John Walko Racing
  • Home
    • About
    • John's Bio
  • Dorothy
  • Coachineering
  • Clients
    • Arms Up Motorsports
    • JDC Motorsports
    • Stratus Racing
  • Development
  • Contact

JWR's Kate Gundlach Honored as Star Mazda Crew Member of the Year Zartarian Scores Top Five at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

11/1/2007

0 Comments

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Picture
TRAFFORD, PA (October 29, 2007) -- The 2007 Star Mazda Series closer at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was a successful effort for the John Walko Racing team both on and off the track with a top five finish, two top tens and a highly coveted year end award for crew member Kate Gundlach. 
​
Gundlach, JWR's data acquisition engineer for all three entries, was awarded the Performance Friction Crew Member of the Year Award at the season ending awards banquet, a consensus award for the most valuable member of a particular team whose efforts have also benefited other teams and the series. For team owner John Walko, it was a much deserved award for an integral member of the team. 

"We had a very good race weekend but the high point had to be Kate winning the Star Mazda Crew Member of the Year Award. It was a total surprise to everyone so it was very exciting for the team as well as Kate. This award is particular significant I think as it is voted on by peers and then the final decision is made by Star Mazda management. To even be considered for the award, let alone win it, requires impressing a lot of people along the way." 

The award was also particularly important in that Kate is truly a homegrown talent. Like Walko, she is a Pittsburgh native with family ties to the local racing community. Her first professional work though was as an intern with JWR while working toward her mechanical engineering degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Along the way she has parlayed the opportunity in to a full time career that also involves the roles of team parts manager, test engineer and soon race engineer of the team's third car. 

"I am proud of what Kate has accomplished. She came to the team with the raw tools and has developed in to an integral part of our organization. Kate is the second member of the team to have earned the Star Mazda Crew Member of the year award along with Caleb Stream. Developing talent outside of the car as well as inside is very important to our team and something we take considerable pride in." 

Kate echoed the sentiments of her team owner regarding the team's approach. 
"Winning this award was a big surprise to me! I have to thank John and the whole crew; they are responsible for developing me to where I am today and deserve the credit for this award. >From John to engineers Steve (Dreizler) and Eric (Langbein) to mechanics Caleb and Scott (Gates) each has invested time in helping me develop as part of this team. Their commitment to the overall team is what makes this group successful. I also have to thank John Walko Sr. and drivers Charles (Anti) and Russell (Walker) as well as their families. It has been a very rewarding experience working with everyone associated with John Walko Racing." 

Of course the trip to Monterey, California involved more than the awards banquet as the team returned to a three car effort with Californian John Zartarian behind the wheel of the third car for the first time since the second round in Houston. Zartarian lead the way with a fifth place finish followed by Russell Walker in tenth. 

According to Walko, the return to a three car effort always seems to provide an extra spark for the team. 

"As usual the team works better with three cars, things were automatic, the atmosphere was more upbeat, everybody was doing their normal jobs and everything worked great. In all it was a pretty good weekend." 

"Johnny did a great job, for only driving the car twice this year and to finish top five in this field is an accomplishment. He was actually second in one of the early sessions and that always helps to get all the cars moving forward. Russell had a good race as well, picking off some spots in the race and running a smart, clean race" 

Both drivers found speed early, netting second fastest laps in different practice sessions. JWR's other full time entry Charles Anti had an uphill battle at times but was very fast on race day. 

"Russell followed John's lead, setting the second fastest lap in the following session, and stayed in the top ten almost all weekend. Charles had a slow start on the weekend but moved up some spots early in the race and was running very quick laps. He was just all by himself after going off in turn five so his results didn't actually reflect how competitive he was in the race. 

The team now moves in to the off season but does not plan on resting for long. Testing has already begun at BeaveRun Motorsports Complex with more dates being added to the schedule soon. There are also ongoing discussions about racing in the Star Mazda Winter Series that begins in November at Buttonwillow in California followed by dates at Firebird Raceway and Phoenix International Raceway in December and January respectively.

Drivers interested in testing or discussing racing plans for the Winter Series or the 2008 season should contact John Walko Racing as soon as possible. 

Team Quotes ​

John Zartarian
It was a great weekend overall, I was really happy with a fifth particularly after our qualifying run. We picked up a few spots and hit my goal of a top five finish. All in all I was really happy with the way the race went but honestly thought I could have podiumed if it had stayed green. I have to thank John and the crew for a great weekend again." 
​

Russell Walker
"It was good to have a solid run at Laguna Seca to close out the season. We were quick early in practice and stayed close to the top ten all weekend. We missed a little in qualifying but I was able to drive back to tenth in the race. I was as fast as the cars directly in front of me but with the yellows near the end of the race, I never had a chance to move up any farther. I'd like to thank the team for this season; it was great to work with this crew for an entire year."

Charles Anti
​"Unfortunately we didn't end the season on a high note, finishing outside the top twenty, but we had a very fast race car that was able to run times as fast as the leaders as the laps wore down. At that point I was a lap down though after an off in to the gravel trap and was too far back to make up the ground to challenge for position. I learned a lot this year and had some great runs. I want to thank John and the team for a good season."

John Walko, Engineer for John Zartarian
"Johnny did a great job all weekend. He was second quickest in practice in just his second time behind the wheel of our car all year. To be able to hold his own, let alone compete with this field is an accomplishment in itself. With a few more laps of green flag racing he could have been looking at a podium finish. Hopefully we are able to work with John more in the future as he has the talent to compete and win in this series." 
​
Eric Langbein, Engineer for Russell Walker
"We started the season with a goal of top ten in points and Russell did exactly what he needed to do to make sure we met those goals at Laguna Seca. He picked up five spots in the race and looked to have the speed to pick up more. Rather than taking unnecessary chances in the closing laps of the race though he showed the maturity to stay focused on the goal and finished with a tenth in the race and the Championship."
​

Steve Dreizler, Engineer for Charles Anti
"We didn't get up to speed as quickly as we needed to be which put Charles in the slow group in qualifying. Unfortunately that played a big role as the first qualifying group had a wet track to deal with and ended up drying the track for the fast group. Charles was considerably faster than anyone else in the first group but still a second and a half behind the slowest car in the second group. In the race we were as fast as the leaders but a lap down so the end result didn't reflect how good of a car we had."
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Develop

    Here you can find out about our developments and experiences in coaching and engineering

    Archives

    January 2022
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    July 2016
    November 2015
    June 2015
    June 2014
    August 2013
    November 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    November 2010
    March 2009
    February 2009
    September 2008
    August 2008
    April 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007
    October 2007
    September 2007
    August 2007
    July 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    February 2007
    November 2006
    October 2006
    September 2006
    July 2006
    May 2006
    April 2006
    March 2006
    February 2006
    January 2006
    December 2005
    November 2005
    October 2005
    September 2005
    July 2005
    March 2005
    February 2005
    December 2004
    November 2004
    October 2004
    September 2004
    July 2004
    June 2004
    May 2004
    March 2004
    February 2004
    January 2004
    December 2003
    January 2003
    December 2002
    May 2002
    October 2000

    Categories

    All
    Andersen Walko Racing
    Arms Up Motorsports
    Champ Car
    Dan Anderson
    Driver: Adam Pecorari
    Driver: Andrew Prendeville
    Driver: Charles Anti
    Dri/ver: Chris Livengood
    Driver: Chris Livengood
    Driver: Chris Winkler
    Driver Development
    Driver: Doug Prendeville
    Driver: Gerry Kraut
    Driver: Graham Rahal
    Driver: James Roe
    Driver: John Zartarian
    Driver: Jonathan Klein
    Driver: Kevin Lacroix
    Driver: Kevin Toledo
    Driver: Luca Mars
    Driver: Mark Bumgarner
    Driver: Michael Guasch
    Driver: Michelle Bumgarner
    Driver: Mike Andersen
    Driver: Mike Guasch
    Driver: Mike Hill
    Driver: Pablo Donoso
    Driver: Ramiro Scuncio
    Driver: Robbie Pecorari
    Driver: Ross Smith
    Driver: Russell Walker
    Driver: Scott Andrews
    Driver: Scott Willard
    Driver: Steve Welk
    Driver: Trent Walko
    F2000
    Firman
    Formula Atlantic
    Formula Continental
    Formula Ford
    Fuel Mileage Friday
    IMSA Prototype Challenge
    IndyCar
    JDC Motorsports
    John Walko Racing
    JWR Alumni Update
    Karting
    Kate Gundlach
    Ligier Norma LMP3
    LMP3
    Mazda
    NASCAR
    Norma Auto
    Pi Research
    Pitt FSAE
    Pittsburgh Auto Show
    PRL Motorsports
    Ralph Firman
    Road To Indy
    SCCA
    Sebring
    Star Mazda
    Track: Buttonwillow
    Track: Carolina Motorsports
    Track: Cleveland
    Track: Firebird
    Track: Fontana
    Track: Houston
    Track: Laguna Seca
    Track: Lime Rock
    Track: Mid Ohio
    Track: Mosport
    Track: NJ Motorsports Park
    Track: Phoenix
    Track: PittRace
    Track: Portland
    Track: Road America
    Track: Road Atlanta
    Track: Roebling Road
    Track: Sebring
    Track: St. Petersburg
    Track: Summit Point
    Track: Utah
    Track: VIR
    Track: Watkins Glen
    Trucking Business
    USF2000
    Van Diemen
    WKA World Karting Assoc
    WKA - World Karting Assoc
    Work Racing

    RSS Feed

Location

Contact Us

John Walko Racing
41 Wallace Avenue
Trafford, PA 15085

Tel:412.414.3304
© 2023 John Walko Racing.  All Rights Reserved
site design: Rapid Production Marketing
  • Home
    • About
    • John's Bio
  • Dorothy
  • Coachineering
  • Clients
    • Arms Up Motorsports
    • JDC Motorsports
    • Stratus Racing
  • Development
  • Contact