Team’s driving trio heads to NOLA Motorsports Park with optimism and excitement
NEW ORLEANS, La. – JDC MotorSports will arrive at the second stop of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires with a great deal of optimism, thanks to the momentum they gained at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March. As the team and its drivers prepare for the IndyCar Grand Prix of Louisiana at NOLA Motorsport Park this weekend (April 1-12), they will be motivated by the fact that they posted four top-10 finishes in the season opener, including a career best finish of fifth by Florida’s Kyle Connery. UK-born driver Raoul Owens showed impressive pace in his first official Pro Mazda event in taking seventh in the opening race of the weekend, while series rookie Parker Nicklin improved his pace in leaps and bounds during the five sessions provided to the series’ drivers over the course of three days in Florida.
This weekend’s event in New Orleans provides a return to one of the Cooper Tires Winterfest venues for the teams of the Pro Mazda Championship, as NOLA Motorsports Park hosted the first three races of the series. That said, only one of JDC MotorSports’ pilots, Owens, will be back in action as both Connery and Nicklin were not part of Winterfest action. Long-time JDC driver Michael Johnson joined Owens during the pre-season event, although the Flint, MI pilot remains in the hospital care following his incident in St. Petersburg and will not be racing this weekend. In the first three races of Winterfest, which was held in late February, Owens posted a pair of top-10 finishes, including a stellar fourth in Race 1. Considering the pace he showed in St. Petersburg in his Brightspark Ventures-backed #19, the rookie will be gunning for a podium finish in NOLA. The threat for wet weather is very real as the forecast calls for precipitation every day of the weekend. Owens has significant rain experience from his years running Formula Renault in England, and the former South African resident who now calls Boston, MA home is fired up for the potential onslaught of rain.
Coming off his best Pro Mazda finish ever, Connery is excited to get back behind the wheel of the #91 Hi-Tide Boat Lifts JDC entry. The call for a wet weekend has Kyle excited to get on-track, and he revels in the chance to explore the grip levels and turn in a strong performance. Likewise, Nicklin will look to continue his impressive development from Florida, again being challenged by a new facility. Parker will pilot the #26 ‘Let It Ring’ Pro Mazda in the wet for the first time.
The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires drivers will receive two practice sessions on Friday, the opening day of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (8:45 am and 2:45 pm). Qualifying is scheduled for 8:45 am on Saturday morning, ahead of Race #1 at 1:30 pm. The second race of the doubleheader is set for 9:50 am on Sunday, March 29.
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
Driver Quote: “The Grand Prix of Louisiana is going to be an incredible fight. Yes, we had a chance to observe during Winterfest. However, I think the action is going to be identical to the fantastic racing we saw last May at Indy. The track has long straights heading into tricky braking zones that give the illusion of wide open space. As much action as we saw in St. Pete, I think we're going to see guys making up for lost ground. Either way, I'm excited for this weekend. We've already shown we have pace, I just need to tie it all together in qualifying so that we have a better chance to win.
Raoul Owens - #19
Age: 20
Hometown: Pembury, England
Residence: Boston, Massashucetts
Sponsors: Brightspark Ventures
Driver Quote: “I think NOLA will be a good opportunity for us to make up some points and pull ourselves into the top-three in the championship, where I believe I should be. I think without any mechanical issues or unnecessary incidents, this is possible. We competed in the Winterfest at NOLA and learnt a lot, so we can jump straight in with a set-up we know. I am excited for this coming weekend and I think we have a great chance of taking podium finishes."
Parker Nicklin - #26
Age: 18
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Residence: Indianapolis, IN
Sponsors: Just Let It Ring, Nicklin Property Management, OMG Media Solutions
Driver Quote: “I am excited to head to Louisiana not just to race, but also to experience the New Orleans culture and try some of the amazing food that it has to offer.”
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.