by Brendan Bowers | May 18, 2021 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will be competing at Watkins Glen International in New York during the Ferrari Challenge North American event on May 21-23. After racing out to an overall series lead in Ferrari Challenge Europe through the first two rounds of this year, driver James Weiland and his team from Ferrari of San Francisco will look to secure their first podium of 2021 in the United States. Through four races in Monza, Italy and Spielberg, Austria, Weiland and ERIN the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo have already totaled four podiums and will be looking for more this weekend.
Road racing first came to Watkins Glen in 1948 by way of Cameron Argetsinger, a law student at Cornell University whose family had ties to the area since the early 1800’s. On October 2nd, 1948, Argetsinger organized the circuit’s first Grand Prix event and they’ve been racing at the “The Glen” ever since. In addition to hosting several high profile races along with the Ferrari Challenge, the circuit has also been named “America’s Best NASCAR Track” on four occasions by readers of USA Today.
“We’re excited to go racing at Watkins Glen this weekend,” Weiland said. “While we’ve been primarily competing in Europe these last few years, it will be nice to get back out and compete in the North American series and we’re hoping to do the best we can as a team while we’re there.”
EMS Race Team will be competing once again to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Scholars and Cornerstone of Hope. 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 Scholars’ 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. Each mission will be featured on EMS Race Team’s car throughout the trip to New York state.
“We’re proud of what PETA, Cornerstone and Coach Sam’s have continued to accomplish and hope that we’re able to do whatever we can to help spread the word on their efforts during the event at Watkins Glen.”
Directly after the races in New York, Weiland and company will have a quick turnaround before jumping back into the European Ferrari Challenge with Round 3 in the Czech Republic scheduled for May 29. For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Ferrari Races all season long, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | May 4, 2021 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team earned a pair of podium finishes during an exciting weekend of racing at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. In doing so, the team was able to extend their points lead in the 2021 European Ferrari Challenge season series with Round 3 in the Czech Republic scheduled for later this month. Driver James Weiland and his team from Rossocorsa, R3 Motorsports and Ferrari of San Francisco earned a P3 finish on Saturday before offering a spirited comeback on Sunday to close out the weekend with another podium.
During Race 1, EMS qualified 3rd and that is where they finished—but Race 2 was much more eventful. On Sunday, ERIN the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo was unceremoniously punted into the grass exiting Turn 1 at the start of the race. She was forced to rejoin in 17th place after receiving contact during the incident but then went work. ERIN would surgically dispatch one car after another from there to finish 4th overall and 3rd in class in only about 10 green flags laps. Along the way, she also laid down the fastest time in all three sectors and the fastest lap to conclude a memorable trip to the Austrian Alps.
“It was a great team effort for us and also a tremendous event overall in Austria,” Weiland said. “Special thanks to Dave Cameron and Ray Banda of R3 Motorsports for an impeccably prepared car as always, Engineer Gianluca Curti of Italy who was covering for Travis Low, and Coach Jon Lancaster filling in for Conrad Grunewald. We’re excited to build on this and get back on the track later this month.”
After Round 1 at Monza, EMS held a four-point lead over the next closest competitor. While adding two more podiums and the fastest lap at Spielberg, that lead was extended to 11. Weiland currently has 50 points overall while Christian Kinch has 39 and Ernst Kirchmayr has totaled 38 thus far. The next race for EMS Race Team will be a Ferrari Challenge North American event at Watkins Glen on May 22-23 followed by Round 3 of the European series at Brno in the Czech Republic on May 29-30. During each and every event this season, Weiland and company will continue to race to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Scholars 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 Scholars’ 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 from the Ferrari Challenge in Austria follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 28, 2021 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will be competing at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria during Round 2 of the Ferrari Challenge Europe on May 1-2. After pairing a victory at Monza with a P2 finish during Round 1 in Italy, EMS enters Austria as the points leader in class for the European series. Driver James Weiland and his team from Rossocorsa, R3 Motorsports and Ferrari of San Francisco will look for another positive result at Red Bull Ring while racing to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope.
The world-famous Red Bull Ring has hosted the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix for various stretches of time dating back to when it was first opened in 1970 under a different name along with several other high-profile races. The track has undergone a series of renovations since, along with multiple name changes before eventually being purchased by Red Bull. In July of 2013, the F1 Austrian Grand Prix returned to Spielberg after a hiatus and the marquee race has been hosted on the historic track ever since.
“Like we did in Italy, we feel grateful to be able to race and compete again as a team this weekend in Austria,” Weiland said. “We’re also looking forward to measuring ourselves at a great track like Red Bull Ring while competing against a talented field of drivers and giving it our best shot out there.”
EMS Race Team helped get the three charities they race to raise awareness for onto the podium last time out and look to do so again this weekend. 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. Each mission will be featured on EMS Race Team’s car throughout the trip to Spielberg.
“Over the last year especially, organizations like PETA, Coach Sam’s and Cornerstone have worked through several challenges to continue helping to support our communities,” Weiland added. “Our goal is to help shine any light we can on that by putting forth our best effort on the track in Austria.”
For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Ferrari Races in Red Bull Ring, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram .
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 13, 2021 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team arrived in Italy for the 2021 Ferrari Challenge at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza with a sense of purpose. Despite six months separating the team from their last race, ERIN the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo found a way to secure a P1 finish during an exciting race to open the weekend. After qualifying P4 for Race 1, the Electronic Merchant Systems car would navigate her way through the Temple of Speed for the victory. The win marked the 21st career Ferrari Challenge P1 finish for EMS Race Team.
“ERIN does it again,” Weiland said after the race. “We started 4th, picked up a spot at the start and then snagged 1st out of the second corner. Fell back to 3rd briefly, but we managed to pass for 2nd position, and then 1st, and won the race here at historic Monza by 1.6 seconds. Really special thanks to Rossocorsa, R3 Motorsports, Ferrari of San Francisco, Coach Conrad Grunewald, David Cameron and Ray Banda. Great team effort.”
The good times continued to roll for Weiland and company on Sunday despite challenging conditions in the wet. ERIN responded from early adversity to race her way back onto the podium during the second Ferrari Challenge event of the weekend. This time, the result was a P2 finish in the rain at Monza.
“We started P2 after a wet qualifying session,” Weiland said of Race 2. “We had a good run on the pole position car at the start but decided it wasn’t there, and broke early to tuck in. Only thing was, we broke early but too lightly and as we approached Turn 1 we had too much speed and had to take the run off. Bad job by the driver. But we rejoined in 5th, and had a really fun race from there.”
ERIN picked off three cars and was chasing down the race leader on Sunday when the safety car appeared with two laps remaining. That incident denied EMS the opportunity to fight for first. Nevertheless, an exciting way to get back into the racing circuit with a P1 and P2 at Monza. The team dedicated the weekend’s efforts to their friends at PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Scholars 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 Scholars’ 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 from the Ferrari Challenge in Italy, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 1, 2021 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will return to the track for the first time since September of 2020 when they arrive in Italy later this month. From April 10-11, driver James Weiland and his crew from Ferrari of San Francisco, R3 Motorsports and Rossocorsa will compete at the Autodromo Monza (aka the Temple of Speed). The green flag comes six months after EMS last competed in a Ferrari Challenge event.
“We’re excited and grateful to be back on the track doing what we love to do,” Weiland said of the upcoming trip to Italy. “It’s a credit to everyone who helped put this race weekend together. We’ll do our best to take advantage of the opportunity.”
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is located north of Milan, Italy near the city of Monza. The historic track was first opened for competitive racing in 1922. Since then, it has gone on to host the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix every year. One of the many features of the track that must be handled with care is the Curva Grande. This high-speed curve is located after the Variante del Rettifilo which is positioned at the end of the front straight—the part of the course that sees the highest speed.
“We will be racing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Scholars and Cornerstone of Hope during the trip to Monza and throughout this season,” Weiland added. “Anything anyone can do to support their efforts and others like them doing great work in our communities is always welcomed.”
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 Scholars’ 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.
Last season, at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Weiland and ERIN the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo secured a pole position during the Ferrari Races in July and went on to earn P1 in Spain. Later, at Spa in Belgium, EMS also earned a pair of podium finishes. But ERIN was obviously only able to race twice in 2020, leading to much anticipation for all involved in the upcoming trip to Monza.
In 2019, EMS Race Team earned victories in Bahrain, France, Germany and Italy. The team earned 10 podium finishes throughout the year overall, after reaching the podium seven times in 2018. One of those trips to the podium in ’18 for Weiland included a P2 finish at Monza. The following year at the Ferrari World Finals in Mugello, EMS Race Team earned the title of Ferrari Challenge World Champion.
For behind the scenes coverage from the Ferrari Challenge in Italy, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram.
by Brendan Bowers | Dec 10, 2020 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team competes in the Ferrari Challenge to help raise awareness for Coach Sam’s Scholars. ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo approaches the starting line of every race with the Coach Sam’s logo proudly displayed on the hood of her car. The mission for the Coach Sam’s team is to provide educational support to at-risk children in Cleveland, OH through a combination of literacy, personal development and fitness programs. It’s a mission that EMS is proud to represent all over the world.
Coach Sam’s Scholars developed a winning playbook that has helped students succeed in the classroom and in life for over a decade. For years, passionate Coach Sam’s tutors have entered elementary schools throughout Cleveland and spent countless hours working directly with students after school. But when Coach Sam’s approached the starting line of the pandemic back in March, they quickly realized they’d need to run their race toward a better tomorrow in an entirely different way.
“We were an after-school program with no school now to come after,” Ori Akrish, Executive Director of Coach Sam’s Scholars recalled. “So we had to completely reinvent the wheel.”
The way that Coach Sam’s Scholars continued to support at-risk children and their families during a pandemic that forced the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to go completely remote has been nothing short of remarkable. With every reason to pause an in-person program until schools opened back up, Coach Sam’s made the inspiring decision to reach even more families. To accomplish this goal, they quickly executed three new initiatives all at the same time that have served as a saving grace for students and families throughout the year.
“When schools first closed there was a lot of uncertainty,” Akrish added. “One week in, the district announced they were going to close for a short time to conduct a deep cleaning. But we realized very quickly that this wasn’t going to go away, and were able to pivot.
“What we did was develop a three-pronged approach that includes virtual lessons, learning pods and drop-in centers to support families throughout the city.”
To launch their virtual learning efforts, Coach Sam’s Scholars forged a relationship with the Cleveland Public Library. What resulted from that venture was the Coach Sam’s curriculum actually becoming a part of the school day for students at Andrew J. Rickoff Elementary. Everyday at 2pm during the pandemic, Coach Sam’s instructors have been teaching literacy lessons through virtual platforms to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders during a time period that may not have otherwise been filled.
The second play that Coach Sam’s called came after recognizing that Cleveland students had a much bigger need than some of the children from other districts outside the city. Specifically, CMSD students did not always have access to technology, a stable internet, or a place for their daily virtual lessons. In response, Coach Sam’s Scholars stepped on the gas and created a partnership with the Rainey Institute and the Salvation Army to open free virtual learning pods for anyone in the district who signed up. Each pod now consists of up to nine students at a time and strictly follows CDC guidelines while working to provide additional support for virtual classroom lessons along with free lunches all week long. If not–with most parents in Cleveland being deemed essential workers–these students would otherwise be at home, alone, without the infrastructure required to even begin to learn.
The third strategy that Coach Sam’s simultaneously developed during the pandemic was an effort to support not just their students but also their students’ families. With many adults throughout Cleveland struggling with literacy themselves, it’s been difficult for some parents to help with their children’s schoolwork. Instead of swerving out of the way, Coach Sam’s Scholars drove straight toward this issue by helping to open drop-in learning centers for students and their families at multiple locations. These drop-in centers in Cleveland are currently staffed by Coach Sam’s instructors who work with both parents and students on their school work.
“With everything we’re doing, we’ve had much higher expenses with more staff in more places than years past,” Akrish said. “But it’s worth it. We continue to be motivated and inspired to do even more in the coming year.”
During this holiday season, consider making a donation to support Coach Sam’s Scholars in the name of a friend or family member. All contributions will help fuel these ongoing efforts to help students throughout Cleveland who might otherwise be left behind.
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