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JWR ALUM: Marshall Pruett interviews JWR Alumni Kate Gundlach

4/3/2019

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Marshall Pruett interviewed our great friend Kate Gundlach to talk about last season's Indy Car Championship with Scott Dixon. 

We where both honored and humbled by Kate's very kind words about the experience that she has at JWR Racing.
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Kate Gundlach, Scott Dixon's Engineer at Ganassi Racing
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John Walko jumping in to do some wrenching at Sebring

3/21/2019

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Scott Andrews at JDC Motorsports shot some video on Facebook when we where testing at Sebring International Raceway this past Monday.
John Walko wrenching at Sebring
Some hands on engineering!
According to Scott Andrews:
"Have a look at how amazing our JDC MotorSports team is! After Gerry got substantial damage on the first lap of the race, somehow the team were able to the car back out, with enough time for Gerry to finish his stint so we could be classified as a finisher!! I love seeing John Walko our engineer getting on the tools and all dirty helping. And don’t worry I wasn’t just filming - I even applied some race tape!"
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JDC MotorSports 2019 IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship LMP3 program

2/13/2019

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Ligier Norma LMP3
Ligier Norma LMP3
The IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship was developed to support the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – the premier SportsCar racing series in North America. The series offers racers from around the world the opportunity to compete at historic venues like Daytona, Sebring International Raceway or Road Atlanta. 

The Series mission is two-fold: present an opportunity for semi-professional race car drivers to compete in a world-class environment racing state of the art closed cockpit LMP3 prototypes. While also providing an avenue for drivers to move up the ladder into the Prototype classes in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Following the worldwide LMP3 (LeMans Prototype 3) platform and category, IMSA introduced the Prototype Challenge Championship new in 2017. The state of the art closed cockpit LMP3 prototypes will compete in a 6-round schedule in 2019. All 6 events will be part of the IMSA WeatherTech championship weekends.

All races are run in an endurance race format with an two-driver line-up. Four races will be 1-hour 45-minutes long including one mandatory pit-stop for refueling, tire and driver change. Two races will be 3 hours long. Only silver rated (Semi-Pro) drivers and bronze (Gentlemen) drivers are eligible to compete. Only one silver rated (Semi-Pro) driver is allowed per line-up with a minimum required drive time per race for the bronze (Gentlemen) driver of 40 minutes.

Ligier and Norma LMP3 Race Cars

Onroak Ligier JSP3 LMP3 or Norma
Carbon fiber monocoque / HP COMPOSITES built to FIA standards
NISSAN VK50, V8, 5000 cc, 420 hp
Up to 185mph
0-60 3.3 sec.
X-TRAC six-speed sequential gearbox with semi-automatic paddle shift system
Double wishbone, pushrod and spring-damper combination, 3 ways latest generation of dampers, adjustable anti-roll bar system.
FIA headrest/side head restraint, compatible with HANS device.
Front track 61.5", rear track 58.5", wheelbase 100.5" and weight 1090 lbs.
Cockpit adjustable bias, master cylinder, 6-piston callipers, Ø 14’’ front and rear steel discs
Magnesium, Ø 18’’, front width: 12,5’’, rear width: 13’’, center lock
Adjustable shocks, sway bars, brake bias and wing angles
Pi 30-channel system with steering wheel display
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Luca Mars and his team on their practice sessions that took place Monday for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Brazil!

11/30/2018

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Luca Mars Karting Brazil
Dan Schlosser
November 26, 2018  ·

So finally we get to the action today! We rolled through the gates at 6:30 (easy to do here with a 4:30 sunrise!) for three rounds of practice - 15 minute recon session followed by two 8 minute sessions. Not a lot of time to learn a brand new track and a new kart plus get back in touch with an engine package that Luca hasn’t driven since summer - but we were ready for the challenge!

The initial session was very good with Luca starting in the back of the pack and picking off 15 or so racers and looking really comfortable & aggressive. Our tactics rarely change and giving Luca the green light to hunt is always the best way to gauge his comfort level and pace. He was solidly in the top five most of the session but the last few laps had him cutting through traffic so we never really got a flier once the track came in.

A few twists were thrown at us as the day wore on including wildly varying weather where it ranged from sprinkles to raging sunshine (I swear you can touch the sun from here if you jump high enough...) to deluges to cloudy/windy. You really never knew what you were going to get when you pushed off for grid and Mother Nature rarely skipped surprises. We had a light rain as we were sitting on grid for round two and then a downpour two groups before ours for round three. Shockingly the track dried amazingly fast both times and within a few laps the drivers were at full speed.

The second session saw Luca finish P9 and looking really solid but the third session we dropped way down the charts after trying something outside the box on the kart. As we always say - when testing it doesn’t matter if your changes work or not, only that you learn something from it. We learned that change kinda stunk...

A few interesting technical tidbits from the day - the first of which is rain tires and the fact that you only get one set of a very soft tire for the entire week of practice and racing. Definitely an exercise in judgement as we weighed the what-ifs and decided to run full dry setups with dry tires regardless of the circumstances so Luca could experience the track as the rain changed the surface or the surface dried during a race.

The other curveball was that the technical regulations changed on us midday. After testing and then preparing a kart utilizing all the awesome tuning tools that Praga gives you, we were told we were unable to change steering column & spindle pick up points or front & rear ride heights. Certainly not the end of the world but it did require a change of plan & direction on the fly.

These twists and turns are the hook that keeps us coming back for more though and we have a solid plan for tomorrow after some time with Andy’s nose in the laptop! We’ll be ready for three more rounds of practice starting at 8:00 tomorrow - remember, we are two hours ahead if you are following on Live Timing.

Sorry for the lack of travel/culture notes today but in the end this is what we came to do. No matter if it’s in the middle of an Indiana cornfield or a continent away a few steps from the sun, once we are on track it becomes a bit all consuming!

If you’d like to see Luca’s perspective on the event follow the  Pittsburgh International Race Complex Instagram feed where they’ve allowed Luca to stage a takeover of their account! Thanks to the staff at our home town track for their support of Luca - very cool.
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Interview with JWR Alumni Kate Gundlach, engineer for Scott Dixon on winning the Indy car Series Championship

10/17/2018

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JWR Alumni, Kate Gundlach celebrated her first Verizon IndyCar Series Championship as a team engineer when Scott Dixon won his fifth IndyCar Series championship in 2018.

Kate works with the team's race engineer, Chris Simmons, and gave her thoughts to Autoweek after Dixon claimed the title at Sonoma Raceway in September 2018.
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ArmsUp Motorsports Wins F2000 Pro Series

9/19/2018

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Picture
On track three of the four weeks in September, ArmsUp Motorsports completed the final round of the F2000 Championship Series this past weekend at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Taking on the Thunderbolt Raceway layout, ArmsUp drivers James Roe and Trent Walko dominated the event taking home both victories and three of four possible podium results.

Roe was never outside the top-three in official session results throughout the weekend and was one of the drivers to beat. Pacing the field with the fastest time in practice one, Roe claimed the second position in both practice two and qualifying for Saturday's action. Once wheel-to-wheel racing commenced, the ArmsUp Motorsports driver took his talents and the speed of his F2000 car to the front claiming the win. Sunday proved to be a little more difficult for the multi-time race winner as en route to the fastest lap of the race, Roe garnered the third and final step on the podium.

Walko started his weekend off with a 12th place run in the second practice session and vastly improved when the official on track action began. Qualifying sixth for race one on Saturday, the young driver held station through the first wheel-to-wheel action on the weekend. Sunday saw Walko climb the charts and after qualifying in the third position, the ArmsUp Motorsports drivers topped the podium blocks at the end of the day to scoring the win, the second for ArmsUp Motorsports victory of the weekend.

"We have our hands in a lot of different series and on a lot of different types of vehicles," explained Gregg Borland. "I don't think many people understand how involved we are as we assist drivers with their cars in SCCA, F2000, USF2000, vintage racing and more. The season is winding down right now but that does not mean we are slowing by any means. Continuing to evolve our program, we are headed to Indy this week for the annual Chris Griffis Test and already have test dates planned for the off season as we prepare for 2019."
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Walko Wins F2000 Season Finale

9/17/2018

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Millville, NJ – Trent Walko won the F2000 Championship Series season finale, taking the checkered flags at New Jersey Motorsports Park first on Sunday afternoon in round 14 of the 2018 season.

Walko, driving the No. 91 Arms Up Motorsports entry, dominated the race after taking the lead early. He won ahead of Michael Eastwell, who finished second, and James Roe, who finished third.
Trent Walko Arms Up Racing
Walko: “I just want to thank my Dad and Arms Up Motorsports for the opportunity. It’s always great to be back in one of these cars, even if it’s only for a race or two a year. Overall, it was a really good race. We got a good start and the car came in really quick. The inside row on the start got a bit of a jump off the start. I kept putting pressure on Michael for the first lap and the car was hooked up right off the bat.”


Eastwell: “It is a good way to kicking off our racing here in the U.S. It’s been a big learning curve for me. I’m pleased with his result; a little more work and hopefully we’ll be there for the win”


Roe: “I had a bad start and didn’t time it right. I fell back quite a bit; three of us started battling and Brandon got away. It didn’t work out today; we just had to bring it home. I think I had fastest lap which is a positive.”

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HOMETOWN TEAM ARMSUP MOTORSPORTS DISPLAYS ITS LEGACY AT ROAD AMERICA

8/1/2018

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from the Mazda Newsletter. The Mazda Road to Indy (#MRTI) is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights.
Arms Up Motorsports
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (June 25, 2018) – As the Mazda Road to Indy made its annual pilgrimage to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America circuit, most of the teams loaded their transporters earlier this week with a long drive ahead of them. However, for Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda team ArmsUp Motorsports, it’s a 14-minute drive on the familiar State Road 23 and 67 before pulling through the front gates at the 63-year-old facility.

Started in 1998 by Gregg Borland, The Sheboygan Falls-based team began fielding cars in junior open-wheel racing and has now developed into a premier team on the Mazda Road to Indy, with a short but rich history of competitive cars and drivers.

“I worked in Skip Barber for many years. I did driver coaching and teaching, then test driving for them,” said Borland, team owner of ArmsUp Motorsports. “We had a Formula Continental car and it was fun, we did probably six or seven events a year. One of my friends from Skip Barber decided to buy a Formula Continental [as well], so we bought the car and started running him and we still had the rental car. The next thing you know, he’s out telling his buddies and another guy came along and before I knew it, we had four or five Formula Continental cars and that was basically the start of the whole thing.”

Over the past five seasons, ArmsUp has fielded talented drivers associated with the Mazda Scholarship. In 2014, Birchwood, Wisconsin’s Aaron Telitz captured his first Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires victory at Lucas Oil Raceway with Borland and the team before going on to with the 2016 Pro Mazda Championship with Team Pelfrey and graduating to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires.

“ArmsUp is awesome!” exclaimed Telitz. “They really want to work with their drivers. John Walko, their engineer, is very hands on and knows how to communicate with drivers really well… It’s such a fun family atmosphere. It’s a great team to learn from and have fun, and I got my first win with them on the Mazda Road to Indy, so their cars are quick too.”

In 2016, Brazilian Indy Lights driver Franzoni made the switch to ArmsUp after consecutive seasons with a rival team in USF2000. His three race wins, two pole positions and third-place finish in the championship with ArmsUp positioned him for a ride in the Pro Mazda Championship with Juncos Racing. Franzoni would go onto win the series championship and guarantee his spot in Indy Lights with the Mazda Scholarship Award.

“For me, they were a huge help. I was in a year where I didn’t have anything and I didn’t know if I was racing or not and they gave me the opportunity to race,” Franzoni described. “It was amazing, we had a great year together, we won three races and we were fighting for the championship until the last race. They did a great job when I was there and they did a great job when Telitz was there. They are great friends of mine and are part of my success.”

The team’s 20-year history of competition is impressive in its own right, but Borland will tell you there’s something more special in the fabric of the family operation. 

“We’re determined and serious about winning races, but you got to keep it light. That’s what I enjoy about it, the personalities of the drivers really come out because the personality of the rest of the team is out there and it’s enjoyable…I’ve seen so many kids come out of karting and they’ve been racing for eight or ten years and it’s almost like it is not fun for them anymore. I’d like to see them lighten up a little bit, so we work really hard to get the driver’s personality out and into the program. It makes it fun.”

This weekend, ArmsUp welcomed back the 2016 Mazda Scholarship Driver, Dakota Dickerson and added Max Peichel to the team. Dickerson would lead the team with a best finish of ninth-place in Race 2. As for former drivers Telitz and Franzoni, Telitz would finish third in his home race while the 22-year-old Brazilian Franzoni would capture his first Indy Lights win, dedicating the win to Jeff Green, his former Pro Mazda teammate, who tragically lost his life last weekend in an auto racing accident in Canada.

As the post-race ceremonies ensued, the former ArmsUp drivers congratulated each other on their hard-fought performances, something fans of the Mazda Road to Indy could potentially see from the drivers in the Verizon IndyCar Series in the future.

Before all three Mazda Road To Indy series head to the streets of Toronto, July 13-15, the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will compete on its second oval of the season at Iowa Speedway, July 7-8.

Mazda Motorsports
Mazda Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto racing development ladder system of any auto manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24 (#MRT24) program offers a number of scholarships to advance drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy (#MRTI) is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any given weekend in North America than any other manufacturer. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and Facebook

Mazda North American Operations
Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.
​
Follow MNAO’s social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA. 
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'Star of the Race' honors to Dakota Dickerson at Arms Up Racing

7/18/2018

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It's time to dole out the 'Star of the Race' honors for the #IndyTO! I'll kick things off with USF2000 Series Race 1 and that nod goes to Dakota Dickerson Racing from ArmsUp Motorsports.

The San Diego, CA resident has worked non-stop on his career since his first season in the MRTI in 2016, and it's good to have him back. Dakota has connected with ArmsUp engineer John Walko and the team is now fighting for podiums and wins.

​Dakota had a great outing in TO and rewarded Gregg Borland and Brent Borland for providing him with the opportunity with a second place finish.
Arms Up Racing's  Dakota Dickerson gets the pole in the
Arms Up Racing's Dakota Dickerson gets the pole in the "Road to Indy"
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ArmsUp Motorsports Displays Its Legacy at Road America

6/27/2018

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Arms Up Racing John Walko
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (June 25, 2018) – As the Mazda Road to Indy made its annual pilgrimage to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America circuit, most of the teams loaded their transporters earlier this week with a long drive ahead of them. However, for Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda team ArmsUp Motorsports, it’s a 14-minute drive on the familiar State Road 23 and 67 before pulling through the front gates at the 63-year-old facility.

Started in 1998 by Gregg Borland, The Sheboygan Falls-based team began fielding cars in junior open-wheel racing and has now developed into a premier team on the Mazda Road to Indy, with a short but rich history of competitive cars and drivers.

“I worked in Skip Barber for many years. I did driver coaching and teaching, then test driving for them,” said Borland, team owner of ArmsUp Motorsports. “We had a Formula Continental car and it was fun, we did probably six or seven events a year. One of my friends from Skip Barber decided to buy a Formula Continental [as well], so we bought the car and started running him and we still had the rental car. The next thing you know, he’s out telling his buddies and another guy came along and before I knew it, we had four or five Formula Continental cars and that was basically the start of the whole thing.”

Over the past five seasons, ArmsUp has fielded talented drivers associated with the Mazda Scholarship. In 2014, Birchwood, Wisconsin’s Aaron Telitz captured his first Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires victory at Lucas Oil Raceway with Borland and the team before going on to with the 2016 Pro Mazda Championship with Team Pelfrey and graduating to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires.

“ArmsUp is awesome!” exclaimed Telitz. “They really want to work with their drivers, their engineer, John Walko, is very hands on and knows how to communicate with drivers really well… It’s such a fun family atmosphere. It’s a great team to learn from and have fun, and I got my first win with them on the Mazda Road to Indy, so their cars are quick too.”

In 2016, Brazilian Indy Lights driver Franzoni made the switch to ArmsUp after consecutive seasons with a rival team in USF2000. His three race wins, two pole positions and third-place finish in the championship with ArmsUp positioned him for a ride in the Pro Mazda Championship with Juncos Racing. Franzoni would go onto win the series championship and guarantee his spot in Indy Lights with the Mazda Scholarship Award.
“For me, they were a huge help. I was in a year where I didn’t have anything and I didn’t know if I was racing or not and they gave me the opportunity to race,” Franzoni described. “It was amazing, we had a great year together, we won three races and we were fighting for the championship until the last race. They did a great job when I was there and they did a great job when Telitz was there. They are great friends of mine and are part of my success.”

The team’s 20-year history of competition is impressive in its own right, but Borland will tell you there’s something more special in the fabric of the family operation. 

“We’re determined and serious about winning races, but you got to keep it light. That’s what I enjoy about it, the personalities of the drivers really come out because the personality of the rest of the team is out there and it’s enjoyable…I’ve seen so many kids come out of karting and they’ve been racing for eight or ten years and it’s almost like it is not fun for them anymore. I’d like to see them lighten up a little bit, so we work really hard to get the driver’s personality out and into the program. It makes it fun.”

This weekend, ArmsUp welcomed back the 2016 Mazda Scholarship Driver, Dakota Dickerson and added Max Peichel to the team. Dickerson would lead the team with a best finish of ninth-place in Race 2. As for former drivers Telitz and Franzoni, Telitz would finish third in his home race while the 22-year-old Brazilian Franzoni would capture his first Indy Lights win, dedicating the win to Jeff Green, his former Pro Mazda teammate, who tragically lost his life last weekend in an auto racing accident in Canada.

As the post-race ceremonies ensued, the former ArmsUp drivers congratulated each other on their hard-fought performances, something fans of the Mazda Road to Indy could potentially see from the drivers in the Verizon IndyCar Series in the future.

Before all three Mazda Road To Indy series head to the streets of Toronto, July 13-15, the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will compete on its second oval of the season at Iowa Speedway, July 7-8.

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