Piedrahita leads three-car effort in Round Six with superb runner-up finish
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – JDC MotorSports ended the mid-season oval portion of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in fine fashion on Friday (June 14), taking home a well deserved runner-up finish at the Milwaukee Mile. Juan Piedrahita re-ignited his season with a strong second place result in Round Six, while Zack Meyer and Lloyd Read ran a mistake-free race to score top-10 finishes and valuable points. The Minnesota-based squad is now poised to build on this result as it continues its quest for a fourth series title.
With one oval already in the 2013 record books, and coming off a solid official test day outing at the high-speed Wisconsin oval, JDC MotorSports' talented trio of Piedrahita, Meyer, and Read were looking forward to Round Six at the Milwaukee Mile.
Giving the drivers and teams a potential feel for the night race conditions, the action commenced at the historic track on Thursday via a late afternoon test run. The session proved to be a mixed affair for the JDC contingent. While Piedrahita showed good speed in the No. 9 Petrosur/Sisolec/GFK Motors/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports racer, ultimately ending up P3 on the timecharts, both Meyer and Read were unable to find the balance they desired to go after a quick lap.
When race day officially got underway with a pair of practice sessions, the goal under the JDC awning was to continue to fine-tune the cars in preparation for single-car qualifying, and the subsequent 90-lap race. Given the track time and data/information gained during the two outings, drivers and crew were confident entering qualifying.
The single-car timed session featured each racer getting two flying laps to post the best combined time. Piedrahita promptly showcased his skills behind the wheel, securing his first front-row start of the season with the second best time. In what was slicker conditions than many expected via IndyCar rubber, Read was next among the JDC contingent, turning the ninth quickest time in the No. 16 Read Motorsports/Aerocraft Design/Maaco/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, while Meyer made it an all JDC fifth row with the 10th best two-lap time.
After a short break, it was time to go racing on the flat and fast track. As expected, the 90-lap feature proved to be exciting to watch, with all three JDC cars involved in battles for positions. Up front, Piedrahita dealt with not only pressure from behind, but also increased slower traffic as the race progressed. The Colombian, who now resides in Indianapolis, Ind., however, was up to the challenge, never placing a wheel wrong en route to a hard fought, and well deserved runner-up finish. Behind the podium man, Meyer and Read spent a good portion of the race dicing one another. In the end, the No. 66 Damis Partners III/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry of Meyer was first to the line in eighth, edging his teammate Read in ninth.
"JDC gave me a rocket ship this past weekend at the Milwaukee Mile," stated Piedrahita. "I can't thank them enough for their hard work. I think our season has just begun, and now we will have some nice momentum going!"
The 2013 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires now takes a break until July 13-14, when the cars get back on track with the first of back-to-back events in Canada. JDC MotorSports enters Rounds Seven and Eight on the streets of Toronto fourth in the team standings, while Meyer, Read, and Piedrahita are seventh, eighth, and 12th respectively in the championship chase.
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.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
###
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.