Star Mazda Win For JDC Motorsports In New Jersey

MILLVILLE, N.J. - JDC MotorSports returned to victory lane in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear over the weekend (June 26-27), capturing the Round Six win at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Series standout Caio Lara scored his inaugural win in race one of the doubleheader, while rookie sensation Connor De Phillippi just missed joining him on the podium with a fourth place finish. Chris Miller made it three JDC racers in the top-10 with an eighth place result, ahead of Masters Series winner Gerry Kraut in 13th and Patrick O'Neill in 21st. Lara and De Phillippi added two more top-10s in race two, finishing sixth and eighth, ahead of Miller in 14th. O'Neill won the Expert Series in race two via a 15th place finish, while Kraut was 20th.

The JDC MotorSports' Caio Lara scored his first series win in Round Six at NJMP. Credit: Eric McCombs/Star Mazda

As part of the Mazda Motorsports Festival event, the five JDC MotorSports racers got their first chance to sample the Thunderbolt Circuit at New Jersey Motorsports Park via two Thursday test sessions and two Friday practice runs. In extremely hot and humid conditions on both days, the goal for the JDC clan in all four sessions was to work on car setups ahead of the vital morning qualifying outings, as the nature of the track makes it difficult to overtake.

Entering qualifying for Round Six on Saturday morning, the JDC drivers appeared poised to enjoy a solid outing. Lara had ended the final practice session P3, and was closely followed by De Phillippi and Miller on the timecharts, the duo finishing fifth and 10th respectively. O'Neill and Kraut likewise looked set to go quick, having led the Expert Series and Masters Series contingent in the last practice session.

Lara lived up to expectations during the morning qualifying run, earning an inside row two starting position with the third best time. De Phillippi and Miller unfortunately weren't quite able to match their teammate's pace, running into traffic multiple times, the end result was the seventh and 12th fastest times. O'Neill's No. 64 O'Neill Construction/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry was 15th quickest, tops among the Expert Series drivers, while Kraut's No. 55 Dougherty and Co./Doughtery Funding LLC/Red line Oil/JDC MotorSports car was the fastest Masters Series entry in 16th.

A short time later it was time to go racing, with all the action being broadcast live on HDNet. The traditional standing start proved to be the turning point of the race, as both front-row starters were judged to have jumped the start. Lara, getting away cleanly, as a result became the race leader when they entered pitlane to serve their penalty. While a subsequent re-start, due to a multi-car incident that included O'Neill, briefly allowed the second place driver to take the lead, Lara was not to be denied. Regaining the top-spot within a few corners of initially relinquishing the position, the Brazil steered his No. 19 MLD/ATW/Molecule/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports to a first-ever series win. De Phillippi, making the most of every opportunity in the 29-lap race just missed joining in the podium celebrations, taking the checkered flag in fourth place. Miller likewise was able to work his way forward in the race, fighting his way up to eighth place at the stripe. Kraut made it two JDC drivers in the post race celebrations, taking home his third Masters Series win of 2010 with an 13th place result. O'Neill, having only completed three laps, was classified 21st.

Returning to the track one day later, the JDC drivers looked set to build on the success of the opening race at NJMP during Round Seven qualifying. Things did not go quite according to plan however, as the combination of traffic and slicker than expected conditions due to the heat and rubber from other series competing on the weekend resulted in times just off what was desired. Lara once again led the way with the fifth best time, while De Phillippi's No. 11 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Justice Brothers/Sparco/Rock View Farms/Oakley/Power

Balance/Reline Athletic/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports car was seventh quickest, ahead of Miller's No. 85 Miller Milling/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry in 13th. Kraut and O'Neill once again led the Masters and Experts Series racers with the 14th and 17th fastest times.

Race two of the NJMP doubleheader proved to be a rather anti-climatic affair. With limited passing opportunities due to the conditions and layout of the track, virtually the entire 22-car field finished within one position of where they started. That certainly was the case for the JDC drivers, as Lara and De Phillippi extended their top-10 streaks to seven in 2010 by finishing sixth and eighth respectively. Miller crossed the stripe in 14th, one place ahead of O'Neill, giving the Californian a second Expert Series win on the season. Kraut added a Masters Series top-three to his resume with a 20th place result.

The JDC MotorSports Star Mazda Championship drivers will now have a little over a month off, before contesting Rounds Eight and Nine on July 31-August 1 at the Autobahn Country Club in Illinois. Entering the doubleheader, JDC MotorSports lies fourth in the team standings, with Lara leading the squad's driver charge in fifth place overall.

Print This Page	Go back to the previous page