Joel Miller and Chuck Hulse enter Round Nine in contention for the championship titles, while Otero travels to Ontario following his best result to date in Trois-Rivieres
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (August 19, 2008) – JDC MotorSports continued its defense of the Star Mazda Championship with a strong outing over the weekend (August 16-17) on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, which will certainly help propel them into the second stop of the Canadian portion of the 2008 schedule at Mosport International Raceway on August 23-24. Rookie standout Joel Miller remained in the hunt for the championship title, just missing out on a podium finish via fourth place result in Quebec. Fellow series rookie Ernesto Otero enjoyed his best result to date in Trois-Rivieres, crossing the stripe in sixth place. In the Masters category, JDC’s Chuck Hulse remained the championship leader with his fifth class win of the season. Team co-owner Gerry Kraut, having missed the race in Quebec, will return to the cockpit for Round Nine in Ontario.
After a less than desirable finish to the previous race in Wisconsin, Miller entered the single-race event in Trois-Rivieres motivated to return to the top of the charts. Getting behind the wheel of his No. 20 MAZDASPEED/K&N Air Filters/Sparco/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, the talented young driver was immediately among the frontrunners on the tight street circuit. Miller, who is racing in the series in large part due to the MAZADASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder program, was among the top-five in the two practice sessions before earning a row-two stating position (fourth) in Saturday qualifying. Getting a good launch from the standing start come race day and avoiding any incidents in the first turn, the Californian ran an uneventful race in Round Eight, crossing the stripe in fourth place. With the result, Miller retains third in the championship fight, just nine points adrift of the lead, entering Round Nine at Mosport.
While the renowned street circuit in Trois-Rivieres has a history of making life difficult for even the most seasoned drivers, Otero obviously enjoyed his first trip to the track. The Colombian rookie, having used the opening practice session to become acquainted to the twisty concrete-lined course, was soon among the leaders entering qualifying. Driving the No. 18 Brazilian Green Beef/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports entry he continued to show his pace in the 45-minute session on Saturday morning, securing fifth place for the race. Part of a multi-car fight position right from the lights going green, Otero not only kept his nose clean on race day, but also showed superb racecraft en route his best result of the season, a solid sixth. Traveling to the high-speed road course just east of Toronto, Ont., this coming weekend, Otero lies tenth in the championship fight, one point back of the driver ahead of him in the standings.
Given that Chuck Hulse has been the driver to beat in the Masters Series for the past two races, it came as little surprise that the Californian was again a driver worth watching in Quebec. Piloting the No. 12 Silicon Salvage/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, Hulse was a model of consistency in the lead up to the Round Eight race, posting the 14th and 15th fastest times in the two practice sessions, before qualifying 14th for the 40-lap affair. Showing good speed and car control on the twisty street circuit, Hulse advanced two positions during the race, crossing the stripe in 12th for his fifth Masters Series win of 2008. Following a few days exploring the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario between races, Hulse will roll on-course at Mosport as the Masters Series championship leader by over 30 points.
Having missed the race in Trois-Rivieres due to work commitments, Kraut will return to his No. 55 Dougherty & Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports car at Mosport. Entering the event, the Minnesota driver is second in the Masters Series championship fight, with one class win and four runner-up finishes in 2008.
As part of the American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Mosport, the action gets underway at Mosport International Raceway for JDC MotorSports Star Mazda Championship drivers on Thursday (August 21st) with two test sessions. Following two practice sessions one day later, race day (August 23rd) will feature a 45-minute morning qualifying session prior to the lights going green for Round Nine at 3:50 p.m. local time.
Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com. For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075.
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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 driver and team titles last season, as well as Rookie of the Year honors with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. This coming season, JDC MotorSports enters multi-car teams in both the Star Mazda Championship and F2000 Championship Series.
Attached Files:
Photo: 300 x 192 web-ready
Potential Caption: Ernesto Otero scored his best result to date on the historic Trois-Rivieres street circuit (Photo: Star Mazda Championship – Eric McCombs)
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