Speed and Potential Shown by JDC MotorSports in St. Pete
 April 6, 2015| 
  • Team News

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla  – There were both highs and lows for JDC MotorSports’ Pro Mazda drivers this past weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, but that can happen when you put two series sophomores and two freshmen on a temporary street circuit in the opening event of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires.  The first two rounds of the series were held on March 27-29 in the Florida Gulf Coast city, and in front of a packed house, JDC’s drivers delivered four top-ten results and a best finish of fifth in Sunday’s second race, courtesy of Kyle Connery, who performed extremely well in his home state.

“Our team showed great pace all weekend, and I’m very excited by what we’ve brought to the Pro Mazda Championship for 2015,” offered John Church, JDC MotorSports’ Team Principal. “Kyle has a renewed focus and it showed with a pair of top-10s and a huge fifth on Sunday, while Raoul (Owens) was fast all weekend and is ready to contend. I think he would have fought for podium if he hadn’t been taken out on the opening lap of Race 2. Parker (Nicklin) had a great debut, as well, and was unlucky to get caught up in the same wreck on Sunday.”

The success of the weekend came with heavy hearts, however. The JDC staff and drivers needed to band together during the event after long-time JDC pilot Michael Johnson made hard contact with the concrete wall in Turns 3 and 4 during the opening round of Friday practice. The popular driver was injured in the accident and was taken to the local hospital, where he remains under the watchful care of the medical staff.  The entire team sends their best wishes to Michael during his recovery, and they look forward to his inevitable return.

The initial practice sessions on Friday went well, although a damp track for the afternoon run obviously hindered the overall set-up chase.  Owens was fast out of the gate on an unfamiliar track, sitting seventh in his first stint before jumping to second in the challenging damp session.  Connery’s approach was focused on playing it smart, and after timing in with the 12th fastest time in the slick morning session, he was up to seventh for Practice 2.  Nicklin’s weekend journey was characterized by massive speed improvements, as he matched his morning pace despite the ‘wet’ conditions.

After rains washed any rubber from Friday’s action, the track was green and lacked grip for Saturday morning qualifying. While Owens was fast during the first half of the 30-minute session, a mechanical issue precluded him from the often-standard late-session new tire run and he ended up seventh in the final order.  Connery was 12th to begin the weekend, while Nicklin cut over three seconds off his practice pace to sit 15th in the order.

In Race 1, Owens led the JDC trio into battle and came home seventh after an entertaining battle with St. Pete veterans Jose Gutierrez and Dalton Kellett, both of whom have much more experience on the track and in the series.  Connery finished tenth to begin the season, while Nicklin was 12th in his series debut.  The second race of the doubleheader was held on Sunday morning under sunny skies, providing the best conditions of the weekend as the track had rubbered up through Saturday after Friday night’s rainstorm.  The field was able to navigate its way through the opening corner at the green flag, but chaos erupted in Turn 4 when Patricio O’Ward was overly-aggressive in trying to gain two positions under braking, and he hit Owens in the right rear, sending him spinning on corner exit.  Connery was somehow able to avoid the ensuing carnage, while Nicklin was not so lucky, getting collected in the middle of the melee. Owens lost a lap during the cleanup and recovery and after replacing his nose, he returned to the track and ran wisely to finish 10th, in what could be an important point-scoring position by the end of the year.  Nicklin eventually returned and finished 11th. Connery’s quick reflexes put him clear of the incident and in a bid for fourth, as the late going of the race featured a thrilling battle with Santiago Urritia.  Kyle was aggressive, but considered the implication of an incident and wisely brought the car home in fifth.

When the dust settled, Connery sits fifth in the point standings leaving St. Petersburg, while Owens is ninth.  Nicklin emerged with a pair of top-12 finishes and is 12th on the points chart.  The drivers will now look forward to the third and fourth rounds of the Pro Mazda Championship, which take place on April 10-12 at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, LA.

JDC MOTORSPORTS – PRO MAZDA DRIVER STATS AND QUOTES

Kyle Connery - #91

Qualified: 12th – 1:12.457 (+0.781 secs)

Race #1: 10th

Race #2: 5th

Driver Quote: “St. Pete was an all-new beginning for me, and the team. I had a new mechanic, a new engineer, a new everything. Heading into the weekend, we looked at St. Pete in a cautious manner. Obviously, the extra danger of a temporary street circuit presents a challenge to everyone. Interestingly enough, I met my new engineer on Thursday morning for the first time. We had never spoken up until the engineering briefing. It didn't take us long to get with the program, however. By the second practice, we were in the top-10, and focused on qualifying. Unfortunately, we missed the setup for qualifying, and making contact in the opening lap didn't help matters any. Race 2, however, was an entirely different story. The driving style that Tim (Lewis) and I had been working on was beginning to click for me, at least mentally. For the first time in a long time, waiting in pre-grid, I was entirely calm. I felt hungry to get the car where it belongs. After taking the green, we immediately started moving forward. Making it through the carnage in turn 4, we went to work on the guys in front of us. Throughout the race, we showed great pace, but most importantly, I made very few mistakes. This is going to be key to making a championship run. We didn't have the pace of guys like Neil (Alberico), but we're getting much closer. The last lap scrap was incredible. We had a chance at fourth, however, looking back, I'm happy with the result. Next time. Now on to NOLA, and although it's a new track for me, I'm confident we can improve upon what we learned in St. Pete.”

Raoul Owens - #19

Qualified: 7th - 1:11.908 (+0.232 secs)

Race #1: 6th

Race #2: 10th

Driver Quote: “'It was my first time on a street circuit, so it was a great challenge for sure. It really puts your focus to the test, as there is no room for error. Practice went fairly well and the car felt good and our pace in qualifying was great during the mid-part of the session. It was a shame that I had to pit early due to a mechanical issue as it allowed everyone to post a quick time at the end. In Race 1, I had no reading from my dash, so I had to guess when to shift and what gear I was in, which made things very difficult, along with the fact I was around five horsepower down due to mechanical glitch. Managing sixth under these circumstances was damage limitation in terms of points, for sure. Race two could have been a podium result for sure, but I was hit midway through Turn 4 by Patricio O'Ward, which spun me around, also causing quite a bit of carnage afterwards. This put me a lap down and I had to pit for a front wing. Once I caught back up to the field, I decided to stick to the back of the pack rather than try anything crazy and ruin other drivers’ races. It was a frustrating weekend for sure, but we know we had good pace and can come back strong in the following rounds. The championship is still very close. It has not been won yet.”

Parker Nicklin - #26

Qualified: 15th – 1:13.341 (+1.638 secs)

Race #1: 12th

Race #2: 11th

Driver Quote: “I got caught up in the tangle of an accident in the first lap (in Race 2). We had a bit of a struggle getting the wing off. It was a challenging race. Things could have gone better. In the end, I am happy with my performance. Looking forward to the next race in the Big Easy at NOLA Motorsports Park!”

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.

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