MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – One of the key components of the Mazda Road to Indy is the focus on driver development through a calculated combination of permanent road courses, temporary street circuits and ovals. The IndyCar Series will run a total of six oval races in 2014, so training the young up-and-coming MRTI drivers to excel at this unique discipline is extremely important. The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires drivers get their first of two oval experiences for the year at the annual ‘Night Before the 500’ event, with their second chance to sample high-speed speedway racing coming at the Milwaukee Mile in August. Multi-time championship winning race team JDC MotorSports will bring two drivers to Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend (May 24), with the talented pairing of Ryan Booth and Michael Johnson taking on the Pro Mazda contingent. Both drivers showed well in the Road to Indy test session that was held at the track last Tuesday (May 13), and they’re now ready to take to the track in search of continued improvement and ultimate success.
North Carolina driver Ryan Booth has transitioned back to open wheel racing following two years running in the prototype sports car ladder system, and he’s quickly coming to grips with the dynamics of the Pro Mazda racecar. Booth has showed great consistency in the three event weekends thus far, finishing all but one race in the top-10. On the Indy road course, Booth was the driver to watch in Race #1, charging through the grid to fight for the lead. The team is thrilled with his abilities and focused aggression, and they believe they will be able to challenge for wins this year.
“Our testing at Lucas Oil Raceway went well,” confirmed Booth, who will run in his first ever open wheel oval race this weekend. “We were down on pace a bit in the first two sessions, but we found out that our APV valve was malfunctioning, which was causing us to be down on power. This is why we test and the JDC crew did a great job diagnosing the problem. So we went out in the last session and I was basically starting over with a significant speed change. I think with a little more practice and a couple tweaks in the car, we will be right there. Driving the oval is just a lot different, so the race will be even more interesting. I'm stoked for it!”
Johnson continues his focus on gaining seat time in his Pro Mazda car, having graduated from the USF2000 series in the off-season. Michael’s tale is a tremendous story of a paraplegic race car driver who is totally dedicated to racing in the Indianapolis 500, a journey fueled by passion and an undying competitive fire. While he lost the use of his lower body in a motorcycle racing accident back in 2005, his love of motorsports continues and the Mazda Road to Indy has provided a clear path for development and motivation. A key component to Michael’s opportunity to race has been the development of his electronic hand controls, which are always evolving. The JDC team has been battling some electrical gremlins of late, but they are confident that the problems have been addressed. Johnson had a solid outing during the test day at Lucas Oil Raceway last week.
“The test at LOR went pretty good,” Johnson said, having run on the track in both 2012 and 2013 in a JDC USF2000 car. “I was learning every session and understanding what the car will do on my own and in traffic. I'm really looking forward to getting back on-track on Friday and the race on Saturday. It should be a lot of fun!”
The annual ‘Night Before the 500’ event at the 5/8-mile oval at Lucas Oil Raceway will take place on May 24. The team will spend Friday at the facility, as the Pro Mazda series will be on-track for two extended practice sessions in the afternoon and evening. Single-car qualifying begins on Saturday afternoon, with the Pro Mazda drivers qualifying at 4:55 pm. The race is set for 8:25 pm. Live timing and streaming audio play-by-play will be available on the series website.
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.