NA-F2000: JW Urlin season preview

Race driver JW Urlin is excited to be heading into what he believes will be his most successful season since graduating from karts in 1998. The nineteen-year-old London, Ontario, resident and driver of the Budget Rent-A-Car / OTM Motorsports car will compete in the US Formula 2000 series with an effort directed by motorsport specialist Dan Campbell.

Urlin, entering his third season of USF2000 racing, has campaigned the past two years fielding a car with his father, Canadian stock-car racing great Russ Urlin. Before that, the father-and-son team were a major force in karting with JW amassing eight Canadian Grand National titles, a US Grand National title and a North American Karting Championship. Certainly, working with Campbell instead of his father will mark a big change for the University of Western Ontario student, but he's not apprehensive.

"Dan's a really good guy," Urlin said. "He helped us out at the races whenever he could and you can tell he really knows race cars and loves working on them. I think he can help me have a good season. I'm so pumped up this year, I can't wait!"

Urlin is confident his Budget Rent-A-Car / OTM Motorsports entry is in good hands with Campbell who was behind Steve Knapp's 1996 run to the USF2000 National Championship. Furthermore, when two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk went looking for someone to look after his son's racing efforts, Campbell got the call. After two year's with Campbell, Arie Luyendyk Junior now looks set to move on to the Indy Racing League's Infinity Pro Series this year.

Urlin's package for the 2002 season, which begins March 14-15 with a pair of races at Sebring International Raceway in Florida, will comprise a Mygale chassis with Avon tires and a two-litre Ford Zetec motor built by Elite Engines. Prior to the season opener, however, Urlin has gone to Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, Georgia, to get acquainted with his new car. As with any sport, practice makes perfect and Urlin wants to hit the ground running when he gets to Sebring.

"I've set a conservative goal of consistently finishing in the top ten at the start of the season and it's important that we test first," he said. "It gives me a bit of a warm up because I haven't been in a race car for a few months and let's us shakedown the car to make sure everything is okay."

This year's USF2000 championship consists of thirteen races at some of North America's most famous race tracks. The series includes three oval races, including a pair at the historic Milwaukee Mile, and two races in Canada, May 18-19, the Victoria Day Weekend at Mosport International Raceway.

-jwu/mj-