by Brendan Bowers | Oct 20, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
EMS Race Team travels to Italy this week for the Ferrari Challenge World Finals on October 24-27 at the Mugello Circuit. The Finali Mondiali event will mark the 10th different country that EMS Race Team will compete in this season. With victories at Bahrain, Le Mans and Nürburgring, driver James Weiland and his team from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco will look to add to their 2019 total of seven podium finishes overall. While competing against the best Ferrari Challenge drivers in the world, Weiland and his team know they will need to be on top of their game in order to eclipse their season total of seven podiums from a year ago.
“The Ferrari Challenge World Finals are always a special event that we look forward to every year,” Weiland said. “Mugello is a circuit that we’ve raced before and we’re excited for the opportunity to do so again. We tested there last week and ERIN ran great so hopefully that continues for us throughout the weekend.”
The 2018 Ferrari Challenge was also in Italy but held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. EMS Race Team earned a second-place finish at Monza to close out the season a year ago. At the 2017 event, EMS Race Team earned a sixth-place finish while racing at Mugello. The 2016 Finali Mondiali was held at Daytona International Speedway in Florida where Weiland and company secured the North American Ferrari Challenge season championship.
“We’re especially excited about racing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope on the world stage in Italy,” Weiland added. “There’s always so many drivers and fans in attendance at the World Finals throughout the week and our goal is to make each of those foundations we race on behalf of proud of our effort. If we can accomplish that much we’ll be happy with the results.”
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.
Road races were first held on public streets around Mugello in Italy during the early 1920s. The present-day closed Mugello Circuit was constructed in 1973 and opened in 1974, just east of the original road circuit. Measuring 5,245 km in length, the Mugello Circuit stands out from other fast tracks thanks to the drastic elevation changes and the high-speed chicanes. The main straight, at 1.141 km, is followed by a blind rise into the tight turn one, San Donato, where speeds drop quickly. The front straight is the fastest part of the track, with the rest an exciting mixture of quick direction changes and long corners without any tight hairpins or stop-and-go sections to break up the flow.
For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge World Finals at the Mugello Circuit in Italy throughout the trip, be sure to follow EMS Race Team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
by Tara Pachmayer | Jul 30, 2019 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
The great Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton, once described his racing career by saying, “There have been some ups and some downs but that’s the way racing is supposed to be.” Following two-straight race weekends highlighted by back-to-back Ferrari Challenge victories, EMS Race Team was forced to come back down off the podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After wins at Le Mans in France and the Nürburgring in Germany, driver James Weiland and his team from Boardwalk Ferrari / Ferrari of San Francisco finished outside of the top-three during their trip to the Brickyard. In two races at IMS, Weiland and PARIS the ems+ Ferrari 488 Challenge finished in 5th and 10th while continuing to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope.
“PARIS had a good day on Saturday,” Weiland said. “She qualified 7th though only .4 off pole position. We picked up a position at the start and another a couple laps in and finished 5th. But we struggled on Sunday when we qualified 10th and finished the race in that position. That’s racing, though, sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. But I know our team will bounce back in Singapore.”
Even though EMS Race Team didn’t win, they still had the opportunity to spread the word about PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope to the racing fans who were at the Brickyard. The team will do the same when they compete at the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore next time out in September. 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 Inner Circle Foundation 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. Cornerstone of Hope, meanwhile, is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving.
“It’s always special for us to be able to help raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle and Cornerstone of Hope when we race at a venue for the first time,” Weiland added. “To be able to do that at a famous track like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is even more special. Next time, when we’re in Singapore, hopefully we’ll be able to get them up onto the podium.”
For behind the scenes coverage of the Ferrari Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 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 | Mar 30, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After earning a pair of victories in the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge event at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, EMS Race Team returns to action on U.S. soil later this month. From April 8-10, driver James Weiland and the crew from Boardwalk Ferrari will look to build on their early season momentum at the Sonoma Raceway in California. This highly anticipated event marks the 11th consecutive year that Sonoma has hosted the Ferrari Challenge North American Series.
“Our goal as a team is to always get better,” Weiland said. “We accomplished some things in Japan that we are certainly proud of, but that’s behind us now. Sonoma Raceway is an exciting track that presents its own set of unique challenges. We also know that we haven’t broken through to win at Sonoma yet. So we’re focused on doing everything we can to be as prepared as possible for the stiff competition, and using this as another opportunity to improve as a team.”
Unlike his inaugural trip to Suzuka in March, Weiland and his coach, Conrad Grunewald, will be able to draw on past experience in preparation for Sonoma. This is a track EMS Race Team has competed on before, finishing second as recently as last May. This year, however, Weiland hopes to raise awareness for PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope by leaving California with a victory—or two.
“Last year we had mixed results in Sonoma,” Weiland added. “While we did earn a podium finish during Race 1, we also experienced a setback that prevented us from finishing Race 2. It will be great to get back out there with a fresh start, learn from our previous trips, and put forward our best effort all weekend long.”
Despite Weiland’s experience at Sonoma, this time he will be driving a different car than in years past. Paris, the ems+ 458 Ferrari Challenge EVO who made her debut at the Daytona International Speedway earlier this year, will be unleashed for the first time at Sonoma. In 2015, it was Paris’ sister, Erin, who roared through the hills of wine country for EMS Race Team. It was also Erin who helped fuel the recent victories in Japan. But like her older sister, Paris will also be proudly waving the flag for the two charities close to Weiland’s heart throughout the competition.
“It was great to be in Japan and talk with the drivers, fans and media about PETA Cruelty Free and the Cornerstone of Hope,” Weiland said about the two causes that fuel the fight for EMS Race Team. “Heading back to Sonoma, we hope to do the same thing. Nothing catches people’s attention more than winning, so we hope to raise as much awareness as possible for both efforts during our trip.”
By Brendan Bowers, Posted by SB
For updates throughout the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Sonoma, along with live-timing race results, follow @EMSRaceTeam on Twitter and Facebook. Also be sure to check out EMS Race Team’s Vimeo Page for behind-the-scenes action following the competition.
by Tara Pachmayer | Mar 10, 2016 | EMS Ferrari Challenge
After traveling over 6,000 miles to the world famous Suzuka Circuit in Japan, EMS Race Team driver James Weiland found himself in a classic duel. During Race 1 of the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge, fellow driver Eric Cheung of Canada had gotten off to a great start and spent the majority of the afternoon battling Weiland for the top spot in the Pirelli AM class. But Erin, the EMS Race Team Ferrari Challenge 458 EVO, pushed just hard enough to eventually secure a victory that kicked off a whirlwind weekend.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel here and compete in the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge,” Weiland told the media following the race. “Suzuka is one of the best circuits in the world. It was exciting for our team to compete here and we really enjoyed our time in Japan. I can’t thank my coaches and crew enough for their preparation and the work they did to put us in position to earn a 1st place finish. It was a total team effort.”
It took every ounce of that collective effort to hold off Cheung, who finished less than one second behind Weiland’s No. 18 car. Additionally, with over 20,000 competitive kilometers logged on her dashboard entering the weekend, Erin struggled with her rear traction as she weaved through the windy course at Suzuka. At times, she was difficult to manage and maneuver. But when it came down to the final stretch, Erin roared liked the first day she rolled off the lot in Maranello en route to the win.
“The Boardwalk Ferrari crew did a tremendous job preparing Erin to race in Japan,” Weiland added. “We drove our new car, Paris, exclusively at Daytona but needed to go back to Erin this weekend as we tweaked some things. Dating back to the Finali Mondali in Italy last year, this is the second-straight event that Erin helped us earn a victory outside the United States. So we might be calling on her again the next time we compete overseas.”
As exciting as the outcome of Race 1 was for the team, attention quickly shifted to Sunday. Coach Conrad Grunewald helped Weiland analyze his performance and prepare for an even better run in Race 2 throughout the evening. Meanwhile, Ryan Negri, David Cameron and the Boardwalk crew made sure Erin was tuned up and ready get back out there. Those efforts would eventually be rewarded, too, as EMS Race Team went on to earn consecutive pole positions and its second-straight 1st place finish in Race 2. Sweeping the weekend was an outcome Weiland certainly hoped for, even if realizing the accomplishment caught him off guard following the race.
“I was actually very surprised that we were able to win again today,” Weiland told the press following his Race 2 victory on Sunday. “Saturday’s race was draining and it took a lot out of us. But we’re obviously very excited about the results, especially competing against a field of drivers as talented as we have here at Suzuka. We are also excited because we came to Japan hoping to get the PETA Cruelty Free Bunnies and Cornerstone of Hope onto the podium, and we’re thrilled to be able to do that twice.”
EMS Race Team dedicated Race 1 at the Suzuka Circuit to raising awareness for the PETA Cruelty Free campaign, while dedicating Race 2 to the Cornerstone of Hope Foundation. To learn more about the two charities that fuel the fight for EMS, check out the following websites:
PETA: http://www.peta.org/
Cornerstone of Hope: http://www.cornerstoneofhope.org/
For more behind the scenes photos and videos from the trip to Japan, check out EMS Race Team on Facebook and Twitter.
EMS Race Team Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emsRaceTeam/
EMS Race Team Twitter: https://twitter.com/emsRaceTeam
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