Mosport: JDC MotorSports race report

SECOND CONSECUTIVE STAR MAZDA PODIUM FOR JDC MOTORSPORTS IN ROUND 12
De Phillippi led five-car effort at Mosport with a third place finish on the high-speed Canadian road course

BOWMANVILLE, ONT. (August 31, 2010) -- JDC MotorSports continued its late season run of form on Saturday (August 28) at Mosport International Raceway in Canada, adding another podium finish and Masters Series win to its already impressive Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear resume. Rookie of the Year leader Connor De Phillippi captured his second consecutive third place result in Round 12, and was joined in the top-10 by 2010 race winner Caio Lara in seventh and rookie racer Chris Miller in eighth. Team co-owner Gerry Kraut scored his fourth Masters win of the season with a 17th place result, while Mikhail Goikhberg was classified 19th after a crash in his series debut.

With the end of the 2010 season fast drawing to a close -- ending at Road Atlanta in late September -- the goal right from the get go for the JDC quintet was to continue the team's recent run of form all the way to the final checkered flag. A promoter's test day on Thursday featured the first opportunity for the five talented drivers to make their mark on the historic and challenging road course just outside of Toronto, Ont. De Phillippi led what was ultimately a success day of running on the high-speed track, turning the second fastest time in his No. 11 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Justice Brothers/Sparco/Rock View Farms/Oakley/Power Balance/Reline Athletic/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry. Lara, Miller and Kraut likewise enjoyed strong runs behind the wheel, with the Brazilian and American ending the day fifth and ninth on the speedcharts, while Kraut posted the fastest Masters time in 17th. A title contender in the USF2000 National Championship with JDC, Goikhberg spent his first-ever day in the Star Mazda car getting acclimated.

While the primary focus during both practice runs on Friday was getting the right aero balance around the 2.459-mile road course, the JDC drivers continued to show good speed. De Phillippi positioned himself as a driver to watch for the win by posting the second quickest time on the day, while Lara just missed a top-five spot in his No. 19 MLD/ATW/Molecule/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports car via the sixth quickest lap. Miller ended the day 11th on the timing monitors, just ahead of Goikhberg in 16thand Kraut, the top Masters racer, in 17th.

When the JDC MotorSports cars rolled into pitlane for the start of Saturday morning qualifying, many were under the opinion that the session could end with a JDC driver P1 on the timecharts. It was not to be however, as the early morning conditions did not suit the JDC cars, which were setup for the hot conditions predicted for the afternoon race. De Phillippi, as a result, ended the session in sixth place, just ahead of Lara eighth and Miller's No. 85 Miller Milling/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports car in 10th. Goikhberg, still coming to grips with his new racing steed qualified 16th, one place ahead of Kraut, who captured the Masters Series pole.

After a brief break to debrief and get something to eat and drink, it was time for the JDC drivers to buckle back in for the traditional F1-style standing start. Getting away cleanly when the lights went green, all five drivers initially held their qualifying positions before looking for a way up the order. De Phillippi, once again showing the speed that had made him one of the leaders in the early stages of the event, quickly became a driver to watch. Executing some superb passes, the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Driver was in third by the midway point of the race. While not quite as prolific, Lara, Miller and Goikhberg moved forward as well in the first half of the 34-lap race, with Lara and Miller dicing for spots just outside of the top-five. Almost immediately after De Phillippi took over second place, JDC MotorSports suffered its lone setback of the race, as Goikhberg crashed his No. 78 Chetverg/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry in turn one. As a result of Goikhberg's incident, the safety car was sent on-course prior to a two-lap dash to the checkered flag.

When the green flag waved to resume the action, De Phillippi immediately came under attack from the car behind. Following some light contact and a bold outside pass in turn two, the talented American teenager found himself in third place. Not far behind, Miller went the other direction, passing for eighth place. From that point forward, the JDC drivers held their positions until the checkered flag waved. De Phillippi secured a second consecutive podium finish with a third place result. Lara added another top-10 to his Star Mazda resume with a seventh place finish. Miller captured a third top-10 result in his rookie campaign with an eighth place finish. Kraut scored a fourth Masters Series win in his No. 55 Dougherty and Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports with 17th place at the stripe.

-source: jdc motorsports