by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 21, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will compete in Australia for the first time ever during the Melbourne Ferrari Challenge on March 22-25. After races stateside at Daytona International Speedway in Florida and Circuit of the Americas in Texas, driver James Weiland and Erin the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge will be racing the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. The Ferrari Challenge in Australia will serve as a support race to the Formula One Grand Prix which takes place over the same weekend.
The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street course that loops around Albert Park Lake just south of central Melbourne. In addition to annually hosting the Formula One Grand Prix, the Melbourne track also plays host to the Supercars Championship. The great Ferrari F1 driver Michael Schumacher owns the outright lap record in Melbourne with a mark of 1:24.125 set in 2004. The venue has reported upwards of 300,000 fans in attendance throughout F1 weekend in the past, and a tremendous turnout is expected once again this year.
“We’re excited to experience Australia,” Weiland said. “This is our first trip to Melbourne and we’re looking forward to interacting with the drivers and fans who will be attending the races all weekend long. We’re also looking forward to the challenge of racing the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Like any new track, it will take us some time to learn. But hopefully we can get a good feel for it early and then work with our team to put forth the best effort possible throughout the trip.”
The experience will also provide an opportunity for Weiland and the Boardwalk Ferrari crew to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than three million members and supporters. Products proudly displaying the bunny logo are cruelty-free, meaning that they were produced without testing on animals. Cornerstone of Hope is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving. Guided by Christian values of compassion and service, they welcome and serve all seeking support. Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation’s mission is to provide educational support to at risk children through a combination of literacy, personal development and health and fitness programs designed to develop the whole child. Each mission is represented on EMS Race Team’s car, Erin, and will be on display throughout F1 weekend in Melbourne.
“F1 weekend is always a great opportunity to spread the word about PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope, and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation,” Weiland added. “There will be thousands of race fans in attendance and hopefully we can encourage a few of them to search online and learn more about each of those great causes. Maybe we can even help get each one of those foundations up onto the podium while we’re there too.”
For behind the scenes coverage of the 2018 Ferrari Challenge in Australia, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 13, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton once said of his racing career, “There have been some ups and downs, it hasn’t always gone my way. But that’s the way racing is supposed to be.” Following a pair of podium finishes in the Trofeo Pirelli pro class at Daytona International Speedway, EMS Race Team was met with uncontrollable adversity during the Ferrari Challenge at Circuit of the Americas. As a result of receiving contact that led to engine trouble during Race 1, driver Jim Weiland and Paris the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge would finish 9th overall. After not being able to repair that engine issue in time for qualifying on Sunday, Weiland would race a T-car for the duration of the weekend. Despite never driving that backup car before, he’d finish Race 2 just off the podium in P4.
“Race 2 went a lot better than Race 1,” Coach Conrad Grunewald said. “Jim’s car from yesterday, Paris, didn’t run so well this morning so we missed the morning warmup. We borrowed Jean-Claude Saada’s backup car, which was very nice of him, and Jim qualified in that. He qualified 6th never driving the car before. We had to make some changes after qualifying and the setup wasn’t perfect. But then the race went great. There was chaos, I lost count of how many cars crashed. But Jim came away with fourth, he was right on the bumper of the guy that finished third. The top three guys were all nose-to-tail with Jim right behind them, so I think a couple more laps he would’ve moved up even further.”
During Race 1, the contact Paris received left her like a wounded duck for the rest of the race. The Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari San Francisco team worked tirelessly to correct the engine issue that resulted but Paris simply wasn’t ready to go in time for qualifying on Sunday. The team then shifted their focus to doing everything they could in a short period of time to get the backup car ready to race and did an outstanding job.
“We had Paris basically set up and aesthetically comfortable for Jim to drive,” R3 Motorsports owner Rudy Courtade said of the work his team did to get the backup car ready to race on Sunday. “But since we had this engine issue, we had to switch to a T-car and some of the items we had to change to make it comfortable were the seat, the cool suit, cool blower, and of course the wiring and the radios were a little different so we had to do a little bit of that. Then, more importantly, the setup of the car on his original car is what Jim preferred to drive. So, we had to move the suspension components over to the T-car to get the balance correct so he can optimize his driving and qualifying.”
It was remarkable to watch the team working together to get the T-car ready for qualifying with only about an hour to do so. It was also impressive to consider that Weiland nearly drove that car to a podium finish in the Ferrari Challenge pro class despite never being in it before. But for EMS Race Team, it’s always about competing, putting forth that maximum effort and letting the chips fall where they may from there.
“Paris experiencing engine trouble and then being forced to move into the T-car was certainly not what we hoped for,” Weiland joked. “But that’s part of racing—as much as you might try, you can’t control the uncontrollables. You really have to credit the Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco team for not only getting the T-car ready to perform at a high level as quickly as they did, but also for trying to fix Paris’ issues as well. We were certainly proud of all the guys for that, and also proud to have represented three great missions in PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation throughout the weekend in Texas.”
For more on the Ferrari Challenge at COTA visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Next up for EMS Race Team is a trip to Melbourne, Australia to compete at a Ferrari Challenge event that will serve as a support race to F1 weekend.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 5, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team heads to Austin, Texas on March 9-11 to compete in the Ferrari Challenge at Circuit of the Americas. Driver James Weiland and Paris, the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge, are coming off a pair of third place Trofeo Pirelli finishes in January at the Daytona International Speedway. Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco will be working toward a podium finish once again in Austin against a very talented group of drivers in the top Trofeo Pirelli class.
The last time Weiland raced at Circuit of the Americas was during the Pirelli World Challenge in 2017 when EMS Race Team secured a first-place finish. Prior to that, EMS earned a pair of victories in the Trofeo Pirelli AM class during the 2016 Ferrari Challenge at COTA. The world-renowned track in Austin first opened for racing in October of 2012. Since then, it has gone on to host the Formula One United States Grand Prix, the Road Racing World Championships, American Le Mans Series, and other high-profile events along with the Ferrari Challenge.
“COTA is a challenging track but definitely one we really enjoy racing,” Weiland said. “The Ferrari Challenge in Austin will be especially tough with all of the great drivers in our class that we will be competing against. But our team will have Paris ready to race, and we know we’ll have to be as focused as possible if we want to achieve the success we’re hoping for. That’s why our goal, like always, is to be prepared, work hard, and execute. If we do those three things to the best of our ability we’ll be willing to live with the results.”
EMS Race Team will be representing PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and the Cornerstone of Hope Foundation on the track in Austin. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than three million members and supporters. Products proudly displaying the bunny logo are cruelty-free, meaning that they were produced without testing on animals. Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation’s mission is to provide educational support to at risk children through a combination of literacy, personal development and health and fitness programs designed to develop the whole child. Cornerstone of Hope, the third charity represented on Paris, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
“We are excited to be representing PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and the Cornerstone of Hope Foundation in Texas,” Weiland said. “We definitely will be doing our best to spread the word and raise awareness for everything they do. Our team will be letting fans and fellow competitors know how much each of those organizations do for the community and how people can get involved to support. Hopefully we can also make them proud, too, by getting them up on the podium while we’re there.”
For behind the scenes coverage of the 2018 Ferrari Challenge at Circuit of the Americas, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jan 29, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The great Mario Andretti once said, “Racing is like one big family, ultimately, and when you come back to it, that’s really what it feels like.” EMS Race Team opened the 2018 Ferrari Challenge at Daytona International Speedway by returning to their Boardwalk Ferrari/Ferrari of San Francisco family to begin another season of racing together. Competing in the Trofeo Pirelli pro class, they would eventually put forth a collective effort that was worthy of a pair of podium finishes.
Driver James Weiland and Paris, the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge, raced to finishes of 3rd overall out of a field of 39 cars in both Race 1 and Race 2 at Daytona. After competing for pole position during qualifying, Weiland started each race in the second and third spot, respectively, to give his team a chance at a podium. Cooper Macneil (Ferrari Silicon Valley) was the winner in Race 1 while Peter Ludwig (Wide World Ferrari) secured the victory in Race 2. In each race, Weiland held off Joseph Rubbo (Ferrari of Long Island) who finished fourth.
“Jim was bumped up to the pro class again this year and he qualified well throughout the weekend,” Coach Conrad Grunewald said. “He had a really good race going in Race 1, running P3 for most of the race. He made a small mistake, ended up back in P4, but the guy he was racing for the podium also made a small mistake. Jim got back on the podium from there, and finished that way. We were really stoked with the performance, Jim’s racing against guys who raced fully professional for many years, so finishing on the podium is a big success for him.
“Then on Saturday, he drove an even better race. Jim was able to hold onto the two pro guys up front. The car was better balanced for him, and he drove a much more solid race. The guys he was battling on Friday weren’t really a factor in Race 2. He pulled about a 3-4 second lead on them and was able to inch away. Overall, it was a really good weekend, so now it’s on to the next one.”
The next race for Weiland and Boardwalk Ferrari/Ferrari of San Francisco is the Melbourne, Australia Ferrari Challenge in March. But before shifting focus to that one, Weiland reflected on his team’s performance throughout the weekend. He also talked about the opportunity to raise awareness for Cornerstone of Hope, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and PETA Cruelty Free during the Ferrari Challenge event that served as a support race for the highly anticipated Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
“It was a team effort this weekend and we’re really proud of the way that everyone contributed,” Weiland said. “Our crew had Paris dialed in and she responded well out there on the track. So, big thanks to R3 Motorsports, Boardwalk Ferrari/Boardwalk San Francisco, Nathan Dunning, Ryan Negri, Rudy Courtade, Dave Cameron, Daryl Cameron, our coach Conrad Grunewald, and everyone on the team who helped make it a successful trip. With the Ferrari Challenge fans and everyone pouring in for the Rolex 24, we wanted to represent Cornerstone of Hope, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and PETA Cruelty Free to the best of our ability and fortunately we were able to accomplish that.”
Cornerstone of Hope is an effort dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving. Guided by Christian values of compassion and service, they welcome and serve all seeking support. Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation’s mission is to provide educational support to at risk children through a combination of literacy, personal development and health and fitness programs designed to develop the whole child. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than three million members and supporters. Products proudly displaying the cruelty-free logo mean that they were produced without testing on animals.
For more behind the scenes coverage from the Ferrari Races at Daytona International Speedway, visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jan 15, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After concluding the 2017 season at the Mugello Circuit in Italy this past November, EMS Race Team will open the 2018 Ferrari Challenge at Daytona International Speedway on January 25-27. It will mark the first of eight races for driver James Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari who will be competing in eight different countries throughout the year. Weiland and company will be racing around the world once again to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope, and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and it all begins at Daytona.
2018 Ferrari Challenge Schedule:
- January 25-27: Daytona (United States)
- March 22-25: Melbourne (Australia)
- April 12-15: Hampton Downs (New Zealand)
- May 11-13: Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
- June 8-10: Montreal (Canada)
- July 20-22: Brno (Czech Republic)
- September 14-16: Barcelona (Spain)
- November 1-4: Ferrari World Finals at Monza (Italy)
The trip to Daytona later this month will be the first time Weiland has competed at the world-famous track in Florida since securing the Trofeo Pirelli AM season championship in 2016. It will also be the first time Weiland will be driving the newly redesigned ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in red named Paris. Weiland and Paris will look to leverage EMS Race Team’s past success and familiarity with Daytona amongst a competitive field in the Trofeo Pirelli class.
“Daytona is a challenging course to be sure but it’s also one that we really enjoy racing,” Weiland said. “We didn’t get a chance to race here last year, but we did make two trips to Daytona in 2016 so we’re familiar with how we need to drive to be successful. Racing in the Trofeo Pirelli class this season, we know we won’t have any margin for error. But if we control what we can control as a team, put forth our best effort and execute a disciplined race, we will be happy with the results.”
Starting a new season offers a renewed sense of commitment to the causes close to EMS Race Team’s heart. For Cornerstone of Hope, their volunteers and staff spent many hours over the holidays supporting those who were grieving the loss of loved ones. Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation, meanwhile, is in the middle of a school year pouring their collective energy into helping at-risk third-graders with reading and writing. PETA Cruelty Free is working to minimize testing on animals all over the globe. It’s these reasons and others that inspire EMS Race Team to raise as much awareness as possible for those efforts out on the track.
Racing to raise awareness for the following causes:
- PETA Cruelty Free: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 3 million members and supporters. Products proudly displaying this logo are cruelty-free, meaning that they were produced without testing on animals.
- Cornerstone of Hope: Cornerstone of Hope is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving. Guided by Christian values of compassion and service, they welcome and serve all seeking support. Cornerstone offers professional counseling for all who are seeking support.
- Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation: Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation’s mission is to provide educational support to at risk children through a combination of literacy, personal development and health and fitness programs designed to develop the whole child.
“We’re honored once again to be representing PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation throughout the 2018 Ferrari Challenge,” Weiland added. “The work those three charities do is incredibly inspirational on many levels. Paris’ new design has each logo featured even more prominently this year, and we hope to spread as much awareness as possible by turning in an effort they would be proud of each time out.”
For behind the scenes coverage of the 2018 Ferrari Challenge at Daytona International Speedway, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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