Author Archives: true1862

SHEA RACING ANNOUNCES EXPANDED TEAM LINEUP

Posted on by

Orlando, FL(May 9, 2013) – The Shea Racing Team announced today that they will campaign three new Honda race cars and add two new drivers to the team for the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge season.

The 2013 season marks the team’s fourth consecutive year with Pirelli World Challenge and their first year running a multi-car program with Honda Racing HPD support.

After a successful end to the 2012 season with Shea Holbrook finishing fourth in the Touring Car Championship, the team decided it was time to capture that momentum and expand their racing enterprise.

Jon Miller of Orlando, Florida and P.J. Groenke of Toronto, Canada, two drivers new to World Challenge, are poised to propel Shea Racing into the competitive ranks of the well established multi-car and factory backed efforts.

“We’re thrilled to have Jon Miller and P.J. Groenke join Shea as drivers this season. These talented additions to the lineup will allow the team to expand into both the Touring Car and Touring Car B classes,” said team manager, Jeff Holbrook.

Shea Holbrook has been a Pirelli World Challenge driver since her professional debut in 2010. In 2011 history was written when she became the first women to win a Touring Car race at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Shea returns with a new perspective as a driver and co-owner.

“This year is different for me in that I’m not only solely focusing on my racing career, but also the future of the team and making sure we perform to our potential both on and off the race track. The entire team has worked relentlessly to get where we are today, and I couldn’t be more proud. I’m very excited for the Touring Car B competition,” said Holbrook.

Canadian driver, P.J. Groenke is familiar with the series as he raced in the Pirelli World Challenge weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2012 where he captured two top-five finishes. With over a decade of racing experience, Groenke has captured several victories on the race track and in 2006 he was a semi-finalist on Discovery Channel Canada’s Star Racer television program. The French Canadian expressed his excitement to race in Touring Car B by saying, “I am thrilled to be racing in the Pirelli World Challenge Series this year, it has been my goal since watching the series for the first time in the early 1990′s. Shea Racing is a top tier professional race team and I am sure that we will have a lot of fun, and great success during the 2013 season.”
American driver Jon Miller is stepping into the Touring Car class, driving a 2013 Honda Civic Si for the season long championship. Although technically a World Challenge rookie, he has been racing professionally in the United States since 2006. The Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series is where he earned his first professional victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2008. “I’m used to large fields of extremely competitive sports car drivers, but I’m excited to learn how a new series and a new platform operates. We have tons to learn and I’m very excited about the opportunity that we’ve been given this year with Shea Racing and my sponsor partners,” said Miller.

The team is also proud to announce the launch of their new “Race Car Technician/Engineer Development Program.” For every race venue the Shea Racing Team hires local student technicians or college engineering students to get hands-on experience working with a professional race team.

“It’s a great way to directly involve communities and to give back to the people who work in the auto and motorsport industries,” said Shea Holbrook.

Steven Epps who graduates from Austin’s very own Capitol City Trade and Technical School this month and Ryan Sadlier who graduated from the same technical school in 2007 and currently owns ATX Auto Repair will be named Shea Racing crew members for the Austin, Texas Circuit of the Americas Pirelli World Challenge races May 17-19th.

Next Monday, the team and drivers will release the new look to the team, liveries and partners.
The Shea Racing Team looks forward to bringing momentum, a fresh new look, and highly competitive drivers to the series for 2013.

For more information visit www.SheaRacing.com

OPINION: Why Sir Stirling Moss has it wrong, by Shea Holbrook

Posted on by

Pirelli World Challenge racer Shea Holbrook weighs in on the racing legend’s recent negative assessment of female drivers’ aptitude for Formula 1.

I don’t have the traditional motorsport story. I wasn’t born into racing. No one raced nor watched racing in my family. I didn’t start karting from the moment I quit wearing diapers. I didn’t come from a rich family and I’m not my father’s son. When motorsport came into my life at age 16, I had about 11 years to catch up on. I can humbly say this sport is extremely tough and many drivers have to overcome some of the same obstacles.

But, apparently, there is still another hurdle that I and others have to overcome. I wanted to compete with the boys just to say I could, and when I beat them I didn’t say anything at all, because it wasn’t necessary. Why? Because I respect my rivals, male or female. It’s an honor to share the racetrack with well-regarded competitive drivers of either gender. Yes, I do think having more women in racing is fantastic because it will help the future of the sport, and that’s why I started the #SteelOvaryNation campaign, but I am not a “let’s get our pom-poms” kind of girl. I just believe racing is one of the sports in which females and males can compete on an equal footing.

Apparently, not all agree. Legendary former racing driver Sir Stirling Moss was quoted during a recent BBC radio documentary saying, “I think they [women] have the strength, but I don’t know if they’ve got the mental aptitude to race hard, wheel to wheel.”

He went on to add: “We’ve got some very strong and robust ladies…. [‘Robust' isn't really a flattering word, Sir. Just saying…] But, when your life is at risk, I think the strain of that in a competitive situation will tell when you’re trying to win…. The mental stress I think would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have the aptitude to win a Formula 1 race.”

I can assure anyone that not once have I ever gotten into a racecar and thought, “My life is at risk.” OK, I’m not driving F1 cars but, come on, the “risk” is something all racers marry from the moment they decide to take their racing career seriously. And so, despite having the utmost respect for Sir Stirling’s amazing achievements in the cockpit, his comments regarding women racers are utterly ridiculous, offensive and have more than a hint of ignorance. While Moss is absolutely correct in saying it takes mental strength to be a racing driver, his comments basically state that female drivers aren’t equipped to deal with this.

There’s a difference between thinking you can win and believing you can win and, even for natural champions, this can be one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. That’s why so many drivers go through sports psychology, a.k.a., mental training. That includes F1 drivers. That includes male drivers.

I understand Moss is from a different era but in today’s world there’s a difference between tradition and equality. I can handle “old-school” mentality but his comment, whether he intended it to be this way or not, was absurdly sexist and badly thought through. Motorsport is male-dominated and while there are still so few female racers in the world (relatively speaking), how can anyone possibly pass judgment on whether female drivers have what it takes? There have been only five female drivers in the history of Formula 1! Five!! So what stats is he basing his opinion on? To me, and I hope thousands of others, Sir Stirling’s comment is a generalization of the most ridiculous magnitude and should be dismissed.

For the past three years, I’ve seen women in the industry making larger impressions than ever before because they are finally getting the chances they’ve earned. Needless to say, they must work hard to gain respect but that’s true for male racers, too. And that is my point: women racers aren’t (or shouldn’t be) asking for favoritism because of their gender. But it certainly is right for us to be regarded as equals from the outset, so that we, like men, then have the chance to succeed or fail based on our performances on and off the track. We should not have to flaunt our #SteelOvaryNation credentials outside the racecar, just to overcome the prejudices of the ignorant.

Sir Stirling Moss, I think it’s time you welcome us. And respect us.

Shea Holbrook drives the TrueCar Racing Honda Civic in the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge.

Original article posted on Racer.

Injury Led Emilee Tominovich From Soccer To Auto Racing

Posted on by

By Chris Garman

When young athletes are faced with adversity, many struggle to overcome the obstacles. Professional racecar driver Emilee Tominovich, a 20-year-old from Clarksville, was an aspiring collegiate soccer player, but an injury forced her down a different path — one filled with speed.

After being recruited to play soccer out of Archbishop Spalding High School, Tominovich was forced to give up the sport she loved when she suffered a second herniated disc in her back. But instead of giving up sports altogether, she began going to the racetrack with her father, Joey Tominovich, which allowed her to fulfill her athletic desires.

She first got started by joining a novice group to gain experience. But after receiving a high school graduation gift from her parents, a five-day trip to Bertil Roos Racing School, Tominovich elevated her game to a new level.

“I was excited because it was an opportunity to get a license to actually race,” Tominovich said.

After earning her SCCA Regional Racing license, she was eligible to begin racing competitively. Then, in November 2011, she was offered a sponsorship to the TrueCar team as part of the Women Empowered initiative.

“When I got the call, I didn’t fully understand what the sponsorship would entail,” Tominovich said. “I knew I would be able to race in a competitive series, which I was excited about, but I didn’t actually understand what the whole TrueCar sponsorship would mean.

“After meeting the girls and seeing how much of an impact they have on people, it was a really cool thing to be a part of, and it really helped jump-start my career.”

Tominovich became the sixth member of the TrueCar team, and she entered relatively new to racing compared with her teammates. Still, Tominovich said, she was looking forward to being part of a team once again.

“Coming from playing soccer, I have always been a part of a team,” she said. “When I starting racing as an amateur, it was me, my dad and maybe one or two other people working on the car. I missed being a part of a team with other girls, so it was really cool getting that back and being a part of a team.”

Since she started her professional career, Tominovich has continued to take each race as a learning experience. After having consistent success as an amateur, she is still looking to do the same as a professional.

“I do want to win,” Tominovich said. “When I wasn’t racing professionally, I was usually on the podium in most of the races. It’s a good feeling, but it’s much harder to do that in a professional series, because it’s so much more competitive. I really want to get back up on the podium. It’s a huge motivation.”

Being a native of the Baltimore area, Tominovich has taken an interest in the Grand Prix of Baltimore. Although she hasn’t been able to compete in the event yet, she said she hoped to do so soon.

“I actually heard a rumor that [SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Series] wanted to run the Baltimore Grand Prix last year, but since it was such a last-minute thing, we couldn’t really do it,” Tominovich said. “It’s definitely something I want to do in the near future.”

Outside of racing, Tominovich is currently a nursing student at Catholic University of America. She said she still enjoyed playing and watching soccer while participating in other physical activities to help keep in shape.

Still in the early stages of racing, Tominovich has a long and prosperous career ahead of her. Many of her goals are still in sight, and she said she was motivated to make auto racing her full-time job.

“I would like to eventually get to the highest level of motorsports that I can,” Tominovich said, “and eventually make a living off racing. That would be ideal.”

Original story posted on PressBox

Ashley Freiberg Makes Strong First Impression in IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Debut

Posted on by

Bondville, Vermont; March 17, 2013- EFFORT Racing driver Ashley Freiberg competed in her first IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama race last week at the 61st Annual Twelve Hours of Sebring event at Sebring International Raceway. Competing in a fierce field of 39 cars, Freiberg finished an impressive 4th place in Thursday’s race, and came home in 5th on Friday.

The 21-year-old female, who came from the open-wheel ranks, is competing in her very first full season in sports cars. “I absolutely love driving the Porsche GT3 Cup car,” said the 2-time Skip Barber Series Champion. “I have been on a very steep learning curve from the moment I sat in the car, and I am sure I will continue to do so as this car requires a much different driving style than an open wheel car with down force.”

Right from the beginning of the weekend, Freiberg turned heads as she finished the first official practice leading the field with the quickest time of the session. “I work very hard off track so that when I get behind the wheel, I am well prepared and able to work on fine-tuning details that will help me gain those last few tenths of a second.”

In Thursday’s qualifying session, Freiberg was 5th quickest until the last few minutes when another driver snuck ahead to put her 6th on the starting grid for race one. A few hours later, the green flag waved for race one and the field battled into turn one. “I knew from the start that I had to conserve my tires a bit as they were the same ones used from qualifying, which ended up benefiting me as I started to get faster at the end of the race while everyone else was falling off pace.” With twelve minutes to go and Freiberg in 4th place, a caution came out and ended the race. “I was extremely disappointed as I knew I my car had a podium in it, but I just didn’t have the time!”

Freiberg started race two in 4th, but two lengthy caution periods due to other competitors’ crashes limited the green laps to only five. Freiberg found herself wishing for more green laps as EFFORT Racing had made changes to her car over-night to make it strong in a long run. “Based on race one we had made some changes so that my car would be really strong as the race went on, but even though the car was getting quicker each lap, the lack of green laps held us back from the podium we where aiming for. All in all, I know that I have learned a bunch about racing these cars and added to my ‘toolbox’ of skills this weekend to take into the next round at Laguna.”

Rounds three and four of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama are at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca May 9-11 during the American Le Mans Monterey event. To keep up with the action, please visit www.IMSAChallenge.com live timing and scoring.

For more information please visit EFFORTRacing.com and AshleyRacing.com

EFFORT Racing Announces 2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Driver Line Up

Posted on by

As the 2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama approaches, opening with the official Winter Test on February 5th and 6th, EFFORT Racing is pleased to announce their three-car 2013 driver line up as they dive in to a highly competitive season.

Based out of Angleton,Texas, EFFORT Racing was launched just over two years ago with the goals of achieving excellence as a team and developing drivers who win the right way. They entered into the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge and were immediately competitive, achieving four race wins, two pole positions, seven podium finishes, multiple fast laps, and finishing third overall in the Platinum Cup last season.

EFFORT Racing is constantly seeking new ways to inspire and ignite excellence in others, which is why their Driver Development Program was born. The driver line up for 2013 includes Michael Mills and Sloan Urry, both returning to the GT3 Cup Challenge for their second seasons, and Ashley Freiberg from open wheel racing will be entering her rookie season in GT3.

Returning veteran of the GT3 ranks, Michael Mills, will be in the No. 41 machine ready to fight for the championship alongside his new teammates.

“I’m very excited about this EFFORT Racing’s 2013 GT3 Cup Challenge program,” said Michael Mills, who has multiple GT3 Cup Challenge wins and podium finishes under his belt in both the Platinum and Gold classes.

“Turning 40 this year, I’m honored EFFORT has given me the opportunity to be a part of the foundation of these young talents with very bright futures. We are focused on the development of a junior driver program,” said Mills. “This year we have Sloan Urry racing with us, who I raced against all last season, and I’m excited about having him as a teammate to work with this year. Ashley Freiberg, who has been a very accomplished open wheeler, is already lightning-quick despite having very little time in a cup car, and she will be a serious contender all year. I cannot wait to get to the track with these two young guns as teammates.”

Sloan Urry will also be one to watch in his return to the GT3 Cup Challenge. With only three years of racing experience, he has already shown some great speed, finishing on the podium at Road America and Virginia International Raceway, with consistent top five finishes throughout the 2012 season.

“EFFORT Racing is an exciting, fresh and aspiring racing team that is very focused on developing their team into a world class organization,” said Urry, “and I’m pumped to be a part of it. EFFORT has given me a great opportunity for the upcoming season, and I plan to take full advantage of it. The number one goal is to get the Team Championship, and if we work together, all three of us should have a shot at the Driver’s Championship. I can’t wait to get after it!”

Open wheel racer Ashley Freiberg will be driving her rookie season in the No. 51 GT3 Cup car, which is quite a change from her formula car background. Well established in open wheel racing, winning multiple national championships and races, she hopes to make a good impression in her debut in the sports car world.

“EFFORT Racing has given me so much support from day one; I really can’t thank them enough for giving me this incredible opportunity,” said Freiberg. “The entire team is very focused on the same goals, and to be honest, I think we are going to be a force to be reckoned with this year.”

Team owner Chuck Toups and the entire EFFORT Racing crew are all thrilled about the future of the team and drivers as well. “It’s a very exciting opportunity for me to have the ability to work with a team of drivers of that caliber,” said Team Manager and Engineer, Hunter Wright. “To have three drivers under our tent that have the ability to podium is the goal for EFFORT Racing. The team that has been assembled is going to make for a season worth watching.’

To find out more information, please visit:

EFFORT Racing

http://effortracing.com/

Ashley Freiberg
www.AshleyRacing.com

Sloan Urry
www.SloanUrryRacing.com

Link to original post

Life in the Fast Lane with Racecar Driver Ashley Freiberg

Posted on by

Original Post: Fitness Magazine (article posted here)
Date: February 26, 2013

How fast have you driven a car? As a law-abiding citizen, we’re going to assume not too much higher than the speed limit. Racecar driver Ashley Freiberg, on the other hand, regularly clocks in over 100 miles per hour like it’s no sweat, and wins races pretty consistently in the male-dominated sport. Ever since she began racing as a teen, Freiberg has nabbed first place in 29 Skip Barber races (racing’s equivalent of being signed to the minor leagues), and in 2010, she captured two Skip Barber Series championships and became the first woman to win both a Skip Barber Racing Series overall title and Skip Barber National Series event.

Freiberg will be the first to tell you there’s more to the sport than driving with a lead foot, though. We sat down with the 21-year-old to talk racing, training and her favorite ways to break a sweat when she’s not behind the wheel. Ready, set, go!

You first learned about the racing industry when you nabbed a job as a timing official when you were 11 years old. What did you think about it back then?

Well, my brothers got into racing when I was about 10 years old and honestly, I didn’t even think women raced. I just thought it was mostly guys, so it never really crossed my mind that a girl could be out there. But I loved watching it, that’s for sure. That’s why I wanted to be in the timing and scoring tower because I could watch racing all day long. Then as I started to get older, I saw more girls on the track racing go karts and I thought, ‘Hey, maybe this is something I could do.’

Was your family supportive when you decided to give it a try?

I’ve always been a tomboy. I grew up with two brothers and no sisters, so I was always on a skateboard and playing basketball. The only person who was against it was my mom. She didn’t think I was aggressive enough, I guess. I remember a friend of ours was like, ‘I think she’s got it in her,’ so he kind of convinced my mom to get me into it.

Speaking of basketball and skateboarding, do you think your athletic background helped make the transition from team sports to racing easier?

For sure! I’ve always been super competitive; I think growing up with two brothers is what helped grow that competitive spirit inside of me because we’d always be seeing who could be the best at this or beat each other in any kind of game. I definitely think that sports really helped develop all kind of skills that transitioned into racing, like determination, handling pressure and competitiveness.

Your career really started to take off while you were still in high school. Did you miss any of the high school rites of passage?

Oh yeah. I never went to prom. I went to one high school dance freshman year, and then driving got way more serious, so it ended up being the only one I went to.

But you were happy with the decision?
To be honest, when I look back, I’m really happy with the choices I made. Sometimes I didn’t hear the best stories after prom!

What are your favorite kinds of workouts?

I like to mix it up and challenge myself. Recently, I got into rock climbing, so that’s been challenging physically, but also mentally—I’m afraid of heights. But that’s why I wanted to get into it because it would push me beyond what my perceived limits were. And when you’re in a racecar, that’s what it is. You’re thinking, ‘How hard can I push? How hard can I push? Go harder, I know I can go harder’—like banging my head on that limit ceiling. So that’s why I got into climbing, and I like to be outside too. I like to go skate skiing too, which is a fun, killer workout. I just like to be outside!

How is training for racecar driving different than a typical workout?

I just try to mix it up as much as possible and use as many skills as I possibly can to challenge different parts of my body. Even eye usage—I have workouts for my eyes that literally strengthen them—you focus on things close to you, then far away, and they literally hurt afterwards. I’m driving a new car this year, too, and it’s enclosed with the engine basically in there with me, making it very hot. So training for heat conditions will be something new for me this year, for sure.

What’s it like racing guys? Do they push you more?

Honestly, it seems normal to me. Growing up with brothers, I’m used to that and being competitive. I say ask the guys how they feel racing a girl.

www.TrueCarRacingTeam.com

Some Girls Chase Boys, Verena Mei Just Passes Them

Posted on by

Don’t underestimate an Asian woman with mission and a passion. Verena Mei is a member of True Car Racing’s “Women Empowered” Initiative and a Rally America Driver.  She’s appeared in the blockbuster movies “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” and “Rush Hour 2.”  I got a chance to meet and talk with the beautiful and affable “fastest Asian-American female in the US” at the Indy Grand Prix Sonoma races this past Saturday.

Verena Mei

Verena Mei

How did you get into this business?  

I started as a model for the automobile industry and wanted to get behind the wheel. So I put myself through stunt driving school, built my first Drift car in 2004 and spent 5 years competing in Formula Drift and transitioned into Time Attack which led me to my dream of participating in Rally Racing.  

What is Rally Racing?

Rally Racing is a two person “survivor” type race where we drive through rough conditions, mud, water, snow, rain.  Each race has 60-70 cars at the start and the race is about time and crossing the finish line. Each race course (and conditions) is different.  It’s normally a 2-3 day race where my co driver and I spend 8-10 hours per day in the car.  There can be between 11-24 stages and we are timed for each stage and the total quickest time in all stages wins.  We get “Stage Notes” for each race, which is thick spiral bound book describing the conditions of the course. The only time we do a run-through of the course is the day before the race where we drive about 15-35 miles/hour and edit the Stage Notes based on our perspective.  On race day, I must trust and depend on my co driver Leanne Munilla and just “go for it.”  Compared to other types of races, we only “see 1, 000 corners once” so it’s very challenging.

Which championship did you just win?

In mid July, my co-driver and I won the Rally America National Championship in the “B Spec” class.  This was the first time an all female American team won this race.   Since this is my first year, I really want to learn to be the best driver I can be.  I drive a 2011 Ford Fiesta which is a “slower” car, relatively speaking, but I believe if I can learn to drive a slow car fast, then I will be able to drive a fast car faster.

Verena Mai building her first drift car in 2004

Verena Mai building her first drift car in 2004

What’s it like being a women competing Rally racing?

First off, I want to thank True Car for giving me this amazing opportunity to have all the tools (a car) to compete.  Perhaps an advantage for Leanne and I is that we’re lighter than other teams however if our car flips, crashes or breakdowns, we can’t call a crew to help us.  It’s up to us to lift our car out of the mud or turn it over so that could be a difficult.  This sport also requires mental strength however in Rally, men and women can compete on a level playing field.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now and what’s your training like?

I grew up in Pearl City, Hawaii and ethnically Chinese.  I live in Littleton, New Hampshire now which is close to the best top Rally race school in the U.S.  I am a pescatarean, eat well and work out a lot.  When not racing, I practice on different types of tracks but spend most of my time editing Stage Notes so when it comes to race day, there’s no thinking twice when my co driver calls out a command.

What are your goals?
I want to be a positive role model, empower women, and to educate teens about car control and the importance of safe driving.

In December 2011, Verena signed with TrueCar, as one of six female race car drivers that make up the TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative.  2012 is her first year in the Rally America National Championship, and has finished 5 out of 5 races, with one more to go. Verena is currently 1st in the B-Spec National Championship, and 5th in 2-wheel drive.  Check out the other female speed enthusiasts: Katherine Legge and Shea Holbrook racing at Indy Grand Prix Sonoma; Ashley Freiberg, Shannon McIntosh, and Emilee Tominovich.

www.TrueCarRacingTeam.com

New generation of women in auto racing

Posted on by

SONOMA — The new generation of women in auto racing is out in force at the Sonoma Raceway this weekend, making it clear that they will muscle their way into the IndyCar Series and anywhere else they decide they might want to go.

“Tell me that I can’t do something and I’ll show you that I can do it,” said Shea Holbrook, racing this weekend as part of the TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative program.

TrueCar Racing’s Katherine Legge headlines the team in today’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at 1:45 p.m. Holbrook is on hand for the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac Grand Prix of Sonoma. Four other drivers involved in TrueCar Racing’s Women Empowered Initiative are in Sonoma to promote women’s push into the motorsports spotlight.

Holbrook’s story is far from the standard tale of a little girl following dad to the track. She’s a woman with a drive to succeed in a male-dominated sport after spending an earlier career in another sport.

“For the first 10 years of my prior life I was a competitive water skier,” said Holbrook, a Florida native. “I just started racing six years ago.”

What would prompt a move from water ski champion to race car driver?

“Adrenaline,” Holbrook said. “I’m super competitive and I’m an adrenaline junkie. It took mad hustle on my part to get into racing. I called and wrote to anybody and everybody I could. I went out to the track. I was determined to drive race cars.”

Holbrook ran into the obstacles one would expect a woman might face trying to get into motorsports.

People told me women don’t have what it takes … you just can’t do it … I heard everything you can imagine,” she said. “But, when somebody finally believed in me and I got just a little bit of money, a tiny bit, for tires as a sponsorship, that empowered me to do more and to try to become a champion.”

Holbrook became the first woman to win a Pirelli World Challenge race, a victory in Long Beach in 2011. She dreams of winning the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Shannon McIntosh, 23, drives in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Series, where she’s 20th in points.

“My dad was a race fan and I started racing when I was 5 years old because of that,” she said. “Nobody pushed me to race. I’ve always had a drive to compete.”

McIntosh worked her way through various racing series until, “it became less like Saturday night racing and more of a career.”

She immediately ran into a familiar stereotype.

“People started saying I looked like a girl but drive like a guy,” she said. “It was hard to take that as a compliment. It boils down to what you do when you get behind the wheel. I think we’re getting to the point where what’s on the inside is what really counts. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl if you finish at the top.”

Still, McIntosh knows that her intelligence and good looks play a role in getting sponsors and, eventually, endorsements from companies not initially as open to empowering women as is TrueCar Racing.

“My appearance is part of it,” she said. “It’s just part of the business. I understand that how I present myself, my appearance, is important. But, sponsors want drivers who will compete well.”

Ashley Freiberg was looking for a sponsor when TrueRacing came calling. Now, she’s on the Star Mazda Championship tour.

“I was a tomboy growing up,” she said. “I didn’t start driving race cars until I was 13. For me, the pure love of driving made me want to pursue it.”

She believes men and women can be born to race, but that the best do far more to make their mark.

“I was always comfortable behind the wheel,” Freiberg said. “That has a lot to do with success, but it takes more than that. I’ve had to work my butt off to get better and better.”

Freiberg explained what the Women Empowered Initiative is trying to show with Legge on the IndyCar Series. She talked about the point of sponsoring Rally America Series’ Verena Mei, 19-year-old Emilee Tominovich (Mazda MX-5 Cup SCCA Pro Series) and the others with TrueCar Racing.

“Girls need to grow up knowing that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve,” Freiberg said.

Holbrook addressed the idea that women might be held to a different standard by sponsors.

“There’s lots of talk about a woman’s appearance not having so much to do with it, but it does,” Holbrook said. “With all the talk about changing that, TrueCar is the first entity to do something to start making changes. Man or woman, it should be about the faster racer.”

Things have already changed, according to Freiberg. Men? Women? All the same once they’re on the track.

“I have no idea if men race differently than women,” she said, laughing. “I’ve never been inside a dude’s head. It’s racing and we do what we need to win.”

Tominovich and Mei show that females enter racing from as many different backgrounds and as many different ages as one can imagine.

“I was going to go to college and play soccer,” said Tominovich, 19. “I got injured in my junior year of high school, so I couldn’t play that summer. My dad would go to the race track and I started going with him. I wanted to drive, so I finally tried it.”

So much for her collegiate career.

“I went to soccer tryouts in my senior year,” she said. “But, I just didn’t want to play. I wanted to race. So, I stopped playing soccer and I didn’t go to college. When TrueCar Racing called me, I got chills.”

Mei was a model in the automotive industry when she decided to pursue her interest in actually racing.

“I wanted to get behind the wheel in 2004 and I’ve worked my butt off to make it happen,” she said. “Throughout the process, I just kept pushing. I went from modeling to racing, so I’d just ask myself, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ And, I kept realizing that if I stepped outside the box and tried to do more that the worst thing would be me being where I started. I had nothing to lose.”

Legge, who qualified 21st for today’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma IndyCar series race, started her career with current NASCAR star Danica Patrick. She is thrilled to be part of the Women Empowered Initiative.

“It’s a great program,” Legge said. “TrueCar started a program that’s truly ahead of its time. I’m so excited to be part of showing girls and women that they can accomplish anything if they put in the time and effort.”

She’s giving women a Legge up in IndyCar

Posted on by
IndyCar driver Katherine Legge, 32, will be in Dragon Racing's No. 6 car in Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

IndyCar driver Katherine Legge, 32, will be in Dragon Racing's No. 6 car in Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

In the post-Danica Patrick era, IndyCar still has plenty of Girl Power. And a new initiative is intended to put more women into race cars – and, hopefully, Victory Lane.

Katherine Legge, one of the world’s most respected female drivers, leads the pack rising through racing’s ranks. A rookie in the IndyCar series, the former ChampCar veteran will drive Dragon Racing’s No. 6 car in Sunday’s Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Legge, 32, also is the marquee driver for TrueCar Racing’s Women Empowered Initiative, the world’s first all-female racing team.

“I’ve been involved with it since the beginning,” Legge said. “It’s been a fantastic journey.

“I thought it would be a ‘Girl Power’ thing – and it has – but guys also get really interested in it. Men have sisters, mothers, daughters. They’ve really gotten on board with it as well.”

Legge and her TrueCar teammates visited Sacramento on Wednesday on their way to Sonoma. Besides IndyCar, they also race in Star Mazda (Ashley Freiberg), USF2000 (Shannon McIntosh), World Challenge (Shea Holbrook), Mazda MX-5 Cup (Emilee Tominovich) and Rally America (Verena Mei). Holbrook will compete in Saturday’s Cadillac Grand Prix at Sonoma.

Most have been racing since grade school.

“You still definitely get guys who can’t handle being behind you,” Freiberg said. “That gets better as you go up the ladder.”

Said McIntosh: “Obviously, you want to be recognized as a driver. But in marketing, (being a woman) plays such a big role.”

Mei took a different route.

“I was a poster model in the automotive industry,” she said. “But I decided I’d rather race and sent myself through racing school.”

Mei became a stunt driver and competed in drifting before moving to rally cars.

Women can compete head to head with men in racing, Legge said.

“Driving is not about outright strength,” Legge said, “but about reflexes and ability. But Danica (now in NASCAR) so far has been the only one with equal opportunity.

“But there are a number of really good female drivers coming up through the ranks, not just in America but around the world. We will get to the point where women will win the Indy 500. We’ll be the ones who made the difference and helped get them there.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/23/4749811/shes-giving-women-a-legge-up-in.html#storylink=cpy

All-female racing team has True passion

Posted on by
All-female racing team has True passion

Katherine Legge takes a practice run at Sonoma Raceway ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix. Photo: Nate Jacobson, Sonoma Raceway

If you’re watching Sunday’s IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma and think there’s something missing, you won’t be alone. There’s been something missing from the entire 2012 IndyCar season.

It’s the Danica Patrick phenomenon.

With Patrick taking her talents to NASCAR, the IndyCar series has lost its most popular driver and it’s a hole not even “Dancing With the Stars” champion Helio Castroneves or another three-time Indianapolis 500 champ, Dario Franchitti, can fill.

That’s because since Janet Guthrie first broke the gender barrier in 1977, female drivers have been an important part of open-wheel racing’s popularity, from Sarah Fisher to Patrick. A record four women started in the 2010 and 2011 Indy 500s.

IndyCar rookie Katherine Legge, who finished the best (22nd) of three women at this year’s Indy 500, hopes to eventually fill the void left by Patrick’s departure. If she can’t do it alone, several of her up-and-coming teammates on her TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative team would love to help.

TrueCar Racing, the brainchild of CEO Scott Painter, is the first all-female racing team, with six drivers in six different series. Legge, 32, is the only IndyCar driver, but two other drivers – 20-year-old Ashley Freiberg and 22-year-old Shannon McIntosh – are in IndyCar developmental series and hope to be up on the big circuit soon.

“Coming from a modest background – my father’s a machinist and my mother’s a teacher’s aide – I started racing for fun when I was 5,” said McIntosh, who wanted to be a NASCAR driver but jumped at the chance to be developed as an IndyCar driver. “After lots and lots of letdowns, I’m very jaded to this filthy motor sports world. So when I signed the contract (with TrueCar Racing) … to be fully funded and racing and pursuing my passion and living my dream – it’s what I always wanted, although there’s a long way to go.”

Legge is one of two women racing in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma this weekend, the other being Switzerland’s Simona De Silvestro. The British-born Legge, a former Champ Car driver, has had a challenging rookie year with a troubled team – Dragon Racing, owned by Jay Penske. Sebastien Bourdais is the other driver, and the team had to race one car after a midseason switch from Lotus to Chevrolet engines. So Legge hasn’t raced in two months. But Legge said some of Dragon Racing’s sponsors – TrueCar Racing, McAfee and Bing – felt it was important to race a full team at Sonoma, and Chevrolet provided another engine.

“Chevrolet stepped up – our knights in shining armor,” Legge said. “Yes, it’s been very hard. … I’m trying to be politically correct. It’s been tough. But I can see the end goal is what it is. The hard thing is not having the testing. It’s a long-term process. Sebastien’s been doing well, so I’m hoping to get some kind of momentum up at Sonoma.”

All the women of TrueCar Racing are at Sonoma this weekend to promote the team, although Legge and Shea Holbrook (in the Pirelli World Challenge series) are the only ones racing. That includes Emilee Tominovich, only 19, who is on track to join the American Le Mans series, and Rally America B-Spec series champion Verena Mei.

Mei is a former Hollywood stunt driver (“The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”), and she and co-driver Leanne Junnila are the first all-female team to win a season Rally Car title.

“It’s something that has changed my life,” Mei said. “We’ve all been pursuing racing individually, and not having the tools to get to where we want to be has been the biggest challenge for all of us. … Now we really have a chance to compete at the top levels.”

Patrick left a void, but she also created opportunities for women, the TrueCar drivers agreed. “The challenge for us is to be taken seriously,” Freiberg said. “We can drive fast, that’s not the problem.”

McIntosh added: “When Janet Guthrie raced in the Indy 500, there weren’t even any women’s bathrooms in the (drivers’ area). We still go through a lot of battles that men don’t, but it’s something that’s becoming more common.”

The TrueCar lineup

Katherine Legge: British-born driver, 32, is IndyCar series rookie, has Champ Car experience.

Verena Mei: Former Hollywood stunt driver, just became part of first all-female Rally Car team to win a series championship.

Shea Holbrook: Will race at Sonoma this weekend in Pirelli World Challenge (is currently fourth in the points standings).

Ashley Freiberg: Only 20, is on track to IndyCar series in the Star Mazda Championship series.

Shannon McIntosh: Also on track to Indy Car series. At 22, is with Cooper Tires USF2000 series.

Emilee Tominovich: At 19, the youngest team member. With Mazda MX-5 Cup SCCA Pro Series; is on a path to American Le Mans series.

G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com.

Scott Dixon wins IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio; Will Power takes over points lead

Posted on by
Winner Scott Dixon gets doused on the podiun by runner-up Will Power, left and third-place finisher Simon Pagenaud.

Winner Scott Dixon gets doused on the podiun by runner-up Will Power, left and third-place finisher Simon Pagenaud.

Lexington, Ohio — The IndyCar points leaders took a big hit Sunday, and the points race is much tighter because of it. Defending Mid-Ohio race champion Scott Dixon took the lead in the pits on lap 57 ahead of pole-sitter Will Power, then led the parade in the final 28 laps of the Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio to defend his crown.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, who came in leading the points standings, and Helio Castroneves, who was second, finished 24th and 16th, respectively, leaving the championship race in a bottleneck with three races left.

Power, who finished second, leaped from third to first (379) in the title chase with 379 points. Hunter-Reay (374) is second and Castroneves (353) is third. Dixon (351) remains fourth, but the 61 points that separated the top four drivers going into the race has been whittled to 28.

“That’s crazy for this time of year,” Dixon said of the close points race. “It’s going to be a tough end of the year, but we’re pumped.”

For the second straight IndyCar race, it was green flag from start to finish as the tight and narrow Mid-Ohio course limited passing opportunities among the leaders. That was made to order for Dixon, who started fourth but has a history of pristine efforts at Mid-Ohio. He has now won at the 13-turn, 2.25-mile circuit in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012.

For this one, the New Zealand native never made a pass on the track, but still saw the checkered flag first.

Rain early in the day delayed pre-race practice. Once the cars got on the track, it became a slip and slide affair for many of them as more than one driver spun in a corner or slid off line into a sand pit.

When the race began, two drivers were already in the penalty box as both Castroneves and Alex Tagliani were dropped to the back of the starting grid — Castroneves to 14th, Tagliani to 23rd — for unapproved engine changes. Hunter-Reay had no such problems, starting seventh. But engine woes midway through the race would cost him dearly as he finished only 79 of the 85 laps.

Power sat on the pole and led the first 57 laps. Dixon moved from fourth to second on lap 28 when two drivers in front of him — Dario Franchitti and Sebastian Bourdais pitted, leaving him behind Power.

Dixon remained second until the final pit stop of the day on lap. Both he and Power pitted at the same time, with Dixon’s stall right behind Power’s. Dixon’s crew got the job done quicker, and Dixon was on his way out of his pit stall and beside Power as the leader came off his jacks. That’s as close as Power would get to the front the rest of the day.

“I knew that would be a tough pit, both on the same lap,” Power said.

Both he and Dixon noted Mid-Ohio has the smallest, tightest pit boxes in the series, meaning Power had the disadvantage of slowing down, then going around Dixon’s crew while Dixon, with the pit box behind him empty, could slide in on the fly.

“You realize going in it’s going to be tight,” Power said. “There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s racing. Still, it was a very good day. That was everything we had. Definitely a good points day.”

Dixon won by 3.46 seconds, with Power leading 57 laps, Dixon 26, and James Hinchcliffe leading two during pit stop rotations. This also proved to be the first time since 1987 that two straight IndyCar races were run without a caution flag.

Add ‘em up: IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard spoke briefly with the media before the race and said he wants to increase the number of races next season. There are 15 in 2012 after China earlier this year bailed out of a race scheduled for Aug. 19.

“We have to have a minimum of 19 races,” Bernard began. “I think we have to be able to bring more attention to these drivers and these sponsors.”

Interestingly, Mike Lanigan, promoter for the Cleveland Grand Prix, that last was run in 2008, was at Mid-Ohio and well aware of IndyCar’s wishes. The promoter already has a race in Houston locked into the 2013 open-wheel schedule. Asked about Cleveland, his response was, “I haven’t given up.”

The big stumbling block for Cleveland’s return remains the same, which is finding a title sponsor.

Good news for Legge: Katherine Legge, the former Polestar protege now with IndyCar’s Dragon Racing Team, has been somewhat on the sidelines since the Indianapolis 500 as the race team had just one Chevrolet engine to share between Legge and teammate Bourdais. Since Bourdais is the more accomplished road racer, and most of the races since Indy have been street courses, Legge has sat.

No more. Team owner Jay Penske announced Sunday the team has secured a second engine from Chevy for Legge to race in Sonoma, Calif., a street race. That will give her two straight events behind the wheel, as an oval at Infineon Raceway follows that.

“Obviously I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel of my TrueCar Chevrolet in Sonoma and also to get the opportunity to test there prior to the race,” Legge said. “We’re all racers and anytime you have to sit out a race it’s tough, but we’ve been doing the best with the situation and hopefully we will be able to get the results we know we’re capable of in Sonoma.”

Helio Castroneves tries to gain on elusive IndyCar series championship with strong outing at Mid-Ohio

Posted on by

LEXINGTON, Ohio — It’s the elusive butterfly in a garden of success for Helio Castroneves. Among other things, he is a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and a rare crossover icon thanks to “Dancing With the Stars.” Yet now, in his 16th IndyCar season, the popular Castroneves preps for Sunday’s Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course still looking for the first series championship in his career.

Throughout the years, he has finished second twice, third twice and fourth four times, but he’s never been No. 1. He goes into Sunday’s 1 p.m. start sitting in second place — and closing — behind Ryan Hunter-Reay (362 points to 339), coming off his second win of the season at Edmonton, Alberta.

“We just can’t get comfortable — just the opposite,” Castroneves said. “The momentum that we got from Edmonton, we have to carry forward. Momentum is a big key. We have seen two guys [Hunter-Reay and Will Power] win three in a row [each] this year. We’ve got to do the same, or at least finish right up there. We’ve got to keep scoring, especially when we are so close to the championship. That’s my focus.

“We’ve got to find that sweet spot.”

Castroneves sat first in the standings during the first two weeks of the season, then slipped back as far as fifth after Milwaukee and has now climbed back into second. If he maintains that “sweet spot” from Edmonton, he could close the gap even more this weekend.

It has a chance to come easy for him at Mid-Ohio. Castroneves has nine career starts at the 13-turn, 2.25-mile circuit. He has started on the pole twice (2007-08) and won twice (2000-01). He will be going for the pole today and said there is a chance that he or one of the others in the field could top the track record of 121.927 mph to earn the right.

“Right now, on the road courses, we’re looking very strong,” he said.

Honda 200 IndyCar race weekend

What: Open-wheel auto racing.

When: Today and Sunday.

Where: Lexington, Ohio.

Facility: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Layout: 13-turns, 21/4 miles, 85 laps.

Today’s feature: American LeMans Sports Car Challenge, 1 p.m.

Sunday feature: Honda 200, 1 p.m.

TV: American LeMans, Saturday (WEWS Channel 5, 2-4 p.m.); IndyCar, Sunday (WEWS Channel 5, 1 p.m.).

Last year: Scott Dixon won at Mid-Ohio for the third time in five years, passing Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti on a restart with 24 laps left. Dixon also won at the track in 2007 and 2009.

Weekend planner: Today – Track opens, 7 a.m.; ALMS practice, 9:20 a.m.; IndyCar qualifying, 11 a.m.; ALMS race, 1 p.m. Sunday — Track opens, 7 a.m.; IndyCar warm-up, 8 a.m.; IndyCar race, 1 p.m.

— Elton Alexander

Castroneves’ Penske race team has been very good this season, with teammates Power and Ryan Briscoe combining for five series wins to date in the new Dallara chassis with Chevrolet power.

“The chassis and the tires are a little bit better than what we used to have,” Castroneves said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that [eclipse the track record], which is a great credit to the engine manufacturers to be able to improve the speed. I don’t think, here, you want to start in the back. You want to go as far as you can in the front because it can pay, big time.”

Hunter-Reay, who looks to keep Castroneves in his rearview mirror, also said the new cars have made a big difference this season.

“It has leveled the playing field, for one,” he said. “And it allowed the drivers to adapt their driving styles to it. As a race car, it’s more racy than it was in the past. It’s just a racier package.”

It showed during the lone IndyCar practice session — and even in the day’s sweltering heat.

Chevrolet topped the chart, with Power behind the wheel delivering a fast lap at 121.574 mph, a mark which should rise significantly during this morning’s qualifying at 11 a.m. Behind Power was defending race winner Scott Dixon at 121.287 mph. Both Castroneves and Hunter-Reay were outside the top 10, but that will likely change when it counts.

“The track gets a little better every single lap,” Power said. “By the time we get to qualifying, I see the track really gripping up.”

Ladies first: Shannon McIntosh of Dayton was at Mid-Ohio racing in the USF2000 series this season, thanks, in great measure, to the TrueCar Racing program.

She is one of six drivers, including Katherine Legge in IndyCar, who have signed on for the two-year program which includes not just sponsorship, but mentoring and more. Now McIntosh no longer has to panhandle for money to keep her career going. Instead, she can concentrate on making it flourish.

“For something like this to come along is a dream come true,” she said.

The TrueCar Racing “Women Empowered” Initiative is made up of a team of six female drivers competing in six different series. It supports the women financially and also provides them with professional coaching, marketing and publicity. The six drivers include Legge, Dragon Racing, IZOD IndyCar Series; Shea Holbrook, Shea Racing, Pirelli World Challenge (fourth in points); Verena Mei, Team O’Neill, Rally America Driver (seventh in points); Emilee Tominovich, CJ Wilson Racing, Mazda MX-5 Cup (10th in points); Ashley Freiberg, JDC Motorsports, Star Mazda Series (12th in points); and Shannon McIntosh, Pabst Racing, USF2000 Series (16th in points).

Soldiers honored: Panther Racing team will have its pink machine in action this week to honor female soldiers in the National Guard. Ohio National Guard Adj. Gen. Deborah Ashenhurst is the only female AG in the United States and will be at Mid-Ohio this weekend. The pink-camouflage car will be driven by J.R. Hildebrand.

Miamisburg’s McIntosh in pursuit of IndyCar dream

Posted on by

Back in Miamisburg for a quick pit stop, Shannon McIntosh planned on sitting down at Ron’s Pizza, a past sponsor, and indulging in coffee at Tim Horton’s and Boston Stoker, neither of which can be found where she resides in Florida.

If acquaintances missed catching up with McIntosh in her hometown, well good luck. The open-wheel driver in the USF2000 Championship series isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon.

McIntosh — a whirlwind of activity on the track with her driving duties and off it as a guru of social media — races into Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for this weekend’s Sports Car Challenge/Honda Indy 200. McIntosh enters 16th out of 22 drivers in points in her first season with the USF2000 developmental series, the first of three rungs in IndyCar’s Mazda Road to Indy ladder system. Her series races twice at Mid-Ohio this weekend with one race each on Saturday and Sunday.

“This whole year my goal is just continue to improve,” said McIntosh, who grew up racing ovals in a variety of rides including USAC midgets. “Being only my second year on road courses, adjusting to these Formula cars, I just want to see in my data and in my results that I’m continually improving. That’s the most important part. If we can grab a top 10 this weekend that would be amazing because there’s supposed to be a good showing of cars.”

McIntosh will have plenty of support and encouragement to get there. She’s in her first season with TrueCar Racing, a six-woman racing team designed to provide full sponsorship, professional coaching and training and marketing exposure to aspiring drivers. IndyCar driver Katherine Legg leads the team. Legge and Pirelli World Challenge driver Shea Holbrook will also compete at Mid-Ohio.

“It’s cool. Being a girl who’s been around men all my life in racing, you don’t really meet a lot of girls that understand your lifestyle,” McIntosh said. “Meeting these girls and having Katherine to be able to look up to, it’s an awesome support system.”

These days being a woman race car driver comes with the obligatory comparisons and references to NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, something McIntosh and her fellow teammates are used to.

“I think any woman race car driver, that’s the first thing people think. I hope TrueCar can break the mold and show the world there are a lot of women race car drivers out there and a lot of women race car drivers who are talented,” McIntosh said. “There are definitely more eyeballs on you and I think sometimes I put more pressure on myself because of that. But it’s really exciting the TrueCar women empowerment initiative is going to be there this weekend. It’s exciting.”

If fans can’t catch McIntosh at Mid-Ohio, there are other ways to keep pace with her. Mashable.com, a social media and news site, named McIntosh one of seven “Must-Follow Athletes on Social Media.” She’s was also named one of five finalists for Seventeen magazine’s “Pretty Amazing” women contest.

“I think because I’m so hard on myself and I have such a far way to go to make myself happy, I’m always pushing forward,” McIntosh said of her drive and desire to reach the IndyCar series and race in the Indianapolis 500. “Living on the road is hard and I miss home a lot, even though I’m in Florida I still feel like home is Miamisburg, but it’s definitely surreal sometimes. I journal a lot and have to remind myself how lucky I am. When I’m on the road and people ask what I do, it always reminds me how lucky I am to be pursing my dream and living my dream.”

By Greg Billing

Legge back at Sonoma

Posted on by

Legge back at SonomaDragon Racing announced Sunday it has secured a second Chevrolet Indy V6 engine for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, with Katherine Legge back on a road or street course for the first time since Brazil in April. It’s the first two-car effort for Dragon since Indianapolis, when the team switched from Lotus to Chevrolet powerplants.

“I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” said Jay Penske, owner of Dragon Racing. “When we began the season in St. Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the No. 6 and No. 7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car with the driving duties being shared among Katherine (Legge) and Sebastian (Bourdais). With the team back to full strength we are all really looking forward to competing in Sonoma, the home track for our sponsors andpartners, McAfee, Microsoft, and TrueCar.”

“Obviously I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel of my TrueCar Chevrolet in Sonoma and also to get the opportunity to test there prior to the race,” said Katherine, “We’re all racers and anytime you have to sit out a race its tough, but we’ve been doing the best with the situation and hopefully we will be able to get the results we know we’re capable of in Sonoma.”

“Sonoma is a very important market to both TrueCar and our new partner  Virgin, so it was important to have Katherine back behind the wheel as part of our TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative,” said Scott Painter, CEO of TrueCar. “Our women’s initiative racing program is a vital part of the TrueCar fabric and a strong representation of our brand and beliefs.  We couldn’t be happier to see Katherine back on track in Sonoma and again in Fontana.”

Katherine Legge returns as Dragon gets back to two cars for Sonoma IndyCar race

Posted on by

Katherine LeggeDragon Racing will revert to a two-car line-up for the Sonoma IndyCar race later this month after securing a second Chevrolet engine for Katherine Legge.

Legge and Sebastien Bourdais formed a two-car line-up at the start of the season, but Dragon was forced to cut back to one entry after switching its engine deal from Lotus to Chevrolet, with Legge scheduled to drive the oval races, and Bourdais taking the wheel on road and street courses.

“I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” said team owner Jay Penske.

“When we began the season at St Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the #6 and #7 entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car. We are really looking forward to competing in Sonoma.”

Legge said that she was pleased to be getting an additional race under her belt.

“Obviously I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel at Sonoma, and also to get the opportunity to test there prior to the race,” she said. “We’re all racers, and anytime you have to sit out a race, it’s tough. But we’ve been doing our best with the situation, and hopefully we’ll get the results we know we’re capable of in Sonoma.”

The team will revert to a single car for Bourdais at the following round in Baltimore, with Legge due to complete the season at the Fontana finale.

By Mark Glendenning

Chevy provides an engine for Legge at Sonoma

Posted on by

Chevy provides an engine for Legge at Sonoma

LEXINGTON, Ohio – Katherine Legge stood in a corner of the Dragon Racing garage, watching the crew prepare the No. 7 TrueCar car for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio and waiting for a break in the thunderstorm to keep a breakfast reservation.

It was a metaphor for the 31-year-old Brit’s first IZOD IndyCar Series season.

After competing in the first five races (the initial four with a Lotus engine before Dragon Racing switched to Chevrolet in mid-May), she has shared the car and its Chevrolet 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged V6 engine with Sebastien Bourdais. He’s driven in the four road/street course races since the Indianapolis 500 on May 27. She’s driven in the three oval races since competing in her first 500 Mile Race.

Thanks to Chevrolet providing a second engine to the team for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 24-26, Legge will compete in her first road course race since Barber in early April. She’ll join 22 others in testing at the recently reconfigured circuit Aug. 17, and with the addition of Legge and Sebastian Saavedra in an AFS/Andretti Autosport entry the field will swell to 27.

“We’re hugely grateful to Chevrolet for stepping up at Indy and now giving us two engines for Sonoma,” said Legge, who has a best finish of 15th (Texas, Iowa) in her eight races. “We’d be in a pretty dire situation without their help.

“I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from outside the car and support the team. It’s an exercise in patience because I’d much rather be driving. But you have to make the best of the situation and that’s what we’re all trying to do.”

Legge did a few laps at Sonoma during testing July 12, though Bourdais “spent the day testing and setting the car up,” she said. The upcoming day on the course (open to the public and free) will be her first full test since Sebring International in early March.

“I’ll be able to make some improvements and adjustments on the car myself and learn the track,” said Legge, who’s also scheduled to compete in the season finale Sept. 15 at Auto Club Speedway. “I’ve been training hard because (Sonoma) is a physical place. When you’re in the car (regularly), you keep fit by driving in addition to working out. I’m very excited.”

Modifications to the course include:
• The entrance to Turn 11 will be extended 200 feet before drivers encounter the hairpin. This will give drivers more space to out-brake each other and set up a passing opportunity before the right-hand Turn 12. The geometry of the modified Turn 11 will mirror the shorter turn used for the IZOD IndyCar Series in previous years.
• The exit of Turn 9 (aka The Bus Stop) will be widened by 10 feet to 50 feet on drivers’ left.
• At Turn 7, instead of the looping right-hander where drivers could maintain speed, they will now encounter a hairpin similar to Turn 11.

The modifications will make the IZOD IndyCar Series circuit 2.31 miles (it had been 2.303 miles) and 12 turns. The race distance will increase from 75 to 85 laps.

“I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” Dragon Racing owner Jay Penske said. “When we began the season in St. Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the Nos. 6 and 7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car with the driving duties being shared among Katherine and Sebastien.

“With the team back to full strength, we are all really looking forward to competing in Sonoma, the home track for our sponsors and partners, McAfee, Microsoft, and TrueCar.”

By Dave Lewandowski

INDYCAR: Dragon Adds Entry For Legge At Sonoma

Posted on by

Dragon Racing announced today that they have secured a second Chevrolet Indy V6 engine for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Dragon Adds Entry For Legge At Sonoma

Jay Penske, left, has struck a deal with Chevy to add a second entry for Katherine Legge, right, at Sonoma. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

Dragon Racing, the IndyCar team owned by Jay Penske announced today that they have secured a second Chevrolet Indy V6 engine for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma and will now be entering two cars at the raceway in Sonoma, Calif. on August 26.

“I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” said Jay Penske, owner of Dragon Racing. “When we began the season in St. Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the #6 and #7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car with the driving duties being shared among Katherine (Legge) and Sebastian (Bourdais). With the team back to full strength we are all really looking forward to competing in Sonoma, the home track for our sponsors and partners, McAfee, Microsoft, and TrueCar.”

“Obviously I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel of my TrueCar Chevrolet in Sonoma and also to get the opportunity to test there prior to the race,” said Katherine, “We’re all racers and anytime you have to sit out a race its tough, but we’ve been doing the best with the situation and hopefully we will be able to get the results we know we’re capable of in Sonoma.”

“Sonoma is a very important market to both TrueCar and our new partner Virgin, so it was important to have Katherine back behind the wheel as part of our TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative,” said Scott Painter, CEO of TrueCar. “Our women’s initiative racing program is a vital part of the TrueCar fabric and a strong representation of our brand and beliefs. We couldn’t be happier to see Katherine back on track in Sonoma and again in Fontana.

Dragon Racing to Return as a Two Car Team in Sonoma

Posted on by

Katherine Legge to be back in the #6 Dragon Racing TrueCar Chevrolet
August 5, 2012, Lexington, OH – Dragon Racing, the IndyCar team owned by Jay Penske announced today that they have secured a second Chevrolet IndyV6 engine for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma and will now be entering two cars at the raceway in Sonoma, Calif. on August 26.

“I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” said Jay Penske, owner of Dragon Racing. “When we began the season in St. Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the #6 and #7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car with the driving duties being shared among Katherine (Legge) and Sebastian (Bourdais). With the team back to full strength we are all really looking forward to competing in Sonoma, the home track for our sponsors and partners, McAfee, Microsoft, and TrueCar.”

“Obviously I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel of my TrueCar Chevrolet in Sonoma and also to get the opportunity to test there prior to the race,” said Katherine, “We’re all racers and anytime you have to sit out a race its tough, but we’ve been doing the best with the situation and hopefully we will be able to get the results we know we’re capable of in Sonoma.”

“Sonoma is a very important market to both TrueCar and our new partner Virgin, so it was important to have Katherine back behind the wheel as part of our TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative,” said Scott Painter, CEO of TrueCar. “Our women’s initiative racing program is a vital part of the TrueCar fabric and a strong representation of our brand and beliefs. We couldn’t be happier to see Katherine back on track in Sonoma and again in Fontana.
About Dragon Racing:
Dragon Racing is an IndyCar Series team owned by Jay Penske, who is also the Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation (PMC). Dragon Racing began under the original banner of Luczo Dragon Racing founded by both Penske and Steve Luczo, the Chairman and CEO of Seagate Technologies. The team debuted in 2007 at the Indianapolis 500 with driver Ryan Briscoe and finished fifth. In 2009, during the team’s first complete season, it won Rookie of the Year honors with driver Raphael Matos. In 2012, Dragon Racing has forged an alliance with lead strategic sponsors Microsoft, TrueCar, and McAfee and has two entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series: Katherine Legge, the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, and four-time Champ Car Series champion Sebastien Bourdais. Dragon Racing has operations in Indianapolis, Indiana and Los Angeles, California.

For more information, contact Dragon Racing at: press@dragonracing.com