by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 30, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After earning a pair of victories in the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge event at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, EMS Race Team returns to action on U.S. soil later this month. From April 8-10, driver James Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari will look to build on their early season momentum at the Sonoma Raceway in California. This highly anticipated event marks the 11th consecutive year that Sonoma has hosted the Ferrari Challenge North American Series.
“Our goal as a team is to always get better,” Weiland said. “We accomplished some things in Japan that we are certainly proud of, but that’s behind us now. Sonoma Raceway is an exciting track that presents its own set of unique challenges. We also know that we haven’t broken through to win at Sonoma yet. So we’re focused on doing everything we can to be as prepared as possible for the stiff competition, and using this as another opportunity to improve as a team.”
Unlike his inaugural trip to Suzuka in March, Weiland and his coach, Conrad Grunewald, will be able to draw on past experience in preparation for Sonoma. This is a track EMS Race Team has competed on before, finishing second as recently as last May. This year, however, Weiland hopes to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope by leaving California with a victory—or two.
“Last year we had mixed results in Sonoma,” Weiland added. “While we did earn a podium finish during Race 1, we also experienced a setback that prevented us from finishing Race 2. It will be great to get back out there with a fresh start, learn from our previous trips, and put forward our best effort all weekend long.”
Despite Weiland’s experience at Sonoma, this time he will be driving a different car than in years past. Paris, the ems+ 458 Ferrari Challenge EVO who made her debut at the Daytona International Speedway earlier this year, will be unleashed for the first time at Sonoma. In 2015, it was Paris’ sister, Erin, who roared through the hills of wine country for EMS Race Team. It was also Erin who helped fuel the recent victories in Japan. But like her older sister, Paris will also be proudly waving the flag for the two charities close to Weiland’s heart throughout the competition.
“It was great to be in Japan and talk with the drivers, fans and media about PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope,” Weiland said about the two causes that fuel the fight for EMS Race Team. “Heading back to Sonoma, we hope to do the same thing. Nothing catches people’s attention more than winning, so we hope to raise as much awareness as possible for both efforts during our trip.”
By Brendan Bowers, Posted by SB
For updates throughout the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Sonoma, along with live-timing race results, follow @EMSRaceTeam on Twitter and Facebook. Also be sure to check out EMS Race Team’s Vimeo Page for behind-the-scenes action following the competition.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 10, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After traveling over 6,000 miles to the world famous Suzuka Circuit in Japan, EMS Race Team driver James Weiland found himself in a classic duel. During Race 1 of the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge, fellow driver Eric Cheung of Canada had gotten off to a great start and spent the majority of the afternoon battling Weiland for the top spot in the Pirelli AM class. But Erin, the EMS Race Team Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO, pushed just hard enough to eventually secure a victory that kicked off a whirlwind weekend.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel here and compete in the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge,” Weiland told the media following the race. “Suzuka is one of the best circuits in the world. It was exciting for our team to compete here and we really enjoyed our time in Japan. I can’t thank my coaches and crew enough for their preparation and the work they did to put us in position to earn a 1st place finish. It was a total team effort.”
It took every ounce of that collective effort to hold off Cheung, who finished less than one second behind Weiland’s No. 18 car. Additionally, with over 20,000 competitive kilometers logged on her dashboard entering the weekend, Erin struggled with her rear traction as she weaved through the windy course at Suzuka. At times, she was difficult to manage and maneuver. But when it came down to the final stretch, Erin roared liked the first day she rolled off the lot in Maranello en route to the win.
“The Boardwalk Ferrari crew did a tremendous job preparing Erin to race in Japan,” Weiland added. “We drove our new car, Paris, exclusively at Daytona but needed to go back to Erin this weekend as we tweaked some things. Dating back to the Finali Mondali in Italy last year, this is the second-straight event that Erin helped us earn a victory outside the United States. So we might be calling on her again the next time we compete overseas.”
As exciting as the outcome of Race 1 was for the team, attention quickly shifted to Sunday. Coach Conrad Grunewald helped Weiland analyze his performance and prepare for an even better run in Race 2 throughout the evening. Meanwhile, Ryan Negri, David Cameron and the Boardwalk crew made sure Erin was tuned up and ready get back out there. Those efforts would eventually be rewarded, too, as EMS Race Team went on to earn consecutive pole positions and its second-straight 1st place finish in Race 2. Sweeping the weekend was an outcome Weiland certainly hoped for, even if realizing the accomplishment caught him off guard following the race.
“I was actually very surprised that we were able to win again today,” Weiland told the press following his Race 2 victory on Sunday. “Saturday’s race was draining and it took a lot out of us. But we’re obviously very excited about the results, especially competing against a field of drivers as talented as we have here at Suzuka. We are also excited because we came to Japan hoping to get the PETA Cruelty Free Bunnies and Cornerstone of Hope onto the podium, and we’re thrilled to be able to do that twice.”
EMS Race Team dedicated Race 1 at the Suzuka Circuit to raising awareness for the PETA Cruelty Free campaign, while dedicating Race 2 to the Cornerstone of Hope Foundation. To learn more about the two charities that fuel the fight for EMS, check out the following websites:
PETA: http://www.peta.org/
Cornerstone of Hope: http://www.cornerstoneofhope.org/
For more behind the scenes photos and videos from the trip to Japan, check out EMS Race Team on Facebook and Twitter.
EMS Race Team Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emsRaceTeam/
EMS Race Team Twitter: https://twitter.com/emsRaceTeam
by Tara Pachmayer | Feb 18, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Fresh off a podium finish at Daytona International Speedway to open the 2016 Ferrari Challenge season, EMS Race Team is now preparing for a trip to Asia. On March 5-6, driver James Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari will be competing for the first time at the world famous Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Designed as a Honda test track in 1962, Suzuka is one of the only circuits to feature a figure eight layout. The renowned track—with its back straight crossing over the front section by means of an overpass—was also featured during multiple races in the critically acclaimed films Senna and Rush.
“We’re very excited to be competing at a track as rich in tradition as the Suzuka Circuit,” Weiland said. “It will be a great test for our team, as well as myself as a driver. It will also be very inspiring to race on a circuit that so many legendary drivers have competed on in the past, and we’re really looking forward to the opportunity.”
EMS Race Team will be joining over 35 drivers from the Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific series for the Ferrari Racing Days Suzuka event. The race signals the start of the Asia Pacific season, and is one of the largest events organized by Ferrari Japan. After racing outside the United States in Canada, Italy and Abu Dhabi over the last couple seasons, Weiland is also looking forward to the opportunity to experience life in Japan.
“We will be racing against some of the best Ferrari Challenge drivers in Japan during our trip,” Weiland said. “But when we’re not racing, we’re also excited to get to know some of our competitors and experience the culture in Japan. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us as a team, and we’ll be sure to learn as much as possible while we’re there.”
The last time EMS Race Team competed outside the United States was during the Finali Mondali in Italy for the Ferrari Challenge World Finals in November. That trip ended with a first place finish, which is something Weiland is ultimately hoping to replicate. The best way to raise awareness for the tremendous causes that inspire the fight for EMS Race Team is to win—and Weiland is well aware of that.
“We’ll be racing to raise awareness for Cornerstone of Hope and PETA Cruelty Free during our trip,” Weiland added. “Just like every race, the Cornerstone logo will be on the hood of our car with the PETA Cruelty Free logos featured throughout. Hopefully we can get them up onto the podium. The more success we have, the more questions we hear about what those logos stand for and how people can get involved to help. So, our goal is to be answering a lot of questions by the end of the weekend.”
During the Ferrari Challenge at Daytona, EMS Race Team’s newly designed car, Paris, made her official debut. For the trip to Japan, however, they’ll be bringing Erin (pictured above), the Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO Weiland raced during the previous two seasons. Erin just recently pushed past the 20,000 Kilometers mark, but she still runs just as fast as the first day she pulled off the lot. EMS is hopeful Erin has at least one more winning weekend left while Paris prepares for a return later this season.
For updates throughout the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Japan, along with live-timing race results, follow @EMSRaceTeam on Twitter and Facebook. Also be sure to check out EMS Race Team’s Vimeo Page for behind-the-scenes action following the competition.
by Tara Pachmayer | Feb 1, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The 2016 Ferrari Challenge season got off to a slow start on Thursday, as rain poured down on the world-famous Daytona International Speedway. But by Saturday morning, clear skies and sunshine would give way to an exciting day of racing that preceded the Rolex 24. As the weekend concluded, EMS Race Team would eventually earn a podium finish while breaking in a new car and celebrating the charities they compete to promote.
The new ems+ Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO is named Paris. She is the sister of Erin, who was driven over the past two seasons by James Weiland. Her first official qualifying session was rained out on Thursday, so the drivers were slotted according to how they finished the 2015 campaign to begin Race 1. This put EMS Race Team of Boardwalk Ferrari starting outside row four, positioned 1st in class and 8th overall. Shortly after the race began, however, an incident on Lap 1 dropped Paris all the way back to 36th place overall. Despite making up significant ground, moving all the way up to 18th by mid-race, a second incident ended her day—but Paris would respond the next morning.
The Boardwalk Ferrari crew, along with Erin, helped make sure Paris was ready to compete at a high level on Saturday and that’s exactly what happened. After snagging pole in class during an actual qualifying for Race 2, Weiland’s No. 18 car would ironically start 8th overall in the same exact spot as Race 1. From there, Paris would help him engage in a classic duel with competitors Steve Johnson and Wei Lu throughout the morning. The following description of how that battle played out during Saturday’s race at Daytona is offered via Ferrari.com
“James Weiland (Boardwalk Ferrari) had a successful early start, finding himself racing against the Trofeo Pirelli drivers for the first half of the race. However, yesterday’s winner, Steve Johnson (Ferrari Ft. Lauderdale) wouldn’t let him out of sight, edging Weiland to his limits. And on several attempts, Wei Lu (Ferrari of Vancouver) tried to sneak in on the attack for a top three finish but unfortunately entered Turn 1 from the straightaway with too much force, losing him a chance for the podium. Johnson would stand on top of the podium steps again, with Weiland on his left and Arthur Romanelli (The Collection) on his right.”
Weiland was very complimentary of Johnson, Lu, Romanelli, and his other competitors following the race on Saturday. He was also proud of his team, who did a great job putting Paris in a position to earn her first podium while waving the flag for Cornerstone of Hope and PETA Cruelty Free all weekend long.
“Johnson is a great competitor and put up a tremendous fight,” Weiland said after the race. “He drove really hard, along with Wei Lu, Arthur Romanelli and all of the other drivers. While first place is certainly our goal, it felt good to get the season started with a podium finish that we can build on heading into our next race. I really thought our Boardwalk Ferrari crew led by Rudy Courtade and David Cameron did a tremendous job of getting Paris ready to run. As always, I also appreciated the expertise of my coach, Conrad Grunewald, and data manager, Andrew Prendeville.”
What also meant a lot to Weiland was the awareness he helped begin to raise again this season for the two charities that are prominently featured throughout Paris’ updated design.
“We’ve always had the Cornerstone of Hope and PETA Cruelty Free logos on our car, but I think Paris’ updated design helps those logos appear more prominent,” Weiland added. “With some of the new drivers in the series this season, we were asked about each organization and always appreciate the chance to let people know about the great work that Cornerstone and PETA continue to do for our community.”
For more pictures, videos and behind-the-scenes coverage of race weekend at Daytona, check out @emsRaceTeam on Twitter and Facebook. Also be sure to stop by emsRaceTeam’s Vimeo page.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jan 19, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will bring significant momentum to Daytona International Speedway to begin the 2016 Ferrari Challenge Schedule on January 28. Driver James Weiland and the Ferrari of San Francisco crew closed out the 2015 campaign by securing two victories in Mugello, Italy during the Finali Mondiali in November. This served to bookend a season that began on the track at Daytona with a Race 1 victory last January. Competing for the second-straight year in the Trofeo Pirelli AM class, Weiland is excited to continue raising awareness for the charitable efforts he holds close to his heart by racing at a high level in Florida.
“We felt good as a team about the way we finished in Italy last season and we’re looking forward to building on that success in Daytona,” Weiland said. “The competition will be increasingly stiff, and we know how hard we’ll have to work to get back onto the podium. But we’re excited about the challenge along with the opportunity to race at a great track against the best Ferrari drivers in North America.”
Weiland will continue racing to raise awareness for the PETA Cruelty Free Campaign along with the Cornerstone of Hope Foundation throughout the 2016 circuit. Those decals will once again be proudly featured on the ems+ Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO, which will also hit the track with an updated design on a new car named Paris. The name was chosen in honor of a beloved family dog that passed away. It may even be in action at times alongside EMS Race Team’s original car, Erin.
“We’re definitely excited to get Paris onto the track during her first race at Daytona,” Weiland added. “Paris features a newer design, with a royal blue theme throughout the car. Erin will continue to feature more of the red-themed design. In either case, we’re hoping the PETA and Cornerstone logos can keep helping us run a little faster whenever we need that extra boost.”
Paris made an unofficial debut at Daytona in early January for a practice session following a shakedown run at The Thermal Club. During her second lap of the morning, Weiland lost her for a brief instant at 120 mph+ in the LH Kink. Fortunately, however, with 180 degrees of wheel he was able to keep her on the road and moving forward. There’s nothing finer than a good save, and once she let her feelings be known and got realigned, Paris ran great for the rest of the day. Hopefully she keeps that going for Weiland and company when the season begins for real later this month.
For updates throughout the Ferrari Challenge weekend along with live-timing race results, follow @EMSRaceTeam on Twitter and Facebook. Also be sure to check out EMS Race Team’s Vimeo Page for behind-the-scenes action following the competition.
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