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.
by Tara Pachmayer | Apr 15, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After earning a podium finish in Australia for the second-straight year, EMS Race Team will now travel to Malaysia for the Ferrari Challenge at the Sepang International Circuit on April 19-21. This will mark the first time that driver James Weiland and the crew from Ferrari of San Francisco will compete at a Ferrari Challenge event in Malaysia. It will also mark the fourth racing event of the 2019 season for EMS following stops in Bahrain, Texas and Australia.
EMS Race Team will enter the weekend at Sepang with the goal of raising awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope. In Malaysia, Weiland will be racing PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in red on a track that they tested at earlier this year. The circuit is located in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia which is approximately 28 miles south of Kuala Lumpur. Sepang officially opened for racing in March of 1999 and went on to host the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999-2017. With a length of 5.543 km, the circuit features 15 turns and 8 straights along with ample opportunities for overtaking.
“We’re excited to be racing in Malaysia for the first time,” Weiland said. “We tested here in January and Sepang is definitely a fun and fast track to drive. We know it’s always tough competing against the talented drivers in the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge series, but if we do our best as a team throughout the weekend we’ll be able to live with the results.”
Once again on the international stage, EMS Race Team will do their best to help promote the efforts of the three causes they hold dear to their hearts. 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 Weiland’s car throughout the trip to Sepang.
“It’s always great for us to be able to go somewhere we’ve never been and help raise awareness for PETA, Coach Sam’s and Cornerstone,” Weiland added. “Hopefully we can have some success and get each one of them up onto the podium in a new country for the first time.”
For more behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Races in Malaysia, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 18, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team competed in the Melbourne, Australia Ferrari Challenge and secured a podium finish in the land down under for the second-straight year. But while the third racing event of the season ended on a positive note, it certainly wasn’t easy. At the conclusion of Practice 2, the cockpit of PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge filled up with smoke. The fire team extinguished the flames in the engine compartment before finding the top half of the engine melted. The Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco team remarkably got a backup car ready in less than two hours for Qualifying 1 which driver James Weiland would then race for the duration of the event.
Despite going on to qualify second for the first race of the weekend, EMS was assessed a five-place grid penalty for switching cars and started in seventh position as a result on Saturday. Weiland would pick off five cars at the start of Race 1—eventually passing the leader following a restart—before the upper arm broke just prior to the white flag forcing EMS to retire from the overall lead with a broken left front suspension. On Sunday, however, things would finally begin to break Weiland’s way. Starting in third position, EMS Race Team snagged second at the start of the race and held on from there to finish on the podium in P2.
“All’s well that ends well I guess here in Melbourne,” Weiland said. “It’s never a bad thing to be on the podium during F1 weekend. Much gratitude to the Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco team for a magnificent job with the backup car and many thanks to the Ferrari Challenge APAC series for all their assistance with a great race weekend as always.”
A packed house of racing fans were on hand as Weiland and company helped get PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope up onto the podium in Melbourne once again. With the Ferrari Challenge serving as a support race to F1 weekend, there was an added excitement throughout the event. Those fans would go on to watch Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas win the Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2019 by 20.886 seconds.
“To get our three causes up on the podium with so many fans here for F1 weekend was especially rewarding,” Weiland added. “Hopefully some of those fans who were here throughout the weekend took notice and maybe went on to learn a little bit about each of those foundations.”
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 Ferrari Challenge action, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 13, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team will return to Australia for the second-straight year to compete at the Melbourne Ferrari Challenge on March 15-17. Following races at Circuit of the Americas last weekend—and the Bahrain International Circuit to open the season in February—driver James Weiland and the crew from Ferrari San Francisco will now race the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope. In Melbourne, Weiland will be racing PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge trimmed in red during a Ferrari Challenge event that will serve as a support race to the Formula One Grand Prix.
The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street course that loops around Albert Park Lake just south of central Melbourne. In addition to annually hosting the Formula One Grand Prix, the Melbourne track also plays host to the Supercars Championship. The great Ferrari F1 driver Michael Schumacher owns the outright lap record in Melbourne with a mark of 1:24.125 set in 2004. The venue has reported upwards of 300,000 fans in attendance throughout F1 weekend during past years and a tremendous turnout is expected once again. The last time EMS Race Team competed on the world-famous track in Australia during F1 weekend Weiland nearly captured two podiums, finishing P2 and P4 out of 27 drivers.
“We’re excited to be back in Australia,” Weiland said. “Our team had a great experience on and off the track last season and we couldn’t wait to get back. We’re also looking forward to correcting some things that didn’t go our way at COTA last weekend and giving our best effort as a team all weekend long.”
After qualifying P3 for Race 1 at COTA, EMS Race Team finished just off the podium in fourth position before a P9 in Race 2 in the Trofeo Pirelli class. This followed a Ferrari Challenge victory at Bahrain to start the season. That earlier experience is what Weiland and company hope to replicate as they travel around the world to represent three causes that are close to their hearts.
“F1 weekend in Melbourne is a great opportunity to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope,” Weiland added. “The last time we came to Australia we were able to get them up on the podium and hopefully we’ll be able to do that again.”
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 is represented on EMS Race Team’s car, PARIS, and will be on display throughout F1 weekend in Melbourne.
For more behind the scenes Ferrari Challenge racing action, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 5, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
There’s a certain magic that ERIN and PARIS the Electronic Merchant Systems Ferrari 488 Challenges provide out on the racetrack. It’s a magic that can’t necessarily be measured by horsepower or seconds but you know it when you see it. This weekend, while competing at the Circuit of the Americas Ferrari Challenge in Austin, Texas, driver James Weiland was forced to race without those valuable members of the EMS Race Team fleet. The loaner car that was graciously provided by a friend and teammate was fully optimized by the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco—and Weiland is not one to ever make it excuses. But it just wasn’t the same without the familiar roar from the EMS machines.
On Saturday, Weiland qualified 3rd for Race 1 and was only a tenth away from 2nd. Unfortunately, he got passed a couple laps in before holding off the rest of the way to finish just off the podium in P4 among the always grueling Trofeo Pirelli class. On Sunday, qualifying didn’t go as well as the team hoped and they entered Race 2 in 9th position. Weiland would drive a clean race from there but finish P9 for the day. Despite the disappointing weekend, the attention quickly turned to Melbourne, Australia where the team will race later this week.
“There’s no excuses, we didn’t get the results we wanted at COTA,” Weiland said. “Our qualifying time gave us a chance on Saturday, but unfortunately we got passed during the race and missed the podium. There’s no time to dwell on any of that, though, because we’re on our way to Australia now and the focus of the entire team is on Melbourne.”
In Austin, EMS Race Team took another opportunity to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope. For those who watched the live broadcast of the races at COTA, the Ferrari announcers spent time talking about those causes that EMS races for which definitely helped spread that awareness. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is one of those missions. They are 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 is another, whose 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.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the results sometimes, but the main focus of our team is to raise awareness of PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope when we’re out there on the track. We were proud to have done that at COTA and we’re looking forward to doing the same later this week in Melbourne.”
For more behind the scenes racing coverage, follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Stay tuned for more news later this week as we preview the Ferrari Challenge action in Australia.
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