Latest News
2010 Star Mazda Series North American
Championship presented by Goodyear schedule
|
Date |
Track |
Event |
Location |
| Jan 23-24 |
Sebring International Raceway |
Series Test |
Sebring, Florida |
| March 19 |
Sebring International Raceway |
ALMS |
Tristan Vautier |
| March 28 |
St Petersburg |
IRL |
Conor Daly |
| May 5-6 |
O'Reilly Raceway Park |
Series test |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
| May 23 |
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca |
ALMS |
Monterey, California |
| May 29 |
O'Reilly Raceway Park |
Night before 500 |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
| June 19 |
Iowa Speedway |
IRL |
Newton, Iowa |
| June 26 |
New Jersey
Motorsports Park #1 |
Feature |
Millville, New Jersey |
| June 27 |
New Jersey
Motorsports Park #2 |
Feature |
Millville, New
Jersey |
| July 31 |
Autobahn Chicago #1 |
Feature |
Joliet, Illinois |
| Aug 1 |
Autobahn Chicago #2 |
Feature |
Joliet, Illinois |
| August 15 |
Trois-Rivieres |
Feature |
Trois-Rivieres,
Canada |
| August 21 |
Road America |
ALMS |
Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin |
| August 28 |
Mosport International
Raceway |
ALMS |
Bowmanville, Canada |
| October 1 |
Road Atlanta |
ALMS |
Braselton, Georgia |
|
All 2010 Star Mazda Series North American
Championship presented by Goodyear races will be
sanctioned by IMSA
|
|
Court Finishes The Season With a First Place Finish!
Race 11 & 12 - Road Atlanta, GA
Vernon Maintains His
Position In The points With A Second Place Finish in Atlanta!
Race 11, Friday, September 25, 2009
In race 1 Court started
in the 6th position. When the green flag waved he made his first
pass going into turn one. Two laps after the pass Court was headed
to the breaking zone in turn ten, locked up the brakes, got loose
and went off the track landing him in last place. Vernon started
slowly on his climb to the front, only breaking into the top five on
Lap 10. Once in the lead pack, Vernon used the draft and his
competitors' miscues to his advantage to continue his move forward
and take the lead at the white flag. The battle for the lead
continued to the end, with the lead pair racing side-by-side down
the back straightaway, through the Turn 10A/B chicane, under the
bridge and onto the front straight. Vernon made it on the podium
with a 2nd place finish. Vernon's second place was crucial for the
points, since leader Connor De Phillippi was shuffled to the back of
the lead draft late in the race and could do no better than sixth.
Race 12, Friday, September 25, 2009
In race two Court Vernon,
the Key Biscayne, Florida driver, was hoping to capitalize on his
Race 1 momentum. As the green flag waved, Vernon kept his position
until the back straight away where he worked his way to first place
on the next lap. Unfortunately, Court came out on the short end of
the stick when another competitor made contact in turn ten sending
him in to the gravel trap. The incident put him a lap down and he
finished the race in fifteenth, erasing the advantage he gained in
Race 1. Vernon said, "The car was running well and I knew that I was
at the top of my game. I was unbelievable disappointed and
frustrated when I was hit. At this point it will take extraordinary
circumstances for me to take the lead in the point standings, but I
am up for the challenge."
Race 13 & 14, Lime Rock, CT
Vernon Tops Off The Season with A 1st Place Finish! Court Was
Awarded "Rookie of the Year" and Finished 2nd in the Point Standings
Race 13, Friday, October 9, 2009
The conditions for race 1
were very wet. Vernon took the green in the 3rd position where he
maintained his position until lap three. He made an error going into
the brake zone that put him in the tire barrier retiring him from
the race.
Race 14, Saturday, October 10, 2009
The rain
cleared up for race 2 and Court was prepared to redeem himself.
Vernon started the race in 5th place and moved up a position in the
first turn. The three competitors in front of him were battling it
out pushing themselves for position gain. Court said, "I analyzed
the way that they were driving and figured that surely one of them
would take themselves or someone else out." The battle sent De
Phillippi out into the wet grass. On the last lap Vernon stayed
right on the tail of first place and coming to the checkered flag,
it was Court Vernon carrying the extra momentum as he made his final
pass for the lead. Court won the race by 26 thousandths of a second
with his second 1st place finish of the season.
Star Mazda
Test in Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA. (September 21, 2009) - Team
GDT recently returned to Road Atlanta for testing with the very
talented Court Vernon. The times put up during testing proved to be
extremely competitive with many of the top contenders in the Star
Mazda series.
"It's always great to work with a professional
team like GDT," stated Vernon. "I learned so much in one day from
all the members on the team. I can only imagine what you could learn
running a full-season with a crew like GDT has. It's beyond just
having a great set-up on the car, they work on every aspect of the
pro driver, from understanding engineering on the car to a driver's
mental preparation, conditioning and nutrition on and off the
track".
"I was very impressed with Court's natural talent and
his technical skills,"
stated Bob Markley Team GDT Engineer. "He
is a gifted driver, who has the capability and mentality to succeed
and flourish through the American open wheel ranks. His quick hands
and ability to translate feedback and data into his driving will
make him a very tough competitor. Court was running lap times just
off the day's leaders, which given that they have well over half a
season in the Star Mazda car is quite an accomplishment. We spent
the majority of the day evaluating different setups and working on
Court's technique and line. Unfortunately we didn't get to a sticker
tire run until later in the day with less than optimal conditions.
But then again, you don't get points for winning a test day and the
information we got will make us even stronger in the coming rounds.
"I am looking forward to working with Court again, as I know
that the next time he gets in the car he will have taken all of the
debrief information and internalized it to become an even stronger
driver," added Markley. "The amount of intelligent and relevant
questions he asked was amazing and his eagerness to improve is
evident. With a little seat time, he can contend for next year's
Rookie of the Year and possibly even the title. I wish him the best
in the remaining Skip Barber races and hope that a little of what he
learned with Team GDT at the test gives him a bit more of an
advantage through the rest of this season."
Court currently
ranks second in championship points for the Skip Barber National
Series. Keep an eye out for Court at Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans,
where he hopes to deliver another top-notch performance in his quest
for that championship and the scholarship to race in the Star Mazda
race series next year.
Five 1st Place Finishes A New Track Record in NJ Vernon
Leading The Points!
Winner Takes All with Court Vernon Leading the Points Race!
Court Vernon had the finest weekend of his career at the
second-to-the-last leg of the Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series.
This young man's drive, determination and talent have taken him to
the top of his game. Court had a record breaking five 1st Place
Finishes and is the current track record holder after breaking it
twice at Lightning, N.J. this weekend!
The Vernon crew
arrived the night before the practice session. Armed with only his
racing skills, Court mentally prepared for the days ahead. He knew
that this would be the ultimate weekend to shine. Skip Barber race
rules provide that, in the event a competitor cannot race in a
series weekend, racers have the option to "Double Up" at another
race series event. Being age 16, Court was too young (according to
track regulations) to compete in the Watkins Glen, New York race. So
he decided to take advantage of this opportunity and "Doubled-Up"
this past weekend in New Jersey.
Everything went right. This
was a new track for Vernon and for Skip Barber Racing. In only two
practice sessions Court was able to learn quickly how to get the
best out of the track. In the first race, Court broke the track
record. In the following race, he broke the track record again! That
record held through the weekend. Each of the five 20-lap races
provided non-stop action with Court displaying his clean and
consistent driving.
With a season total of seven 1st place
finishes, Court is now leading the points standings! Next week's
season-ending races at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut will decide the
winner of the Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series.
Race 12
and Double-Up 1, Lightning, NJ, Saturday, August 30th
On
Saturday Court qualified in third position for his first race. His
strategy was to run as consistently as possible. As the green flag
waved he methodically moved his way up to second. Shortly afterwards
Vernon took the lead for the remainder of the race. Court not only
won the race - but also set a new track record!
Shortly
afterwards, Court had to prepare for his second race of the day
where he qualified in second position. The competition for 1st place
was fierce as Vernon battled it out every lap -jockeying between 1st
and 2nd. Court was able to push the envelope and pressure the front
runner from behind. He took first place on the last lap and held off
the competition through the checkered flag.
Race 13 and
Double-Up 2, Lightning,NJ Sunday, August 31st
Court started
on the pole for Sunday's race. At the green flag, he found himself
in 2nd position. At that point, Court decided his best strategy was
to run the draft until the last lap. Court kept the pressure on
throughout the race. On the last lap, Vernon made his move and took
the checkered flag for a photo finish victory by half a car length.
The final race for the points standing found Court on the pole
position again. From the moment the race started, Court maintained
first place and slowly pulled away from the field. He led every lap
to take home his fourth win.
Vernon Makes a Clean Sweep in
NJ!
The Phil Hill Memorial Race gives drivers an opportunity
to compete against one another just for fun. The outcome of the race
does not affect the race series points standings. Court competed
against other Regional Series drivers, the top three drivers leading
the National Series, and even a Skip Barber Driving Instructor.
There was a random draw and Court pulled the 7th position. When the
green flag waved, Court passed one driver and by the end of the
first lap he had passed two more. As each lap went by, he
systematically made his way past the rest of the field for his fifth
and final victory of the weekend!
Vernon Wins The Championship And Is Awarded Rookie Of The
Year!
Court Vernon Wins the 2008 Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series
and is named "Rookie of the Year"!
The last two races of the
Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series were held at Lime Rock Park in
Connecticut last Friday and Saturday. Going into this final weekend
of racing, only five points separated the top two drivers. Court
knew that he would have to concentrate and remain in control in
order to bring home the title. The stakes were high since each race
was worth double points. Vernon, leading the points standings, knew
he had to give a top notch performance in both races to secure the
title.
Race 13, Lime Rock Park, CT, Friday, September 12th
In qualifying Court pulled the most consistent times and started
the race in second position. Just before the race began, a rain
storm hung over the track making it slick and unpredictable. When
the green flag waved, Court lost a position and was then hit in the
side, nearly putting him off the track. He regained control of the
car and set his mind to catching first place, "but not all things go
the way you want" said Court. A few laps later three drivers,
running side by side, slowed down to avoid bumping into one another
in a narrow turn. Court came up on them quickly and, moving to the
inside to avoid a collision, hit a slick spot and spun out. Because
all four wheels left the track, race rules dictated that he had to
go in the pits, stop, then resume the race, which left him in 8th
place. Court never gave up, though, and he finished the race in 7th
position.
Race 14, Lime Rock Park, CT, Saturday, September
13th
Slow and Steady Win's the Race.
At this point Court
was disappointed but as determined as ever to compete to the best of
his ability. Vernon was now in second place in the point's
standings. For him to win the championship, two things needed to
happen: Court needed to finish first in the final race and the new
points leader would have to place 5th or lower. Because of his
finish in the first race, Court started the final race in seventh
position. Vernon slowly picked his way through the field and passed
one car after another until he was in third position and only 3
seconds behind the leader. At the same time, the point's leader had
a gearbox problem and fell back to seventh position. But Court still
had to finish in first in order to win the points. A few laps later,
Vernon passed the second place car. And then shortly afterwards he
passed the first place car to take the lead. From there, Court broke
the draft on the straightaway and started pulling away. Two laps
later, Court was crowned race winner. With that win, Court Vernon
became the official 2008 Skip Barber Eastern Regional Championship
driver and he was also honored as Rookie of the Year!
Top Ten Finish for Vernon In Atlanta's Star Mazda Race!
See It On TV October 19th
Right before the Skip Barber Championship race, Court was offered
an opportunity to test drive a Star Mazda car in Atlanta. The test
drive went so well that he was offered the opportunity to compete in
the upcoming Star Mazda race on Friday, October 3rd. Formula Mazda
Racing, which features open wheel race cars adaptable to both oval
tracks and road courses, is professionally organized and has
provided the most popular format for sponsors, spectators, and
upward bound drivers. Court's goal was to reach the top ten when the
checkered flag waved.
Tuesday, September 30th was the first
day of the event that featured three 25 minute test sessions. Court
ran well and had the 9th, 10th and 12th best times respectively and
by the end of the day was only 1.3 seconds away from the lead time.
Wednesday, October 1st featured two official practice
sessions that lasted 45 minutes each. The first session went well
with Court having the 9th best time. The crew had high hopes for the
second session, but things do not always go as planned. In the
middle of the second session, one of the other race cars had engine
difficulties and left a trail of oil on the track. Court was the
first one to reach the spill before the track officials figured out
what had happened. In turn one Court hit the oil spill at an
estimated 120 mph and crashed into the wall. Court was shaken, not
stirred, and walked away from the incident. The car was not as
fortunate and suffered severe damage. Surprisingly, Court pulled his
fastest time in that session and still managed to reach the 15th
spot.
Thursday, October 2nd was all about qualifying. The
crew worked throughout the night to repair the entire right side of
the car so Court would be able to qualify. As Court prepared to go
out on the track, the car experienced engine problems and would not
start. With only 22 minutes to qualify the crew responded quickly
and was able to get the car up and running. Unfortunately, Court was
only able to complete four laps, which resulted in him qualifying in
the 18th position.
Friday, October 3rd featured the race. On
Thursday, after qualifying the crew had to replace the engine in
order to prepare for the 45 minute featured race. The Star Mazda
Series races begin with a standing start, similar to the Formula One
races. When the green flag waved Court gained two positions
immediately and as the race progressed he passed cars one by one,
lap after lap to reach the 9th place. Court was hit in the side,
which caused him to go off the track briefly, pushing him back to
15th place. Shortly afterwards, a caution came out for the next
seven laps and then it was back to racing for only one lap when
another caution came out. The 45 minute race was reduced to only 25
laps with 11 of the 25 laps run under caution. Subsequently, there
was very little time left for Court to work his way up the field,
but his persistence and perseverance paid off. Vernon made some
amazing passes and worked his way back up to 9th place when the
checkered flag waved.
Vernon Wins the Skip Barber Shoot-Out in Sebring, FL!
Karting Shoot-out: Vernon & Karam Win Top Prize
SEBRING, Fla.
- At the 12th annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out at
Sebring International Raceway, 51 star karters spent three days
driving Skip Barber F2000 open-wheel race cars in hopes of winning
seat-time scholarships for 2009. In what the judging panel claimed
was one of the most closely contested Shoot-outs in its decade-plus
existence, four drivers earned scholarships.
The competition
was so close, in fact, that an unprecedented award scenario played
out: Not one but two paid seasons in the 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber
National Presented by Mazda were presented, each with a value
approaching $50,000: Court Vernon, 16, of Key Biscayne, Fla., and
Sage Karam, 13, from Nazareth, Pa., will both race under the
MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder system banner.
Skip Barber V.P. of Competition Todd Snyder said, ''The field this
year was ridiculously deep - we had many, many good drivers worthy
of recognition. When it came to the top prize of a season in the
National, well, it was just impossible to choose between Court and
Sage. They're both very quick, very smart... complete packages. So
they both won.''
Vernon said, ''Oh, man, this is soooooo
good - absolute highlight of my career. I had butterflies in my
stomach all three days! But now that I won this... It's hard to
describe. All I know is I can't wait for the season to start.''
Mazda's John Doonan, who leads the MAZDASPEED Motorsports
Development team, said, ''The Skip Barber Shoot-out is a perfect
reflection of Mazdaspeed's ethos - get bright, young talent started
on the best ladder system. Significant help within a proven system
of Skip Barber, Star Mazda, Atlantic Powered by Mazda and beyond is
what Mazda racing is all about.''
The 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip
Barber National Presented by Mazda opens its 14-race season with
rounds one and two at Sebring International Raceway March 17-20,
supporting the 12-Hour LeMans Race Series. The Skip Barber
National's Spring Training test days are also at Sebring, February
28 - March 1.
Court Vernon 3rd in Points in the Skip Barber National
Series!
Race 5 & 6 - New Jersey Motorsports Park - Thunderbolt
Saturday, June 13, 2009 & Sunday, June 14, 2009
The weekend was
dubbed Mazda Formula X, as it was an all-singing, all-dancing Mazda
fest at New Jersey Motorsports Park, with the Atlantic Championship,
Star Mazda Championship, Mazda MX-5 Cup, IMSA Lites and Skip Barber
National cars all running.
The 5th race in the Skip Barber
National Series presented by BF Goodrich took Vernon to the podium.
Court Vernon, a karting Shoot-out winner, parlayed his first pole
position into the lead at the start of race one on Saturday. He was
two car lengths ahead of the next driver when a full course yellow
occurred. Back to green at the start of lap six, a battle for the
lead ensued for the remainder of the race with Vernon leading four
of the eight lead changes. Most leads in the Skip Barber National
are as safe as a can of Red Bull in the driver hospitality tent.
Blink and it's gone. Vernon said, "I had another great weekend but,
unfortunately I made a costly mistake on the final lap. I know what
I did wrong and it won't happen again." Vernon hit the podium with a
third place finish.
Believe it or not, the Sunday's race was
even tighter. In the 6th race of the series this season, there were
long stretches where the first 15 of the 21 starters were all in one
pack. They were either side-by-side looking like the pace lap, or
nose-to-tail in one long, long train. Vernon qualified in tenth and
worked his way up to a sixth place finish.
Court's solid
performance brings him up to third place in the overall point
standings.
The BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by
Mazda drivers return to their cockpits on July 18-19, with Round
Seven and Eight at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
Don't miss it!
Court Vernon Hits the Podium in the Skip Barber National
Series!
February, 2009
Vernon made a guest appearance on WQAM Sports
Radio with host and radio personality Eric Brandon. Brandon followed
Court's progress last season including the series finale where he
clinched the championship in the Skip Barber Eastern Regional
Series. Eric gave Court the opportunity to represent Skip Barber as
one of the new Mazda Speed Ladder Drivers after winning the Skip
Barber Karting Shoot-Out in December, 2008. Brandon is looking
forward to keeping his listeners abreast of his progress this season
in the Skip Barber National Series.
Race 1 & 2 - Sebring
International Raceway
Thursday, March 19, 2009 & Friday,
March 20, 2009
Court was excited, nervous and anxious for his
first race in the Skip Barber National Series. In Race 1, Vernon
qualified 11th and made his way up to 9th for a Top Ten finish. In
Race 2, Court qualified 13th and finished 9th for another Top Ten
finish. Vernon was somewhat satisfied with the results but is
looking forward to the next opportunity to race at the Virginia
International Raceway.
Other than racing, the most
intriguing part of the weekend was the media training session for
the Mazda Speed Ladder Driver Development Program with Calvin Fish
and Brian Till. Vernon said, "There were a lot of things they taught
me and I cannot wait to put them to good use. I am very grateful to
Mazda Speed for providing me with the opportunity to train with the
best." The following day the Mazda Speed Ladder Drivers participated
in a pre-race Press Conference with top members of the media. For a
sneak peak at the media training, go to:
http://www.oncars.com/video/449/Rev-Episode-4-The-Camera-is-Your-Friend
and see Court midway through the clip.
Race 3 & 4 - Virginia
International Raceway
Saturday, April 25, 2009 & Sunday,
April 26, 2009
In rounds three and four of the
BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda at Virginia
International Raceway, the racing was typically frantic and fraught
with action. Drafting, passing and lead changes galore are the Skip
Barber National norm at VIR.
In race three, Court Vernon,
one of this year's two ''full ride'' Karting Scholarship winners,
started ninth and finished fourth. "I didn't have great start and
fell a few positions, but I was able to get my momentum back and
successfully made my way up through the field."
Race 4, the
second race of the weekend was a bit messier. Vernon qualified 18th
and knew he had a lot of ground to make up. "I knew I had to do one
thing - and that was to pass at least one person per lap." Lap after
lap, Vernon soon realized that he was in fifth position and in
contention for the podium. On the last lap he made his final pass
for a 3rd place finish - his first time on the podium in the Skip
Barber National Series!
Court posted the fastest race lap on
lap 7 and is now in fourth place in the points standings, with one
point separating him from third. Check out
http://www.courtvernon.com/id1.html to hear him put his Mazda Speed
media training to good use on the podium.
Next up is
Thunderbolt, NJ, June 13-14, where it's an all-Mazda show!
Two Trips to the Podium Raises Vernon To Second in the
Points Lead!
Race 9 & 10 - Road America, WI
Lake Elkhart, WI -
MAZDASPEED Development driver Court Vernon earned the fastest lap
time for Round 9 and the pole for Round 10 of the 2009
BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday's Race 1 - Vernon started on
the grid in fifth place and quickly made his way to the top three.
The Road America track has long straightaways, giving competitors
the opportunity for a nice draft. Vernon took advantage as the top
drivers volleyed for position with Court consistently maintaining a
position in the top three. On the last lap Court moved up to second
place and was gearing up to pass again when a crash further back on
the track occurred and a full course yellow flag was thrown. Because
there was only one lap to go the officials decided to end the race
under yellow and Court finished a hard earned 2nd place. "I was glad
with a second place finish, but was disappointed that the race ended
when it did. I had the fastest lap of the race on the lap before the
yellow was thrown and felt that if there had been one more lap I
would have pulled off a first place finish."
Sunday, August
23, 2009
Turn 12, also known as Canada corner, is one of Road
America's signature corners. On Sunday it was also the sight of two
big incidents. Court Vernon picked up his series leading fourth pole
position in the morning's qualifying session and led the field to
the green for the final race of the weekend. Between the draft and
some spectacular moves, the top positions switched hands multiple
times each lap, with Vernon holding the lead most laps at the
stripe. The quick finish set up a drag race between Vernon and De
Phillippi as they crossed the stripe with Vernon coming in second by
the slimmest of margins - four one-thousandths of a second .
With another weekend on the Podium, driver Court Vernon clinches
second in the 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by
Mazda standings. The Skip Barber National next visits Braselton, Ga.
for Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2009 season, supporting the American Le
Mans Series for the 12th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6
September 22-25 at Road Atlanta.
Court Vernon Takes the Checkered Flag at The Barber
Motorsports Park in Alabama!
Race 7 & 8 - Barber Motorsports Park, AL
Leeds, Ala.
(July 17) - MAZDASPEED Development driver Court Vernon swept the
pole for Rounds 7 & 8 of the 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National
Presented by Mazda. In a rare, back-to-back double qualifying
session, the Key Biscayne, Fla. driver nipped the point leader by
.254 of a second in Session 1 and an even closer .006 of a second in
Session 2.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Saturday's Race 1
quickly turned into a four-car break away, with the top four
qualifiers; Court Vernon, De Phillippi, Felipe Polehtto and Kyle
Marcelli pulling away from the pack to fight for the lead amongst
themselves. Lap after lap, the quartet passed and re-passed each
other; using the draft and their momentum to briefly gain advantage
before surrendering falling back into the group. Officially nine
lead changes were scored during the 15 lap race, but an unofficial
count had the number of lead changes in the 40's. All five drivers
covered by less than a second at the stripe with Vernon pulling off
a second place finish.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Leeds,
Ala. (July 19) - Barber Motorsports Park provided the location for
some of the season's best racing as MAZDASPEED Motorsports
Development driver Court Vernon capitalized on his twin poles to
earn his first Skip Barber National victory.
The final race
on the Barber Motorsports Park weekend card began with Court Vernon
and Connor De Phillippi on the front row. Learning their lessons
from Race 1, where early racing for the lead allowed the field to
stay close, the duo worked together early to gap the rest of the
field. From then on it was a matter of who was going to make the
final pass for the lead and when. The final pass came on in Turn 11
on the final lap, and it was Court Vernon who made the winning move.
Vernon, who led all but two laps at the stripe, actually battled
tooth and nail with De Phillippi for point in the later stages of
the race. In the end, Vernon crossed the line ahead of Connor De
Phillippi. The win was the first for Vernon, the 2008 Skip Barber
Eastern Race Series Champion in Skip Barber Regional competition.
With a second and a win on the weekend, Court Vernon closed
in on the points in the 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National
Presented by Mazda and maintains third in the points standings. The
Skip Barber National resumes the weekend of August 21-23 at
Wisconsin's Road America, headlining a card that includes the Skip
Barber Summer Race Series and Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Challenge.
Who is the early title favorite for the 2010 Star Mazda
title?
Court Vernon
![[tally]](images/yellow.jpg) 40%
Anders Krohn
8%
Rusty Mitchell
1%
Conor Daly
12%
Mikael Grenier
1%
Connor De Phillippi
30%
Michael Furfari
1%
Jorge Goncalves
0%
Richard Kent
0%
Chris Miller
3%
Joao Horto
3%
Other
1%
http://www.eformulacarnews.com/polls.php?vo=30&pl=30
Court Takes a Stand on the Podium - Twice at Road of America in Wisconsin
Race 9, Saturday, August 22, 2009
MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver Court Vernon works his way to second.
Race 1, Vernon started on the grid in fifth place and quickly made his way to the top three. The Road America track has long straight-aways, giving competitors the opportunity for a nice draft. Vernon took advantage as the top drivers volleyed for position with Court consistently maintaining a position in the top three. On the last lap Court moved up to second place and was gearing up to pass again when a crash further back on the track occurred and a full course yellow flag was thrown. Because there was only one lap to go the officials decided to end the race under yellow and Court finished a hard earned 2nd place. “I was glad with a second place finish, but was disappointed that the race ended when it did. I had the fastest lap of the race on the lap before the yellow was thrown and felt that if there had been one more lap I would have pulled off a first place finish.”
Race 10 – Sunday, August 23, 2009
Turn 12, also known as Canada corner, is one of Road America’s signature corners. On Sunday it was also the sight of two big incidents. Court Vernon picked up his series leading fourth pole position in the morning’s qualifying session and led the field to the green for the final race of the weekend. Between the draft and some spectacular moves, the top positions switched hands multiple times each lap, with Vernon holding the lead most laps at the stripe. The quick finish set up a drag race between Vernon and De Phillippi as they crossed the stripe with Vernon coming in second by the slimmest of margins – four one-thousandths of a second.
With another weekend on the Podium, driver Court Vernon clinches second in the 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda standings. The Skip Barber National next visits Braselton, Ga. for Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2009 season, supporting the American Le Mans Series for the 12th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6 September 22-25 at Road Atlanta.
12/30/2008 12:00:00 AM
Court competed for the Skip Barber Karting Shootout and placed first
place!!
Karting Shoot-out: Vernon & Karam Both Win Top Prize SEBRING,
Fla.
At the 12th annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out at
Sebring International Raceway, 51 star karters spent three days
driving Skip Barber F2000 open-wheel race cars in hopes of winning
seat-time scholarships for 2009. In what the judging panel claimed
was one of the most closely contested Shoot-outs in its decade-plus
existence, four drivers earned scholarships.
The competition was so close, in fact, that an unprecedented award
scenario played out: Not one but two paid seasons in the 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip
Barber National Presented by Mazda were presented, each with a value
approaching $50,000: Court Vernon, 16, of Key Biscayne, Fla., and
Sage Karam, 13, from Nazareth, Pa., will both race under the MAZDASPEED
Motorsports Development ladder system banner. Karam is the youngest
driver to win the Shoot-out’s biggest prize.
With 41 drivers from the U.S. and 10 others from Brazil, Canada,
Colombia, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Russia, Spain and Puerto Rico,
the 12th annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out was at
its most international in its history.
Skip Barber V.P. of Competition Todd Snyder said, ‘‘The
field this year was ridiculously deep – we had many, many
good drivers worthy of recognition. When it came to the top prize
of a season in the National, well, it was just impossible to choose
between Court and Sage. They’re both very quick, very smart…
complete packages. So they both won.’’
Vernon said, ‘‘Oh, man, this is soooooo good –
absolute highlight of my career. I had butterflies in my stomach
all three days! But now that I won this… It’s hard to
describe. All I know is I can’t wait for the season to start.’’
Karam said he came into the Shoot-out ‘‘…with
high hopes. I mean, I knew I could place well. But to win it, wow.
It was such a long weekend, so many sessions… This is tremendous,
and I plan on making Skip Barber Racing and Mazda proud.’’
Mazda’s John Doonan, who leads the MAZDASPEED Motorsports
Development team, said, ‘‘The Skip Barber Shoot-out
is a perfect reflection of Mazdaspeed’s ethos – get
bright, young talent started on the best ladder system. Significant
help within a proven system of Skip Barber, Star Mazda, Atlantic
Powered by Mazda and beyond is what Mazda racing is all about.’’
The Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out has been responsible
for launching the auto racing careers of dozens of topline drivers
including A.J. Allmendinger, Scott Speed, Patrick Long, Ryan Hunter-Reay
and Michael Valiante, as well as numerous others who have gone on
to post significant achievements in the world of racing. Two recent
champions of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda
– Jonathan Goring in 2006 and Joel Miller in 2007 –
won scholarships at previous Shoot-outs.
The 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda opens
its 14-race season with rounds one and two at Sebring International
Raceway March 17-20, supporting the 12-Hour. The Skip Barber National’s
Spring Training test days are also at Sebring, February 28 - March
1.
2008- Court Vernon won the 2008 Eastern Series Championship
in the Skip Barber RT-2000 car.
8- wins, 2- 2nd places, 2- 3rd places, 1- 6th place, 1- 7th place
2008 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out: Conner
De Phillippi Wins Biggest Prize Feb 04, 2008
SEBRING, Fla. – Scholarship sponsorship worth approximately
$130,000 was awarded to five young karters at the 11th annual Skip
Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out following three days of on-
and off-track assessment at Sebring International Raceway driving
the Skip Barber Formula 2000 open-wheelers. Winning the biggest
prize – a fully paid 14-race season in the BFGoodrich/Skip
Barber National Presented by Mazda – was Conner
De Phillippi, 15, of San Clemente, Calif. De Phillippi bested
50 of some of karting’s best drivers looking to jumpstart
their careers using the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder
system. De Phillippi’s paid ride in the 2008 Skip Barber National
comes courtesy of Mazda and MAZDASPEED.
De Phillippi’s award is worth approximately $45,000 –
seven double-race National weekends and their associated practice,
qualifying and warm-up sessions. The Skip Barber National is the
leading pro development series, an early step on the Mazda-driven
motorsports ladder system that includes the Star Mazda Series and
Champ Car Atlantic Powered by Mazda. The Skip Barber National champion
wins one of the largest title bonuses in entry level pro racing:
a paid ride in the following year’s Star Mazda series, worth
on the order of $350,000.
In addition to Di Phillippi, another Shoot-out entrant won a full
season of competition in the Skip Barber Regional Race Series (choice
of East, West, South or Midwest): Brett Smrz,
16, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, earned the prize that’s
worth approximately $30,000.
Winning another significant prize, a paid half-season of Skip Barber
National worth roughly $22,000, was
20-year-old Fabio
Orsolon of Cabo Frio, Brazil.
Three more karters each won $10,000 scholarships to race with Skip
Barber: Michael Denino, 18, of Gaithersburg,
Md.; Maverick Bartlett, 17, from Jackson,
Wyo.; and Court Vernon, 15, Key Biscayne,
Fla.
De Phillippi said, “I’m shocked, I’m so happy.
I’ve been trying so hard, working hard, and it paid off! I
think I proved today that I’m ready for the National. I want
to run top five, maybe win a race,” he said. “Coming
in, I thought I had a realistic chance to win something. But the
big prize? Wow... My mom, she was crying she was so happy. This
proves to me, never give up.”
MAZDASPEED’s John Doonan, a member of the judging panel,
said, “No two companies in the world care more about driver
development than Mazda and Skip Barber Racing. It was my distinct
pleasure to award Conner his season in the 2008 BFGoodrich/Skip
Barber National Presented by Mazda, the first pro rung on the MAZDASPEED
Motorsports Development ladder system.”
De Phillippi and the five others now join a list of past Skip Barber
Karting Scholarship Shoot-out awardees including A.J. Allmendinger,
Scott Speed, 2006 Skip Barber National champion Jonathan Goring,
and the reigning National titlist, Joel Miller. back
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