by Tara Pachmayer | Sep 18, 2017 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The world tour continues for EMS Race Team as Erin the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge travels to Silverstone Circuit in England on September 22-24. After races outside the United States in Canada, Hungary and France this season, driver James Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari will compete for the first time ever in the United Kingdom later this weekend. The trip marks a return to Ferrari Challenge action for EMS Race Team who most recently secured a first-place finish in the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint X class at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas earlier this month.
“We enjoyed making our debut in the Pirelli World Challenge at COTA but are certainly excited for the Ferrari Challenge at Silverstone,” Weiland said. “After representing PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle in Canada, Hungary and France, we’re also excited to spread the word for those missions in England as well. This will be our first trip to the UK as a team so we’re focused on being as prepared as possible and putting forth an effort we can be proud of when we get on the track.”
The Silverstone Circuit is built on the site of a World War II Royal Air Force bomber station, RAF Silverstone. The first race was held at Silverstone in 1947, which went on to host its first British Grand Prix a year later. In 1950, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attended the British Grand Prix as the first and only time a reigning monarch attended a race in Britain. Over the next several decades, innovative upgrades to the track helped Silverstone continue to host England’s premier Formula One race on an annual basis. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) is the reigning F1 champion at Silverstone and has won the British Grand Prix each year from 2014-17.
“We’re excited to compete against all of the terrific drivers in England and to race an historic track like Silverstone,” Weiland added. “We will be racing against some of the best Ferrari Challenge drivers in the world so we know the competition will be stiff. We also know that Silverstone will be a fun but challenging course and we’re looking forward to the test. We’re dedicating the trip to PETA Cruelty Free and the tremendous work they’ve done helping stranded animals who were victims of the vicious hurricanes that touched down in Texas and Florida recently. It’s been inspiring to see the effort that so many people have taken to rescue those affected animals and we’re hoping to shine a spotlight on that with a strong outing.”
After Hurricane Harvey devastated much of the Texas Gulf Coast, PETA’s Community Animal Project rescue team members spent a week on the ground in Texas, where they trudged through the floodwater to search for abandoned, lost and injured animals. You can read more about that here. PETA also made similar efforts in Florida following Hurricane Irma as they have in the past after devastating storms, flooding’s and weather events throughout the country.
For more on PETA Cruelty Free and how you can support their effort to help the animals who were victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma visit PETA’s website. You can also visit Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope to learn more about how they are helping our communities as well on a daily basis. To follow along with behind-the-scenes coverage throughout race weekend in England, visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Sep 7, 2017 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team competed in their first Pirelli World Challenge Event during the Grand Prix of Texas at Circuit of the Americas over the weekend and brought home the hardware. Racing in the Sprint X class, drivers James Weiland and Conrad Grunewald earned pole position for Race 1 before combining to finish an hour-long race first-in-class on Saturday. During the practice sessions leading up the race, Grunewald talked about the finer points that the team worked on to ensure their success on the track.
“First of all, this is a very long race for Erin,” Grunewald said of the EMS+ Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO. Erin was built for a 35-minute race, so the tires and fuel capacity are designed for a shorter length than the Sprint X series requires. Extending the race to an hour means managing fuel consumption and tire wear more carefully. “The last couple of days we’ve been working on figuring out how the tires are going to wear. Trying to get the setup of the car so that the tires last a little bit longer, so it will help us out for the whole race. It’s been quite a challenge, this is a big departure from what the Ferrari Challenge is, what this car was designed for. But trusty old Erin is going to make it through.”
Trusty old Erin did make it through successfully at COTA thanks to the great work of the Boardwalk Ferrari / R3 Motorsports team who had her dialed in all weekend. Despite some early mayhem in Race 1 that Grunewald was able to avoid which resulted in a caution, EMS Race Team built a nice lead over the Porsche that finished second. From there, a well-executed driver change was followed by Weiland going on to hold the lead and secure the P1 finish. With over 25,000 kilometers on the track, and wins in Asia, Europe and North America on her resume, the victory may have been the last for Erin the EMS+ Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO who is poised to now retire on top.
“If this ends up being Erin’s last race weekend, it was a great way to go out,” Weiland said. “She ran strong on Saturday and Sunday, and definitely put us in a great position to succeed. You have to give credit to Conrad Grunewald for some terrific driving, and you also have to give a lot of credit to our Boardwalk Ferrari / R3 Motorsports team who helped keep Erin in top shape. Big thanks to Ryan Negri, Rudy Courtade, Dave and Daryl Cameron, Carl Dragus, Travis Low, Andrew Prendeville and everyone else who contributed to the victory. We would’ve certainly liked to earn two wins at COTA, but we’re proud of our overall effort for sure.”
On Sunday during Race 2, a snag with the new seat belts cost EMS 18 seconds on the driver change which would eventually prove to be the difference. That unfortunately left Grunewald down nearly 20 seconds when he got on track for the second half of Race 2. Despite 30 minutes of epic driving, where he caught up to the Porsche who was holding P1 in class, EMS simply ran out of laps finishing 2nd by 0.4 seconds. While the narrow loss was tough to swallow, it certainly didn’t dampen the spirits on a weekend that resulted in a first-place trophy during EMS Race Team’s Pirelli World Challenge debut.
“It was great to be able to dedicate this weekend to Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation who is starting another school year right now working with at-risk third graders in Cleveland, Ohio through their literacy and reading program,” Weiland added. “So, we were proud to get onto the podium for Coach Sam’s with everything they have going on. We were also honored to be representing PETA Cruelty Free and Cornerstone of Hope Foundation in the Pirelli World Challenge for the first time. Hopefully we were able to raise some awareness and people will take time to visit each website and learn about what those great causes are doing on a daily basis.”
For more interviews inside the Boardwalk Ferrari / R3 Motorsports Garage during the Pirelli World Challenge at COTA visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also visit BoardwalkFerrari.com and R3Motorsport.com. To learn more about Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation, PETA Cruelty Free and Cornerstone of Hope visit their websites.
by Tara Pachmayer | Aug 24, 2017 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After racing in Canada, Hungary and France this season, EMS Race Team will return stateside on Labor Day Weekend to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The Grand Prix of Texas on September 1-3 will be the first Pirelli World Challenge event for driver James Weiland and his team from Boardwalk Ferrari. The last time Weiland competed at COTA was during the 2016 Ferrari Challenge when he earned a pair of first-place finishes in the Trofeo Pirelli AM class. This time, the Pirelli World Challenge event will feature an hour-long race with a driver change after 30 minutes. Weiland will be teamed up with Conrad Grunewald for a weekend of racing that expects to be a lot of fun for drivers and fans.
“Circuit of the Americas is one of our favorite tracks and we’re looking forward to competing in the Grand Prix of Texas,” Weiland said. “Racing in the Pirelli World Challenge will be a different experience for us this year, but we’ll remain focused on controlling what we can control and being as prepared as possible. Our goal as a team is to always put forth our best effort collectively, and that’s what we plan to do throughout the weekend. If we accomplish that goal, we’re always willing to accept the results.”
This will also be the first time that Weiland and company will be representing PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation in Pirelli World Challenge competition. The race comes at a special time of year for Coach Sam’s, specifically, with the school year beginning for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District third graders the foundation serves. Coach Sam’s Inner Circle has expanded operations of its literacy program into two additional schools this year, and that’s a success story Weiland hopes to highlight during his trip to COTA.
“We’re dedicating the Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas to Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation because it’s a special time of year for the students they work with,” Weiland added. “We’re always proud to have the Coach Sam’s logo on our car, but with the school year getting underway it means even more. We’re hoping to raise awareness for the work they’ve done to prepare for another year and are proud of everything they continue to do for the community. Hopefully we can find a way to get onto the podium at COTA to salute their effort.”
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. For more on Coach Sam’s, Cornerstone of Hope and PETA Cruelty Free check out their websites. For behind the scenes coverage of the Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas, follow along at EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jul 26, 2017 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team is traveling around the world to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation. This past weekend, they visited the Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille in France. Marseille is the second largest city in France next to Paris, and the largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. After racing in California, Canada and Hungary this year, the trip marked the first time that driver James Weiland and EMS Race Team ever competed in France and second time racing overseas this season.
“It’s been a great experience for us so far this season to travel around the world and see the different cultures that we’ve been able to visit,” Weiland said. “It’s also be an honor to represent PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation in the different countries we’ve competed. At the Circuit Paul Ricard, we dedicated the race weekend to Cornerstone of Hope’s Annual Day of Hope Celebration and it was important for us to be able to highlight that tremendous event. The racing results weren’t what we hoped for, but it was an experience that meant a lot to our whole team.”
Neither one of the qualifying sessions went EMS Race Team’s way at the Circuit Paul Ricard, which set up for challenging races on Saturday and Sunday. On their prime flyer laps, EMS was consistently disrupted by cars going slow on the racing line trying to get themselves a gap. While on pace for starting in the second or third row during qualifying, the traffic pushed EMS back starting inside row six. During Race 1, Erin, the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge, gained four positions and was running 7th before being punted by a competitor and rejoining in 16th position. She continued to fight, nonetheless, and finished 11th. On Lap 1 in Race 2, a competitor dived in from too far back and made contact to Erin’s left rear quarter panel, spinning himself out, and at the same time also managed to knock Erin’s left rear wheel and suspension out of whack. The damage left her resistant to high speed turning from there. Despite that adversity, she managed to hold position without a chance of moving up and finished 7th.
“Well, does a bad racing day in the South of France make for a bad day?” Weiland joked. “Not an ideal weekend results-wise, but France was nice for sure. Erin will race in the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint X race in early September at Circuit of The Americas and then it’s on to England and Silverstone. Looking forward to those. Big thanks to Coach Conrad Grunewald for the driving help and Dave Cameron, Ray Banda, and Rossocorsa for keeping our Boardwalk Ferrari 488 Challenge car, Erin, in fighting shape all weekend.”
For more on Cornerstone of Hope, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and PETA Cruelty Free check out their websites. For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge in France visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jun 28, 2017 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team is traveling around the world to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation. This past weekend, they visited Budapest, Hungary to compete in the Ferrari Challenge at the Hungaroring Circuit. They brought along Erin, the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge, who’d race in the capital city of Hungary. With a population of 1.8 million people, Budapest is one of the largest cities in all of Europe. After competing in California and Quebec to kick off the 2017 Ferrari Challenge, this marked the first time that Erin and driver James Weiland raced overseas this season.
“Having the chance to travel around the world and raise awareness for the causes close to our heart is a tremendous opportunity for our team,” Weiland said. “To be able to do that in Hungary and race at the Hungaroring was an awesome experience. We really enjoyed the culture as well as the drivers and fans we met throughout the weekend. It was certainly a challenging track and the drivers here in Europe are extremely talented. We were hoping for better results, but we learned a lot and improved as a team which is always our goal.”
Despite struggling with an intermittent electronic issue, Erin responded well on Sunday to the adjustments made by the Boardwalk Ferrari crew throughout the weekend. Due in part to those technical issues, EMS finished in 8th position in Race 1. After qualifying 6th for the second-straight day on Sunday, however, Erin fought hard throughout Race 2 picking up one spot to finish 5th. She was closing in on the two cars in 4th and 3rd position down stretch, making up considerable ground before simply running out of laps.
“It was good racing out here with these drivers,” Weiland added of his European competitors. “But while we definitely have work to do as a team, we were proud to represent PETA this weekend after everything they’ve accomplished recently. We were proud to represent Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation, too, but we dedicated the weekend Gajraj as a way of saying thank you to everyone involved in helping bring him home earlier this month.”
After spending 50+ years chained near popular tourist spots in India, Gajraj the elephant was rescued by PETA and a team of supporters in June. Gajraj’s treatment sparked a global #FreeGajraj campaign led by PETA India and its international affiliates. The elephant is now living in an Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) in Mathura, receiving vital veterinary treatment and beginning his integration into the company of fellow elephants after all these years alone following the rescue.
Next up for EMS Race Team is the Ferrari Challenge at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France on July 22-23 as the world tour continues. Constructed in 1970 by Paul Ricard at Le Castellet in the south of France, the circuit was the first of the modern autodromes. The track is characterized by its long Mistral straight (1.8 km) and elongated design built on a plateau. The length of the full track is 5.861 km (3.642 mi) and it’s known for its black and blue runoff areas known as the Blue Zone. It quickly became the premier venue for French motorsport upon opening, hosting its first French Grand Prix in 1971. After a hiatus, the track now owned by Bernie Ecclestone announced a return of the Formula 1 French Grand Prix in 2018.
For more on Cornerstone of Hope, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and PETA Cruelty Free check out their websites. For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge in Hungary visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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