by Tara Pachmayer | Jun 12, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron once said, “Consistency is what counts. You have to do things over and over again.” Throughout the 2018 Ferrari Challenge, driver James Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari have made it count with consistency in their approach and execution over and over again. After earning a first-place finish at Spa in Belgium last time out, Weiland drove PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge to their sixth podium finish in a season that’s made stops in Florida, Texas, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium and now Montreal. They earned the third-place finish during a support race for the F1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve while raising awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope.
“PARIS did it again,” Weiland said following the race in Montreal. “Our Boardwalk Ferrari 488 Challenge snagged third overall at the start of the race and that’s where we finished. Big thanks to Dave Cameron and R3 Motorsports’ entire team for an excellent car. Nothing finer than being on the podium in Montreal during F1 weekend with family and friends here.”
EMS Race Team qualified 4th out of 35 drivers for Race 1 and that’s where they finished the first of two races in Montreal. During Race 1, PARIS had a couple looks at 3rd, but couldn’t quite get it done. As a result of finishing fourth, that’s where EMS started in Race 2. But this time, Weiland executed a pass early and held on to the third overall position in the Trofeo Pirelli pro class while securing his sixth podium finish of the season.
“F1 weekend is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope,” Weiland added. “With the thousands of race fans pouring in all weekend long, we really wanted to get each of those tremendous causes up onto the podium. Really proud of the team for working hard and working together to accomplish that goal.”
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, provides support, education, and hope for the grieving.
During the F1 race, Sebastian Vettel capped off the Ferrari Challenge celebration by capturing the Canadian Grand Prix victory 40 years after Gilles Villeneuve’s triumph for the Scuderia at the circuit which now bears his name. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas finished second, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the podium.
For more behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge in Montreal visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | May 31, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will arrive in Montreal, Quebec for the Ferrari Challenge on June 8-10 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve riding the momentum of a first-place finish at Spa in Belgium. The Ferrari Challenge drivers will compete in a support race for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, which will also be held in Montreal throughout weekend. Driver James Weiland and the Boardwalk Ferrari crew will be competing on the same track as F1 stars Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton and others. This marquee-racing event is expected to draw a capacity crowd of 100,000 fans throughout the weekend who are sure to make it a festive atmosphere for racing.
“Montreal will be another great test for our team this season,” Weiland said. “With the Formula 1 going off during the weekend, it will make for a tremendous environment. The competition among the Ferrari Challenge drivers will be stiff as usual too. But our goal will be the same as it always is—focus on the task at hand and put forth our very best effort as a team. If we accomplish those goals, it will be a successful trip for us.”
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve first hosted the Canadian Grand Prix in 1978. Past winners include Michael Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, Lewis Hamilton, as well as the iconic Aryton Senna. Hamilton is the betting favorite to capture this year’s victory, followed by Vettel and Valtteri Bottas. EMS Race Team competed at the legendary track in Montreal for the first time during the 2013 Ferrari Challenge. This year, Weiland and ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge will be looking to build on their season total of five podium finishes thus far.
“We always like to get up onto the podium during weekends like this especially because it helps raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation. With the large crowds in attendance, it’s a great way to help make an impression on fans and drivers for each of those missions. We were able to accomplish that goal during our last race in Belgium, and hopefully we can have a repeat performance in Canada.”
Those causes that EMS Race Team fly the banner for are very close to the team’s heart. 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 Montreal throughout the weekend, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | May 16, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Formula One racing champion Lewis Hamilton once said, “Racing is what I love, so it’s pretty simple. I want to keep doing it and keep winning.” During the Belgium Ferrari Challenge, EMS Race Team kept doing what they love while earning a win at the world famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. After receiving contact in Race 1 that ended their day early, EMS Race Team responded with a Race 2 victory after ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge and driver James Weiland earned pole position in the rain.
“We really won the race during the morning qualifying in the wet,” Weiland said. “Rain and fog came again in the afternoon while we were out on our formation laps on dry slick tires resulting in a safety car start and finish. Big thanks to Boardwalk Ferrari, Rossocorsa, Conrad Grunewald, Jim Malicki, Dave Cameron, Ray Banda and R3 Motorsports. ERIN’s speed in qualifying got us the win.”
ERIN started her weekend at Spa by qualifying third for Race 1—just over a tenth off pole. A not so great start to that race had EMS running 5th and trying hard to get their places back among a crowded track. On Lap 4, however, ERIN received contact and got pummeled in LaSource by the car behind her which broke the right rear suspension and ended her day prematurely. The Boardwalk Ferrari / Rossocorsa team worked diligently from there to get ERIN ready to run the following day. When ERIN returned to the track, Weiland capitalized by driving her to pole position in the rain. The team would ride that performance to the Race 2 victory.
“The team did a great job working through adversity and putting us in position for the Race 2 win,” Weiland said. “Our goal was to come to Belgium and do everything we could to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and the victory certainly helped us do that. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into our next race in Montreal.”
The victory gave EMS Race Team their 5th podium finish of the season, one that’s made stops in Florida, Texas, Australia, New Zealand and now Belgium. Along the way, they continue to race 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. 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 more behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge in Belgium visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | May 7, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Coming off their fourth podium finish of the 2018 season, EMS Race Team now travels to Belgium for the Ferrari Challenge at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on May 11-13. After competing in Florida, Texas, Australia, and most recently New Zealand, James Weiland and ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge will now race one of the most challenging and acclaimed circuits in the world at Spa. They enter riding the momentum of back-to-back second place finishes in the Trofeo Pirelli class during trips to Australia and New Zealand, respectively.
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the famous host of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, the Spa 24 Hours, World Endurance Championships, and many other high-profile racing events. The historic track held its first ever race in 1922 and was used for Grand Prix racing for the first time in 1925. Early on, it quickly developed a reputation for being the fastest track in Europe but also one of the most dangerous. Several renovations to the circuit dramatically improved its safety throughout its nearly 100 years of racing, while also maintaining its speed and features like the Eau Rogue valley and the Blanchimont high-speed turn that help embody its character.
“Our team is definitely looking forward to racing at Spa,” Weiland said. “It is one of the most exciting tracks in the world for a reason. It will be a challenging drive for us to be sure, but also a lot of fun. We’re just trying to make sure we’re as prepared as possible as a team for race weekend and remain focused on doing the best we can collectively once we get there. The Ferrari Challenge competition in Europe is always stiff so we know we’ll have to be at the top of our game in order to experience the same success we’ve had over the last couple race weekends.”
While racing for the first time in Belgium, EMS will be competing 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. 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.
“We are looking forward to spreading the word about the great work that PETA Cruetly Free, Cornerstone of Hope, and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation are doing for our community while we’re racing in Belgium,” Weiland added. “It’s amazing the impact each foundation is having on our communities, and we’re hoping to make them proud of our effort out on the track. We’re also hoping to make racing fans and drivers in Belgium who might not have heard about their work before aware of each foundation and inspire them to get involved.”
For behind-the-scenes coverage throughout race weekend in Belgium visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 17, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The race around the world continued for EMS Race Team at the New Zealand Ferrari Challenge. Over the last 12 months, EMS Race Team has competed in eight different countries. On April 12-15, driver James Weiland and the Boardwalk Ferrari crew added New Zealand to a list that already included the United States, Canada, Hungary, France, England, Italy and Australia. Racing at the Hampton Downs in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, Weiland would guide ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge to EMS Race Team’s fourth podium of the 2018 season with a second-place overall finish in Race 1.
“You have to credit some amazing late-night engineering from Travis Low and tuning from David Cameron of the Boardwalk Ferrari team to get ERIN prepared her performance in Race 1,” Weiland said. “It really was a great job by the whole team to earn a podium while competing against such a talented group of drivers here in New Zealand.”
After earning that second-place overall finish in the Trofeo Pirelli class in Race 1, Weiland and ERIN followed that up with a top-five overall performance in Race 2 to close out the weekend. EMS qualified third for Race 1 and fourth for Race 2 before finishing P2 and P5, respectively. This came during a wet weekend in Auckland that saw both races go off on the same day with only a short break in between.
“Overall, it was a very enjoyable trip to New Zealand,” Weiland added. “Got some hardware in Race 1 and Auckland was very nice. My six-year-old son, Max, gave me a teddy bear so I would not get lonely on the trip and Duffy went everywhere with us. Really good guys and good racing here in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific. Thanks to Tony from Continental Cars – Ferrari and the Boardwalk Ferrari team, David Cameron, Travis Low and Conrad Grunewald. Our goal was to get PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope onto the podium and we’re proud to have been able to accomplish that.”
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. Guided by Christian values of compassion and service, they welcome and serve all seeking support. EMS Race Team has proudly raced to raise awareness for each cause as they’ve crisscrossed the globe over the past year.
For behind-the-scenes coverage throughout race weekend in New Zealand visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also find more pictures of EMS Race Team’s new mascot, Duffy, along with shots of ERIN during her trip to Hampton Downs.
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 10, 2018 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Riding the momentum of a second-place overall finish in the Trofeo Pirelli pro class during F1 weekend in Australia last month, EMS Race Team is now preparing to compete in New Zealand for the next round of the Ferrari Challenge on April 12-15. This trip marks the first time that driver James Weiland and ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge will ever race in New Zealand. Hampton Downs Motorsport Park will be hosting the action during a weekend that expects to be jam-packed with racing excitement out on the track.
“We’re certainly looking forward to racing in New Zealand as well as experiencing the culture,” Weiland said. “Hampton Downs is going to be a challenging track and hopefully we can get used to it pretty quickly during the practice rounds. Our goal will be what it always is, to stay focused as a team on improving collectively and performing our best throughout the weekend. If we’re able to accomplish that, we will put ourselves in position to compete for a spot on the podium.”
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park is located in northern Waikato, New Zealand near Auckland and Hamilton. As New Zealand’s most modern motorsport complex, it boasts three different track configurations along with two skidpad areas, one for driver training, the other for drifting as well as an SUV course and go-kart track. On October 18, 2009, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park was open for business and the first competition was held in January 2010. Today, after significant enhancements ever since, Hampton Downs is considered one of the most technically advanced race circuits in the world.
“PETA’s cruelty free bunnies gave us an extra boost in Australia and we’re hoping the same thing happens again here in New Zealand,” Weiland added. “We’re dedicating the race weekend to PETA cruelty free and everything they do for animals, so hopefully we can help raise some awareness with a solid effort. We’re also excited to be raising awareness for Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope while we’re in New Zealand as well. Like we do every race weekend, we encourage you to visit each website and learn everything you can about what each group is doing for our community.”
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. Guided by Christian values of compassion and service, they welcome and serve all seeking support.
For behind-the-scenes coverage throughout race weekend in New Zealand visit EMS Race Team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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