Junior Driver - planning for future success

You are a young, successful Karter, searching for new challenges?
We might be able to help you getting into a Formula Car in one of the Junior racing series.

Atlantic Racing Team, is now looking back over a 14 year history of regional and international Junior racing. Many good drivers started in one of our cars.

We know it can sometimes be frightening to start a new part of your racing career. Most of the professional and successful drivers have started in karting, collecting their first wins and then took this leap of faith in a team and began their new experience. So, very simple, just write to us and perhaps you are in a Formula car testing with us, faster than you might expect.

How? Fill out this form, the best would be to involve your parents, write what you have done so far, your winnings, placing and other success in karting or other forms of motor sports. Short and sweet - we do not need three pages of your family history!

For participation in the Formula BMW Americas you will need to be 15 years old. But you should write to us even if you are younger. It will help you to be ready once you are of age to compete. You need to plan ahead as there are many things you need to do and learn beforehand so that your entry and success in racing will be successful.

Rolf-Ingo Strackerjan
Team Manager,
Team KMA Racing
Atlantic Racing Team
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada
Tel 902 488 5823 (24/7)

JUNIOR APPLICATION FORM FOR TESTING:
(Please copy and paste onto our Form inquiry and email it filled out to us - we will respond very soon)

Name, First:
Name, Last:
Age:
Email:
Address:

2008 racing:
2007 and earlier racing history:
Placings:
Series:
Experience in Formula Cars - yes/no
If yes - what car/team/series?
How long?
Licenses:
Accomplishments:
School: Grade:
Language spoken/written:

YOUR COMMENTS:

March 23. 2008 Sepang, Malaysia

Gremlins persist meeting Gabby Chaves in Sepang for a second time.

As most readers might know by now, Gabby's first race at the Sepang F1 Circuit was haunted by electrical gremlins, basically stopping his FBMW success temporarily. The crew worked diligently last night in conjunction with the FBMW technical staff to search for this annoying glitch.

Today, getting out of the pre-grid area Gabby Chaves told Lucas, his engineer, that indeed the gremlins were still alive, and to the team's dismay, very well. Coming into the grid the FBMW staff and Lucas starting taken all kinds of wires, elements, boxes off and replacement parts were mounted within the 7 minute time line prior to start. Gabby started in 9th position, his second best qualifying time. Red lights off and the field got underway, with one car on a definitely early start, he was penalized with a drive-through.

Gabby Chaves worked his way up to 5th position, the gremlins finally seemed to be tired of his persistence and gave up! After a close fight with one of the cars in front of him, Gabby made a slight error and left the door open for a car behind him, just to squeeze by Gabby, robbing the 5th place from
him.

The race ended with Gabby Chaves in 6th place, a real achievement for this 14 year young Colombian driver. Many well respected "eyes" were on him, including the TV cameras in his quest towards the front. After the first two races Gabby Chaves' overall position is ninth with 0 points for race one and six points for race two; ART's team position is sixth.

For more information about this exciting Junior Series please visit www.afos.com.

Rolf-Ingo Strackerjan
Team Manager
Atlantic Racing Team
Halifax, NS
Canada 902 488 5823

 

Not only electrical gremlins hit Chaves!

March 22, 2008 - First race, rain, electrical failure and a good push to finish his first Formula BMW Pacific race - this summons up what Gabby Chaves experienced today in the afternoon.

After the big question what tires to select, and having them changed twice at pre-gridding, finally the race was called a wet race and all teams changed again to full rain tires. Good choice as the tropical skies opened up and a refreshing downpour was hitting Formula BMW drivers and teams alike!

Gabby was fast out of the grid, starting in 6th place and prior to the first turn he had made up three positions. Bad things happened - he called in to his engineer Lucas Strackerjan that his dash and engine experience cutouts. Nothing the team could do and he motored on in the rain. At that time the rain really became a downpour and visibility became an even more urgent issue, especially if the driver went too close to the car in front of him. The # 6 car performance became worse, Gabby losing positions, on lap three he settled down into 6th place. But on the front straight, for whatever reason, he was hit from behind by a competitor misjudging his distance to him. He and Gabby both ended up with broken suspensions, finishing their first race on the sidelines.

Upon closer inspection after the race the FBMW Technicians and Atlantic Racing Team engineering found out that the rain light shortened temporarily the electronics, possibly due to the amount of water spray from the rain. Sad ending but the spirits are high within the team as Gabby had shown that he can make great starts and, regardless of technical problems and circumstances, he will not give in.

For more information about this premier driver development series please visit the www.afos.com or www.bmw-motorsport.com websites.

Sepang F1 - Gabby Chaves Qualifying FBMW Pacific

March 21, 2008 - Having been for the third time on this fabulous Formula One track, Gabby Chaves showed that he is a definite force to reckon with. Atlantic Racing Team prepped the car as always with diligence and it paid off.

Qualifying was only a 20 minute on-track event, counting for both races this weekend, therefore speedy lapping was on the day's first priority. Unfortunately and thanks to an eager bystander to help the team bringing the car to the pre-grid area, Atlantic Racing Team thought that he had touched the rear upper wing elements and mis-aligned it. While on the pre-grid ART decided to re-measure but time was running out. It then was decided to measure the wing once the car was in the pits for pressure and temperature.

"When you deal with a total of 20 minutes on-track time, it really leaves you with little time to do anything" explains Ingo Strackerjan, Team Manager of ART; "as you lose basically two laps and five minutes plus pit time. Due to the length of the track it creates havoc with your planning."

Gabby Chaves ended, after being in third place before his pit stop, on 6th place for today's first race. An achievement the team, driver, sponsor and coach see as a good sign for things to come.

Rolf-Ingo Strackerjan
Team Manager
Atlantic Racing Team
Halifax, NS
Canada 902 488 5823

Press Release - Kuala Lumpur - 20.March, 2008
Formula BMW Pacific - Atlantic Racing Team

March 20, 2008 - Today's first open practice in the Formula BMW Pacific Series, being a support event for the second round of the Formula One event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was a pleasant surprise for one of the youngest participants in this important development series. Gabby Chaves was right out of the pitlane one of the quicker drivers. After the usual settling down and finding the quickest way around the circuit, the whole field impressed the organizers with their speed. No major "off's" were reported.

Once Gabby Chaves had the right feel for the car and track, he shaved off many seconds and closed the gap the second year Formula BMW drivers up to 1.23 seconds, giving him at the end a solid 6th place standing. This was an achievement of importance to Gabby, his first day in an official Formula BMW race weekend; a strong field of 14 drivers, many in their second year; his first time in Sepang; and the first time with Atlantic Racing Team racing, now giving him a total of 4 days in FB2 BMW car. Gabby was satisfied with this result and knows that there is much more to be had and learned.

The whole idea going to the Pacific, racing with Gabby, bringing the car over, completely new geographics for the team and finding all the right and proper ways, is by itself a fairly big task", says Ingo Strackerjan, Team Manager for Atlantic Racing Team, and goes on to say, " leaving Canada behind in the midst of a snow storm and then coming to this tropical place, tasting different foods and getting accustomed to local habits, is just out of a fairy tale. The team really enjoys the hospitality from other teams, the local people and the Formula BMW Pacific staff and organizers. One big difference is the humidity and temperature here - 34 degrees C is somewhat warm for us, but we all manage this well after having been here now for ten days. The rain? Well, that's just amazing - lots of downpours with a refreshing breeze!"

Tomorrow morning will be the official qualifying for Round one and two of this series.
For more information please visit the official websites www.afos.com ; www.bmw-motorsport.com ; www.atlanticracingteam.com

Rolf-Ingo Strackerjan
Team Manager,
Team KMA Racing
Atlantic Racing Team
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada
Tel 902 488 5823 (24/7)

2008 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT - FORMULA BMW PACIFIC SERIES

Feb. 21 2008
After a long and hard minute to contemplate the issues at hand, Atlantic Racing Team decided to take on the challenge and bid for a team spot in the now renamed "Formula BMW Pacific" series with one American Wunderkind and possibly a second car, seat not been taken yet, for 2008.

"Talking about excitement", Ingo strackerjan smiles "this will be a fantastic year for the team and all miseries happened in 2007 will be forgotten. We have a driver who is all concentration and winning, nothing more - nothing less. We need the same personality in our second driver. There has been some development for the second seat - an Australian driver but nothing has been confirmed as of today."

Our team, Lucas S. our engineer, Mark E. as the lead mechanic and a couple new faces (from Asia, all FBMW mechanics) will be working with us to bring both drivers into the forefront of this series championship.

Here is the schedule and it is a "hot" one - 3 F1 race weekends, 3 AFOS weekends (Asian Festival of Speed, basically all international race series - FBMW, GP2, Renault V6, Porsche Cup, Asian Supercars Championship);

Date	Country	Circuit	Race
21-23 March	Malaysia	Sepang	1&2
16-18 May	Malaysia	Sepang	3,4,5 & 6
20-22 June	China	Zhuhai	7,8,9 & 10
18-20 July	Indonasia	Sentul	11,12,13 & 14
26-28 September	Singapore	Singapore	15 & 16
10-12 October	Japan	Fuji	17 & 18

The ART team will be leaving Halifax on the 12th of March for their first ever Asian event to race in Sepang at the second F1 2008 race. Also to increase the excitement level – we will be participating in FBMW at the first ever F1 street night race in Singapore.

Stay tuned, posted and watch us at www.afos.com or www.bmw-motorsport.com and if you are lucky you might also receive TV coverage in one of the 7 TV channels the races will be broadcasted.

Rolf-Ingo Strackerjan
Team Manager,
Team KMA Racing
Atlantic Racing Team
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada
Tel 902 488 5823 (24/7)

January 12, 2008

Dear Readers,

Please be advised that as of today we will operate again, as in previous years, as Atlantic Racing Team. From now onwards we will post all News and Issues under the http://www.atlanticracingteam.com. Please do bookmark this page. The www.tkmar.com page will be still available for nostalgic purposes only. Thanks and enjoy reading our success in racing.

 

Press Release November 26th, 2007 - Formula BMW World Finals - Valencia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Atlantic Racing Team shows world-class performance

Atlantic Racing Team (ART) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia hoped to finish well at the Formula BMW (FBMW) World Finals (November 22-25) in Valencia, Spain. Due to the financial limitations of their 2007 drivers, ART decided to go with a competitor's driver, Indianapolis resident Eric Morrow.
Without any testing of the new driver and the new FB2 FBMW car, the car and tools were shipped to Valencia. Success would be the result of good and solid on-site preparation.

While most of the world-class teams had at least two cars and a lot of equipment, ART was one of the few one-car teams at this famous race track. Team Owner, Ingo Strackerjan, had the following thoughts on the event in Valencia.

"At first, it was quite depressing to see many teams there with their trucks/trailers and all kinds of equipment, four cars, spares and lots of personnel running around, while we looked like lost children in a candy store - eyes wide open! However, it became very clear after the first of the six heat races and the subsequent World Final race that much was smoke and mirror.

"The overall performance of the cars was very close and our's was at times faster than that of the leading drivers and teams. So it really was up to the driver and the maintenance team to out-perform the competition. And here ART out-shined the best of the best. Not only did we not have any mechanical problems, but we also out-ran some of the fastest cars. Many of the other teams failed in this regard and missed the rare opportunity to give their driver the chance to shine in front of all the BMW Motorsports personnel.

"Eric Morrow continued to improve, got faster and became more acquainted with the not so polite driving style of the European and Asian driver elite. This resulted in a 'visit' to the race director and a slap on the wrist for using the same methods as the European drivers in the previous heat. Lesson learned and Eric 'adapted' his driving style once more! He did an outstanding job and we wished that there had been more time and funding/sponsorship prior to this event for Eric and ART for testing. Our original sponsor had to bail out at the eleventh hour and we were only able to continue with the program thanks to a last minute contribution by Kartbahn Indoor Karting in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We were in such a rush that we didn't have time to organize signage for Eric's car!"

Eric and at the ART team finished 19th overall out of a total of 37 drivers. Many of the drivers had raced in Valencia in 2006 and were trying their skills for a second time. This fantastic result would not have been possible if not for the diligent work and long preparation hours put in by Kevan Falsafi, Crew Chief, Mark Elliott, Lead Mechanic and Lucas Strackerjan, Engineer.

Results can be seen in detail at www.formulabmwusa.com or www.atlanticracingteam.com.

Rolf-Ingo Strackerjan
Team Manager,
Team KMA Racing
Atlantic Racing Team
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada
Tel 902 488 5823 (24/7)

 

FBMW Adds Brazilian F1 GP and Doubles the Junior Scholarship to $80,000!

Formula BMW USA becomes Formula BMW Americas

Woodcliff Lake, NJ. - October 3, 2007... In preparation for its fifth season Formula BMW USA is changing and growing to better meet the needs of young racing drivers in North, Central and South America. To recognize the scope of the championship, Formula BMW USA will add two rounds in support of the Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix and be renamed Formula BMW Americas. To further strengthen the young driver development program, BMW Motorsport will also increase the Junior scholarship award to $80,000.

Formula BMW Americas reflects the growth of Formula BMW worldwide. Formula BMW Germany and Formula BMW UK announced on June 28th that the two series will reorganize to form Formula BMW Europe. Formula BMW Europe, Formula BMW Americas and Formula BMW Asia will now comprise the new face of Formula BMW.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen is happy about the upgrading of the series: - "Formula BMW is becoming more and more international. What we do with Formula BMW Europe we continue with Formula BMW Americas. We pay contribution to the fact that we had growing interest from the bordering regions - in that case the South American region. In 2007, we had Formula BMW USA drivers from Brazil and Colombia. South American youngsters already comprise more than one-third of the entry in the upcoming October scholarship course. We therefore look forward to continuing to increase Formula BMW's presence there."

While the balance of the 14-race Formula BMW Americas schedule is yet to be finalized, BMW Motorsport is pleased to announce that, despite the loss of the United States Grand Prix, the season will again be anchored by races at two Formula 1 Grands Prix. Formula BMW will race for a fifth consecutive year in support of the Canadian Grand Prix, on June 6-8, and, new for 2008, Formula BMW drivers will race at the Brazilian Grand Prix on October 31 to November 2. The remainder of the 14-race schedule will take place at a combination of American Le Mans Series, Champ Car World Series and Rolex Sports Car Series weekends.

A cornerstone of Formula BMW is the unique Junior program and for 2008 BMW Motorsport will award four scholarships worth $80,000. Esteban Gutierrez, the 2007 Formula BMW USA Rookie of the year, will be offered the first Junior scholarship.

The additional three scholarships will be awarded to drivers chosen from the October 3-4 scholarship shoot-out and a second, newly-added licensing/scholarship course on December 13-14. One scholarship will be awarded to the top driver in each course with the final scholarship going to the next most promising driver from the combined events. The winners will be announced the week of December 17th. Both courses will be held at the Formula BMW Racing Center at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, in Valencia, Spain.

BMW Motorsport will be attending the Copa Brazil, in Ipatinga, Brazil, on October 13 to introduce Formula BMW to young karters. The event is the most important championship in Brazil with participants competing in 13 different categories and will be a perfect platform to promote the growing Formula BMW series in South America. BMW works driver for WTCC Team Germany, Augusto Farfus, will join the event together with representatives of BMW Motorsport and Formula BMW USA.

Also, the series will hold a promotion at the Stars of Karting Final, in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will be held from October 19-21 with more than 150 young karters participating.

Background:

Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level championship in Formula racing. In 2007 the series will be held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA. More than 80 up-and-coming drivers, some as young as 15-years old, will compete worldwide. Racing four times in support of the Formula One World Championship, Formula BMW offers a worldwide stage, training through a multifaceted Education and Coaching Program and BMW's longstanding Junior
scholarship for deserving drivers.

The FB02 race car is propelled by a 140 bhp BMW engine, reaching speeds up to 140 mph. The design exceeds the FIA safety requirements for its class, with the BMW Motorsport developed FORS (Formula Rescue Race Seat), and the mandatory HANS (Head and Neck Support) safety system.

From November 24 to 26, 2006 the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo hosted the second Formula BMW World Final. 37 young racing drivers from the four regional Formula BMW series competed against each other with the winner Christian Vietoris receiving a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.

Courtesy of formulabmwusa.com

PECORARI SCORES VICTORY

Nashville, TN (July 14, 2007) - Robbie Pecorari driving the # 13 Cabo Wabo Tequila / Team KMA Racing Dallara claimed his first win in the Indy Pro Series today. Starting in 3rd position, Pecorari and Series points leader Alex Lloyd would have a back and forth battle till the end. 32 laps into the race, Robbie took over the lead and held it through the half way point. Lloyd got a good jump on the re-start after a caution period and took over the lead. With just 4 laps remaining Pecorari was back in first place and held off a last lap charge by Logan Gomez to claim the victory.

"First off, I have to thank the team and crew," said Pecorari. "We rode off the trailer quick, not coming here testing as a bunch of other teams have.So it's definitely been a great weekend from the beginning."

When asked about the weekend, Jon Lewis and Ingo Strackerjan, co-owners of Team KMA Racing and racecar co-owner rocker Sammy Hagar stating, "It was a perfect weekend, absolutely perfect. As Robbie said, we came here not testing at this track prior to the race weekend as so many other teams had done, so we weren't sure what to expect, but right off the bat we had a strong car. With all the road racing background we have as a team, we felt that we would be strong on the road courses which we proved at St. Pete and Watkins Glen, but we've really stepped up our game on the ovals as well with the 5th place in Iowa and now the win here in Nashville."

"Robbie's a tremendous driver," Lewis continued. "I can't say enough about this young man. We're very proud to have him on our team. But, I have to also say that this is a team sport and I give great thanks to all our crew; Martin Bates, Justin Herring, Kristy Castrogiovanni and Mark Weida. We've made some changes to our program a few races back and brought in Martin(Bates) and Mark (Weida), which has been a very positive move. I think this is just a sign of things to come."

When asked about the Series, Lewis said, "We're a small team, but I think this just goes to prove that you can be small and still beat the big boys.The Indy Pro Series is just phenomenal. If you're going to be in open wheel racing in America and if you have your sights on competing in the Indy 500 someday, whether it be as a driver or a team, this is the only place to be."

Team KMA, a joint venture between American Spirit of Cape Coral and Atlantic Racing Team of Halifax, NS, also participates in the Driver Development Formula BMW USA Series with four young and upcoming drivers.

For more information about the team and drivers please go to http://www.tkmar.com.

Catch all the action on ESPN2 on Wednesday July 18th at 5:00 PM EST. The next event on the Indy Pro Series schedule will take place next weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

 

PECORARI CLAIMS 3RD PLACE STARTING POSITION

Nashville, TN (July 13, 2007) - Robbie Pecorari, driving the #13 Cabo Wabo Tequila / Team KMA Racing entry in the Indy Pro Series captured a commanding 3rd place starting position for tomorrow's Sunbelt 100 race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

"Who said a number 13 black car, driven on Friday the 13th is a bad thing?"exclaimed Pecorari. "The #13 Cabo Wabo Tequila car was perfect today. It's rare that a driver gets a car this good to drive. We've made some changes in our program at Iowa and we've seen some huge benefits since then. I really want to thank my crew, they've worked hard to help me get here. Its great knowing that I'll finally be able to start up front and not have to battle my way through the field."

When asked about his prediction for tomorrow's race, Pecorari laughed, "No race is ever easy to win, but its Julie's (Team co-owner, Jon Lewis' wife) birthday tomorrow and winning would be a great present."

Pecorari has been the 3rd and 4th fastest driver in each practice session of the weekend and is coming off a race at Watkins Glen last week, which saw him advance 11 positions (more than any other driver). "Robbie's a very strong driver and he's been quick all weekend," commented Jon Lewis. "He is a very focused young man and knows what he has to do to win. We've had some pretty strong finishes this year (2 top-5's and 2 top-10's) and all starting from back in the field, so starting in 3rd is a huge plus".

The Sunbelt 100 will start Saturday at 3:30 PM.

Press Release July 8th, 2007

For Immediate Release

Team KMA Racing - Formula BMW and Indy Pro Series Snapshots

A rather dissatisfied team manager gave these comments and explanations for race 7 and 8 in the FBMW series. "It would be a pleasure to give to our fans, friends, supporters and sponsors only the best news - having won the last races - but as it mostly is in today's racing world - life is full of unexpected surprises. From Miller, flat tire for Jeffrey; Montreal GP, Jeffrey's brake failure; mysterious overnight shock settings to another tire failure, engine and clutch problems; to master switch breakage during the race; Robbie's engine failures in Indy and his sensor problems at the Indy Pro Series race last weekend - all this we hoped would come to an end!" Ingo Strackerjan goes on.

"Our last 2 FBMW USA races at Lime Rock Park were at first the most promising ones - Mike Hill stepped up to secure 2nd place in the 8th round qualifying; Jeffrey Petriello was 3rd and we all were finally convinced that our "bad" luck had turned around, especially when Jeffrey secured a 4th place in Round 7 and Tim Hollowell, also a FBMW Junior driver, our newest addition to TKMAR, and Julia Landauer showed speed at this 7 Turn race track."

The ever changing weather conditions at Lime Rock, from nasty down pours to light drizzle and fog to brilliant sun shine and the most spectacular surroundings did remind everyone that it will not be easy to carry out their mission - solid driving, sound placing and securing their points.

Sadly enough this all did not work out - Mike Hill went off course just before Turn One and out of 2nd position, narrowly missing Jeffrey Petriello. Jeffrey rolled the car at the starting grid and was penalized with a drive through penalty.

"We objected to this penalty as he clearly stopped before the white bar and only then, after the lights went out, completed his start," Strackerjan continued. "But as it has shown many times in the past, after an in-race penalty had been assessed, the IMSA officials have rarely showed an open ear for such objection. Jeffrey came in and took his penalty which basically finished his podium chances and might also interfere with his Rookie Championship placing. It surely is sad that, as a team spoken here, there are no remedies to reverse an IMSA decision after a race. I certainly can understand Jeffrey's emotions and his rather frustrating drive afterwards, working hard for a championship, realizing that the car creeps forward, correcting it and then still getting the full penalty - that's not easy to take!"

"Tim tried his best and decided to see this race as an opportunity to hone his race craft and learn more for the next races - simply a good choice!
Julia was still tired from the past 3 weeks of Exams, racing, traveling to Europe. Also, as she had a fairly severe shunt while testing in Canada, her back and nose was still sore. Overload? Possibly but racing is a tough sport!" Strackerjan displeasingly explained. "I only hope that Julia will have time to rest and taking care of herself over the next 10 days as San Jose is not an easy track."

Asking Strackerjan about Tim Hollowell he starts smiling, "Tim is a good kid, and will be fast sooner than later. He takes his time and goes bit by bit - he knows, really knows what he wants to be and that it takes time. I think he has the analytical skills, will power, physical and mental strength to be an accomplished race car driver! We were not planning to run a fourth driver but ... and we liked Tim right from the beginning. it makes life in a team so much easier!"

Robbie Peccorari in the Cabo Wabo Tequila #13 at Watkins Glen - Robbie realized that he had to sacrifice qualifying for a better race set up and started the 1st race in 6th place until the engine quit on him. But, through good team work and lots of help from the organizers the 2nd race looked more promising. Unfortunately Pecorari had to start in the 22nd position, as the starting grid was set by the first race results. Robbie drove a remarkable race advancing 11 positions, more than any other driver, in just the first few laps. Advancing as high as 10th position Robbie ended up in P11. What a determined and dedicated driver!

Team Members can be reached through the www.TKMAR.com website. Hi-Res pictures are available upon written request.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milwaukee, WI (June 2, 2007) - It was a long day for Team KMA Racing that ended shorter than planned. The Indy Pro Series race at the Milwaukee Mile was a one-day event with practice, qualifying and the race all wrapped up into one, which makes for a very long day.

As teams rolled out onto the track for the morning's first practice and with only a few laps completed Robbie Pecorari driving the Team KMA Racing Cabo Wabo Tequila sponsored #13 spun coming out of turn 2 and backed it into the wall. "The car felt fine," stated Pecorari. "It felt very neutral, but all of a sudden the back snapped loose and all I could do was try to keep it off the wall. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to. Milwaukee is a very tricky track with very low banking. I just got up to speed a little too soon."

The Milwaukee race only had a one 1-hour practice session followed by a 40 minute session later that was split up between the teams with 20 minutes each on track. Missing the first practice session would make for a long day.

"We definitely had our work cut out for us," commented Team co-owner and manager Jon Lewis. "We really needed to have Robbie out there in the first session so we could dial in the car and so he could get a good feel for the track. But, that's racing." The Team KMA crew went to work to get the car ready for the second practice session. "I'm very proud of my team members," Lewis continued. "The hit wasn't all that bad, but we needed to do a thorough inspection and had a lot of parts to replace. They got it done and I'm very proud of them."

During the second practice session Pecorari felt that the car was very tail happy and came into the pits for a front spring change. With only a 20 minute session, this reduced the number of quality laps for the young driver, but he felt the changes made the car much better.

On the ovals, qualifying is accomplished by each car running separately and two hot laps are counted for the qualifying position. Pecorari qualified the Cabo Wabo Tequila car in 19th place. "The car felt pretty good," said Pecorari. "But with very little track time, I wanted to play it a little safe and just get it into the show. Milwaukee is known for on-track incidents, so we felt that we needed to get her in and then I'd work my way up the field during the race."

As the race started, Robbie settled into a good race pace. "The car felt good and I could already see that I could start moving up the field right away." But, on lap 10 a crash involving Hideki Mutoh, Andrew Prendeville and Chris Festa sent the field scurrying to avoid the spinning cars. "Jon called for me to go low to avoid the accident," said Pecorari. "So I did, but then one of the cars hit the other which sent it down towards the bottom of the track and I had nowhere to go. I took a pretty good hit in the front and tore up the nose quite a bit."

Pecorari brought the car into the pits and after examination of the damage the Team KMA crew sent him back onto the track. The nosebox was pretty torn up but the front wing was still intact, yet slightly damaged from the incident.

As Pecorari continued on, a slight vibration in the steering began to get stronger. "The car felt alright for a few laps and I could challenge some of the other cars," Pecorari continued. "But, then the car just got progressively worse and all I could do was work to keep it on the track."
Now several laps down to the leaders and after radio consultation with the crew, the decision was made to park the car and not risk damage to the car and injury to the driver. Later inspection showed that the angle of the front wheels was also affected from the contact.

"It was definitely not the result we were looking for," said Lewis. "Not one of our better weekends. But, this happens in racing. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Robbie and the crew did a good job. It just wasn't our day. We dropped back a few places in the Championship, but we gained a few points in the Rookie Championship and that's what we have our eye on. The United States Grand Prix is coming up in a couple weeks and Robbie has a lot of experience on the road courses. We have to concentrate on that right now.

PECORARI TAKES OVER 4TH PLACE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 25 - Once again the old saying that the race is not over until the checkered flag waves, has proven its truth! Team KMA's Indy Pro Series driver Robbie Pecorari, starting on the 22nd position, made his way through the field right from the beginning. A caution on the first lap, and then two further ones later on, did not help him in his quest catching the leader. However, Robbie fought early on and captured more positions each time, ending the race in 11th position under a yellow caution due to rain. This result moves Robbie up into 4th in the Indy Pro Series Championship points and keeps him firmly in 2nd place in the Rookie standings.

"We are certainly happy with the results especially after yesterday's qualifying fiasco" stated Jon Lewis, Team Manager and co-owner of Team KMA Racing. "Naturally a podium finish was what we were shooting for but here in Indy it would have taken a miracle to come from 22nd to the first row as the track is long, fast and most drivers in this field are of high caliber. So,
all in all, I truly think that this was the best result we could have expected. Robbie was uncertain of how the car would handle due to the last minute changes we had to make."

"If I could have had this car in qualifying yesterday, I am certain that I would have been in the first couple of rows, if not on the front row" says Robbie Pecorari, a native of Aston, PA. "However, I am happy to move up in the points standing and would like to thank the crew and engineers for recognizing the car's problems in time to make the changes. I also appreciate the support from the race fans, especially the ones from my hometown, who took the time coming to my paddock and encouraging me - thank you!"

The next Indy Pro Series race is in 8 days at the Milwaukee Mile. For more information about the drivers, teams, series and hi resolution pictures please go to the team website at http://www.tkmar.com

 

Team KMA struggles with set up

For immediate release

Indianapolis, IN (May 24, 2007) - Today's practices for the /Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series went somewhat under difficult conditions for Robbie Pecorari's Team KMA Racing. The Team chose to use the set up from the Indy Open Test a few weeks back, which didn’t work well in today’s first practice session. So, a change was made for the second session, which worked well, but the team went too far for qualifying and Robbie experienced a significant understeer situation. Even though Robbie did his best in qualifying, he ended up on the 22nd position for tomorrow's race.

"The practice went well but we still had some difficulties in the turns and my engineer worked hard to solve the problem. We selected to go a little bit stiffer than in the practice before the qualifying, but unfortunately this just did not do the trick," explained a rather disapointed Robbie Pecorari. "To start at the tail end of this important race is something I really did not like at all. But the race is not finished until the checkered flag is dropped and at the last practice after qualifying we were once again up to speed and the car felt really good. I am confident that Team KMA will give me a fast Cabo Wabo Tequila sponsored car as they did it before".

Jon Lewis, co-owner of Team KMA fully agreed with Robbie's statement and added, "I would rather forget today's qualifying - somewhat a waste of time and effort on all of Team KMA's personnel and driver. But these things happen and we just have to learn from these mistakes. We are all very concerned when it comes to these issues as with the qualification format at Indy (single qualifying, 2 hot laps only) it is imperative to have the car in the best trim as possible. We however have Robbie Pecorari as one of the best drivers in the series and are very confident that he will bring the CABO WABO car to the front once again".

The Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series races will start on Friday at 12:45 and can be seen on ESPN2 at 4:00 PM EST.

TEAM KMA DRIVERS PUT ON A GREAT SHOW

Tooele, UT (May 21, 2007) - Team KMA drivers Jeffrey Petriello, Julia Landauer and Mike Hill put on a great show during the second round of the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship at Miller Motorsports Park. Even though the outcome was less than what the team was looking for, all three team drivers showed that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Jeffrey Petriello, who started the event in third place on the grid, got off to a great start but after the 4th lap, he started to experience an understeer problem, which causes the car not to want to turn into the corners. A post race inspection of the car by the Team KMA crew determined that the cause was a leaking rubber valve stem. Formula BMW rules do not allow metal stems, therefore the front right tire began to loose pressure and Petriello came to the finish line in sixth place with only 4 lbs of pressure left.

Mike Hill and Julia Landauer drove an excellent race with both getting off to a good start. Hill gained 3 places right behind fellow team member Julia Landauer, who started in 9th. The two team members had a good battle going, but unfortunately Landauer spun and was unable to continue. On the second to the last turn on the last lap, Mike was working on taking over 7th position when another driver made a very unprofessional and dangerous move, which flipped Mike's car over several times, leaving his car demolished with both being unable to continue.

"The second race showed that all 3 drivers are well on their way to success," stated Team co-owner and manager Ingo Strackerjan."All of them showed a high degree of confidence, professional attitudes and, regardless of what had happened, total focus on the tasks ahead of them - the Montreal GP in three weeks time. Jeffrey did an outstanding job, nursing the car to 6th place with an almost flat tire. Julia showed her fighting spirit - unfortunately with Mike! As there are no team orders in our team, we let our
drivers go for whatever they believe is safe and beneficial to them and the team. These things can happen but it was unfortunate that Julia could not continue after that incident.

"Mike did a heroic drive! If only the other driver, now in his second year of driving in the Formula BMW Series, would learn to make clean passes," Strackerjan continued. "Mike would have ended up in P8 and without a scary
airborne incident and a wrecked car. But some drivers, like the one that hit Mike, just don't learn that the Formula BMW series is a training ground of partnerships between all participating drivers and such moves will not be beneficial to their career, be it in the short or long term."

The 3rd and 4th round of the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship will take place at the Circuit-Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as part of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on June 8-10.

TEAM KMA'S JEFFREY PETRIELLO CLAIMS 1ST PLACE IN ROOKIE POINTS

Tooele, UT (May 19, 2007) - Jeffrey Petriello driving the Team KMA Racing #13 sponsored by Cabo Wabo Cantina and Cinemas Guzzo ran an outstanding opening race of the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship, claiming 1st Place in the Rookie Championship and 2nd Place in the race and Driver's Championship.

Starting in 3rd position, Petriello got off to a great start and took over the 2nd position by the end of the first lap and remained firmly in second till the checkered flag. The young Canadian from the Montreal area remained with car lengths of the leader and eventual race winner throughout the race. A late race caution period bunched the cars up for a restart which saw Petriello close within inches, but was unable to get past for the win. Jeffrey Petriello on the 1st place Rookie and 2nd Place finish: "I'm really happy to start the Championship in a good way. The track conditions were very different from this morning due to the hot temperature, but I managed to run a good race without any mistakes. Finishing as the 1st Place Rookie and 2nd overall motivates me for tomorrow's race. I really want to thank my Dad because he works night and day to make this possible, all my sponsors Cabo Wabo Cantina and Cinemas Guzzo, and Team KMA for the outstanding work they do for me to be able to compete at this level."

Team KMA Drivers Mike Hill and Julia Landauer ran in the top 15 most of the race with Hill finishing today's opening race of the season in 16th place with Landauer going off track towards the end of the event and was unable to continue.

Mike Hill on his first Formula BMW race: "My first race was an exciting one. I had a good start but made a mistake on lap 3 and lost a lot of ground. I worked my way back up to 11th, but to avoid an on-track incident, that occurred in front of me, forced me to go off track and lose 5 more spots. Finishing 16th was not what I came here to do and tomorrow will be a much better race. As I said before starting 13th could be a good omen."

Julia Landauer on her first Formula BMW race: "My first Formula BMW race did not go as planned or as I had hoped. I really wanted to place the #55 Cabo Wabo Cantina / Brains Function Design car towards the front. But, I definitely learned from my mistakes and I know what I have to do tomorrow.

Saturday's race for the second round of the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship will start at 11:30 AM CST.

TEAM KMA RACING CLAIMS TWO TOP-TEN STARTING POSITIONS

Tooele, UT (May 17, 2007) - Team KMA Racing claims two top-ten starting positions with drivers Jeffrey Petriello (3rd) and Julia Landauer (9th). Barely misses getting all three cars in the top ten with driver Mike Hill starting 11th on the grid at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

"It's a nice way to start the season," claims Team co-owner and manager Ingo Strackerjan. "These kids have been working real hard in the pre-season and it shows. The field is pretty tight, so the first race is going to be interesting."

Jeffrey Petriello Car# 13, starting 3rd: "I'm very satisfied to start my first open-wheel race in 3rd position. The entire team worked extremely hard since the beginning of the weekend and I want to thank and congratulate all of them. To be able to represent my sponsors Cabo Wabo Cantina and Cinemas Guzzo with a top-three start makes it even more rewarding. The key to tomorrow's race will be to run consistent laps and not make a mistake, so I can't wait!"

Julia Landauer Car# 55, starting 9th: "I'm really excited about starting my first Formula BMW race in the top-ten. All the drivers are pretty close in times, so I'm glad to be starting on the inside and giving my sponsors Cabo Wabo Cantina and Brains Function Designs a good start to the season. It should be a good battle."

Mike Hill Car# 53, starting 11th: "It's been a hard working weekend for Team KMA Racing in the pits. I was a little disappointed, qualifying the #53 Cabo Wabo Cantina car in 11th, but we're all working hard and I know we'll find those few tenths of a second. I'm looking forward to the first race. With the field so close in times, starting mid-field and right behind my team-mate should call for a very exciting and competitive race."

The first two rounds of the Formula BMW USA Championship will be held on Friday, May 18th and Saturday May 19th. Qualifying for the second round will be held on the morning of the 18th.

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 10TH, 2007
TEAM KMA DRIVERS LOOKING GOOD AT VIR

Alton, VA (April 9, 2007) - Team KMA Drivers Julia Landauer, Jeffrey Petriello and Mike Hill took to the track this weekend at the second Official test for the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship.

Jeffrey Petriello posted the fastest time of the second session during the final day and finished 4th fastest overall for the two day test, while Julia Landauer posted the 4th quickest time of the final session of the second day and finished 8th fastest overall. Mike Hill missed almost all of the first day due to an engine failure and finished 15th fastest overall for the weekend.

"It was a successful test for our drivers who have never seen this track before this weekend," stated Jon Lewis, Team KMA co-owner. "We put a lot of miles on these cars this weekend, more than we would have liked and it was unfortunate that Mike's engine blew apart on the morning of the first day. These engines are pretty reliable and it was a surprise to everyone."

"The crew worked a tremendous amount of hours," Lewis continued. "We were the first one's at the track each day and the last to leave. But, we needed to get Mike out there on Sunday. Missing the first day at a new track put him behind a little, but he steadily gained speed throughout the day on Sunday. It sure wasn't representative of his ability and speed by any means."

Team KMA Racing's Indy Pro Series driver Robbie Pecorari was on hand to assist the Team's Formula BMW drivers. "It was very beneficial having Robbie at the track with us," said Team KMA's other co-owner Ingo Strackerjan. "Having someone of Robbie's talents and experience to guide our drivers will help us get them up to speed quicker, which is important in this Championship due to the limited amount of track time we have available at events."

Team KMA heads to Houston for the next Official Test session on April 21-22.

For High Resolution Pictures please contact Team KMA through tkmar.com

ROBBIE PECORARI CLAIMS 5TH PLACE

St. Petersburg, FL (April 1, 2007) – Robbie Pecorari driving the #13 Cabo Wabo Tequila Team KMA Racing Dallara claimed a 5th place finish in today's third race of the Indy Pro Series at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

With three top-10 finishes (8th at Homestead, 7th in Saturday's race at St. Pete and 5th in today's race at St. Pete) Robbie is now currently in 5th place in Championship points and 2nd in Rookie points. Team KMA Racing also currently sits in 5th place in Team points.

"It was a very exciting weekend," stated Team KMA co-owner Jon Lewis. "When we finished on top of the charts for the second practice session, we knew we had something here. The Team KMA crew did a great job putting a solid car underneath Robbie and Robbie did a masterful job on track. We had a lot of people at the race this weekend and it was great to have such a strong finish."

After taking a big hit from behind in the first turn of the opening lap, Pecorari soldiered on and never looked back. "It was a pretty big hit and tore off a significant section of my left front wing end fence," commented Pecorari. "But, other than a little understeer in the right hand turns, the car felt very stable."
Pecorari spent most of the race battling with driver Chris Festa. "It's so difficult to pass at St. Pete," said Robbie Pecorari. "In fact the only place you can really pass is turn one. But, you have to be patient and wait for the right time and not make a mistake." Pecorari's late race pass was about as exciting as they get; deep inside diving pass into turn one, tires smoking and driving the #13 Cabo Wabo Tequila car through traffic like thread through a needle.

Both rounds of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix for the Indy Pro Series will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 4:30 PM on Friday, April 6th.

Team KMA Racing is sponsored in part by Cabo Wabo Tequila, Cabo Wabo Cantina, SRI Hydraulics and Auto Aficionado Magazine. Team KMA Racing is a motorsports company formed by a partnership between Jon Lewis (American Spirit Racing) and Ingo Strackerjan (Atlantic Racing Team). The #13 Cabo Wabo Tequila racecar is co-owned by Hall of Fame Rocker Sammy Hagar and Jon Lewis. Team KMA Racing also campaigns three cars in the Formula BMW USA Championship with drivers; Mike Hill, Julia Landauer and Jeffrey Petriello.

 

TEAM KMA DRIVERS SHOW TALENT AT ROAD ATLANTA

Team KMA Racing drivers Mike Hill, Julia Landauer and Jeffrey Petriello showed their talents at the first official test for the Formula BMW USA Championship at the famed Road Atlanta road course on March 19-20.

Mike Hill (3rd fastest driver of the 2 days) and Jeffrey Petriello (6th fastest driver of the 2 days) were the only first year drivers in the top eight. Julia Landauer was 10th quickest in the final session of the first day and was rapidly climbing up the ladder, until a mechanical problem foiled her chance of rising to the top.

"I am really pleased with the performance of all three of our drivers," commented Jon Lewis, co-owner of Team KMA Racing. "To have Mike finish in 3rd and Jeffrey in 6th was a testament to their talents as drivers. All three of our drivers posted times within a couple hundredths of a second of each other in our last test at Roebling Road. With a strong field of young drivers, to have all three in the top ten is tremendous. Mike and Jeffrey battled each other the entire second day swapping positions on almost every lap. It was really something to watch."

"Unfortunately, for Julia we had a problem with the foam in her fuel cell towards the end of the first day, which shut off the flow of fuel to her engine," Lewis continued. "We worked until late at night to prepare our forth car for her to use on the second day, however the engine just wasn't up to speed. It was disappointing, because she was quick on the first day and I know she would have been able to break into the top 5 on the second."

"It surely would have been a delight to see Julia's driving talent. The issue with the fuel cell and the subsequent engine misery in our fourth car, as Jon mentioned, was very frustrating for not only the Team KMA mechanics and management as well as the entire Formula BMW USA technical staff but also for the parent. Seeing her being sidelined and watching other drivers beating her first day times was nearly heartbreaking", explained Ingo Strackerjan, Manager for the Team KMA Formula BMW USA. "We've taken significant steps which should eradicate such dilemma in the future. It was just unreal to have both cars non-operational, even after a long maintenance night and not being been able to provide Julia with what she deserved - one perfect running FBMW FB2 car. On the positive side - on-track performance during both test days went very well as the practice timing had shown - all three drivers performed well, beating the lap times and records of our previous drivers, even under the circumstances and stress the team had."

This is undoubtedly going to be an exciting season for Team KMA Racing. The next official test will take place at Virginia International Raceway on April 7&8. Watch for the Mike, Julia and Jeffrey to show what they've got!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROBBIE PECORARI CLAIMS EIGHT'S PLACE

Homestead, FL (March 24, 2007) - Robbie Pecorari driving the Cabo Wabo Tequila sponsored Team KMA Racing Dallara in the Indy Pro Series season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway claimed an 8th place finish today.

Starting in 18th position, Pecorari immediately got down to business and masterfully worked his way through the field. 25 cars started today's race that was scheduled for 67 laps, but was cut short to 57 laps due to a huge hole torn in the catch fence from an incident on lap 46. What makes Robbie's climb through the field even more impressive is that there were only 27 laps of green flag racing.

"The Cabo Wabo Tequila car was phenomenal during the entire race and only got better as the race went on," claimed Pecorari. "It's a shame that the race was shortened by the caution periods as I feel we could have easily got into the top 5. All in all, it was a good weekend. I learned a lot about the car and race strategy and feel very confident going into St. Pete. My best wishes go out to my competitors that were involved in today's incidents."

"Robbie did a tremendous job today," stated Team KMA co-owner Jon Lewis. "Being his first race in this series and his first oval race in these cars at these speeds, I have to say that I was very impressed. But my partner Ingo (Strackerjan) and I knew what we had in this young driver going into the series. We had some issues yesterday trying to find the right set up for qualifying and unfortunately weren't able to find the right one. But, the crew did a great job over night and today the Cabo Wabo car was perfect. I have to hand it to the entire team, from Robbie to Chuck (Buckman) , Justin (Herring) and Joe (Barlam), they pulled it all together and now we have some good momentum heading to St. Pete."

Team KMA Racing will be testing on the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course on Tuesday in preparation for next weekend's event in St. Petersburg, Florida. Today's race will be televised on ESPN2 on Wednesday March 28th at 5:00 PM EST.

TEAM KMA OFFERS VALUABLE INTERNSHIP TO YOUNG KARTERS

Halifax,NS / Cape Coral,FL
February 26th, 2007-02-26

Team KMA Racing will offer young karters the opportunity to experience a first-hand, inside look at everything involved in a Formula BMW Championship weekend, a very important experience for young drivers considering an advancement into open-wheel racing. Two intern positions will be open at each event weekend on the 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship schedule, and are open to karters who live in the area of the races.

Interns will receive crew member credentials, work with the Team in the paddock and pits, from the early mornings until our job is done. They will meet all our drivers, and have free time to talk and roam about the paddock when schedules allow. They will also be introduced to the race administration and organizers, the cars, the inner workings of our team, de-briefing of our drivers, maintenance of cars and equipment, and more.

“Team KMA Racing, with teams in the Indy Pro Series and Formula BMW USA Championship, has always been proud to be associated with young karters, as most of our drivers were karters prior to their Formula racing careers. It is important to all race teams, regardless of what class they are involved in, to foster growth in karting clubs,” stated Ingo Strackerjan, Team KMA co-owner and Formula BMW Team Manager. “We would therefore like to offer young karters the opportunity of a lifetime; becoming a Team KMA Racing crew member for the weekend that we race in their City.”

At the end of the race weekend, interns will be presented with a poster, signed by all drivers and crew; payment towards their next kart race; and the uniforms they receive at the beginning of the weekend will be theirs to keep.

Internships are limited at two per race weekend, so karters are urged to apply as soon as possible. Karters who are interested, should go to www.tkmar.com and write to us a short note with your karting experience and why we should select you for this weekend".

TEAM KMA RACING NOTES, HOMESTEAD-MIAMI OPEN TEST

Homestead, FL (February 23, 2007) – Team KMA Racing with driver Robbie Pecorari concluded the initial shakedown of their new car yesterday during the Indy Pro Series Open Test at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Team KMA Formula BMW engineer Lucas Strackerjan was present to observe the difference in oval set up and Team KMA Formula BMW mechanic Justin Herring, worked with the Indy Pro Series team to help change the car over from road to oval configuration.

“Tuesday was more of a shakedown run for us than a real test,” commented Jon Lewis, Team KMA co-owner. “This was the first time we’ve gotten the car out on the track since we took delivery of it earlier this month, so we spent a considerable amount of time just checking specific areas of the car and making several changes in set up just to get a comfortable baseline.”

This was also Robbie’s first time in an Indy Pro Series car on a road course (Pecorari passed his Rookie test on the Homestead oval a few weeks ago). “The Indy Pro Series car is quite different from the Atlantic car,” stated Pecorari. “It’s got a lot more horsepower and handles quite different, but I was very pleased in what we learned yesterday from the different changes we made during our shakedown runs.”

Even though the team was concentrating on the basics of the car and not on optimum speed and performance, Robbie consistently ran in the top five all day on Tuesday. “The car had an easy half a second more in it,” continued Pecorari. “But, I didn’t want to push it and tear something up. After all, we’re here to shake it down and get it ready for the opening race later this month.”

On Thursday, Robbie and the Team were back on track, this time on the oval. Although new to the Indy Pro Series scene, Pecorari has previously driven at two oval events in the Pro Mazda Series, winning one of them. “The guys had to scramble to get the car ready for this week’s test,” stated Lewis. “We received the new engine just last week as well as the bodywork back from the painter They did a great job getting it all together, but we still have a little aerodynamic work to do to get a little more speed out of her. We had difficulty eliminating some of the understeer in the corners, which we feel will also be helped by the aero work. But, as I said before, this was basically a shake down of the car on the road and oval courses and we now know what we have to do to be up front.” The number 13, Cabo Wabo tequila sponsored car finished the day just over 3/10ths of a second off the fastest time of the day.

The team has headed back to its Indiana shop to prepare the car for the season opener on March 24th at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

TEAM KMA DRIVERS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Bloomingdale, GA (February 14, 2007) - Team KMA Racing’s Formula BMW team with drivers Jeffrey Petriello, Julia Landauer and Mike Hill finished an extensive two-day test at Roebling Road on Tuesday posting very favorable results. “All our drivers progressed tremendously over the two days,” stated Team KMA co-principal Jon Lewis.“You could see the determination in their eyes and the dedication to be the best at their craft. We were all very impressed with how rapidly they learned the limits of the car and the consistency each were able to project.”

“The entire team has really bonded into a tight-knit group,”