by Tara Pachmayer | Jun 18, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team turned in their best performance of the year at the Le Mans Ferrari Challenge in France. During what is considered the most important event of the season outside of the Finali Mondiali, driver James Weiland and his team from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco collected a clean sweep. While racing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope, Weiland and ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge earned pole position, a first-place finish and the fastest lap while competing in a support race for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“James Weiland took the top step of the podium in the second most important event of the season after the Finali Mondiali,” Ferrari.com wrote in their race recap. “The American of Rossocorsa finished ahead of a brilliant Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) and the Austrian Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport), in a race where Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) and Thomas Tippl (Rossocorsa – Pellin Racing) were both competitive.”
The win was a total team effort from start to finish and Weiland was extremely grateful to everyone who contributed to the victory.
“There are so many people to thank and so much to say,” Weiland said following the race. “But for now, we are pleased to report that ERIN did what she does and we took home the victory. A clean start and initial lap was key as we avoided some carnage and then ERIN stretched our advantage to 18 seconds at the checkered flag. Pole, win, fast lap. Just a fantastic experience racing here and then to get this result definitely over the top.”
After earning pole position, Weiland was asked by reporters during a pre-race press conference what his strategy would be when he hit the track. After laughing and joking that he wished he had a strategy, the EMS Race Team driver offered the following.
“Just to get a good start,” Weiland said of his goals heading into the Le Mans Ferrari Challenge. “By a good start, I just mean keep it clean. Run some good laps, enjoy the weekend and hopefully finish where I start.”
Weiland was able to accomplish each of those goals. In doing so, he helped get the three charities he races to raise awareness for onto the podium in France in front of thousands of racing fans. That includes People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which 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. It also includes Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation who 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. Along with Cornerstone of Hope, who is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
“It was great for us to be able to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope with a win at Le Mans,” Weiland added. “Each time we take the track we’re just trying to make those tremendous groups of people proud in honor of everything they do for our communities. Hopefully we were able to do that during our trip to France.”
For more behind-the-scenes racing coverage, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jun 11, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team made their sixth stop along the 2019 Ferrari Challenge circuit a memorable one. Competing at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Canada during F1 weekend, driver James Weiland and his crew from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco earned their fifth podium finish of the season in front of a capacity crowd in Montreal. While racing PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in red, Weiland shook off contact twice on the first lap to move up a spot and finish P2 overall out of 30 drivers.
PARIS qualified in third position for Race 1 on Saturday before going on to secure the second step on the podium. She’d follow that up with a P4 finish in Race 2 on Sunday. The Ferrari Challenge in Canada served as a support race for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the F1 race while Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three.
“It’s always nice to be on the F1 podium here at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in front of a 100,000 people,” Weiland said after the race. “Our team races to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope so it’s always a great opportunity to have some success during events like this.”
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 will continue to help raise awareness for those causes later this week as they now travel to Le Mans in France for the Ferrari Challenge on June 13-16. EMS has competed in France before but never raced the famous Le Mans track. In 2017, they competed at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Le Mans, meanwhile, is located in Sarthe, France and is one of the most prominent venues in the world. During Ferrari Challenge weekend it will also be hosting the 24 Hours of Le Mans on a track where up to 85% of the lap time is spent on full throttle.
“We certainly enjoyed a great team effort in Montreal but now it’s off to Le Mans,” Weiland said. “It was hard, fun racing in Canada and we expect the same later this week. We have an opportunity to compete on a fabled circuit in France prior to the start of the 24 and we hope to take advantage of that opportunity with another solid team effort.”
After racing PARIS in Montreal, Weiland will be moving over to ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in purple for Le Mans. The Ferrari Challenge race is scheduled to go off at 10:15am local time on Saturday followed by the 24 Hours of Le Mans starting at 3pm local time later that afternoon. It is one of the most highly anticipated racing weekends of the year and it’s exciting to see that EMS Race Team will be a part of the festivities.
For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge in France throughout the weekend at Le Mans, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jun 4, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
Following stops in Bahrain, Texas, Australia, Malaysia and most recently Austria, EMS Race Team will now travel to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Canada for the Ferrari Challenge races during F1 weekend. Driver James Weiland and his crew from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco have competed several times at the famous track in Montreal, earning a podium finish there as recently as last year. They will look to do the same once again from June 7-9 when the green flags fly and the racing begins.
The Ferrari Challenge drivers will compete in a support race for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix during the Ferrari Challenge weekend. Driver James Weiland and his team will be competing on the same track as F1 stars Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, 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.
“We’re looking forward to racing again in Montreal,” Weiland said of the upcoming weekend. “Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is a challenging track to drive but it’s also a lot of fun. Hopefully we can do our best while we’re there and get PETA Cruelty Free, Cornerstone of Hope and Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation back up on the podium.”
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 F1 victory (+120) followed by Valtteri Bottas (+225) and Sebastian Vettel (+350). 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 look to build on their season total of four podium finishes against a talented group of drivers.
“We always like to get up onto the podium during weekends like this because it helps raise awareness for PETA, Coach Sam’s and Cornerstone,” Weiland added. “With the large crowds in attendance, it’s a great way to help raise awareness for each of those foundations—so that will be our goal once again year.”
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 7, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge, Uncategorized
Racing legend Mario Andretti once said, “Sometimes you have to bring back only the steering wheel so they know that you’re giving it all you have.” During their trip to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, EMS Race Team was giving it all they had while qualifying for Race 1. But with about five minutes remaining in the wet qualifying session, driver James Weiland unfortunately stuffed ERIN the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge into the barrier at the exit of Turn 1 and brought back only the proverbial steering wheel. ERIN took a beating in the collision and was prematurely retired for the weekend. After earning a pair of podium finishes in Malaysia during their last time out on the Ferrari Challenge circuit, it was certainly not what anyone on the team was hoping for.
“We really struggled getting the power down during that qualifying session and a 4th-gear vicious wheel spin pitched us left for pretty much a head on hit,” Weiland said of the collision. “ERIN took a big shot for us and was unfortunately done for the weekend as a result. But that’s racing. One weekend you’re up on the podium and the next you’re walking back with only the steering wheel.”
Following the loss of ERIN, EMS Race Team started Race 1 in a backup car and retired it after only three laps. Prior to Qualifying 2 on the following day, the team worked diligently to make numerous changes to the backup car before taking the track. During the 30-minute wet qualifying session, a red flag on the last lap while EMS was only 0.1 of a second off pole cost them that lap and they qualified 11th as a result. Eventually starting from 8th, Race 2 was run in a blizzard with temperatures in the low 30’s providing very difficult conditions on an extremely wet and cold track. Weiland picked up one position during the race to finish 7th. Both qualifying sessions and both races were run in wet conditions that the team just never quite got on top of. Following the trip to Austria, EMS Race Team will now look focus their attention on the next Ferrari Challenge race in June during F1 weekend at the Circuit Gilles-Villenueve in Canada.
“We’ve been racing long enough to know that you have weekends like this,” Weiland added. “So we’ll put this one behind us quickly and start to get ready for our trip to Montreal in June. Hopefully we’ll be able to get PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope up onto the podium in front of all those fans at F1 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 Montreal in June.
For more behind-the-scenes racing coverage follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Brendan Bowers | May 1, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After securing a pair of podium finishes in Malaysia, EMS Race Team will now travel to Austria for the Ferrari Challenge at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on May 3-5. This will mark the first time that driver James Weiland and the crew from Ferrari of San Francisco / Boardwalk Ferrari will race in Austria. It will also mark the fifth racing event of the 2019 season for EMS following stops in Bahrain, Texas, Australia and Malaysia. During the trip, the team will look to add to their season total of four podium finishes against a talented group of Ferrari Challenge drivers.
The Red Bull Ring is located in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. It was founded as the Österreichring in 1970 and hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for the first 18 years it was open. The track has undergone a series of renovations since, along with multiple name changes. From 1996-2004 the circuit was named A-1 before it was eventually purchased by Red Bull. In July of 2013, the F1 Austrian Grand Prix returned to Spielburg after a hiatus and the marquee race has been hosted on the historic track ever since. Max Verstappen won at Red Bull last season, Michael Schumacher won twice when it was named A-1 and Niki Lauda is among the F1 winners at Österreichring.
“We’re looking forward to visiting Austria and racing at a great track like the Red Bull Ring,” Weiland said. “We had some positive results while we were in Malaysia and hopefully some of that momentum can carry over. But regardless of the outcome, we’re excited to be on the international stage once again racing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope.”
EMS Race Team will do their best to help promote the three foundations they hold close to their hearts in Austria. 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.
“Our team did a great job making sure that our car, PARIS, was ready to run in extreme heat last time out in Malaysia,” Weiland added. “If we can have that same approach and focus throughout the weekend in Austria we’ll be able to live with whatever happens out on the track.”
For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Ferrari Races in Austria, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 25, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team driver, James Weiland, celebrated his birthday at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia during Ferrari Challenge weekend. But instead of cake and ice cream, it was all trophies and podiums for Weiland and his crew from Boardwalk Ferrari/Ferrari of San Francisco. During Race 1, Weiland and his ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in red, PARIS, came from the fourth position out of 22 drivers to secure P3 and the podium. PARIS would follow that up in Race 2 by qualifying less than .04 of a second off pole before finishing P2 to conclude the weekend.
“Getting up onto the podium at Sepang was a great way to celebrate my birthday,” Weiland said. “Maybe it was a birthday gift from the Man above. Big thanks to Him as well as everyone on our Boardwalk Ferrari/Ferrari of San Francisco team who did a fantastic job keeping PARIS running extremely well in the immense heat all weekend.”
When the racing action began on Saturday, Weiland lost two positions at the start of Race 1 and was forced to settle into sixth. From there, however, he and PARIS picked off one car at the end of the first lap for fifth position. They then got the guy just ahead for fourth a few laps later. On the final lap and second-to-last corner, Weiland managed to get inside in traffic and secure third place before crossing the finish line. In Race 2 on Sunday, PARIS got snagged again at the start by being on the outside. EMS would still gain a slight lead into the first corner before coming out of the second corner in third. Then, Weiland and PARIS picked up one position while driving a technically sound race to earn their second-straight trip to the podium in Malaysia.
“One of these days we are going to get a win over here hopefully,” Weiland joked. “But to be able to come over to Malaysia and help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope by getting them onto the podium twice in one weekend was a big thrill for us.”
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 was featured on Weiland’s car throughout the trip to Malaysia.
Next up for EMS Race Team is the Ferrari Challenge at Red Bull Ring in Spielburg, Austria on May 3-5. For more behind-the-scenes coverage of race weekend at Sepang follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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