by creative | Dec 9, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The pageantry, extravagance and overall brilliance of the Ferrari World Finals were on full display at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida on December 1-4, and the 2016 Finali Mondiali proved to be nothing short of spectacular. But when it came time to go racing with Ferrari Challenge competitors from all over the world, driver James Weiland and EMS Race Team were all business.
Throughout the three-day event, the Boardwalk Ferrari crew demonstrated the same heart and attention to detail they had all season long to put EMS in a position to succeed. Entering the weekend trailing by only three points in the North American Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli AM points standings, one mistake could cost EMS Race Team the season championship. Everyone in the garage understood the stakes, and everyone delivered.
“With 40 cars in a race start, our strategy was really to make it through Turn 1 unscathed—which Jim did a great job of today,” Coach Conrad Grunewald said, following a fourth-place finish for Weiland in Race 2 that secured the Trofeo Pirelli AM class season title by one point.
“After that, it’s see where he is, as far as Steve Johnson, who is our main competitor for the season championship. Then base our strategy off that. With Steve in front of (Weiland) in P3, there was no need to risk any overdriving or making a mistake. And it left us with a one-point lead for the championship. Couldn’t be more proud of Jim, he did a great job this season.”
Coach Grunewald was speaking from Victory Lane at DIS after a technically sound performance on Saturday from Weiland. Understanding how many points were needed during the final race of the 2016 season to win the championship, EMS Race Team drove free of mistakes. This followed a Race 1 effort that ended with Weiland and his reserve driver who helped prepare for each race on the first-place podium, earning enough points on Friday to move into the top spot overall.
Reserve Driver Max Weiland reviewing race strategy with Coach Conrad Grunewald
“As you can see it just brings a big smile to my face,” Boardwalk Ferrari Team Partner Rudy Courtade said in response to Boardwalk Ferrari and Ferrari of San Francisco teammates James Weiland (P1 Trofeo Pirelli AM), Matt Keegan (P1 Coppa Shell) and J.C. Saada (P2 Coppa Shell) all finishing in the top two spots in class during Race 1. “It’s incredible how these guys can just pull off a 1-1-2 finish, with Jim, Matt and JC here at the Daytona World Finals. Everybody is super excited and we’re stoked going into the second race.”
While some outside the Boardwalk Ferrari and Ferrari of San Francisco garages may have been surprised that Weiland moved from second to first overall on the final Ferrari Challenge weekend of the year, one racing analyst was not.
“I think Paris is going to bring home the W,” Beckham Harkins, a racing analyst and son of former NHL player Brett Harkins who has appeared on ESPN, Fox, and other sports media outlets said before Race 1 began. “Go fast. I think she’s going to bring another championship back to Cleveland.”
The ems+ Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO trimmed in blue did bring that championship back to Cleveland as Harkins predicted. But the victory would never be won without the group of mechanics who kept Paris in racing order on a challenging track at Daytona.
“Car and the driver are both really, really fast,” head mechanic Dave Cameron said prior to qualifying on Friday morning. “We have a solid piece of equipment, just did a solid inspection. Ready to bring our A-game at the World Finals.”
With Erin, the ems+ Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO trimmed in red, initially slotted to run in the Finals, her sister, Paris, was forced to step in. The blue ems+ car qualified second in class for Race 1 before securing the hard-fought victory on opening night. The win, coupled with a best lap point, allowed Weiland to be leading the Trofeo Pirelli AM class by three heading into Race 2. The Bass Pro Shops car, driven by Steve Johnson, entered the final race in second position before finishing the season on the podium, earning 12 points with a third. But the ems+ car finished fourth and earned 10—which was just enough for the one-point season advantage.
“I’m really proud to be part of this Boardwalk Ferrari team,” Weiland said following the racing action at the Finali Mondiali. “But that’s nothing new. I love how hard they work, love their passion for what they do, and it’s showed in our results all season long. Huge thanks to Ken Ambrose, Nathan Dunning, Emmanuel Turin, Ryan Negri, Rudy Cortade, Dave Cameron, Daryl Cameron, Donald Cameron, Andrew Prendeville and my coach, Conrad Grunewald. To share this championship with those guys, it really makes it special. We all got together to raise as much awareness for PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope Foundation as we could when the season began, and that’s what we did.”
Following the first-place finish Friday, and fourth on Saturday, EMS Race Team was back at it again on Sunday to compete for the World Finals. This race would be the first time that the Asian Pacific Series, European Series, and North American Series directly competed against each other, despite sharing a track throughout the weekend. EMS would receive rear contact on Sunday, however, and end the afternoon early. But they wouldn’t leave Daytona without the North American Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli AM championship trophy that the reserve driver required when the season began.
For more behind-the-scenes coverage of the Finali Mondiali weekend at Daytona International Speedway visit @emsRaceTeam on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo.
Written by Brendan Bowers
by creative | Nov 29, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari World Finals will be held on December 1-4 at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. The Ferrari extravaganza begins on Friday night with racing under the lights, and continues throughout Saturday and Sunday. During the first two days of action, Ferrari Challenge drivers from all over the world will compete for season championships in the North American, European, and Asian Pacific series. With more than 40 cars on the track for each race, the competition expects to be crowded and stiff. But EMS Race Team driver, James Weiland, and his crew from Boardwalk Ferrari are looking forward to the opportunity.
“It’s exciting to be hosting the Ferrari World Finals, in a sense, at a North American series location,” Weiland said of the upcoming races in Daytona, Florida. “We’ve traveled to compete in the Ferrari World Finals in places like Abu Dhabi and Italy in the past, and it was amazing. So I think it will be a very fun and entertaining weekend, and a great experience for everyone at Daytona International Speedway. Our team is certainly looking forward to the challenge.”
By Saturday night, a season champion will be crowned for each class and series. EMS Race Team is currently in second place, but has an opportunity to close out the season in first with some solid racing and a little bit of luck. On Sunday, the chance to compete for a world championship during a third race at Daytona will conclude a star-studded weekend of Ferrari racing for EMS and all those in attendance.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will also be driving their Ferrari F1 cars at Daytona during an on-track exhibition for the fans. Meanwhile, former NASCAR champion, Rusty Wallace, will be competing in the Ferrari races at DIS per the following release.
From Daytona International Speedway:
“NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace is going to return to the driver’s seat for the upcoming Ferrari Finali Mondiali on Dec. 1-4 at Daytona International Speedway. The 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will battle the twists and turns of the “World Center of Racing’s” 3.56-mile road course for the Risi Competizione/Ferrari of Houston team in the North America series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. Wallace will practice on Thursday, Dec. 1 followed by qualifying and racing on Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3.
“I hope that I can run strong in it and hopefully win but I’m realistic too,” Wallace said. “I haven’t been in a car in a long time. I’m going to have to knock a lot cobwebs off but I got the passion for it.”’
Wallace’s passion as a driver led to 55 victories and 36 poles during his NASCAR career. He along with Vettel and Raikkonen will infuse an already exciting event with even more energy, during a highly-anticipated weekend of racing.
“The Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Daytona will have a lot of eyes on it this year to be sure,” Weiland added, with respect to the celebrity drivers appearing as well as the Ferrari drivers from many different countries around the globe. “So, hopefully we can represent PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope as well as we can, and get onto the podium a couple times. If we happen to win a season championship along the way, that’s great too.”
For more behind the scenes race coverage throughout the weekend follow @emsRaceTeam on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates. Also check out the Vimeo page as well for on-track footage following the race.
by creative | Nov 10, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Champion driver Jeff Gordon once said, “When you’re in a race car, you’re going through so many different emotions throughout that race.” For EMS Race Team, while competing in the last regular-season event on the 2016 Ferrari Challenge North American schedule, there were many reasons for emotions to become a distraction at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. A solid showing there would create an opportunity to secure first place overall in the season points standings at the Finali Mondali next month. Meanwhile, a disappointing effort could make that next to impossible. But driver James Weiland and his crew from Boardwalk Ferrari refused to be overcome by those emotions.
While driving Paris, the ems+ Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO trimmed in blue, Weiland got out to a great start in Race 1 on Saturday. Despite some pressure by a collection of talented drivers in the Trofeo Pirelli AM class, he was able to earn a podium finish good enough for second in class and fifth overall. After following that up by earning pole position for Race 2 on Sunday, Weiland and Paris would stand on the podium again after completing another second place finish. The points EMS earned along the way would be enough to remain within striking distance for the overall title which will be decided at the Daytona International Speedway in December.
“We are excited to be in a position to compete for the Trofeo Pirelli AM title next month to be sure,” Weiland said following the race. “But that wasn’t anything we were thinking about heading into the races at Homestead. We knew coming in that if we were going to accomplish our goals as a team, we needed to take this one race at a time. We competed against some great drivers here, and we knew we would need our best effort to get onto the podium. We didn’t win, but we got up there twice and gave ourselves a chance to accomplish something special next month.”
EMS Race Team is now three points off the overall lead behind friend and rival, Steve Johnson (Ferrari Fort Lauderdale). In Race 1 and Race 2 at Daytona International Speedway on December 2-3, a win is worth 20 points for each of the two races. A second place finish is worth 15 in each race, third is 12, fourth is 10, and so on from there. On December 4 at the World Finals, EMS and the Boardwalk Ferrari crew will then compete against the other Ferrari drivers from around the world in addition to the North American series drivers.
“We haven’t spent much time talking about points or standings this season, and we’re certainly not going to start now,” Weiland added. “It may sound cliché, but it really is all about one race at a time for our team, and continuing to find ways to improve. That’s what we’ll do when we come back to Florida next month and we’ll have a great time doing it. But what we’re most excited about is continuing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope just like we did in Miami. That’s the biggest honor for us each time we compete, and we hope to close the season strong by raising even more awareness for the great work that each of those teams do for our community.”
For more behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge at Homestead-Miami Speedway visit @emsRaceTeam on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo.
by Tara Pachmayer | Nov 3, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
With only one competition to follow on the North American Ferrari Challenge circuit, EMS Race Team travels to Homestead, Florida this weekend for a critical test. Heading into the races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, driver James Weiland and EMS are currently tied for the season lead in the overall Ferrari Challenge North American points standings. A solid showing on November 4-6 will inevitably put Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari in an advantageous position as the Finali Mondali at Daytona International Speedway in December approaches. But even with all that on the line, Weiland isn’t looking back, or forward, and remains focused on the task at hand.
“We all just watched one of the greatest World Series matchups in the history of baseball,” Weiland, a native Clevelander and Indians fan said. “What is so great about what we just witnessed between the Cubs and Indians—whether your team won or not—is that it reminds us all of the importance of staying focused and living in the moment. For the players and managers in this World Series, it wasn’t about what they had accomplished throughout the season, or even throughout their careers. It was always about the next pitch, the next swing. It’s a lesson that all of us as fans can learn from. Focus on what is in front of you, live in the moment, and put forth your very best effort at whatever it is you are doing right now. We always try our best to have that same approach, and hopefully we’ll be able to bring that to the track this weekend.”
The Homestead-Miami Speedway opened in November of 1995 with a NASCAR Busch Series race. Throughout its history, the Homestead track has hosted many high-profile racing events including NASCAR, the Verizon IndyCar Series, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, and the Championship Cup Series. Since 2002, the Miami track has also hosted the final race of the season in all three of NASCAR’s series (Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series). Accomplished drivers like Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart are among the many legendary NASCAR drivers to have earned multiple victories at Homestead over the last 20 years.
“Our team loves to compete and we’re excited to get back on the track here at home in the States,” Weiland added, coming off a podium finish in Fuji, Japan last month. “We’re also looking to help spread the word for the great work that our friends at PETA Cruelty Free and Cornerstone of Hope do for our community by championing those two causes again his weekend. We’re not thinking about anything else other than that. Just getting out there and executing as best as we can for our team and our partners, and accepting whatever results come our way.”
For more behind the scenes coverage of race weekend at Homestead, follow @emsRaceTeam on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo.
by Tara Pachmayer | Oct 21, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
It’s never easy traveling halfway around the world and doing anything, let alone driving at high rates of speed upon arrival in the Asian Pacific Ferrari Challenge. This most recent trip to the Fuji Speedway in Japan marked the third time that driver James Weiland and EMS Race Team competed in Asia this season. Previous stops included the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, and then the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. Each race weekend presented its own set of unique challenges, and Fuji would be no different.
“It’s always a real test for our team to travel here to Japan and compete at a high level,” Weiland said. “The majority of that test is in the extremely talented and aggressive drivers who compete here. We know when we compete on the Asian Pacific Series that nothing will be handed to us out on the track—nor should it be. We come prepared to earn everything we get, and raise awareness around the globe for the amazing work that PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope do for our communities.”
EMS caught the attention of the overseas crowd early with some exciting racing in the opening competition on Saturday. During Race 1, after a disappointing qualifying session, EMS grabbed two positions at the start and held that spot all the way through the checkered flag with disciplined driving on a challenging course. The finish would be good for third in the Trofeo Pirelli AM class. It would also add another piece of hardware that the EMS reserve driver insists Weiland bring home from each race. Race 2 wouldn’t be as kind, however, as the EMS+ Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO, Erin, would receive broadside contact that ended her afternoon early.
“Erin was really moving for me this weekend,” Weiland added, of the Ferrari Challenge car that is well maintained and prepared by the Boardwalk Ferrari team. “She jumped out early in Race 1 and gained a couple spots at the start of the race, and was doing her best to make her way through some congested traffic spots today. I was pleased with the way she ran and all credit goes to the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari for being as diligent and prepared as they always are. Same can be said for my coach Conrad Grunewald.”
EMS Race Team returns to action for the Ferrari Challenge Race in Homestead, Florida next month. Weiland will arrive with a share of first place overall in the Trofeo Pirelli AM class—a position he earned last time out in Lime Rock. The North American Ferrari Challenge standings remain unaffected by the podium finish in Fuji due to that being an Asian Pacific series event. For more pictures and behind the scenes coverage of EMS Race Team’s trip to Fuji, Japan follow @emsRaceTeam on Facebook, Twitter Vimeo and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Oct 13, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team returns to Japan this week to compete in the Ferrari Challenge at Fuji Speedway on October 14-16. The last time driver James Weiland and his crew from Boardwalk Ferrari performed on a Japanese stage they closed the curtain on a race weekend that resulted in two first-place finishes. During that March trip overseas, Weiland tested his skills against some of the best drivers in the world at the Suzuka Circuit. This time, he’ll be racing at the only other Japanese track to host a Formula One event in the world-famous Speedway at Fuji.
“We’re excited to get back to Japan,” Weiland said. “It seems like only yesterday we were there racing at Suzuka, but that was actually over seven months ago. Time flies. But even though we were locked in last time, we know this is an entirely different challenge. Fuji has one of the largest straights in racing to go along with a series of hairpin turns, so it’s going to be a fast track and we will have our hands full. Hopefully, we can put forth our best effort all weekend long and rise to the occasion as a team against a very talented field of drivers.”
Fuji Speedway was built in the early 1960s and rests in the foothills of Mount Fuji. They’ve hosted many significant races throughout the years, including the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix. One of the most memorable races came in 1976, when James Hunt and Niki Lauda—featured in the movie Rush—battled through rainy conditions to decide the F1 season standings on the track at Fuji. Hunt earned enough points to win the title after Lauda withdrew due to dangerous conditions. Meanwhile, a young Mario Andretti won the race while beginning his eventually ascension to the top of the Formula One world. Other notable F1 winners at Fuji also include Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton.
“It’s an historic track without question,” Weiland added of Fuji. “We’re especially excited with the opportunity we have to wave the flags for Cornerstone of Hope and PETA Cruelty Free while we’re racing there. The Asian Pacific Series does a tremendous job, and it will be a vibrant scene on Saturday and Sunday that we’re looking forward to taking part in. Hopefully we can put our best foot forward and raise awareness for both missions with a podium finish.”
Weiland is currently tied for first place in the North American Ferrari Challenge season standings. Points earned in Fuji will not directly relate to those North American totals. However, this will be a great test in preparation for races at Homestead and Daytona which follow the event in Fuji. For more behind the scenes coverage throughout race weekend in Japan, visit @emsRaceTeam on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo.
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