by Tara Pachmayer | Jan 14, 2020 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team closed the 2019 Ferrari Challenge Series with a bang. Racing the Mugello Circuit in Italy during the Ferrari World Finals, driver James Weiland and ERIN the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenge won three times. The team dedicated their three victories on the Ferrari Challenge’s biggest stage to each of the charities that EMS races to raise awareness for. Those missions include PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world. 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, meanwhile, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving. EMS will continue racing to raise awareness for each of these critically important causes throughout the 2020 campaign.
Highlighted by wins last season in Bahrain, France, Germany and Italy, Weiland and his team secured 10 podium finishes throughout the year. During the 2018 Ferrari Challenge, they finished on the podium seven times. To put an exclamation point on 2019, the crew from Ferrari of San Francisco executed flawlessly at Mugello when it mattered most. They put their driver in a position to win and the overall performance of the team earned high praise from Ferrari Challenge coach Conrad Grunewald to conclude the year.
“This is my 19th year in this industry and I’ve never seen such a dominant display of driving in this series,” Grunewald said. “Three wins in an incredibly stacked field, including the World Championship race with all the drivers from around the world combined. Incredible job by Jim Weiland.”
While pleased with the effort, EMS Race Team knows they will need to be even better when they get back on the track in 2020. It will take a dedicated effort throughout the season by the entire team once again to navigate a highly competitive field of drivers and challenging tracks.
“You always want to improve and get better every year,” Weiland said heading into the 2020 Ferrari Challenge. “We had some good results last season and we are proud of the way we competed. But it’s a new year now and that comes with new goals.”
The 2020 Ferrari Challenge begins at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida on January 23-25 when the North American series gets underway. The Asia Pacific series opens for racing on March 5-7 at Bahrain, while the European Ferrari Challenge will hold its first competition of the new year on April 3-5 back at Mugello.
EMS Race Team’s official schedule for the 2020 campaign is listed below.
- March 5-7 – Bahrain
- April 3-5 – Mugello in Italy
- May 8-10 – Portimao in Portugal
- June 5-7 – Brno in Czech Republic
- June 12-14 – Circuit-Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal
- June 19-21 – Hockenheim in Germany
- July 17-19 – Barcelona in Spain
- August 28-30 – Watkins Glen International in New York
- September 11-13 – Spa Francorchamps in Belgium
- September 18-20 – Singapore
- November 4-7 – Abu Dhabi (Finali Mondiali)
Be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all season long for the latest news and updates.
by Tara Pachmayer | Oct 29, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team turned in their finest performance of the season during the Ferrari Challenge World Finals in Italy. While competing at the Mugello Circuit against the best Ferrari Challenge drivers in the world, James Weiland and his crew from Ferrari of San Francisco dominated the weekend with a staggering three victories in three races. The clean sweep began with a Race 1 win on Friday and closed with a P1 finish in the World Championships on Sunday. ERIN the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenge was simply unstoppable throughout the trip while earning high praise from longtime Ferrari Challenge coach Conrad Grunewald.
“This is my 19th year in this industry and I’ve never seen such a dominant display of driving in this series,” Grunewald said on Sunday. “Three wins in an incredibly stacked field, including the World Championship race with all the drivers from around the world combined. Incredible job by Jim Weiland.”
During Race 1, Weiland was able to pass a few cars at the start and managed to snatch the lead exiting the Turn 1 hairpin. After that, ERIN did the rest on her way to the first victory of the weekend. Following a second win in Race 2, Weiland and ERIN saved one of their best passes of the season for last. While appearing destined for a second-place finish in the World Championships, ERIN made a move on the final lap that secured her third victory at Mugello and sixth on the year overall.
“A multi-car collision at the start shuffled the pack by knocking many cars out of contention, including those on the front rows such as poleman Ken Abe (Formula Racing),” Ferrari wrote in recapping the World Championship race. “Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) took advantage of this to jump into the lead, followed by James Weiland. The pair outpaced the group and started to pull away. The result appeared a foregone conclusion, but Weiland pulled out all the stops in the last lap. He passed Hanna and then repelled his attacks, to cross the line in first.”
EMS Race Team had already won at Bahrain, Le Mans and Nürburgring this season with the three victories at Mugello making a half-dozen P1 finishes in 2019. The relentless performance helped highlight the charities that EMS Race Team races to raise awareness for at the highest profile event on the Ferrari Challenge calendar. This was something that was especially rewarding for Weiland and his team while closing out the 2019 campaign on top.
“It was really special for us to be able to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope at the Ferrari Challenge World Finals in Italy with three victories,” Weiland added. “Everyone on the team contributed to our success out on the track. I couldn’t be more proud of the group from Ferrari of San Francisco, R3 Motorsports and Rossorcorsa. The whole team did everything they could all weekend long and that’s why we ended up on the top step in three-straight races.”
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, meanwhile, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
EMS Race Team entered the final weekend in Italy with seven podium finishes on the year—the same total they finished the season with in 2018. But they’d leave the Mugello Circuit with 10 podiums during a 2019 Ferrari Challenge circuit in which they raced in 10 different countries. For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge World Finals in Italy as well as throughout the many memorable stops during the 2019 circuit, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Sep 16, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team travels to Singapore this week for the Ferrari Challenge at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The event that takes place from September 20-22 will serve as a support race for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Driver James Weiland and his crew from Ferrari San Francisco / Boardwalk Ferrari last competed at the Brickyard in July following back-to-back wins in France and Germany. This trip to Singapore marks the ninth different country that EMS Race Team has competed in this season.
Weiland first raced the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore during the 2016 Ferrari Challenge. The team then returned to race the course again in 2018 making this their third trip to the country in Southeast Asia located just north of the equator. With 23 corners weaving into and out of three long straight-a-ways, the street circuit in Singapore will require extreme skill and attention to detail. The event also expects to be a spectacular celebration of racing with Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc and other F1 superstars competing on the same track throughout the weekend.
“Singapore will be another great opportunity for our team to compete in an exciting environment,” Weiland said. “With the Formula 1 going off during the weekend it will definitely be a lot of fun. But our goal will be the same as it always is—focus on the task at hand and put forth our best collective effort. We’ve raced Marina Bay in the past so there’s some familiarity with the track and hopefully we can lean on that experience to put together a solid couple of races.”
The festivities and crowd surrounding F1 weekend in Singapore will also provide a great opportunity to raise awareness for the three charities featured on EMS Race Team’s Ferrari 488 Challenge—PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope. The more success that EMS achieves on the track the more awareness the team will be able to create for those missions. It’s a stage that Weiland hopes they can take advantage of during the trip.
“We always like to get up onto the podium during weekends like this especially because it helps raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope,” Weiland added. “With the large F1 crowds in attendance, it’s a great way to help make an impression on fans and drivers who may be learning about each of those foundations for the first time.”
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, meanwhile, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge in Singapore throughout the trip, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jul 30, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The great Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton, once described his racing career by saying, “There have been some ups and some downs but that’s the way racing is supposed to be.” Following two-straight race weekends highlighted by back-to-back Ferrari Challenge victories, EMS Race Team was forced to come back down off the podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After wins at Le Mans in France and the Nürburgring in Germany, driver James Weiland and his team from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco finished outside of the top-three during their trip to the Brickyard. In two races at IMS, Weiland and PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge finished in 5th and 10th while continuing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope.
“PARIS had a good day on Saturday,” Weiland said. “She qualified 7th though only .4 off pole position. We picked up a position at the start and another a couple laps in and finished 5th. But we struggled on Sunday when we qualified 10th and finished the race in that position. That’s racing, though, sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. But I know our team will bounce back in Singapore.”
Even though EMS Race Team didn’t win, they still had the opportunity to spread the word about PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope to the racing fans who were at the Brickyard. The team will do the same when they compete at the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore next time out in September. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world. Products proudly displaying the bunny logo are cruelty-free, meaning that they were produced without testing on animals. Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation is driven by a mission 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, meanwhile, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
“It’s always special for us to be able to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope when we race at a venue for the first time,” Weiland added. “To be able to do that at a famous track like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is even more special. Next time, when we’re in Singapore, hopefully we’ll be able to get them up onto the podium.”
For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jul 24, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team has reached the top step of the podium during their last two Ferrari Challenge events. But after two-straight victories overseas—first at Le Mans in France and then the Nürburgring in Germany—driver James Weiland and his team from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco will now return home to the United States to race the Brickyard. From July 26-28, EMS will compete in the North American Ferrari Challenge races at the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the hopes of keeping their winning streak alive.
The iconic speedway in Indianapolis made its name for the 500-mile race that has taken place for over a century on Memorial Day weekend and as the host of the United States Grand Prix in the early 2000s. The Ferrari Challenge competitors will race the 2.439-mile Grand Prix road course that makes use of the fabled front straight and mixes in 13 turns within the infield space. Legendary drivers who have earned victories on the renown track throughout its rich history include Michael Schumacher, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, among others.
“We’re excited to be back home racing on American soil,” Weiland said of the upcoming weekend in Indianapolis. “We were able to have some success overseas in France and in Germany and hopefully that momentum will travel with us to the Brickyard. Regardless of the outcome, though, we expect this to be a fun and challenging course to drive and are hoping to put forth our best effort while we’re there.”
The upcoming Ferrari races in Indianapolis will mark the first time that EMS Race Team has competed at the Brickyard. Constructed in 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a permanent seating capacity of 257,325 which makes it the highest-capacity sports venue in the world. In addition to the Indianapolis 500, the speedway also hosts NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and Lilly Diabetes 250. From 2000 to 2007, the speedway hosted the Formula One United States Grand Prix and from 2008 to 2015 the Moto GP. When Weiland takes the track in Indy while driving PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in red, he will do so to raise awareness for the three foundations his team races to promote.
“This is a new track for us,” Weiland added. “So whenever we get the chance to race at a new venue our goal is to raise as much awareness as we can for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope. The best way we can do that is to get each of them back up onto the podium so that will be our goal this week.”
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, meanwhile, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge at the Brickyard throughout the week, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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