Booth, Connery, Johnson, and Piria set to lead charge on Florida street circuit
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – Three-time champion JDC MotorSports commences the chase for another Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires title this weekend (March 29-30) with a skilled four-car effort in Florida. Ryan Booth, Kyle Connery, Michael Johnson and Vicky Piria will get behind the wheels, focused on adding to the Minnesota-based squad's winning pedigree during the season-opening doubleheader, as part of the full Mazda Road to Indy program on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Since first entering the Pro Mazda Championship, JDC MotorSports has been committed to developing drivers and challenging for top honors. Year after year that trend has continued, and it is poised to continue in 2014. This time around, a talented four-car effort will be represented by up-and-comers Connery, Johnson, Booth, and Piria.
Connery, a 22 year-old native of Florida, is ready to build on a brief initial series run one year ago, and a race-winning resume. The No. 91 SeaRock/Connery Concrete/CleanAir Technologies/Red Line Oil/HR-Sportswear pilot showcased both speed and racecraft right from the get go in a Pro Mazda car, securing a top-10 result in his debut against more experienced competitors on one of the most technical tracks in North America. Connery has since followed that up with another top-10 result during his lone pre-season Winterfest event. The fact that he has 10 F2000 Championship Series wins and was the series runner-up last season, the stage is set for a front-running effort to start 2014 for Connery.
Johnson will once again make history, becoming the first paralyzed racer in series competition when the JDC contingent rolls on-course in St. Petersburg. The No. 54 Universal Coating/SpeediCath/FlatOutNation.com/Alpinestars/Bell/Red Line Oil/HR-Sportswear racer is not focused on that accomplishment, but rather continuing his development in and out of the cockpit. Reuniting with JDC MotorSports for a third season, the 21 year-old Johnson has impressed during the off-season in his hand-controlled racing steed, taking home three top-10 finishes and a top-five race lap in the four-race Winterfest series.
Both Booth and Piria will make their Pro Mazda debuts in Florida, having only recently just joined forces with the multiple series champions in JDC. Booth enters the second rung of the Mazda Road to Indy program with a race-winning record in both the junior formula car and prototype racing ranks. The 21 year-old made an immediate impression after karting, winning the Formula TR Pro Series 1600 title as a rookie. Additional success in Formula Asia followed, before he subsequently made the move to Prototype Lites competition back in North American. With a seven win, runner-up run in last year's championship now under his belt, Booth is back in the open-wheel ranks poised to further highlight his talents.
Italian driver Piria, new to North American competition, enters the season-opening twin bill with plenty of formula car experience. For the past five seasons, the 20 year-old has contested several championships in Europe, steadily working her way up the motorsports ladder. Most recently Piria developed her talents in the highly-regarded GP3 Series and competitive European F3 Open series. The goal now is to gel with the skilled JDC squad and commence the 2014 campaign with a strong debut run.
While racing on the 1.8-mile concrete-lined street circuit in St. Petersburg is sure to provide plenty of challenges, Booth, Connery, Johnson, and Piria will have added the benefit of experience and success from its championship-winning squad. JDC MotorSports has repeatedly overcome the demands of street racing, securing numerous trips to the post-race podium celebrations, including past visits in St. Petersburg.
The on-track chase for Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires glory starts for the foursome on Friday (March 28) with two practice sessions. The JDC MotorSports racers lone qualifying session around the St. Petersburg street circuit takes place one day later, with race one of the opening twin-header slated to get the green flag at 5:35 pm local time. Race two of the Verizon IndyCar Series event is scheduled for 10:30 am local time on Sunday (March 30). Live timing and audio will be available at ProMazdaChampionship.com/results/live-timing.
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from RedLineOil.com and HR-Sportswear.com.
Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website, jdcmotorsport.com. For direct contact, please contact John Church at 952-233-3075.
Keep up to date with Ryan booth via Twitter @RyanBoothRacing and Facebook at Ryan Booth Racing.
Learn more about Kyle Connery at KyleConnery.com and keep up to date via Twitter @K_Connery91 and Facebook at Kyle Connery.
Learn more about Michael Johnson at MichaelJohnsonRacing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @Racer54isCool and Facebook at Michael Johnson Racing Videos also available on YouTube @ Michael Johnson Racing.
Keep up to date with Vicky Piria via Twitter @VickyPiria and Facebook at Vicky Piria.
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 Phillippi, 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.