what it takes! I have great memories from this event last year, where I won both races, so needless to say I’m excited to get a shot of backing that up this year. In 2012, I ran with JDC in USF2000, they are a great group and I expect we will be up to speed right away. Thanks to JDC for bringing me on board this weekend, I can’t wait to be back in a car!”
Parker Nicklin - #26
Age: 18
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.
Sponsors: Just Let It Ring, Nicklin Property Management, OMG Media Solutions
Driver Quote: “The track is new to me, but from the track time I've had today (Wednesday testing), I know I will enjoy the track. This is a race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so it holds a special place in my heart because of all the historical races and legends that have driven this track."
Kevin Davis - #44
Age: 44
Hometown: Alvin, Ill.
Sponsors: Quicklube
Driver Quote: “Indy has been a dream of mine ever since I was a child, so I’m just living the dream. I’m running my own car this weekend under the guidance of JDC and working with their engineering staff has been great.”
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.