SCC: Millville: Subaru Road Racing Team preview

Subaru Road Racing Team Focused on Home Event
- Round 8 of Koni Challenge Series Makes Inaugural Visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park -

Everybody is nervous about this one. "You'd think the opportunity to race so close to your back yard would be something that really has you pumped," said Joe Aquilante, co-partner of the ICY / Phoenix Racing team which campaigns a pair of Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B race cars in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge road racing series.

What he's referring to is the Aug. 31 race on a new, country-club style circuit, the New Jersey Motorsports Park near Millville. This will be the track's first professional sports car race.

"We already have enough pressure, with two of our drivers sitting just two points from the lead for the series Drivers' Championship," Aquilante added with a grin, "and now we're going to be watched by friends and family plus a sizable contingent of employees from our primary sponsor, Subaru of America, Inc."

The ICY Racing / Phoenix Performance outfit's 4,000 sq. ft. race shop is in Phoenixville, Pa., just west of Philadelphia. Aquilante lives nearby in Chester Springs, and partner Dave Rosenblum is just down the road in Langhorne. Most of the team's crew calls the area home, as does one of the drivers, 20-year old Andrew Aquilante.

On the other side of the Delaware River, team driver Kris Skavnes makes his home in Sparta, N.J. Skavnes and co-driver, Chuck Hemmingson, currently sit 2nd in the Drivers' Championship just two points from the current standings leader. Hemmingson resides in Des Moines, Ia.

The team's Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B race cars are originally manufactured at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), in Lafayette, Ind., as factory showroom vehicles and prepared by ICY Racing / Phoenix Performance.

"The competition in the Koni Challenge Street Tuner class has been at a high level this season," admits James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA), "but our race team has really persevered."

Adds Han, "The team's efforts in showcasing the performance of our Legacy cars, which are so closely based upon the stock platform, have been impressive and having Kris and Chuck so close to earning the Drivers' title is certainly exciting. Each race is important to us but this one is special based on its close proximity to our corporate location. Being able to rely on the continued support of SIA, our manufacturing plant, has also proved a boon to us. Without a doubt, Subaru associates from both SOA and SIA will be cheering on the Subaru Road Racing Team this weekend."

The Millville race will be televised by SPEED TV to air Sept. 7 at 2pm ET.

-credit: srrt/icy/pr