TRAFFORD, PA (March 1, 2006) – The John Walko Racing team made the most of testing at Virginia International Raceway recently in preparation for the 2006 STAR Mazda Championship season kick-off at Sebring, March 15-17.
Rookie of the Year contender Charles Anti tackled VIR’s North Course, turning in 400 trouble free miles over two days. The team charted a course of qualifying runs and full race distance simulations for their young driver and Anti responded by turning competitive lap times throughout the test. Team owner John Walko was pleased with the development of Anti on the track as well as off as he forges a relationship with Crew Chief Sebastien Jubelin and Engineer Steve Dreizler. “I was very impressed with Charles’ consistency and his ability to improve on his lap times all the way through the two days. It was a pleasure to watch Charles work with Steve and Seb so well. They should be an excellent combination for the season.” The 2005 Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series Champion was equally as happy with the outing, “After this test I am feeling confident and comfortable with the car. We were able to run competitive times and consistently improve throughout the test, which bodes well for the future.” Anti continued, complementing his crew, “It’s a pleasure working with this team that John has put together, and I can’t wait to begin competition.” STAR Mazda veteran Ross Smith was also on hand for the test and impressed the JWR organization. Walko is optimistic about having Ross onboard for the 2006 season as well. “I think Ross would be able to work well with Charles as a teammate,” noted Walko. “Even though Ross is 19 years old he will be starting his 3rd season in Star Mazda. We think that in our environment Ross will improve on his previous results.” The team now looks to the opening race to build on the success of their pre-season testing program. Walko credits the team’s hard work for the solid start, “Having gone through 2 successful tests it is gratifying to see that the crew has not skipped a beat at the track. They have done an excellent job preparing for the season and they are itching to get to Sebring.” The team is seeking interested drivers to join JWR for the STAR Mazda series. Testing programs and full or partial race seats are available for the 2006 season. Contact john@johnwalkoracing.com for more information.
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TRAFFORD, PA (February 7, 2006) – Pittsburgh based John Walko Racing has added an additional venue to their preseason schedule, the 2006 Pittsburgh International Auto Show.
The team will participate in the 340,000 square foot show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as part of the Mazda USA display before setting their sites on the 2006 STAR Mazda Championship. Covering ten days from February 11-19, the show will not only involve the team, but their newly prepared Pro Formula Mazda racecar that is sure to please the hometown crowd. All of the Pittsburgh connections in this show are tied together with the racecar’s graphics featuring the traditional Black and Gold! This exciting event will place the state of the art, single seat carbon fiber racer alongside the latest Mazda RX8. These high performance machines not only share the rich Mazda Motorsports legacy but also feature the same 240 horsepower Mazda Renesis rotary engine. Participating in the show with team owner John Walko and Director of Marketing and Promotions Andrew Prendeville will be driver Charles Anti. The Pittsburgh native began his career racing karts at Pittsburgh’s BeaveRun Motorsports Complex. Before joining the professional ranks with John Walko Racing this season, Anti raced in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge series where he earned ten wins over two years including the Eastern Regional Series Rookie of the Year title in 2004 and the Championship in 2005. Anti also earned a third place overall in the Midwest Regional Series in 2005. Prendeville is looking forward to this opportunity to showcase the team and driver in their hometown. “We are very happy to supply one of our racecars for Mazda to display in the Pittsburgh Auto Show. It is a great opportunity for JWR to help promote Mazda, The Star Mazda Series, JWR and Charles Anti in the Pittsburgh area. We want to thank Mazda for allowing us this opportunity.” The team is seeking interested drivers to join Anti in the STAR Mazda series. Following the Pittsburgh International Auto Show, the team will test at Virginia International Raceway on Feb. 23-24. Testing programs and full or partial race seats are available for the 2006 season. Contact john@johnwalkoracing.com for more information. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TRAFFORD, PA (January 25, 2006) --John Walko Racing is pleased to announce the signing of Charles Anti as a driver to compete in the 2006 Pro STAR Mazda Championship. The Pittsburgh, PA driver has competed in the Skip Barber Series the past two seasons, winning the Eastern Regional Series and finishing 3rd in the Midwest Regional Series in 2005.
Anti will compete in the same car that brought Graham Rahal to victories last year and will work with Steve Dreizler and Sebastien Jubelin, who had proven themselves capable with young drivers, leading both Rahal and Adam Pecorari to race wins the past two seasons. "I am very excited to be a part of the reformed John Walko Racing team," said Anti. "The team is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic that I am looking forward to learning as much as I can. JWR knows how to make the cars go fast and have a good time in the process, which is what racing is all about." Team owner, John Walko, has high hopes for the rookie driver. "Charles started calling me a few years ago and we have stayed in touch over the years as he was a local talent looking for advice," said Walko. "We finally put him in a car recently and he was great. He is an incredible learner, has no temper and no ego and was picking things up very quick. One of the most refreshing things about Charles is he lives locally and wants to spend a lot of time at the shop learning as much as he can. That will no doubt help him down the line." The car will carry the familiar Pittsburgh sports team colors of yellow and black, honoring the fact that the driver, teams and sponsors are all Pittsburgh based. Photos of the new car will be available soon. John Walko Racing will begin testing in February 1-2 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC and is seeking interested drivers looking to enter the STAR Mazda series. JWR has put together a rigorous testing schedule that has them visit Kershaw, VIR (Feb. 23-24), Mid-Ohio (April 26-27) and do private oval track testing (TBA) to prepare for the upcoming season. 2006 season testing programs and full or partial race seats available. Contact John@johnwalkoracing.com for more information. |
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