JDC Motorsports 2010 season review

THIRD STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR JDC MOTORSPORTS IN 2010

Minnesota-based squad ended season with two overall wins, two Expert Series wins, and four Masters Series wins

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (December 20, 2010) - For JDC MotorSports the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear season proved to be yet another title-winning and race-winning affair. With Connor De Phillippi, Caio Lara, Chris Miller, Patrick O'Neill and Gerry Kraut getting behind the wheels, the Minnesota-based squad ended the 13-race campaign with a third Rookie of the Year award, two overall wins, two Expert Series wins and four Masters Series wins.

As is series tradition, the 2010 edition of the Star Mazda Championship commenced in mid-March at the historic Sebring International Raceway road course in Florida. Despite high expectations going into the season-opener - having shown good speed and skill in pre-season testing - the event prove to be anti-climatic affair for the regular JDC trio of De Phillippi, Lara, Miller, with all three earning top-10 results. Team co-owner Kraut however ensured JDC did not go home empty handed, taking home the first Masters Series win of the year.

Remaining in Florida for Round Two, the first-ever series race on the streets of St. Petersburg witnessed JDC establishing itself as a contender for top honors in all three classes. Lara led the team charge in his No. 19 MLD/ATW/Molecule/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports car, earning the team's first podium finish (third) of 2010, while O'Neill added further hardware to the JDC trophy case with the Expert Series win is his season debut.

After a month-long hiatus from on-track action, JDC's trademark ability to run in the lead pack on a variety of courses came to the forefront, with De Phillippi narrowly missing his first podium finish and Kraut adding another Masters win at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca road course, De Phillippi and Lara extending their top-10 streaks on the O'Reilly Raceway Park short oval, and De Phillippi again cracking the top-four at the Iowa Speedway oval.

Given the strong results in the opening portion of the season, it should not have come as surprise that the JDC stable enjoyed continued success during series visit to the New Jersey Motorsports Park facility. Race one of the televised doubleheader proved to be one of the highlights of the season, as Lara - after two years of trying - scored his first-series win. Adding to the excitement, Kraut piloted his No. 55 Dougherty & Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry to a third Masters win in as many races in race one, while O'Neill steered the No. 64 O'Neill Construction/Red Line Oil JDC MotorSports car to a second Expert Series win in race two.

Lara promptly kept the momentum going for JDC MotorSports during the Autobahn Country Club double race run, just missing out on another win via a runner-up finish Round Eight.

While the always treacherous street race in Trois-Rivieres ended up being a disappointing affair, with only Lara cracking the top-10, things were quickly back on-track during the final three races at Road America, Mosport International Raceway and Road Atlanta.

De Phillippi, in what proved to be a decisive charge for the Rookie of the Year honors, was a driver to watch in his No. 11 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Justice Brothers/Sparco/Rock View Farms/Oakley/Power Balance/Reline Athletic/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry. Bringing the JDC banner back into the spotlight, the Californian earned back-to-back podium finishes in Wisconsin and Ontario, before converting his first series pole position into an inaugural series win in Georgia. Kraut added a Masters win for good measure in Canada, while Lara ended the season with yet another top-five. Miller ended his up-and-down rookie campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes behind the wheel of his No. 85 Miller Milling/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports car.

JDC MotoSports - the top team in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear over the past four years with two series titles and three Rookie of the Year awards - now turns its attention to retaking the series crown in 2011. With its full expert staff back in place for the upcoming season, an intensive off-season testing schedule is already been planned. Interested drivers are urged to contact team principal John Church about opportunities for the upcoming campaign.

-source: jdc motorsports