BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – One of the keys to success in motorsports is being able to bounce back quickly from a challenging weekend, and JDC MotorSports’ trio of pilots in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires are focused on doing exactly that this weekend (April 24-26) at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. With tough conditions, torrential rain and an eventual race cancellation punctuating a difficult weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park just two weeks ago, starting with a fresh slate will be perfect for Kyle Connery, Raoul Owens and Parker Nicklin. Connery and Owens have both posted strong finishes this year, and the rookie Nicklin continues to improve his pace. Owens was the only JDC driver to run at Barber during the Cooper Tires Winterfest series in February, and he scored a fourth in the first race of the event, which provides him with much confidence heading into the weekend.
“We’re looking forward to getting on-track at Barber and beginning our work dialing the cars in for our drivers,” commented John Church, JDC MotorSports Co-Owner. “Raoul ran well during Winterfest and with the two test sessions on Thursday, I’m sure we’ll be able to dial in the right set-up for our guys. We’re really excited about the weekend.”
Connery is focused on redeeming himself after a hard wreck in NOLA, and he wants to rekindle the momentum he had from the opening round in St. Petersburg, where he scored his career best finish of fifth. The Florida driver did not participate in Winterfest, but he does have experience on the track from his rookie season in 2014. Owens scored a solid fourth at Barber during Winterfest and he has been very racy this year, keeping his name near the top of the time charts at every event. Nicklin comes into the event having never run on the 2.3-mile 17-turn natural terrain course, so he will use the initial sessions to get a feel for the track ahead of the weekend’s wheel-to-wheel action.
The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires drivers will receive two test sessions on Thursday. They will start the day on Friday, April 24 with a practice session at 8:00 CDT ahead of qualifying at 3:15 pm CDT. The opening race of the doubleheader will be run on Saturday, April 25 at 10:15 am CDT while the morning of Sunday, April 26 will feature their second race at 9:00 am CDT. 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."
JDC MOTORSPORTS – PRO MAZDA DRIVERS
Kyle Connery - #91
Age: 23
Hometown: Stuart, Florida
Residence: Vero Beach, FL
Sponsors: Hi-Tide Boat Lifts, SeaRock, Connery Concrete
2015 Record:
Point Standings: 9th
Best Finish: 5th – St. Petersburg – Race 2
Driver Quote: “Barber will be a weekend of redemption for the 91 crew. It’s no secret that we had a "character building" weekend at NOLA. But, we're a team and I know I have a great one beside me. We have some work to do to charge back in the championship, but I'm confident that we can get it back. I'm putting NOLA behind me and focusing forward at the task at hand this weekend.”
Raoul Owens - #19
Age: 20
Hometown: Pembury, England
Residence: Boston, Massashucetts
Sponsors: Brightspark Ventures
2015 Record:
Point Standings: 11th
Best Finish: 7th – St. Petersburg – Race 1
Driver Quote: “I think Barber is a good opportunity for us to score some good points. We did the Winterfest there and we had solid pace. I have been working very hard for this race to prepare myself thoroughly. I want to give the team and myself the best chance of winning races for the remainder of the year. I have had a lot of bad luck this year so far and I want to turn that around this weekend into some good results."
Parker Nicklin - #26
Age: 18
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Residence: Indianapolis, IN
Sponsors: Just Let It Ring, Nicklin Property Management, OMG Media Solutions
2015 Record:
Point Standings: 15th
Best Finish: 12th – St. Petersburg – Race 2
Driver Quote: “I have one goal this weekend…WIN! I know I have to qualify in the top-10 to have a chance at winning. I plan to bring my A-game. Thanks to my sponsors, family and JDC MotorSports, I get to do what I love most!”
JDC MOTORSPORTS - TEAM INFORMATION:
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.