MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The first of back-to-back Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires events in Canada ultimately proved to be a successful affair for JDC MotorSports, as the three-time series champion overcame setbacks to exit Rounds Seven and Eight on the streets of Toronto, Ont. with another podium finish and two racers earning their best results to date. Juan Piedrahita scored his second top-three finish in as many events with a third place result in race two, while Meyer and Read just missed trips to the post-race celebrations with fourth place finishes in race two and one respectively. The Minnesota-based squad and the talented trio are now ready to build on that momentum when the action resumes in under seven days at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
With a proven race-winning record on street circuits, the JDC MotorSports squad was excited to go back racing left and right on the street circuit within the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. While the fast and bumpy 1.755-mile track certainly presented multiple obstacles to overcome, the trio of Meyer, Piedrahita, and Read were confident they were up to the challenge.
As planned, the opening two practice runs on Friday were spent working on getting the cars setup for the late afternoon qualifying session and the two races. While the focus was not on a fast lap, Piedrahita indicated his intentions early on, posting the second best lap in both sessions in the No. 9 Petrosur/Sisolec/GFK Motors/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry.
When the cars rolled back on-course for the 30-minute timed run later in the day to determine the grid for race one of the Toronto doubleheader, Piedrahita once again led the charge. Further solidifying his position as a potential challenger for top honors in Canada, the Colombian ended the run P2. Meyer, who calls Toronto home, secured a row four starting position with the eighth best lap, while Read, who had never seen the street circuit prior to the opening session, was P9.
Returning to the cockpits early Saturday morning, the JDC racers were focused on getting a good launch when the green flag waved for Round Seven. When the action did get underway, it featured mixed results for the trio. Piedrahita enjoyed a solid get away, holding second place despite some heated pressure from behind. Meyer was less fortunate as an electrical issue with his No. 66 Damis Partners III/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports sent him to pitlane almost immediately. Read meanwhile ran mistake-free lap after lap, steadily working his way forward. Just as it appeared Piedrahita was on his way to a second consecutive trip to the post-race podium, he began losing vast amounts of rear grip. Having lost not only second, but also third place, the cause became apparent two laps before the checkered flag waved, when his right rear tire failed, relegating him to pitlane. Read, however, kept the spirits up in the JDC pits, capitalizing on every opportunity to bring home the No. 16 Read Motorsports/Aerocraft Design/Maaco/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry in fourth place, a series-best result for the Welsh racer.
After a full day of repairs, analysis, and strategy, it was time to go back racing on Sunday morning under bright and sunny skies. As expected, the opening couple laps featured plenty of jostling for positions. Both Piedrahita and Meyer proved adept at making up places, with Piedrahita jumping into second, and Meyer cracking the top-five. With Read also enjoying a good start, the trio settled into running a fast, but comfortable pace. Despite Piedrahita subsequently developing shifting issues, he remained in contention for a podium position lap after lap. Just as it appeared all three JDC racers would enjoy a strong result, Read's race came to an abrupt end after contact from behind via another racer. While the incident dampened the mood under the JDC awning, the race ended on high note, as Piedrahita and Read crossing the line in fourth and fifth, before subsequently being promoted to third and fourth following a penalty to the initial third place driver. Piedrahita as a result secured his second top-three of the season, while Read earned his best result thus far in his rookie campaign.
"What a weekend," stated Piedrahita. "The guys once again gave me a rocket ship! The car felt so good in all the practice and qualifying sessions. During the races we had some small issues that didn't allow us to show our true potential, but I'm quiet please with the third place in race two. We will keep pushing forward."
"This weekend was 99% positive for myself," commented Read. "We scored our first top-five with P4 in race one, picked up P3 points, and also got the hard charger award! It was an excellent first race. It was disappointing to be taken out in race two by a fellow competitor not following the series rules, but we won't let that happen again. Overall it was an amazing weekend!"
The JDC MotorSports crew and trio have little time to reflect on the results from Toronto, as the chase for Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires supremacy immediately resumes this weekend (July 20-21), with two more races at the high-speed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport). The action gets underway with two promoter test day sessions on Thursday (July 18). Friday (July 19) features two 30-minute practice racing runs, with the lone qualifying session early Saturday morning prior to Round Nine at 11:40 am local time. The doubleheader concludes on Sunday with Round 10 slated to get underway at 4:20 pm local time. Live timing and scoring is available at www.starmazda.com/timing. The three-time series champion squad travels to the Bowmanville, Ont., road course sitting fourth in the team standings, while Meyer, Read, and Piedrahita are seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively in the championship chase.
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from RedLineOil.com
Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsport.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075
Learn more about Zack Meyer at ZackMeyer.ca and keep up to date via Twitter @ ZackMeyer66
Learn more about Juan Piedrahita at JuanchoPiedrahitac.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Juanpc9 and Facebook @ Juan Diego Piedrahita "Juancho"
Learn more about Lloyd Read at LloydReadRacing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ LloydRead16
and Facebook @ Lloyd Read Racing
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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 in 2012, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up.