TRAFFORD, PA (June 25, 2007) – Charles Anti scored the high finish of the weekend for John Walko Racing finishing ninth on the shores of Lake Erie. Russell Walker's very strong run was thwarted by an accident while working his way in to the top five early in the race. Both drivers showed promise during the Grand Prix of Cleveland despite starting the weekend nearly a full session behind the rest of the field noted team owner John Walko. "We were all really looking forward to racing at Cleveland as it is as close as we have to a home track. Unfortunately things started out a little rough as Charles lost an engine and Russell had an electrical program half way through the opening session." Walker qualified in the fast group while Anti unfortunately was relegated to the first group thanks to missing much of his practice time. According to Walko, the opening group just had too big of a hurdle to climb. "Charles had his back against the wall in qualifying unfortunately. Losing the engine cost us valuable track time and as a result he didn't have the lap times that would put him in the first group where he would typically be. The rubber from the series before proved to be a bad match and nearly everyone in the first group struggled." "Russell on the other hand had the benefit of a clean track and qualified seventh, which is probably where we should have been in relation to the front runners after missing most of a session." Each driver shined at various times during the race with Walker turning very fast laps early in the race and pressuring the leaders. Anti made a spectacular move on a restart then had a furious battle with Ron White and later Devin Cunningham, eventually settling in for a ninth place finish. "Charles did a great job in the race, picking his way through the pair of accidents and moving in to the top ten. The rest of the race he found himself in a dogfight with some of the series leaders and held his own. It was a nice finish to what was at times a frustrating outing." "At race time Russell got caught out at the start and dropped a few positions. It didn't faze him though and he started picking people off each lap, setting the fastest laps of the race at the time. He was flying, it was fun to watch! He was the most competitive I've ever seen him. Unfortunately he caught the wall at the exit of turn eight chasing down Ron White and that was the end of his day. Russell is proving himself as one of the quick guys; his time is going to come very soon." Next on the JWR schedule is two days of testing at BeaveRun MotorSports Complex, including work on the new tire package, followed by the seventh race on the schedule the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto. All three cars will be in attendance at the test with both Walker and Anti scheduled to drive. Drivers wishing to join JWR for the test should contact John Walko Racing as soon as possible. Team QuotesCharles Anti:
"A water seal in the engine broke in the first session so we only had a handful of laps and played catch-up until race time. Every time I went out though I had more fun; it is such an awesome track, very much a driver's track. The one yellow really helped as I was able to pick up a number of spots going in to turn one when everyone checked up. From that point on the racing was really close; I had a really good battle with Devin Cunningham to the end. It was a very fun race." Steve Dreizler, Engineer for Charles Anti: "This is a stretch of two brand new tracks Charles has never seen before. He worked hard to improve every session and steadily improved during the race as well. Unfortunately he was the victim of a series of events that kept him a bit behind the curve all weekend. We lost an engine early putting him a session behind and ultimately in the slower qualifying group that had to deal with a bad rubber situation from the series that ran before. Once the race started though, he kept his nose clean, raced hard and came home with a solid finish." Russell Walker: "I feel like I made a big breakthrough at Cleveland as far as my attitude heading in to the race. I think I learned the final lesson on track as well in terms of making sure I am driving my own car at all times rather than the competitions. One small error in that respect is all that took us out of the race. We had a great car - I was attacking when the opportunities were there, conserving tires otherwise and working through the field. Unfortunately that one error was enough to end a very good run. I still feel the momentum though and it continues to build. We'll take it to Beaverun for testing and then attack at Toronto." Eric Langbein, Engineer for Russell Walker "I do see it as a positive weekend. Russell continues to learn and while the lessons seem big this week, he is still learning the things most of these other drivers have gone through in the lower formula car ranks. The important thing is that he never makes the same mistake twice and just gets better and better each time out. In the race he had the fastest car on the track before going out and had a car for the podium for sure." Cleveland Results: 1 Jonathan Goring 2 Dane Cameron 3 Natacha Gachnang 9 Charles Anti 21 Russell Walker Championship Standings: 1 Dane Cameron 2 Jonathan Goring 3 Marco Dileo 10 Charles Anti 11 Russell Walker Drivers interested in joining JWR for upcoming tests are encouraged to contact the team soon. Also, drivers interested in discussing their 2007 racing programs should contact John Walko Racing at john@johnwalkoracing.com
0 Comments
TRAFFORD, PA (May 21, 2007) – Nearly every aspect of the fourth round of the Star Mazda Championship could best be described as long for the John Walko Racing effort. It was a long tow from Pennsylvania to Tooele, Utah for starters. The track itself at Miller Motorsports Park was long in its own right with 24 turns over a 4.5 miles course netting lap times just shy of three minutes in length. The overall length of the course though posed some exciting technical challenges for drivers Russell Walker and Charles Anti and the crew alike according to team owner John Walko. "The track is so long with so many turns that there are so many compromises in terms of setups that numerous approaches can work. You fix one corner and it will hurt you on another part of the track; it is an interesting compromise.' While the facility itself is demanding, so was the event. The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix was a four day outing. While track time is always welcome, it also poses additional challenges as Walko noted. "We were on track no less than eight times over the four days with six practice sessions, qualifying and the race. The race itself really pushed the drivers to the limit as we had our first caution free race in almost two years, a first for either Charles or Russell since joining the series. That much track time is physically and mentally demanding." The weekend started off well with Anti running in the top five in the opening session and Walker finishing the first day of practice at the top of the charts. "It started off really well; we ended up quickest the first day with Russell. The track changed a lot not just from day to day but from session to session but we were able to keep up with the changes for the most part. In qualifying Russell may have over driven a little bit, something that happens easily on this track for some reason, but was pleased with car and qualified ninth. Charles had a couple quick laps out of the gate in qualifying, but ended up behind another car and couldn't get a real clean lap after that." The two drivers had drastically different races once the green flag flew though, a trend that carried through to the end of the grueling affair. "Charles had a great start and was up in the top five in the opening laps before settling in around sixth. He was incredibly solid during the middle of the event, but tailed off at the end. On the other hand, Russell had a great starting position but got jammed up at the start. The cars were 3 wide and someone made contact with Russell. The right front toe link was bent badly but he did a great job to soldier on with a poor handling car." Walker finished the race in eighth while Anti just missed the top ten, settling for eleventh after a late race miscue allowed a few drivers to slip by. While the end results did not represent what the team hoped to accomplish, it does give them some definite direction heading to the next round. "Charles had never experienced a complete green flag race and the level of concentration and endurance required so this gives us some things to work on as we look toward the rest of the season. With Russell, a qualifying time representative of the speed he showed in practice would have had him ahead of the melee at the start and could have resulted in a top five. We look towards Portland now armed with some valuable knowledge gained this week. Hopefully we can put a program together with the third car again because we feel we work very well as a 3 car team in terms of sharing data and working together. I'm confident that a three car effort will show even better results across the board." The West Coast leg of the season continues with the fifth race in the Championship at Portland the International Raceway on June 9 . Drivers interested in joining the defending Star Mazda Team Champions for the upcoming races or tests are encouraged to contact the team as soon as possible. Team QuotesEric Langbein, Engineer for Russell Walker
"Russell continues to impress us; he was first quick on the first day of practice. He is obviously showing his abilities to be as fast as the competition who are all more experienced at the pro level of racing. He had a very mature race for his experience level, overcoming handling issues that were a result of being hit at the start and coming home with a top ten. He has made tremendous progress in the time that he has been with us, and now we can start working on the fine details of race craft. He obviously has speed and is competing on level with drivers who have as much as ten years of pro level driving experience. I have no doubt that he can do it." Russell Walker "We've been top two before, but never have been fastest at the end of the day like we did this race. We hope to stay there; that’s where we're supposed to be. We keep building and building and doing what we need to do and not letting the results, good or bad, affect us. The race didn't start as planned, we got together with someone and knocked the toe-in out. It took a lap or two to get up to speed before the lap times started to drop down again. I was happy with the result all things considered. Although we know we can run up front, we just have to stay there now. We are overdue for that first win. I'm excited about our set up going to Portland, maybe this can be the place." Steve Dreizler, Engineer for Charles Anti "Charles had a bit of an up and down weekend. In the race he had a great start, between some other people's mistakes and making a few very heads up passes, he made it up to sixth place and stayed there for quite a while. He had a slight off towards the end of the race, losing a few positions and ended up finishing eleventh. One aspect of our program that we have been working on is feedback and communication between us and in that respect we certainly made progress this weekend. In the end he did get the car all the way home and we'll head to Portland looking for a strong race." Charles Anti "This race was a new experience for me. It was a very long event, combined with what felt like a very long race. In my two years in the Star Mazda Series, this is the first time we've had a race go flag to flag, where I had to be on top of my game for 45 minutes straight. The results weren't bad, but I came away from the weekend with a goal: improving my concentration and conditioning for when we, hopefully, have more clean races. Miller Motorsports Park Results: 1 Lorenzo Mandarino 2 James Davison 3 Jonathan Goring 8 Russell Walker TRAFFORD, PA (May 1, 2007) – John Walko Racing fielded just two cars at Virginia International Raceway in the third round of the Star Mazda Championship with regular drivers Russell Walker and Charles Anti again showing they have the speed to compete at the front of a very competitive field. Anti placed highest in the race among the two JWR drivers but reaching that point did not come easily for the New York University freshman according to John Walko. "Charles struggled a little at the start of the weekend compared to how well he has been doing to this point in the season. He is in the middle of finals at NYU now in addition to being on the road racing the last three weeks between testing and races at Houston and VIR. It has been a bit overwhelming but he was really getting back in to his groove in the final practice after qualifying twelfth. Unfortunately he crashed hard that session in a very fast section of the track." In a rare occurrence for the defending Star Mazda Team Champions though, the team was not running their third car. The car was in the transporter fully prepared allowing Anti the chance to still compete in the race. "Fortunately for Charles our third car was not running this weekend and was in the transporter ready to go, otherwise he would have missed the race. The crew was able to quickly convert the car to the setups from Charles' car and make the appropriate adjustments. I was a little nervous about putting a driver in a car in race conditions with no previous laps but Charles did a great job. He turned competitive laps and methodically worked his way through the field picking up 16 positions. Other than a small issue with the "shift without lift" that Charles was able to fix on his own on the fly the car was flawless off the trailer." While Anti had the better finishing position, teammate Walker had a very impressive showing as well before his raceday was cut short by an engine failure. "Russell was competitive all weekend. He and Eric worked well together again staying in the top four or five in practice then qualifying fifth. At the start of the race he picked up a few spots, moving to third and challenging for second. Unfortunately following a long yellow the engine went off song then a lap later blew up. It was just a really solid performance by Russell from the beginning of the weekend to the end." To Walko, this group is really coming in to its own and is on the cusp of a breakthrough race. "We are seeing more of these kinds of performances from Russell. He is just really getting up to speed quickly each week. That whole team is strengthening; the chemistry between Russell, Eric and Scott is really clicking. Although this result wasn't really what we hoped for, we still came away feeling it was a good weekend. He is becoming a really good student of the sport, always learning and listening and trying new ideas. He just gets better and better." The maturation of the two young drivers is a point Walko is excited about particularly considering their background in comparison to other more experienced drivers in the field. "Russell and Charles are both kids that didn't grow up on karts or do Pro racing before coming here. They are both continuing to make progress and are on par with where they should be. I think the experience level of the members of this team combined with the drive to succeed that these two have is what makes this program work." The JWR crew has begun preparations on the three team cars for the upcoming west coast swing. Drivers interested in joining the defending Star Mazda Team Champions for the upcoming races or tests are encouraged to contact the team as soon as possible Upcoming plans include the fourth race of the season at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah followed by testing and the fifth race at Portland. Team QuotesCharles Anti
"It was an up and down weekend. We were disappointed with qualifying but starting twelfth would have beat starting at the back after the crash. It took the pressure off though and the race went as well as could be expected. It was fun to work through the field and a tenth place finish considering we had no time in that car was really good for the team." Steve Dreizler, Engineer for Charles Anti "Charles certainly was showing good speeds in parts of the race track and was putting it all together in final practice but unfortunately had an off at a very fast part of the track and crashed hard. Caleb and the team prepped the third car in short order since it wasn't being used, putting the set-up on from the other car and fitting everything for Charles. He started last and frankly did a great job. I don't think we could have asked for anything more. He salvaged everything possible out of the situation and earned a lot of points. The team needs to be commended as well for having that third car 100% ready to run when it came off the transporter. That kind of preparation is what wins Championships." Russell Walker: "It was another great weekend coming off of the momentum from Houston despite losing the engine. I think we are really making a name for ourselves, it's exciting! We still have good momentum despite the final result. In fact we were running solidly in third and battling for second when the engine quit. We showed everyone that we belong at the front for sure. Scott, Eric and I are all really clicking and building a lot of energy. I'm looking forward to getting back to Miller as we should be able to apply a lot of what we learned at VIR." Eric Langbein, Engineer for Russell Walker: "We were fast again. Russell, Scott and I all did our job to the best of our ability and we were proud of the result. Unfortunately the final standings do not reflect how strong we were but that was a result of circumstances outside of our control. I'm excited that we were able to show what we are capable of though and look forward to continue this momentum as we look toward the next race at Miller Motorsports Park. Russell is starting to think like a champion and a winner and is showing a lot of maturity, particularly considering the stout, experienced competition he is running against." VIR Results: 1 Dane Cameron 2 Ron White 3 Marco Di Leo 10 Charles Anti 22 Russell Walker TRAFFORD, PA (February 8, 2007) – Defending a Championship in a series as hotly contested as the Star Mazda Championship Series can be a daunting task. John Walko Racing recently took a huge step forward in that effort however, resigning two of the team's three drivers from its 2006 Team Championship winning roster. Teammates Charles Anti and Russell Walker return for a second season each under the tutelage of the experienced JWR crew. Each driver will be part of their own three man unit, paired with an engineer and mechanic, within the overall team for the entire season. This is a continuation of the approach that helped guide JWR to the Team Championship in their rookie season. John Walko, team owner, believes this approach is crucial in developing young talent in to consistent front running contenders. "There is something to be said for continuity, working with the same engineer, already speaking the same language, knowing the team, knowing the car, knowing what to expect from everything. It is more than just knowing the tracks. People don't understand how human this is, it is more than just sticking the best drivers in the best cars and going fast. There is a lot to the relationships involved." For Pittsburgh native Anti, those relationships will include Steve Dreizler returning as Engineer and Mechanic Caleb Stream. While Anti and Dreizler have a long history together, Walko noted that his driver and Stream have also worked well together as part of a quite successful off-season testing program. A program that has revealed an all together different driver than the one that made his professional debut at Sebring just last season. "We have already done a winter testing program with Charles and I can see a difference in him already. He knows the tracks now and the whole concept of Pro Racing is nothing new now, so the second year we expect to see a big difference in him. Last year was really his first season of Pro Racing at any level so part of the learning curve last year was learning to deal with the intensity level of a Pro weekend." Walker enters the 2007 season with a very familiar system as he is reunited with both his engineer and mechanic from his rookie season, Eric Langbein and Scott Gates. The Dallas, Texas based racer looks to build on a strong finish in 2006 that resulted in three top ten finishes in the final four races. After several strong runs in testing, Walko believes his second year driver will be a threat this season. "From the beginning of testing, Russell, Eric and Scott picked up right where they left off at the end of last season. Sebring in particular showed that as a team they were communicating very well and Russell was on top of his game behind the wheel." The return of two veteran drivers, and the chemistry readily apparent between them and their crews, has Walko excited about the team's prospects in the coming season. "With a full year under their belt I think they'll be completely different drivers this year. And we have seen great speed already this year in winter testing. Both Charles and Russell should be competing for wins and championships in 2007. If these two drivers are able to capitalize on their chances we should be in contention for the Team Championship as well. Although, we would like our chances even better if we were able to secure a third driver to round out the team" Team QuotesCharles Anti:
"I'll be working with Steve Dreizler again and Caleb Stream as mechanic. Caleb's car finished second in the Championship last year with Kevin Lacroix driving. I like to keep my expectations open but I think we can run for wins and maybe even the Championship." Russell Walker: "I'm happy to be joining John Walko Racing for another year. I'm confident they are a Championship level team and I'm excited to be working with them. The team continuity will be better than ever. That is going to play a huge role in the Championship this year." Eric Langbein, Engineer for Russell Walker: "I think there is an advantage in a specific driver working with a specific engineer and mechanic combo as a team. I know Russell, Scott and I are all looking forward to moving in to next year and having some continuity. It is a very rare thing at this level of racing for this kind of opportunity to be available." Steve Dreizler, Engineer for Charles Anti: "Obviously it says a lot for the team that both Charles and Russell are returning to the team for their second year with us. I look forward to both of them challenging for the Championship this year. Charles and I will be working with Caleb this year. His cars have finished second twice in two years for the Championship so we'll see if we can't do one better for him this year." The team continues their preparations for the upcoming season with a test at Virginia International Raceway. Opportunities are still available to join the 2006 Star Mazda Team Champions for the upcoming test and also for the 2007 season. Drivers interested in participating in the VIR test or other upcoming tests are encouraged to contact the team soon. Also, drivers interested in discussing their 2007 racing programs should contact John Walko Racing at john@johnwalkoracing.com . Wampum, PA (November 16, 2006) -- Most kart racers spend their entire career wishing they had a chance to show their mettle behind the wheel of a race car but understand that the chances of someone offering them the opportunity with no strings attached is very rare. Fortunately for the kart racers that compete in the BeaveRun Championship Kart Series, there is someone out there that just may give them that opportunity.
That person is John Walko, a regular in the BeaveRun karting paddock turning wrenches on son Trent's Cadet Kart. John also happens to own John Walko Racing, a professional race team headquartered in Trafford, PA that competes in the Star Mazda Series. Walko has been an active supporter of the karting series since its inception. Each year he hand picks drivers that display race savvy on track combined with a mature presence off the track as well. These drivers earn the chance of a lifetime according to Series Race Director Scot Silbaugh. "We are fortunate to have someone like John provide this opportunity. I don't think an aspiring kart racer could find a program like this at any other track; we are very lucky." The most recent drivers to make the giant leap from karts to the 240 horsepower Star Mazda machines were Timmy Wilson and Matt Machiko. Wilson competed at BeaveRun in the Briggs Animal class primarily along with traveling to WKA events but until this date had never turned a lap in a race car. Machiko recently capped his season off with a second track Championship in the Yamaha Junior Can division. Machiko also had never been behind the wheel at speed in anything other that a kart until this test. The two young racers took to their latest challenge quickly though and the lap times tumbled as confidence soared in each driver. At the end of the day Walko came away impressed with the duo. "I was blown away by Matt and Tim both. Compared to when we started this program, the times are more competitive and the drivers are making fewer mistakes." For Machiko the ear to ear grin every time he stepped from the car was a give away that this was an opportunity he would not soon forgot. "It was a whole new experience, a thrill, completely amazing! It was the most fun thing I've done in my life. I just have to thank the whole crew from John to Scott to Ray; everyone there was great and helped me so much." Wilson was quick to echo Machiko's sentiments after an incredibly smooth and fast run made even more notable by the fact that he had raced only sparingly this season. "It was awesome, just amazing how these cars handle at this speed. The closest I've ever driven to anything like this is a kart; this is just a totally different ball game. It was so much fun driving this car and working with everyone, they really know what they are doing." Walko believes that the credit for much of the early success these two young drivers experienced goes to the BeaveRun Karting facility and the quality of racing in the BeaveRun kart series. "Matt ran a low 54 and handled himself very well, I was impressed. Meanwhile Tim did extremely well too running mid 53's. Again, not a mistake. He was very smooth, perfect downshifts, never put a wheel off. I have to attribute that to how hard they pound on each other week in and week out at BeaveRun. Maybe our cars are developed more since then but these kids never even put a wheel off in the grass, never made any mistakes." Ironically, both drivers ran their test behind the wheel of the car driven by a BeaveRun Karting grad, Charles Anti. Anti helped Walko's team clinch the 2006 Star Mazda Team Championship. His success with the team further validates the quality of drivers coming through the BeaveRun Karting system. Silbaugh was understandably enthused with the performance of the young drivers he has watched come up through his program. "This is really exciting to see racers who started with us when they were just young kids earn this kind of opportunity. And to see them do so well right out of the gate just proves that the competition level at BeaveRun and the facility itself help to develop excellent skills" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TRAFFORD, PA (November 6, 2006) – Just two weeks after winning the Star Mazda Team Championship in their first season, the John Walko Racing crew was hard at work again. The team set up shop at their home track, BeaveRun Motorsports Complex, to take advantage of some clear fall days in advance of their scheduled testing program.
The first driver on track this testing season was recently crowned Rotax Junior Grand National Champion Timmy Megenbier. The Melrose Park, Illinois driver recently earned an invitation to do test drives for the 2007 Red Bull Junior Team and will travel to Lisbon, Portugal to test his skills. Megenbier also was coming off of a successful stint in the Skip Barber National series, where he scored a second and fourth in the final two races at Road America on the same weekend he won the Rotax Championship. However, the fifteen year old racer felt that there would be an advantage to spend a day of testing with JWR in a higher horsepower car before heading to Portugal to run the Red Bull Junior Team Formula BMW cars. The effort to put this test together at such a late date was worthwhile according to Megenbier. "It was a great day! We came in to it just as a practice day, that's what it ended up to be, but every time we went out we went faster and had better car control and better feel. John and I hooked up really well - he knew what to do and I knew what to do so it went really well." Despite cool temperatures, Megenbier turned in very impressive times according to team owner John Walko who was engineer for the test. "For the first time in a Star Mazda car and his first time at BeaveRun I was really impressed. He was just a second off of our best time ever here on a less than ideal day. Neither the track nor the air temperature ever went beyond 52 degrees; we never saw the sun all day." Walko also noted that Timmy responded with accurate feedback to changes made by the team. "I made changes to the car and he sensed what they did quite well. I'd do things without telling him and then ask him what it did to the car and he was able to explain the changes well. He was able to feel where it affected the car the most and give good feedback, really impressive actually." For Megenbier the test went well and should be good preparation for his trip to Europe where he will not only take part in the test drives for the 2007 Red Bull Junior Team but also race in the Rotax World Finals which are being contested in Portugal as well. This invitation to compete against some of the brightest rising stars in racing was earned by becoming the Rotax Junior Grand National Champion. "This was a new experience getting used to the track in such a high horsepower car. It was a good test to help prepare for Red Bull program though. I think we should do this again soon." This test was just the beginning of an off season program for JWR that will have the team traveling next to Road Atlanta for several days of on track activity. Charles Anti and Russell Walker, two key members of the 2006 Championship winning team, will be among those drivers testing for JWR at Road Atlanta. Drivers interested in participating in the off season testing program are encouraged to contact the team soon. Also, drivers interested in discussing their 2007 racing programs should contact John Walko Racing at John@johnwalkoracing.com . TRAFFORD, PA (October 24, 2006) – While some members of the John Walko Racing team have been together for many years, 2006 marked their first together under the JWR banner. It would have been natural to envision a season involving a steep learning curve and the many pitfalls that are normally associated with a rookie effort; particularly considering the fact that the team barely pulled the pieces together in time to make it to the season opening race at Sebring. No one apparently told this group though that a difficult season would not only be expected but acceptable to most. The result at the end of the final race at Laguna Seca was nothing short of astounding:- 2006 Star Mazda Team Championship - John Walko Racing
"This was a great season for our young team! It was amazing that we even made it to Sebring, let alone compete for the Championship and win against such tough competition as World Speed. I want to congratulate the team and their driver Adrian Carrio, they truly deserved the Championship. Adrian is a really good driver and the team did a great job once again." Despite the success, Walko knew the entire season would come down to the Star Mazda season finale at Laguna Seca this past weekend. "There are so many good teams and drivers in this series right now that we knew everything would hinge on the final race. This is a tough deal that had me nervous right up until the very end with the points system the way it is. With someone as fast as Adrian in World Speed's car coupled with the bonus points awarded for only running a single car we had to continue to post two cars in the top ten in entrant points to hope to keep pace. We were the only team able to do that race in and race out." Laguna Seca was no different and the team responded with another pair of top ten points finishes from Kevin Lacroix and Charles Anti, securing the Team Championship in the process. The race was stalled by several full course yellow flags that resulted in just six laps of green flag action. Those six laps were all Lacroix needed to rebound from an uncharacteristic eighth place qualifying effort however. "In the race we only ran six green flag laps so it was very hard to gain positions. But in six laps I moved from 8th to 4th. Maybe we could have had a podium but there just wasn't enough time. The car was very good, we were very fast but there was just not enough laps." The qualifying issue was unfortunate according to Walko particularly in light of how fast Lacroix has been to that point despite not participating in the previous week's private test. "Kevin was near the front the whole time, second or third quickest in each session just a tenth or two off. Until qualifications however, when a miscommunication resulted in sending Kevin on track with less fuel than we had planned. He missed three laps probably and that was enough to drop him to eighth on the grid." For Anti, the event could not have gone any differently. After finding himself near the top of the charts in most sessions in the latter half of the season, Anti was mired in the bottom half of the time sheets in each practice session at Laguna Seca. The rookie driver ended up in the slow qualifying group as a result. According to Charles the split groups finally gave him some clear track to work with. "In practice every time I would get around slower traffic I'd catch another before the end of the lap. We did not have a single clean lap until qualifying when everything finally came together. I made a small mistake even on my fast lap; otherwise we may have started even further up the grid." After finally turning things around in qualifying, Anti spent as much time in the race avoiding accidents as racing noted Walko. "Charles set the pace in the first group by more than two seconds and was as fast as Kevin had run all weekend. It was awesome, all the sudden he was right there where we expect him to be. In all the craziness of the race Charles ended up thirteenth overall which was good for tenth in championship points. The cause of all the yellows seemed to be happening right in front of him. He was on the brakes hard and picking his way through the incidents and did a good job staying clear of everything and scored important points for us. He did a good job." Russell Walker was on the move once again at Laguna Seca, running inside the top ten on race day before ending up in the middle of one of the yellow flag incidents. "We were making excellent progress, absolutely. I think just about everyone in front of us was at the private test so we were doing well. I had a good start and a solid race car. I was in a chase for position, and I guess do to the nature of the race having so few green flag laps and so many cautions, I didn't want to hesitate when I had a chance to make a pass after being held up for a few laps. I made an aggressive move and unfortunately it cost me." While the end result was not what he hoped for from a rapidly improving Walker, Walko was still impressed by his young driver's performance. "Russell was in the top ten and passing another car when they made contact, ending his race. He was good again and improved every session. He just kept getting faster and faster and is constantly improvement. Russell is just a small step away from the podium and getting closer every time he runs." Walker agreed and credited the JWR team with providing him the tools and expertise to make strides toward the front of the pack in their short time together. "My time with the team and each member of the team providing their expert knowledge and attention to detail gave me the tools to develop my skills to be nothing less than a champion. We were so close to finding that final piece to finish on the podium. The team championship reflects that pretty well, it was a good year." Lacroix echoed Walker's sentiments regarding what was essentially a total rookie season for all involved from the brand new team to three first year drivers. "The season was very good even though we missed the first race. We won the team championship which was very good for John Walko Racing. The cars were getting better at every race which was why we were fast at Atlanta and Laguna Seca. The cars were going good and the team is getting better. It was a great learning year for the team and for me, a great first year for everyone." According to Anti, his first year at this level of competition was a big adjustment but was made easier by the atmosphere at JWR. "It was an incredible year, I learned so much from everyone on the team. The results weren't bad but they don't truly reflect how far we advanced as a team and how much I learned. The whole season was so much fun and I can't thank everyone on the team enough for how they helped me to grow and improve this season." For Walko, the Team Championship was not only a reflection of his rapidly improving trio of young drivers but the team on the whole. "We have just an incredible group of racers and I'm proud to be associated with all of them. Not only do they do their jobs well but each member of the team, regardless of which car they are assigned to works together. Winning the Team Championship our first year out of the gate is a testament to what this crew does all season long." Walko also paid tribute to all of the drivers that the team had an opportunity to work with over the course of the season. "I'd like to thank Kevin Lacroix, Charles Anti and Russell Walker and their respective families for a tremendous season. This is a very talented group of young drivers and it has been a lot of fun to work with them and watch their progress throughout the season. In addition to these three drivers I also want to say thank you to Ross Smith, Robbie Pecorari and Casey Neal, each of which helped to contribute to our success this season." It is a short off season for the 2006 Star Mazda Team Champions as the off season testing schedule for John Walko Racing is set to kick off in just a few short weeks. Drivers interested in participating in the off season testing program are encouraged to contact the team soon. Also, drivers interested in discussing their 2007 racing programs should contact John Walko Racing at John@johnwalkoracing.com . Laguna Seca Results:
1. .Ryan Justice 2. .Mike Potekhen 3. .Adrian Carrio 4. Kevin Lacroix 13. Charles Anti 36. Russell Walker Star Mazda Driver Championship: 1. Adrian Carrio 433 2. Kevin Lacroix 394 3. Ryan Justice 366 14. Charles Anti 236 16. Russell Walker 222 Star Mazda Team Championship:
TRAFFORD, PA (October 2, 2006) – With a recent private test under their belts at Road Atlanta, the John Walko Racing team looked forward to the eleventh race of the season as part of the Petit Le Mans event in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series. The anticipation was rewarded with another pair of top ten finishes and a firm grasp on the Team Championship.
"Coming down early for the test was a huge help for me getting comfortable here," noted Russell Walker. "It was a great weekend if you take out the one lap in the final practice. The car felt great from the opening practice and just kept getting better." Road Atlanta proved to be a breakout event for Walker although the results didn't truly reflect his speed on the 2.54 mile circuit. The Dallas, Texas racer started practice seventh on the charts and moved up to second quick by the final practice before misfortune struck as team owner John Walko explained. "Russell was amazing! We had a good setup on the car and when he showed up he was awesome from the time he got there. He had a problem with turn one though late in the final practice, caught the curb and backed in to the wall hard. This was after setting the second quick time of the final session." The car was damaged too badly to repair in time for qualifying. According to Walko the team was confident enough in their young driver though to secure another car despite having to qualify without ever turning a lap in the car previously. "We rented a car from another team and Russell spent qualifying in the rain getting comfortable with the car. In the race though he was back! It was like he was in the last practice session, running competitive times and passing cars every lap in to turn one. It was fun to watch." Walker qualified 23rd after just a handful of laps in qualifying but rebounded nicely under the circumstances. "The race was slow going thanks to starting so deep in the field but I was able to work up to eighth picking up a position or two almost every lap. It was still a very good weekend though and I look forward to getting back on track at Laguna Seca for the season closer." Kevin Lacroix, currently second in points, also benefited from the testing which resulted in his leading the opening practice. After that point though, Lacroix was forced to battle with an underpowered race car. A situation that the team rectified before the final practice as Walko noted. "The engines haven't been that consistent. At Road America and Mosport we had a really good handling car but just didn't have the lap times. Our other cars have been killing Kevin on the straight despite not carrying as much exit speed. We finally decided to put a new engine in and it made a big difference as we led that practice. The car was a whole lot better." In the race Lacroix moved in to the top three early and held on to the spot for his first podium finish since Portland, a result good enough to clinch the 2006 Star Mazda Rookie of the Year title. "We swapped the engine for the race and, although it was still tight, it was much more powerful. I overtook two positions on the first lap and was looking to take the lead but could not find any room," Lacroix stated. "That was my season, staying out of trouble and carving my way up in the standings instead of taking chances. I still have one left in Laguna, the track where I was most successful last year in BMW. With a healthy car, I will give my best shot to finish my season with a flash!" Charles Anti was the lone driver of the JWR trio that was unable to attend the Road Atlanta test. Despite a bigger learning curve at the start of the event, Anti found himself right back in the top ten just a few laps in to the race. Unfortunately for Anti though his day ended early with a rare mechanical DNF. "I never really felt up to speed all weekend until the rains came for qualifying. I thought that would be the equalizer for me, and it was, up until the track started to dry out. We slipped a little further down the charts each lap it seemed as it dried. I was in the top ten early in the race though, hoping to capitalize on other's mistakes as the race progressed. A hole in an oil line developed though and sidelined us early." The team now moves on to Laguna Seca where they not only look to clinch the Star Mazda Team Championship but hope to secure that elusive first win. "This past race gave us a huge jump in the points. We have the biggest lead in the Championship that we have had all season," noted Walko. "So I'm looking forward to Laguna Seca to see if we can win the Team Championship in our first season. It should be a good weekend as all three drivers have experience there and they all really like the track. We are all looking forward to this race!" The twelfth and final race of the 2006 Star Mazda Championship Series takes place at Laguna Seca on October 21-22. Road Atlanta Results: 1 Ron White 2 Mark Wilkins 3 Kevin Lacroix 8 Russell Walker 27 Charles Anti Star Mazda Driver Championship: 1 Adrian Carrio 395 2 Kevin Lacroix 360 3 Ryan Justice 322 14 Charles Anti 211 15 Russell Walker 210 Star Mazda Team Championship: 1 John Walko Racing 223 2 World Speed 208 3 Northwest Autosport 159 4 Apex Racing 154 5 Andersen Racing 154 TRAFFORD, PA (September 4, 2006) – Mosport was a much anticipated venue for John Walko Racing. The team had what they felt was a strong handle of the storied Canadian circuit. However, the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto turned around the best laid plans of all teams when torrential rains fell on Saturday's race.
The weekend started out well despite the team being one of the few not to test at the facility in the weeks leading up to the event. The opening day of practice saw all three cars run in the top fifteen for much of the day with Kevin Lacroix dipping in to the top five once again. John Walko, the team owner, was confident his team would be able to overcome the obstacle of not testing at Mosport previously. "Obviously we would like to test at every track before each race, as most of our competitors have been doing, but for one reason or another we have not been able to do so since earlier in the season. We are confident though that regardless of circumstances, our crews and drivers are going to have the right package to be competitive when the green flag falls on race day." Unfortunately for Walko and the rest of the crew, Friday practice proved to be unkind and would set their whole approach back a few steps. According to Walko it was a day to forget despite placing all three cars in the top twelve in morning practice. "At the end of the day on Friday we ended up with three crashed race cars, it was a rough day. All three cars went off in succession early in the final session, each bringing out a red. So not only did we have broken race cars and missed practice, each guy was docked ten minutes in the next session for bringing out a red flag. It was a long day, and a long night." Missing the final practice also forced the teams to revert to previous set-ups which were one cycle behind all of the other cars that did run a full practice. Combined with the shortened qualifying session thanks to the red flag penalties from Friday, the limited development resulted in the three cars qualifying deeper in the pack than expected. Lacroix, who qualified an uncharacteristic eighth, noted that the he was a bit off the pace of the quickest cars. "I wasn’t able to clock laps under 1:15 all weekend. We tried every possible setup in the five practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, to no avail. The #74 UniSelect was very good in the corners but was short on speed in the long straights. Mosport is a fabulous track where I would have liked to put more time in order to start on the two first rows." Charles Anti qualified tenth while Russell Walker earned the twelfth spot on the grid for the race. The race on the 2.65 mile circuit itself turned out to be an all together different affair than the drivers had to deal with all weekend as Hurricane Ernesto brought a deluge just in time for the start. Walker in fact was turning some of his first laps in competition in the rain in the Star Mazda Series. According to Walko it was a good effort for his newest racer. "It was one of Russell's first rain races, he hasn't run much in the rain at all actually, and he did a great job of staying conservative and steady and he found himself in the top ten at the end of the day as a result. A great effort for him." Walker was satisifed with his performance in the harrowing conditions. "It was a foggy, torrential downpour, about the worst conditions you could imagine. I had a little bit of experience in practice at Mid Ohio but this was my first race in these conditions. It was pretty intense! I just brought it home; that was what we wanted to achieve. I could have been more aggressive but then I could have easily been caught out like a lot of other people." After spotting the entire field a race in the Championship standings, Lacroix, who has been the aggressor all season, found himself solidly in second place at the start of the weekend. An opening lap miscue resulted in the Montreal native having to be aggressive enough to stay ahead of his Championship competitors yet conservative enough to ensure he finished the race. "I’m still happy but I was looking for a podium, if not a victory. In the rain, I knew I would get some positions back because I’ve always been comfortable in wet conditions. I started seventh and took two positions in the first corners. But to avoid a drifting car, I had to brake and did a 360 spin that set me back in ninth. We ran only six or seven laps under green out of the 21. Every time a car is off course, we go full course yellow. With more green laps, I could have stepped on the podium.” The drive of the weekend though belonged to Anti according to Walko. "Charles was the man in the race, he was unbelievable. He was pushing for the win, worked hard to get up there and went for the lead. Each time there was a restart he picked off one or two cars and went straight to the front, it was awesome." Anti's bid for his first series win as well as the first team win for JWR came up a lap short however as he made contact with the leader while attempting to take the point. "I started ninth and was up three spots on the first lap. We had a lot of one lap stints thanks to drivers going off early and I was able to pick off a car or two each lap. I was trying to work around the leader under braking in turn five and I carried just a little too much speed in and locked it up. It was too bad because I felt it was my race to win." Despite the incident, which relegated the Star Mazda Rookie to thirteenth overall, the performance was a confidence booster. "It was amazing. The only other wet conditions we had this year was a practice at Mid Ohio and I was second most of the session. So we went in to the race with a lot of confidence. I knew after the first lap we had the potential to do something special. Doing well in the wet is really a big deal. The results don't show it obviously but now I know we are among the fastest cars. This was a great confidence builder.' Overall Walko was happy with the weekend, which saw JWR move back to the top of the Team Championship standings, and looks forward to the next race at Road Atlanta where the team will take a slightly different approach in hopes of securing that first win. "It was a pretty good weekend, nearly bringing home three top tens despite the ups and downs, and we have the team points lead back. Also, we are going testing this week at Atlanta in hopes of finding that last little bit that will take us to the next level. The test at Road Atlanta is in preparation for JWR's next event as part of the American Le Mans Series at the Petit Le Mans weekend on September 27-29 at the famed circuit in Braselton, Georgia. Mosport Results: 1 Ron White 2 Gerardo Bonilla 3 Mike Potekhen 4 Kevin Lacroix 9 Russell Walker 13 Charles Anti Star Mazda Driver Championship: 1 Adrian Carrio 361 2 Kevin Lacroix 320 3 Ryan Justice 293 14 Charles Anti 193 17 Russell Walker 180 Star Mazda Team Championship: 1 John Walko Racing 192 2 World Speed 189 3 Apex Racing 154 TRAFFORD, PA (July 24, 2006) – Following the season opening race at Sebring, the John Walko Racing team found themselves tied for seventh in the Team Championship standings. While this was not a bad start for a young team that featured two rookies among three drivers, it was not a position that the team intended to stay in for long.
The addition of Kevin Lacroix was the first jolt that the team needed as the Canadian rookie reeled off a string of six straight top six finishes. With each event, the team crept closer to the top until fellow rookie Charles Anti provided another boost with three top ten runs in a row over the last three races. The culmination of the turnaround came this past weekend at Portland International Raceway where Anti scored a career best fifth and Lacroix matched a season best with a second place finish, his fourth top three points finish in just six tries this season. As a result JWR found themselves in first place in the Team Championship standings - a six position gain in just six races. Making the rise that much more impressive was the fact that JWR did so without the benefit of the five bonus points available to single car teams. A loophole that some teams were able to utilize to garner as much as 35 additional points so far this season. Team principal John Walko was understandably thrilled with the performance of his drivers and his crew. "I am very proud of what this group of people has been able to accomplish in such a short time. Despite many members of the team having a long history together, John Walko Racing is truly a brand new team. To be in this position so soon is a testament to hard work and determination they display whether they are at the track or in the shop." Anti's fifth place finish was a season best and helped him move to ninth in the Championship. The surging driver gives credit to the team while noting that he is now delivering results on his end as well. Sometimes the improvement involves off track driving as well! "We had another crazy first lap incident; I just drove off in to the grass and somehow managed to miss almost everything. I feel like I'm improving each week though. The team has been together since the start but it has taken awhile for me to acclimate myself to this level of competition and the new environment." "Charles just keeps improving. He gets better every time he steps in the car," noted Walko. "And what can I say about Kevin, he was never worse than fourth all weekend." While Anti's performance can easily be measured in the standings, Lacroix has also shown measurable improvement according to Walko. "We qualified and finished pretty much in the same position with Kevin. Only this time we closed the gap from seconds per lap from the leader to tenths of seconds per lap at most. In the case of both drivers, credit needs to be given to Eric Langbein who is normally the engineer on our third car. Eric coached the drivers while observing from different spots around the track. They each responded well to Eric's input and it really showed in the results." Langbein was available in this capacity due to the unfortunate loss of driver Ross Smith to an ankle injury at the previous race. The relationship with the Smith family continued however, as the team entered a third car for driver Russell Walker. Walker ran solidly in or near the top ten in practice, eventually qualifying fourteenth. His race day would end prematurely however after becoming involved in the opening lap accident that unfolded directly in front of him. Lacroix moved solidly in to third place in the points following his second straight second place finish. He also maintains the highest average finishing position in the series at 3.3. There is just one step remaining on the podium for Lacroix to conquer and he would like nothing better than to do just that when the series returns to his native Quebec. "I am confident for my next race that will be held at Trois-Rivières in two weeks. As far as the season progresses, I keep getting good results. I can't wait for my first victory in Star Mazda Series. My team John Walko Racing is doing a great job." The Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres is the scene for the eighth round of the Star Mazda Championship Series. This event, in the town of Trois Riviere, Quebec, puts the Star Mazda series in the spotlight as one of the headlining events in a diverse schedule of events culminating with the August 6th race. Contact John@johnwalkoracing.com for more information regarding testing programs available for the 2006 season. |
Develop
Here you can find out about our developments and experiences in coaching and engineering Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|