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Ryan Ellis – Driver VW TDI Cup Spec Miata What I do in my spare time… Business Marketing major at George Mason University Driving Instructor at Allsports Grand Prix Indoor Karting Center Defenseman on George Mason University’s Inline Hockey Club Member of Kappa Sigma fraternity |
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Heads to New Jersey For Round Three of 2010 Season Friday, May 7, 2010 Well, I never would’ve expected to be in the spot I am right now. Two races in, I have two poles, and two wins. Last year, I couldn’t podium for my life. But, it’s a new year and the 2010 season promises to be an exciting one. Never have I ever been so excited to head into a race weekend. I have never studied so much track tape, diagrams, and data going into a race before. I have been studying so much NJMP and Miller Motorsports Park (Round 4) data my head is starting to spin. Most people would be inclined to tell me that this is the beginning of where I should be “points racing”. But, the first two races were only half points, meaning if I finish second and Juan Pablo takes the win, I am tied for the lead even though I have two wins a second, and he has two seconds and one win. This weekend is a weekend for me to OPEN up a points lead, not hold it. Timmy Megenbier won the points championship last year by dominating the series, not by letting it come to him. Don’t expect me to do any high-risk moves this weekend, but don’t expect the #6 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Car to be sitting back on it’s heels. The way I look at it, it’s race 2 out of 9, not 3/10.
RACE PREVIEW Ryan Ellis Comes To Garden State with Lead in Series Point Standings Race Information 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup – Round 3 About the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport’s up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel powered Jetta TDI’s. Each driver competing in the Series earns a professional racing license from SCCA Pro Racing at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the Series Champion receives Volkswagen factory career advancement support with a value up to $100,000. The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. What sets the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup apart from other racing series? · The Series is the only clean diesel racing series in the United States, and Volkswagen is the only auto manufacturer participating in motorsports full time with diesel powered cars. · The TDI engine technology improves fuel economy over gasoline engines and reduces sooty emissions by 95 percent, even under demanding race conditions. The Series will consume approximately two tanks of fuel during its ten races this season. · The Jetta TDI Cup features a vehicle similar to what consumers can buy at their local Volkswagen dealerships. · Cars are maintained by Volkswagen of America, which creates a level playing field for all drivers.
News & Notes:
Volkswagen Motorsports Manager, Campbell, on the 2010 Season “Last weekend at VIR, we saw some of the cleanest and most competitive driving we’ve had in the three seasons of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup,” said Clark Campbell, Motorsports Manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Hopefully next weekend’s event at New Jersey Motorsports Park will provide fans with the same excitement. The 2010 season is off to a great start – we have a fantastic group of drivers and it’s shaping up to be the best year yet. The action at VIR really highlights the benefits of clean diesel technology and reinforces the fact that the Jetta TDI Cup is a unique and competitive form of racing.” Nine Veterans Return to New Jersey Motorsports Park – Including Race Winners This season, there are nine drivers returning to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup from last year, including 2009 race winner Jake Thompson. In Round 8 last year, Thompson led just one lap all day – the final one, on the way to his second victory of the year. Four other veteran drivers have earned top-ten finishes in Millville, including Ryan Ellis, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle, JD Mobley and Andrew Cordeiro. In addition to earning two top-ten finishes at New Jersey Motorsports Park last season, Ryan Ellis also comes to New Jersey as a two-race winner in 2010. Last weekend at VIRginia International Raceway, Ellis earned wins and poles in Rounds One and Two, marking his first career Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup victories. Can he go for the hat trick in New Jersey?
New Jersey Gets a Different Role in 2010 Last year, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup came to New Jersey Motorsports Park for Rounds 8 & 9 – leaving only one more event in the season after race weekend. This year, the race will provide the Series with its third round of action, which could mean an entirely different strategy for the drivers. Talk with them to see if moving the date on the race schedule changes the way they will prepare for race day. If a driver takes a risk next weekend and it doesn’t pay off, they still have seven races to make up points; last year there was only one race after New Jersey, so playing it safe and earning points was the smart move.
Points Double in New Jersey In order to reduce the advantage that Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup veteran drivers had over the rookies competing for the first time, the 2010 season’s first two races awarded half the points that the subsequent eight events will yield. Therefore, Ryan Ellis only earned 60 points for capturing two checkered flags last weekend, while the race winner at New Jersey Motorsports Park will earn 60 points for just one victory.
Three Drivers Within Less Than 90 Miles of New Jersey Motorsports Park When the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park, three drivers will not have far to go as they all live within 90 miles of the 2.25-mile permanent road course. AJ Severino lives just under 80 miles away in Hamilton, NJ. While two other drivers may live in other states, they are still within 90 miles of the track: Colin Thompson lives in Perkasie, PA (75 miles from the track); and AJ Nealey lives in Edgewater, MD (90 miles from the track). AJ Severino - The 2010 season marks Severino’s entry into competitive racing. In 2008, he attended a Bertil Roos five-day racing school and from that point on, Severino knew he wanted to be a racecar driver. The Hamilton, NJ native plans to learn as much as possible in his debut with the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup this season and begin to work his way up the racing ranks. At home, Severino drives a Volkswagen Jetta. Colin Thompson - Thompson started his racing career at the age of five when he began competing in Quarter Midgets of America (QMA). During his tenure in QMA, Thompson was able to record over 100 wins and several regional Championship victories. In addition, he also won the National Championship in the World Formula Class and finished second in the Senior Honda Class. In 2008, Thompson began attending Skip Barber driving schools as well as competing in their races. In addition, he began racing in Bertil Roos events in the summer of 2009. Thompson also competes in autocrosses, where he’s driven Mini Coopers and Volkswagen GTI’s; in two races driving the GTI, he’s earned a first and second place finish. Coincidentally, Thompson first learned about the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup when he attended an event at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2008. Since then, he’s always wanted to compete in the Series. His goals for this season are to run consistently in the top-ten and earn Rookie of the Year honors. AJ Nealey - Nealey started his racing career in 2002 when he began competing in SCCA-sanctioned regional autocross events. He then moved into the karting and regional sports car racing events. In 2008, Nealey won the ITA Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series Championship after winning the pole and race in each of the series’ eight events. Nealey also co-drove in several NASA-MA races in 2008, accumulating five wins and setting three track records. Nealey competed in the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup Series where he finished 12th in the Championship point standings on the strength of two podium appearances and five top-ten finishes. Nealey’s racing career goal is to compete in the American Le Mans Series.
Virginia Tech students earn their racing stripes with the Jetta TDI Cup There’s no better experience than on-the-job training, which is why nearly 20 engineering students from Virginia Tech University are taking part in the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup season. The Volkswagen Motorsports Jetta TDI Cup program allows Virginia Teach students interested in pursuing a career in motorsports with an opportunity to experience it first-hand. The students provide technical support at Volkswagen’s race shop at VIR and on the road at the Series’ ten race events. During the season, up to fifteen students will travel to each race and work alongside the Series technicians getting hands-on experience with every aspect of motorsports from changing tires to downloading data. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup program is an ideal way for students interested in a career in motorsports to learn about the industry and it provides them with the advantage of real-world experience before they enter the workplace.
Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series action on: www.vwmotorsportusa.com Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com Live Timing & Scoring: http://livetiming.net/scca/VW Live Timing & Scoring for your Mobile Device: http://livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/html.asp Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JettaTDICup Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup
About Volkswagen of America: Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Golf, GTI, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.
About SCCA Pro Racing: A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Inc. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, SCCA Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, SCCA Pro Trans-Am Series, Spec Racer Ford Pro Series and Formula Enterprises Pro Series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.
ELLIS SWEEPS THE OPENING VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP WEEKEND AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY! Saturday, April 24, 2010
Coming into this weekend, I had a goal of finishing on the podium once and hopefully finishing in the top 5 both days. With a 2009 best-finish of 7th, it seemed plausible but not out of reach. Little did I realize that I would have a weekend that I would never forget. I was fastest in practice, both qualifying sessions, and won both races by a slim margin! Day 1
Congrats to Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle who finished a close second in a hard-fought (But clean!) race and AJ Nealy who pulled some last lap heroics to pull onto the podium. Day 2
Congrats to Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle for another hard-fought second place. I have to admit though, that I was cheering for him to get that win. I know he’s worked very hard over the last three years to get one and he deserves a win. It’ll come soon Juan don’t worry. He is an amazingly fast and clean driver and I trust him no matter what the situation on the track. Also, congrats to Jake Thompson who drove an amazing race and worked through a very painful injury to finish third. I am going into the next race, Round 3 at New Jersey Motorsports Park as the points leader but not by much, 12 points. I have never felt so confident and so happy about a racing series in my life. We’ll see if it stays that way! See you guys at NJMP in two weeks! I want to thank Volkswagen, Pirelli, Oakley, Red Bull, Vion, of course, the Washington Capitals, all of our hard-working technicians, the instructors, and everyone who helped me out over the last year to get me to this point. I couldn’t be happier.
Ellis wins in Spec Miata at Summit Point! Sunday, April 18, 2010
Story to come…
Top Ten Finish at Daytona for Ellis and Hacquard in Grand-Am Debut! Saturday, January 30, 2010
Drivers today have tremendous amounts of safety equipment to keep us safe in the event of a crash. And although extremely helpful in those cases, these components can become tangled and messy during a one and a half hour driver stint. We have radio harnesses, helmet to radio wiring, wiring extensions, Grand-Am driver-ID wires (which help Grand-Am identify which driver is in the car at what time), head and neck restraint release cords, the actual HANS device, seatbelt releases, and many other things, all which we have to release or unplug while wearing gloves.
In our first practice, we did not quite know the order of events necessary to properly execute and driver change or what we needed to do to best help the other person. First pit-stop driver change time: 55 seconds. No worries, just a couple more practices. Within about 5 tries, we got down to a 32 second driver change. I realized the order of events that I needed to make things happen in. In this order, I had to: 1. unplug earpieces from my helmet 2. unplug helmet radio wiring and driver-ID wiring from the car 3. come to a complete stop, within the pit box, from the 45mph speed limit 4. loosen the seatbelts 5. move the seat backwards 6. release the seatbelts latch 7. release the steering wheel and put it on top of the dashboard 8. help Taylor with either the door or window netting 9. hop out and put the lap-belts on the sides of the seat for Taylor to find without sitting on 10. grab Taylor’s driver-ID and plug it into the car 11. grab his left-side shoulder harnesses and place them over his HANS device 12. grab the window netting and plugging the first one in 13. grab the secondary netting and latch it in 14. make sure the belt was completely in the HANS lip so it didn’t fall off 15. shut the door Now you see why we had to practice. If I had forgotten any of these fifteen steps, Taylor would either have no communication with the team or be pulled in for a stop-and-go penalty by Grand-Am. Now for the actual race-update.
I headed out for the first couple pace laps and, luckily for me, my car doesn’t require much tire-scrubbing as heat gets in the tires pretty quickly (within a couple corners). I was to start 28th place in ST and just wanted to run fast, consistent laps and stay out of trouble. Before I knew it, I was coming off of turn four at Daytona waiting for the green flag. The flag dropped, and the race commenced.
The car ran well and remained consistent throughout the race with only minor issues. The car maintained very fast laps in spite of being a new car to the series. I had one exciting moment with a GS car one lap in the bus-stop where I waved him by, braked early, and gave him the racing line only to have him stay behind me and then overtake me afterwards. Apparently, he was unhappy with the opportunity I gave him to pass, and gave me a one finger salute and tried to abruptly swerve and drive me off the turn 3 banking into the grass at 140+. Nice guy. I managed to get the car up to 10th spot before the driver change. I had advanced 18 spots from my 28th starting spot. I came into the pits under the next full course caution and made my driver change. It went flawless up until I had to put the secondary window netting up. It got stuck and took about an extra 8 seconds to attach, losing us about 8 spots with the race being under a yellow flag condition. My teammate Taylor drove a very strong race and worked his way back into the top ten in the last couple laps. We ended up finishing in the 10th position in ST which is a very good finish for two rookies in a brand new undeveloped car! We were the top finishing MAZDASPEED3 car and the second place car under the Freedom tent out of four. I’m not sure of the rookie standings, but my guess is that we are either leading rookie of the year or extremely close to it! We must have been very close to earning hard charger of the race too because we advanced from the 28th position in ST to 10th in ST. We also finished 33rd overall which is pretty crazy considering that 81 cars were entered for the event and ST is by far the slower class of the two.
Thanks for reading and I’ll keep you updated here for the rest of the year! -Ryan
Daytona Race Report, Day 2 January 28, 2010
By 11am, we were ready for our first on track session. Taylor, my co-driver, had already driven the MAZDASPEED3’s earlier this year at Daytona testing and was up to speed really quick after some mechanical difficulties which shortened our session. While he was on track, I had some downtime and talked with Patrick Dempsey about his experiences in the Rolex GT cars earlier in the day and got to know him a lot better. When it was my turn in the car, I hopped in, got buckled up, and rolled out of pit lane not really knowing what to expect. I took the left past Turn 1 and pulled onto the main straight when a huge pack of GS cars screamed by. It was definitely an awakening moment. For the rest of the session, I was busy trying to stay out of their way and, with the shortened session, didn’t get much time to learn the track or the car. At the end of the session, I had completed less than six laps due to the mechanical problems earlier in the session. At 2min 17secs per lap, I was four seconds off the pace of my experienced teammates but wasn’t too worried. I really wanted to get back on the track in order get the rest of the butterflies out of my stomach and prove to myself that I could keep up with any ST car out there. I got my chance a session later. Session two was much better. We made minor adjustments, which my co-driver requested, and I hit the track with a little bit of free track. I knocked off a couple decently fast laps (2min 14 secs) considering I was so new to the car, track and series and was pretty satisfied considering my teammates hadn’t gone any faster in their first session earlier that day. They all managed to pick it up later on in session two and pulled off a couple of 2min 13.00secs laps. I felt pretty confident after getting off the track because I had improved four seconds from the prior session and knew that I was very under-experienced with the track and series compared to my co-drivers, although John and Patrick had not been in the car before that I am aware of. I obviously did not expect to improve another four seconds off of my second session’s lap times, but, even a one or two second improvement felt feasible. We had a quick debrief in the team hauler afterwards describing our car’s handling characteristics. Taylor and I decided it would be best if I qualified the car to help get some extra track time under my belt and because in endurance racing the second-quickest driver usually does the qualifying and starts the race. I headed out for qualifying and positioned myself with the Bimmersport Cars. I tried hanging with them for a couple laps before realizing I was faster than one of the two and passed him. Unfortunately, mid way through the session, we both had a couple close-calls in the “bustop” section of the track getting sideways and we ended up getting in each other’s way a little bit. But we sorted it out by the end of the session. I qualified at a 2:13.7. It was my quickest time of the weekend, but I was still not satisfied. I felt that the car had another second or so left in it and, for some reason, I could not get those last few tenths of a second out of each corner. I know it will only come with more time on the track. My teammate Patrick Dempsey qualified our sister car and pulled off BY FAR the fastest lap of the weekend in our cars - a 2min 11 second lap. Quite a fast lap for these still in-development stage MAZDASPEED3’s. Freedom team owner Derek Whitis qualified pole in his Mazda MX-5! GREAT JOB DEREK! I ended up in what looks like 27th place in the ST field. Altogether, 82 cars are registered between the GS and ST fields, but it looks like only 60-65 cars will take the green flag tomorrow due to mechanical and technical issues. Overall, this weekend has been a great experience for me. Although my competitive nature has often kept me frustrated because all I want to do is win-win-win, I’ve been having the time of my life here at Daytona and cannot thank Freedom Autosport, everyone at Mazda, my father, and everyone who has gotten me here enough. I can only hope to have another great opportunity like this again in my life. Tomorrow will be a huge learning experience for me and I know I’ll run the full one and a half hour stint with a huge grin on my face no matter where I end up at the end of the day (hopefully near the front!!!). Anyways time to get some sleep! Schedule for Friday, January 2: · Driver Change Practice- 8:30am-9:00am · Continental Tire Series Practice- 10:00am-10:45am · Team Driver Meeting- 11:00am · ST Cars to Grid- 12:15pm · Continental Tire Series Drivers Meeting-12:30pm · Autograph Session/Fan Walk-1:00pm-1:30pm · Continental Tire Series Race (2.5 hours) 1:45pm-4:15pm Thanks once again for stopping by! I’ll keep you updated live via Facebook and twitter and, of course, keep coming back to my site. For more information on the Grand American Road Racing Association (Grand-Am) and Continental Challenge at Daytona International Speedway, you can also visit http://www.grand-am.com. Ryan Ellis
Daytona Race Report, Day 1 January 27, 2010 Wow, what a day. I woke up around 6am and caught a plane out of Dulles Airport (Northern Virginia) to Charlotte, NC and had a short layover there before catching my connecting flight to Daytona, Florida. While I was there, I saw tons of racing-related people who were all waiting for the same flight. Landing in Daytona is one of the coolest plane-rides I have ever taken. The airport runway literally borders the back straight of the speedway; what a sight! My grandmother picked me up at the airport and we drove to the credential building where I ran into former TDI Cup competitor Andrew Novich. I grabbed my hardcard and parking pass. Upon arrival at Daytona International Speedway, I met up with Tom Long. Tom is the team manager and driver for Freedom Autosport. Tom is a great guy and he showed me all around the paddock, his cars, and my errands for the day. I felt like a kid at a candy shop running around the paddock looking at all the beautiful rides that people have earned throughout the years and can only hope that one day I get a chance to drive with/against them. But today, I needed to get the Grand-Am patches sewed on my driver-suit, get a shock-doctor helmet quick release system installed, and lastly get my helmet hooked up to work with the correct driver-crew radio system. All this, and I still needed to get accustomed and acquainted with the new MAZDASPEED3s which, might I add, are BEAUTIFUL! The garages closed at 6:00pm so it was quite a busy day. After a long day and anticipating a big day tomorrow, I am at the hotel about to get some sleep. I grabbed dinner at a nice restaurant on the beach and now doing my American duty of watching American Idol and getting ready for the State of the Union address if I can stay awake that late. Tomorrow brings practice from 11:45am- 12:30pm and then again at 2:45-3:30pm. I cannot wait to get out on the track and test these cars. It should be an amazing experience. Tomorrow’s schedule: · Tech Inspection: 7:30-9:30am · Daytona Rookies Driver Meeting: 8:30am · Freedom Autosport Team Meeting: 10:00am · Continental Tire Series Driver’s Meeting: 11:00am · Continental Tires Series Practice 1: 11:45am-12:30pm · Continental Tire Series Practice 2: 2:45-3:30pm · Continental Tire Series Qualifying 5:00-5:15pm Thanks to everyone for stopping by and supporting me via my website. I will also keep you updated live via Facebook and Twitter. For additional information, check out the Grand-Am site at http://www.grand-am.com.
Ryan Ellis
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Ryan Ellis Racing on Facebook Ellis Selected to 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Sunday, February 14, 2010
ASHBURN, Virginia. Volkswagen of America, (VWoA) Inc. announced this week that rising road racing star Ryan Ellis was selected to join 24 other race drivers to compete in the 2010 Jetta TDI® Cup. The Volkswagen-operated SCCA Pro Racing series, now entering its third season, will take the green flag on its SCCA Pro Racing-sanctioned events beginning April 23 at Virginia International Raceway. The selection marks Ellis' return to the series for a second straight year. Ellis, 20, will compete in identically prepared VW Jetta TDIs against up and coming race drivers aged 16 to 26 years old from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Jamaica. The selections were performed last week in Las Vegas, NV, where Volkswagen welcomed driver candidates from throughout North America for three days of in-depth testing and analysis. All drivers were evaluated through a variety of on- and off-track scenarios to establish skill level, potential, and overall ability. Following a collection of driving activities, physical fitness tests, media training, and a sponsorship workshop, the final 25 drivers were chosen. The final field includes 16 new drivers, with 9 returning from last season. "It's great to be back with Volkswagen for a second year in the TDI Cup", said Ryan. "Our first year in the Jetta TDI Cup was an amazing experience, but this year I'm focused on making a serious run for the Championship title. It's really a great series, and it's a honor to be given the chance to represent VWoA in this premier professional racing program." Drivers will race in ten Jetta TDI Cup events spanning seven road courses in the United States and Mexico in identical, factory-prepared and maintained Jetta TDIs running on clean diesel fuel. The series Champion will win $100,000 toward career development support from Volkswagen. The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Schedule: · Round 1 & 2 April 23 – 25 Virginia International Raceway (Alton, VA) · Round 3 May 9 New Jersey Motorsports Park (Millville, NJ) · Round 4 June 5 – 6 Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, UT) · Round 5 July 18 – 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, OH) · Round 6 July 30 – Aug. 1 Autobahn Country Club (Joliet, IL) · Round 7 & 8 Aug. 20 – 22 Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI) · Round 9 & 10 Sept. 24 – 26 Autodromo AMOZOC (Puebla, Mexico) Ellis has had a busy winter already. Just 2 weeks ago, (racing in his first ever Grand Am Professional Road Racing competition), he finished 10th in the ST division of the Continental Tire Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. Competing in conjunction with the Rolex 24 hour event held later in the weekend, Ryan and his co-driver, Taylor Hacquard, (Canada) drove a #28 Freedom Autosport MAZDASPEED3 in it's first ever professional road racing event. Currently a sophomore at George Mason University, (GMU), Ellis is a member of the Kappa Sigma Business fraternity. He serves as resident Pro Instructor at Allsports Grand Prix in Sterling, Virginia, (a local indoor professional kart racing facility), and is a frequent guest on CBS Radio’s “In the Pits” talk show on WJFK. Outside of racing, Ryan is an avid hockey player and has played professionally with the Potomac Mavericks of the PIHA and for the GMU college hockey team. Ryan Ellis Racing
Freedom Autosport’s Daytona Lineup to Feature Rising Mazda Stars Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Freedom Autosport will launch the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season with an all-star lineup of veteran drivers and Mazda’s standout young guns. The season opener at Daytona International Speedway will also mark the debut of the new MAZDASPEED3. When the Fresh from Florida 200 begins on Friday, January 29, the Street Tuner class will feature four Freedom Autosport machines: two Mazda MX-5s and two brand-new MAZDASPEED3s. Patrick Dempsey and John Edwards will team up to campaign the No. 27 Freedom Autosport MAZDASPEED3. The 18-year-old Edwards is a rising star among the Mazda ranks: he won the Star Mazda Championship in 2008, and he is the reigning Formula Atlantic Series Powered by Mazda champion. Daytona will mark Edwards’s Grand-Am debut. "I’m looking forward to getting some experience in Grand-Am competition, and I’m really excited to get in the MAZDASPEED3," remarked Edwards. "Being new to the series, I’m not sure what to expect, but I’ll do my best and hope to get results." Freedom’s second MAZDASPEED3, the No. 28 entry, will also feature two young standouts. Taylor Hacquard and Ryan Ellis will co-drive the new car, and despite their young age, both have impressive resumes. Hacquard, at just 19 years old, has been a standout in the Stars of Karting National Series and, most recently, in Star Mazda. He’s already had a taste of endurance sports car racing, and is looking forward to his Grand-Am debut at Daytona. "My test with Freedom was the first time I’d driven Daytona," said Hacquard. "I’m just trying to soak up as much of the information as I can from what we accomplished at the test. That was the first time I’d driven with front wheel drive, so I had to change my style to adapt." Ellis won the 2009 Mazda Teen Challenge West Championship and was runner-up in the 2010 Mazdaspeed Shootout for SCCA Pro Racing’s Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. The 20-year-old already has 15 years of racing experience. Derek Whitis and Tom Long proved to be successful co-drivers last year, ending the season on a high note with a win at Virginia International Raceway and 4 podiums overall. They will be co-drivers once again, driving the No. 25 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. Long, who also fills the role of team manager, is looking forward to kicking off the team’s championship effort. "2010 will prove to be Freedom Autosport's strongest year ever in competing for the manufacturer’s championship within Grand-Am competition," he said. "Building on our 2009 successes and moving forward with the all-new MAZDASPEED3 is a fantastic opportunity. Debuting a Mazda-filled driver lineup for Daytona like this will be sure to start the season off with plenty of Zoom-Zoom!" Rhett O’Doski and Andrew Carbonell will once again pilot the No. 26 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. The car earned a win at Trois-Rivieres last year and the co-drivers hope to add more top finishes in 2010. With the strong Daytona lineup, the proven success of the MX-5s and the potential of the MAZDASPEED3s, team owner Whitis is optimistic about the new season. "Everything came together last year with two wins and eight podiums, a truly great season for Mazda and Freedom Autosport. We hope to carry that into 2010 with the new MAZDASPEED3, a really great car. We practically got it off the showroom floor through SpeedSource, added safety equipment, and the car is ready to race. Mazda just makes amazing cars." Freedom Autosport will be ready to race when the Continental Tire Challenge season begins at 1:45 p.m. on Friday.
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