2005-2008 National Race Statistics (Skip Barber National, Star Mazda, IMSA-Lites)
Podium finish rate: 61%
Race win rate: 43%
Pole rate: 50%
JONATHAN GORING ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO COMPETE IN THE AMERICAN LE MANS CHALLENGE SERIES IN 2010
IMSA Driver Jonathan Goring, of Norfolk, Connecticut, has announced his intentions for the upcoming 2010 racing season.
“Having two national championships already under my belt, I am more than ready to compete in the new American Le Mans Challenge Series for the 2010 season. My mental game and physical conditioning are better than they have ever been despite not being in the cockpit for the 2009 season due to financial issues. I feel the new series is a perfect next step for me.”
In 2008, at the age of eighteen, Jonathan clinched the 2008 IMSA Lites L1 Championship in the American LeMans Series as a rookie in what became his routine style- flag-to-flag - at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca, California. Goring also claimed pole position for every IMSA-Lites race, and set new qualifying as well as race lap records at every venue. These victories included wins at premier facilities such as Sebring, Miller Motorsports Park, Lime Rock, Mosport, Road Atlanta, and Laguna Seca. Goring won more races than any other IMSA-Lites competitor in series history, and won the L1 championship by a larger margin than anyone else. The previous year, he landed a top five finish overall in the fiercely-competitive Star Mazda series, having been awarded that seat as a result of his being the 2006 Skip Barber National Champion. In 2009, Jonathan was one of the many that were thwarted by the global economy, and was not able to find a title sponsor to race full time. Making the best of the situation, he coached many drivers and teams to victory, worked as a test driver for several teams throughout the season, and worked just as hard toward his physical conditioning.
The American Le Mans organizers have announced details about the new Challenge Series class. The prototype was originally introduced earlier this year as part of the Le Mans Series in Europe. It was also showcased as part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend. The new class in American Le Mans represents an affordable “value engineered” entry to Le Mans prototype racing. It is a highly sophisticated race car with a full carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes and a sequential gearbox with paddle shifting. Its horsepower is in the neighborhood of 450bhp, yet it weighs only 900 kilograms.
Jonathan will be highly competitive in the new championship series in 2010, provided he is in a seat. He already has a proven team of highly skilled, experienced engineers and mechanics, ready to go. The team is currently searching for an advertising partner. For more information, demographics and the benefits of advertising in the American Le Mans Series, or for an interview, contact Jonathan.
Noted experts such as Bruce MacInnes, senior instructor of the Skip Barber Racing School, have chosen Jonathan as one of the top up-and-coming young racers. Bruce said: "I get to see the best young drivers in America and have taught hundreds of thousands of students. Jonathan is one of the top drivers I have ever seen. His disciplined, thoughtful approach has impressed me and served him well against very intense competition."
July 19, 2009
In these tough economic times, sometime it’s hard to find a bargain. However, Jonathan Goring is offering qualified applicants a chance to bring their driving performance to new heights at very attractive rates. Racing skills development has never been more affordable. Jonathan is offering a race driving program incorporating his considerable talent and formidable teaching skills at the track of your choice, using your own car, on a schedule customized for you. Please visit the "contact" page to reserve your dates now.
While searching for sponsorship funds to advance his own racing career, Jonathan has been actively coaching several drivers at Comprent Motor Sports in Athens, Georgia. Continuing in the IMSA Lites series (where Jonathan was the 2008 Champion), this year in a new role as head of Driver Development for Comprent, Jonathan has already gained significant results for his drivers. Notably, this past weekend, he coached Jonathan Gore to the fastest lap of the practice sessions and a well-deserved podium (his best finish of 2009, so far). And Charlie Shears, just back in action after a brief break for personal commitments, scored a thrilling second place in the Lime Rock closing race.
Jonathan is pondering his options for 2010. Hopefully next year will see him behind the wheel.
2008 IMSA-Lites L1 Champion!!
October 18, 2008
JONATHAN GORING WINS 2008 IMSA LITES L1 Championship
Jonathan Goring clinched the 2008 IMSA Lites L1 Championship in his rookie season in his usual spectacular fashion - flag-to-flag – with the new track record to boot- at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in the American LeMans Series Monterey Sports Car Championships Presented by Patron weekend, on Saturday, October 18 in the opening event. Goring’s team, Comprent Motor Sports, also clinched the Team Championship at the same time by virtue of Jonathan’s victory.
Driving the DP-02 Elan sponsored by Comprent, Skip Barber Racing School, Alfas Unlimited and Tifosi Eyewear, Jonathan Goring has claimed pole position at every race this season, so it was no surprise he was the Monterey polesitter. Dominating the series all year, Goring had such a large points lead going into the race that he needed just to cross the finish line in any position to clinch the championship. But that just isn’t Jonathan’s style. He came to race. From the waving of the green flag on Saturday morning, he led the entire field to the checker, some points in the race by nearly twenty seconds, setting a new race lap record. In a pre-race interview, Goring said the team had gotten the setup just right and the car felt terrific for the race. How true. All season, the Athens, Georgia based Comprent team prepared the car expertly for him, and once again the car ran flawlessly, allowing Goring to cruise to the championship.
“Kevin, Brandon, Terry and everyone at Comprent deserve so much credit and my thanks for such a terrific car and such a wonderful season. They gave me such a great opportunity and I am so thrilled to have been able to bring home this championship for all of us,” said Goring, as he enjoyed the victory celebration.
Jonathan, 18, is making a name for himself, not only as a quick driver, but also as a brilliant race tactician and strategist. His intensive study of the track, the car and the conditions gave him the ability to assist the team all season to engineer the car for optimum performance. Beginning with victories at both races at Sebring, Florida, Jonathan has had nine wins so far this season, and two second place trophies. He won back-to-back victories in the last two races. In addition to setting a new track record today at Laguna Seca, Goring broke the existing track record at Atlanta and smashed it at Mosport by two seconds. In addition to the track records, Goring has now won more races than any other IMSA Lites competitor, and won the championship by a larger margin than in previous years. The 2006 Skip Barber National Champion has now become the 2008 IMSA Lites Champion, and is looking ahead to the 2009 season as a two time national champion.
August 27th, 2008
GORING REPEATS MOSPORT HAT TRICK AT ROAD ATLANTA PETIT LEMANS
In August, young up-and-coming IMSA racer Jonathan Goring had nailed record-breaking back-to-back victories in the two races held at Canada’s challenging Mosport track, and shattered the existing track record by two seconds. Anyone would be proud of such an accomplishment, especially at one of the toughest tracks in North America.
Well, that was not enough for Goring. He did it again yesterday at another tough circuit, ROAD ATLANTA on October 1, 2008, in the IMSA LITES doubleheader held in connection with the Petit LeMans Endurance race. He won the pole, and set two new lap records (in the qualifying and the race), and was never passed by any other competitor, flag to flag, in either of the two races.
The #14 black Comprent DP02 Elan featured the sponsorship of internationally famous Tifosi Eyewear, along with that of Skip Barber Racing School, Alfas Unlimited and NPA Graphics. Comprent Racing Services is based in Athens, Georgia, and the team calls Road Atlanta their home track.
The IMSA Lites schedule calls for two races per weekend at each of six events. All of the races have featured a full field of over twenty very competitive entries in three classes per event. This is the third back-to-back victory weekend this season for Goring, who also won both races at Sebring in addition to Mosport. He also claimed one win each at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, and at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park.
Goring loves to race, especially at Road Atlanta, and he showed he was thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. Starting from pole, Goring drew away first in each of the two races, and steadily lengthened the gap away from second place, only to be slowed by a full course yellow in the Friday race. On the restart, Goring again was able to come out first and was never challenged to the checker.
Goring says: “This was a tough weekend, and the pressure was on - but we came through it in excellent shape. Once again, I want to thank Kevin, Terry and all the crew. Comprent gave me a great car as always, and I was thrilled to be able to gain maximum points toward the championship this weekend.”
The season finale will be next up in two weeks at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca, California, which will decide the IMSA Lites championship. Heading into the finale, Goring only needs one additional point to clinch the class championship.
8.27.08
Domination At Mosport
Coming into the weekend it was determined for many reasons that it would be a weekend of survival. It was crucial not to damage the car, make it through both of the races, and bring the car back in one piece. Of course this is always the goal but this weekend it was even more important. Not only did we bring the car back in one piece but we scored pole, won both races, and extended our season's points lead.
Race one was led flag to flag. At the green we took command of the race early and grabbed the lead. After putting some quick first few laps down, second place Feinberg just couldn't match our pace. The rest of the race was boring, boring enough where I started to think about my physical fatigue. Having a bad flu like virus, I was very tired just a few laps into the race. The struggle through the remaining twenty or so laps was within my own cockpit. I managed to hold on, and still set a new lap record on my way to the win. I can tell you that racing while you have a virus is not fun!
Race two was much of the same at the start. The difference here was that a mid race full course yellow came out. My nine second lead I established would now be gone and I would have to get it all back. I did manage to hold off Joel Feinberg for the lead, and eventually extended an eleven second lead before crossing the stripe and taking another win.
Jonathan
7.14.08
Points Lead Gap Remains The Same
Rounds five and six at Lime Rock Park were the most exciting rounds in the IMSA-Lites championship so far. Exciting comes in both good and bad ways.
At the start of the first practice session I realized that we had a sticky throttle. Approaching the west bend chicane it managed to stick at the full throttle position, leaving me fully on the brakes and kicking the throttle to try and get it to return. My attempt was unsuccessful until contact with the back of another car occured. It was a downset to start the first session of the weekend with crash damage. However in the second practice session, we made a big come back and secured the top of the charts by one and a half seconds.
Qualifying was a very special session. I felt the most focused and I felt as if I were very deep in "the zone." I had a non-arrogant certainty that we had pole; it was a bizarre feeling. Sure enough, we had pole by three seconds in just three laps around the track which is when we pitted the car. By the end of the session the gap to second closed to one and a half seconds. I never had to go out again and having only three laps on the tires was a great advantage for the first race.
Race number one was one of domination. We led flag to flag and extented our lead by almost twenty seconds from second place Joel Feinberg. Halfway through the race the car began to oversteer. The oversteer condition became worse and worse, and I was sure the rear tires were overheated. Thats when the full coure yellow came out. What a relief that was because I had a chance to cool the tires down. The race never went green again and I would cross the line still in first place.
The second race however was very different from the first one. I was challenged right at the green flag from Joel Feinberg. In a braking battle that was turning way too late into the corner, I decided to play it smart and let him go. His pace early off surprised me and he pulled about a 1 second lead. Still on the first lap, he made a small bobble going into turn four, enough to set up a run on him. In a controversial move I did manage to get around him. I then was leading by quite a bit until IMSA made me give the position back. I slowed in big bend and let him around me into the lead again. We were nose to tail for a few laps until we began to catch about to be lapped traffic. On no name straight Joel didn't quite time his run correctly and I pounced on the opportunity. Joel went to the inside and I took to the outside of the lapped car but my run was better. I passed him and then passed another car in the brake zone of the uphill! Now up front again I was beginning to pull a slight lead but Joel was close enough where if I made a mistake he could take the lead back. Coming up on another lapped car was what would turn the race around, again. They pointed me by in the same direction they turned to, which left me to give it everything I could to avoid them. I did a ninety degree half spin, came to a stop, then dropped the clutch and went. Now almost five seconds back, I had some major catching up to do. I put my head down and began throwing down some extremely quick times. I was lapping one and a half seconds quicker than Joel at this point and was coming up on him fast. I finally did get by him with a few laps to go and all I had to do at this point was keep him behind me and finish the race. Here is where back markers would change the race again. With half a lap to go, a back marker decided to slam on his brakes in the middle of no-name straight. When I say the middle, I mean two-three-hundred feet before the brake zone. Startled, I took to the grass to avoid. Just when I thought it would be okay, the carbon fiber tunnels underneath the car dug into the grass. When the tunnels dug in, they folded backward toward the rear of the car, sending the whole car up in the air. I landed, and with broken suspension limped the car to the finish line to finish second.
This weekend was yet another learning experience, and it was great to represent my sponsors at my home track. Thanks to all who came.
5.27.08
Pole Position, Track Record, Race Win, and a Tripled Points Lead...
Rounds 3-4 at Miller Motorsports Park went extremely well. Although Comprent Motorsports and I only won one of the two races, we still managed to multiply our points lead by three.
The first practice session was a little bit of a suprise because of the track conditions. It was dry but very slippery. The car felt horrible, but we soon learned that it was just the track surface that had very little grip. For the second practice session we continued to tune the car to find a decent set-up. On the negative side we also learned that the engine was loosing power with every mile we put on it. In a big effort the team worked very hard on trying to find the problem. The problem was never discovered though and we would be forced to run with what we had for the remainder of the weekend.
In qualifying the battle was not to get a fast lap, but to stay away from traffic to get a fast lap. I never had one clean lap in the whole entire session with people pulling out of the pits in front of me, people spinning, etc. I knew that with every lap the motor was getting slower and slower which was frustrating. Finally, at the end I had one lap that a competitor didn't slow me down too much which was good enough for pole position and a track record.
Race number one saw me at the front until lap four when Ricky Taylor came shooting past on the front straight. I knew my engine was not up to his engine's performance and I did the smart thing. I was aware he already had a DNF at Sebring and I was okay with finishing with 2nd place points. And that is exactly where I finished.
Race number two was a bit more exciting. At the green flag before turn one there was contact between the rear of my car and the front of Taylor's. Both of our cars were a little damaged from the accident but we were both able to continue. For a while, at least. Around lap seven Taylor went flying off the track at a high rate of speed, spun, and came to a stop in the gravel. I took advantage of this opportunity, knowing that two DNFs would be very harmful to Taylor's season. Feinberg, who was currently second in the points, finished in 7th. I crusied to victory finishing in 1st place by over ten seconds!
After such a successful season so far I am looking forward to another great weekend at Lime Rock Park in July for rounds 5-6 of the IMSA-Lites Championship presented by Hankook.
Jonathan
4.16.08
Unofficial practice with my team and I took place at Road Atlanta this past monday. We were testing a new tunnel design floor provided by Elan. Elan has the intention to produce these and run them on all the IMSA-Lite L1 cars. This will begin with the Lime Rock Park race assuming the remaining testing continues to go well. My test with this new design went very well indeed.
After some major adjustments to the car's handling to suit the higher amount of suction (downforce) under the car, the car was amazing to drive. It took a while to get the car set up correctly but when we did the car stuck like glue in the medium to high speed corners. Compared to what the car felt like before at Sebring, it was much better. I am very happy that Elan has put forth the effort to improve the car because I feel IMSA-Lite is the best training ground for upcoming drivers looking into the American LeMans Series. Because of this it is crucial that the car be on the higher performing end of the spectrum and this tunnel does just that. Anytime you add downforce, the better drivers shine. And that is what needs to happen in the racing industry.
I am looking forward to the Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park which hosts the third and fourth rounds of the IMSA-Lite championship presented by Hankook.
Jonathan.
3.30.08
A long awaited Round 2 Final results for Sebring has finally been posted along with the current points for the series. Here is the top ten...
2008 IMSA-LITES PRESENTED BY HANKOOK POINTS
1. Jonathan Goring - 40
2. Joel Feinberg - 36
3. Matt Downs - 28
4. Jonathan Gore - 24
5. Shelby Mershon - 19
6. Josef Newgarden - 16
7. Gary Gibson / Jon Brownson - 15
8. Ricky Taylor - 14
9. Charlie Shears - 12
10. Lucas Downs - 8
3.14.08
Pole position and wins in both races is considered a perfect race weekend in IMSA-Lites. That is exactly what Comprent Motorsports and myself achieved in our first race weekend together. Sometimes you have the worst of weekends where everything seems to fall against you and this time it was exactly the opposite.
The first official practice brought rain and heavy winds and it seemed going out on track was more of a risk than an opportunity. We decided to abort the session and wait until Qualifying to go out which was certain to be dry along with both of the races. For the Qualifying session I struggled to stay out of traffic. In fact I even came through pit road trying to find a gap. It seemed no matter what I chose to do, slow up and point others by, catch and pass slower cars in front, or roll through the pits would allow me just one clean lap. I finally found just one clean lap and that was the lap I got it done. The Comprent Motorsports crew set up an amazing race car, and I drove a pretty good lap. I know there was more time in me because I only had one real chance at a good lap. It was good practice for future events where I may only get one lap anyway.
Race one was led flag to flag without much challenge. We had the quickest lap of the race but had two full course yellow's to our disadvantage. I pulled a lead on both restarts and was able to keep the rest of the field behind me and focus on driving consistent laps. I finished the race in first position which was an incredible way to start the season.
Race two was also led flag to flag, but was a little more exciting. When the green flag flew I pulled a lead up to 5.5 seconds. Sure enough, the not surprising full course caution came out. At this point Joel Feinberg was catching quick and putting pressure on myself to pick up the pace. Before the yellow flew, I had backed off a little in attempt to not create any risk following the philosophy of "winning by one inch is still winning." I probably shouldn't have backed off as much as I did, because a lapped car in front of me slowed me up quite a bit in turn one on the last lap. Joel had a run on me and it was a drag race to the brake zone of turn three. According to Feinberg, there was car contact however I never felt anything and their was no damage to my car. I held him off for the rest of the lap to finish in another first place position.
I must keep working hard to win this championship because I know it is definitely within reach.
Jonathan
1.31.08
Over the past few days I have been taking part in the official IMSA-Lite test at Sebring. Both days saw domination on the time sheets, as well as crucial data learned by Comprent Motorsports and myself. With the exception of one second place, every session we were top of the time sheets by at least one second. More important than speed, the goal of practice is to gather information to use at the race and we as a team succeeded with that goal.
This being the first time with the team, I communicated and get along with all the crew members very well. I have never had such a comfortable feeling on the first day of running with a new team. I instantly was able to relate to Terry, my engineer, Kevin, team owner, and Brandon, my mechanic. They are all a very nice group of people and I am thankful for the opportunity they have given me. I am looking forward to working this year with them and clinch the championship title.
Jonathan
1.17.08
Today is a very special day because it marks the official beginning of the 2008 season. I will be racing for Comprent Motorsports in the 2008 IMSA-Lite Championship in the L1 class. I met Kevin Kloepfer, team owner of Comprent, at the PRI show in Orlando a month or so ago. He struck me as a really nice person and I was given the opportunity for a drive. Not being able to raise the funds for Star Mazda, this opened the door for a whole nother road of opportunities. I began to see the value in establishing a great reputation in not only the open wheel categories, but the prototype and sports car categories as well. I hope that this will expand my horizons for the 2009 season. With a smart head on my shoulders, properly managed risk taking, speed, consistency, and a little bit of luck I am hoping to win the year end championship.
I am excited to continue learning and succeed this year in IMSA-Lites.
Jonathan
12.9.07
Over the last couple days I have been very busy in the state of Florida. I flew down on the 6th and headed straight to the PRI show in Orlando and I would remain there until the end of the next day. I accomplished a lot of things there, from sitting in on career development meetings, to establishing relationships and talking business deals. I made a couple of other plans, in case finding a Star Mazda budget does not fall through. I wouldn't call them a "back up plan" because this other plan is just as good as Star Mazda would be.
From there I went to Dan Andersen's open house in Tampa. It was nice to see everyone again after an already long seeming off season. I also got to take a bunch of laps at their new facility in a Tony Kart Racer EV powered by a Rotax engine. It was nice to get in a go-kart again and practice my basic skills.
I am very excited for the future and can not wait to get into a race car again. I will continue working hard to raise money and will update when some new news arrives.
Jonathan
10.22.07
The season finale at Laguna Seca was always a test to keep up the pace. It seemed every session we were just a little but behind and were struggling to keep up. The practice was very educational in many aspects but it seems we didn't quite ever learn enough to top the time sheets.
The times in Qualifying were very close. The track conditions were a bit odd in the sense that it was dry with the exception of a couple rivers of water running across the race track in two different places. I only managed one clean lap free of traffic, and I would start the race in 6th a mere three tenths off of the pace.
This race was the most I have ever worked in a race car. I was very busy in the sense that I not only had to drive my own car, but I had to work on keeping some parts of the car together, literally. In all the mental chaos that I had to deal with trying to hold my position driving a somewhat wounded car I never lost a position. I finished the race in the same position I started, 6th, glad to even finish the race.
Jonathan
10.7.07
This past weekend at Road Atlanta was very successful. We were never below second place in the charts for all of the practice sessions with the exception of one where we were running a race simulation to see how the tires would wear on the car. Qualifying was a different story however. I only managed to get one lap in the session which put me 10th place to start the race.
The race was a battle of consistency and speed with a combination of well timed restarts. Going into turn one I narrowly avoided an accident in front of me at the same time I felt a bump from behind from another car. I managed to gain a position or two leading up to turn three. A couple laps into the race a full course caution came out because of a lapped car putting it into the tire wall trying to let the leaders by. By this time I had worked my way up to 6th. When the green flag flew again I held my position. For the mid portion of the race I slowly caught a couple cars and moved up to 4th. That is when another full course caution came out which would make the race finish under yellow.
It was a bit of a disappointment because I knew if we had done better in Qualifying we could have won the race. For the majority of the race we had the fastest lap and If I had started up front I think we would have won. We will put forward what we learned from Atlanta into the season finale at Laguna Seca!
Jonathan
8.26.07
Mosport was another weekend where lady luck was not on Andersen Racing's side. Practice went well as it usually does. We were near the top of the time charts all weekend and learning many new things. My engineer and I found that running low wing settings was quite an advantage at this track.
The race went very well considering the circumstances. I was starting the race on outside pole and it was set out to be a good race. On the grid I noticed rain drops beginning to fall onto my visor. It wasn't heavy rain that was going to effect the track surface however. The green flag flew and the race began. I got a very quick start and jumped into the lead in the first hundred feet of the race. I kept the lead for the first lap and a half of the race, in fact I pulled a 2 second lead in that short time. The tone of the race would soon change however as the rain suddenly became much heavier. Thinking on the fly, my engineer and I decided to pit that very same lap and switch to rains! It would have been a huge advantage if the race didn't go full course yellow one lap later. When I left the pits I caught up to the pace car in fourteenth position. The green flew again and by the end of the race I moved my way up to seventh place. It was a decent result considering our bad luck. At the time our decision was correct to pit that same lap it started raining and if it had worked we would have been in the lead by a lap. Lady luck forced a yellow the lap after, in which everyone else pitted, ruining our chances at a win.
Jonathan
8.19.07
Today I write in extreme frustration about yesterday's events. In the race yesterday my Andersen Racing team gave me a very good car and I was very relaxed and focused going into the race. Before the race officially started the chaos had already begun. The official starter apparently had an open stationary green flag displayed when we came into view of the starter's stand on the last pace lap. As any driver would, the front rows saw the green flag and went to full throttle. The official then displayed the yellow to signal to drivers that the race hasn't started. Then, finally, they pulled the yellow away and waved the green. This caused tons of confusion for all of the drivers as there was a huge stack up. As if that wasn't already inviting a first turn accident, there was another factor that caused the accident to happen. The pace car was driving at a very slow rate, so it made it near impossible to get any heat in the tires or brakes. I knew going into the start that it was going to be crazy because of that. Going into turn one I was in the middle of Nick Haye and Natacha. In the brake zone Nick Haye must not have seen me along side and lane tossed to defend other cars, not seeing me. His car made contact with my sidepod, sending me in the air and into Natacha. This bent all but one corner of my car and I was no longer able to continue in the race. After I got out of the car and back to the pits I was searching for my car to see if it got a tow back into the paddock. I was hoping that we could try to fix whatever was bent and try to get back out there. The officials told us that the car was trapped behind the guardrail until the race was over. When the car finally was returned to us, after the race, all the Andersen crew pitched in to put it back together for Mosport. It must be such a disappointment for them to get the car back, wrecked, after one of these pointless first turn incidents. They never complain; they dig in and repair all the damage, ready for the next event.
It was such a disappointment considering we had such a great car and could have done so well. I was hoping to have a good finish because I won the last two Skip Barber National races here and I was hoping to win again or at least podium again. I know we could have but that's what Mosport is for this coming weekend.
Jonathan
8.17.07
Today began the first day of testing at Three Rivers. I won both Skip Barber National races here last year, so I knew coming into this weekend would be exciting. In the first practice my team and I worked on finding the right springs to run. We tuned with that set of springs, and then finally moved on to another. My placing for the first practice session was 3rd.
Going into the second session the game plan was to adapt to the new track conditions, as it had rained in between the two. This effected the grip level and the way the car felt handling wise but nothing was a suprise. We made changes to the car and eventually got a very good set up on older tires. We finished in 4th position on those older tires where as everyone in front of me had put on a new set. I think it was an extremely good result and I am excited for the Qualifier tomorrow.
Jonathan
8.11.07
The race at Road America was a very good race but the results do not show it. I took the green in 6th place and at the end of the first lap I had already moved up to 3rd. I held that position for the next few laps, until another competitor hit me in the brake zone. The impact sent me spinning and eventually rejoining all the way back in 12th. Once again, I moved through the field back up to 3rd position. One of the passes was on points leader Dane Cameron that involved having to go to the grass to avoid contact. I still managed to complete the pass. The other pass was on Steve Welk. Entering turn eight there was some car contact in which Welk fell off into the gravel trap. From there on, I completed my run through the field to 3rd. I crossed the finish line in 4th position to later find out that I was officially 3rd because of a DQ, and I was sent to the podium. Halfway through the podium ceremony I was pulled from the podium because of a penalty of some sort. Later on it was found that the penalty was for the contact with Welk, which was unavoidable. My official finish was a heart breaking 24th position.
Jonathan
8.10.07
Yesterday began the first day of on track activities at Road America. All of the sessions went well and we learned quite a lot about the track and how to set the car up. I also gained a lot of knowledge about how driving the track with a Star Mazda is so much different than a Skip Barber car which I ran last year. I was placing well on the time sheets as well.
Qualifying was not my best performance however. I only was able to throw one good lap down without something getting in the way and that lap was good enough for pole position. That one lap would be broken later on however as I fell back to sixth on the final lap of qualifying. It was a very good result considering I only was able to get one good clean lap in.
The race is tomorrow and it should be very exciting. Road America has always been famous for its drafting battles and close races, so I am pumped!
Jonathan
7.10.07
Toronto was not the best of weekends that we have had. In practice we had trouble finding a good set up that was the least bit tolerable over the transitions from cement to pavement and the bumps. It seemed no matter where we went with the set up the car never did improve. I improved a couple places where I could fix my driving and I felt I was using the most I could out of the car. The night before the qualifier and the race I was having trouble sleeping because I was trying to focus on where the time could be; a full half second of it. Dane Cameron was quickest by one half second but I was only a couple tenths out of second place time so it was decent. But I wanted more, I wanted to win. The best qualifier I could put together was a 6th place result. I was fairly unhappy with the result but I knew that there were going to be so many things that would happen in the race that I could take advantage of. In the early stages of the race there was a potential mix up in front of me. Not taking chances, I swerved to stay clear of everything. A car in front of me overslowed and I did not expect to get as close to them as I could. When I realized I was going to be a little too close to them it was already too late. Being directly on their gearbox, I picked up a big aero understeer which caused me to just kiss the wall. The car was bent a little bit, but I still could continue in the race. In the remaining three forths of the race I worked my way all the way from 10th position to 6th with two corners of the car damaged. I knew that if I could hold 6th it would be a good result considering the weekend we had. I fought an oversteering car and it got worse with every corner until the point where it was out of control to say the least. For a lap or so I took a rain line because the car would oversteer at the apexes because of the concrete. It felt like a rain race because I was looking for grip and ignoring radius. Then with two laps to go, the rear A-frame finally broke in two and the car suddenly felt like it was on ice. I had no rear grip and I still don't know how I kept it out of the tire wall when it broke. Making up all those positions and having the A-frame break with two laps is very disappointing. I drove such a great race and my crew worked hard all weekend. I wish we had a better result then we got.
Jonathan
6.26.07
A lot has happened since I have been able to update. My computer has been out of service for a while so I could not update on any news. Sorry about the wait.
The Star Mazda race in Portland was exciting. Throughout the weekend my Andersen Racing crew and I had troubles finding a good spring setting for the track conditions. We finally got it right for the qualifier and qualified a decent 5th. The skies then opened as rain poured down on the racing surface for the race. It was a last minute scamble to put the correct rain setup in the car. Race time came along and the green flag flew. The rooster tails flew also as the visibility went to zero. Entering the first corner not being able to see made some interesting things happen as it usually does. I was lost in the spray and when I finally could see I realized I was already past the apex when I first started to turn into the corner. I narrowly avoided an accident from cars in front of me, and spun in doing so. This put me back in 21st position. As the race progressed I moved all the way up to 4th position passing every car with the exception of two offs in front of me. However I made a mistake exiting the last corner three laps from the end, which set me back to tenth position. I was still happy with the result considering the conditions but I wish I could have held 4th.
Andersen Racing and I then moved on to Road America a couple days later for a mid-season test. The goal of the test was to shakedown the new car/engine package that we had. I was returning to my original car after using a spare because of the cracked tub in Salt Lake. We did much more than that as we set very fast times and got quite a handle on the track. I am confident we will be competitive there for the race later in the year.
Cleveland was the best of weekends because of the fact that I won my first Star Mazda race. The weekend went great right from the getgo as we were both learning a lot of information and near the top of the time charts. Qualifying went well as we made a risky set up change that turned out to work for the best. The result was a 2nd place starting position for the race. When the race began the attack for the lead began right off the bat. I broke late attempting an outside pass on polesitter Dane Cameron and in doing so I slid wide on the exit and could not beat Dane out of the corner. I settled into a comfortable 2nd place and Dane and I began pulling a very comfortable gap on 3rd place. The yellow flags raised and the pace car came out for a full course caution for a single car accident. On the restart I out braked Dane for the lead and this time it stuck. I had the lead and kept it for the rest of the race and all the way to the checkered flag.
In the middle of all of this I also graduated from Explorations Charter School and earned my high school diploma. I am planning on taking online courses for college in Marketing to improve my skills at making advertising partners.
Jonathan
5.21.07
In the sport of racing there are always ups and downs. This past weekend at Miller Motorsports Park for round four of the Star Mazda Championship was definitely one of those weekends. Practice was not a time to set a fast lap time and be on top of the time charts but rather to gain information. That is always the goal I shoot for in practice. In one of the practice sessions I used a curb the wrong way and apparently it was a big enough hit to crack the carbon fiber tub on our Star Mazda race car. This was a shock to me as I never realized a curbing could have the capability of cracking a tub completely through to the inside. This put a damper on the next two practice sessions and we never made it out for one. We had run out of a budget to continue because of the damage to the tub, and we were all set to pack up and fly home. However, literally five minutes into the last practice session of the weekend, we put a deal together and I was able to continue. The team was able to put together another car and I was going to be able to continue. With my competitors currently out on track racing for lap time, I was racing on foot to the rent-a-car to grab my driver's gear. I certainly exercised my cardio strength as I ran back with thirty pounds of driver's gear! I quickly strapped into the car, got out on track, and learned a good deal of information. I normally do not like to be rushed into a race car so I feel what we accomplished in the session was very good considering the circumstances.
In Qualifying it was finally time to put all the information we gathered to use and go fast. I put a couple good laps together and held onto pole position for most of the session. When the session was over I was 3rd quickest. Later on in the day it was announced that Marco Di Leo would start from the back of the field due to a technical infraction. This would mean I would start outside pole for the race.
The race began on the pace lap as it was a race to get heat into the tires and brakes. We only had a half lap to get everything up to temperature as we had to run 2x2 for the first half to shoot a Mazda commercial. When the green flag flew, my right foot went to the floor. I got an amazing start and had a run on the pole sitter James Davison. I knew I was on the outside and did not want to get boxed out. I had hoped to get an inside line, but my thoughts changed when I thought I could get the lead going into turn one with a very late brake. I pulled it off, and went on to lead the first six laps of the race. I was driving very smart and kept mistakes to a minimum until the car began to handle badly. I think that the tires were virtually expired starting mid race and I knew I had to conserve them as best as I could. I could not hold off the leader Lorenzo Manderino and he slipped by into first place. On the last lap, Davison got by me dispite my best efforts to stay in front. I finally crossed the line in third place, which is a decent finish for the weekend.
I can't believe how much the weekend changed. We went from almost not being able to do the race to leading a good portion of it and finishing third! It shows how wild this sport is and how you can never give up. I hope to continue to get consistent finishes and hopefully a championship if all goes well. As always I would like to thank all my supporters and the Andersen Racing team for doing such a great job this weekend. My teammate Baker was able to run up front consistently also for most of the practices.
Jonathan
4.29.07
What an exciting and interesting weekend! I just got back from Virginia International Raceway and the weekend had its ups and downs. In practice, we knew we were quick but the times did not show it. My team and I were looking to gather information rather than trying to set a fast lap in practice. When all the information is gathered it is put together for qualifying which is exactly what we did. We placed 4th in Qualifying which was a decent result.
Going into the race I knew the start was going to be difficult because I had an outside starting position. I knew that getting to the inside as soon as possible was going to be key for the start. When the green flag flew, I could not find a gap to slide over away from the outside. This of course put me on a bad line at the apex and cars drove around me like I was standing still as I was sliding around the rim of the corner. I knew that although the race didn't start off good, that it is still a long race and there are plenty of chances to get those positions back. "Only good things can happen" is what I told myself in my helmet over and over again. I picked off a couple positions and was now running 6th. The 5th place car made a mistake exiting the Oak Tree corner and dropped four wheels off. I knew for sure I had the position, but I didn't! I discovered something very frustrating. Just like at Sebring (and Houston), we apparently didn't have the best of engines. With all my upshifts in the draft, and my foot flat to the floor and after he went four off, I could not for the life of me get a run even in the draft. I noticed in a practice session earlier that I could not catch most cars in the draft, but I thought it was a one time thing and didn't think much of it. After what happened in the race though is very disappointing. In all the mayhem and fighting to stay 6th, I made a mistake on the corner coming onto the straightaway and spun the car. I quickly got back on course, passed two cars, and ended up in 16th.
I was very hard on myself about the spin, it was a rookie mistake and it certainly doesn't win championships. I havn't spun out of a race on my own since go kart racing, and it was a huge disappointment for me. Everyone is human though and everyone makes mistakes, it is just unfortunate that it happened at such an important event. Live and learn.
Jonathan
4.21.07
Both qualifying and the race today were very interesting and exciting.
In the beginning stages of qualifying I had trouble getting free of traffic to get a clean lap in. I knew I had to get a lap down because I was almost certain there was going to be a red flag period soon. I was not able to get a fast lap in before the expected red flag fell. With six minutes to go I had to get into rhythm and set a few fast laps right off the bat. This obviously wasn't easy, but I managed and put a good final lap together to secure a 5th place starting position for the race. I was fairly happy with this but I knew that there was still mistakes in my driving and I was a little disappointed that I did not go as fast as I could have.
The race was very exciting. It was my first actual Star Mazda "race" experience because Sebring was so out of the ordinary it didn't feel like a car race. When the green flag fell is when I began driving my heart out. I had a very good start and moved from 5th position to 3rd position exiting the first corner. However, trouble would arise a few corners later when I realized I had major understeer issues, and it was not simply cold tires. I held onto 3rd for the first lap but soon realized there was a full course caution for an accident at the start further back in the field of cars. This was both good and bad, as it put me closer to the 2nd place car but it allowed 4th to catch right up. My restart was decent and I still fought the understeer for a couple laps until I could fight no longer. I fell back to 6th position by the time another full course caution came out. During the laps under caution I was adjusting the front bar in desperate hopes of curing some of the understeer. I found that a softer front bar aided in the balance of the car front to rear. I felt like I was driving a Cadillac under braking because the front end dropping so much because of such a soft front bar. But it helped. Finally we went back to green and I took full advantage of the restart. I was still fighting the car, and now had a tight battle with Marco Di Leo, my rival from last year in the Skip Barber National. Dispite all the understeer, I managed to stay directly behind Di Leo and pressure him into a mistake in turn five. By now I was back up to 3rd position with Ron White catching me from behind. I managed to hold him off and finish a solid 3rd place.
I think I did very well this weekend and I am looking forward to Virginia International Raceway next weekend. My hard working Andersen Racing crew and I should do well there. Thank you to all my supporters and my team for a great weekend.
Jonathan
4.20.07
Today was the opening day of the second round of the Star Mazda Championship in Houston. I had very high expectations for this weekend and so far my expectations are being met. The motor we have in the car now is a lot better and I am quite a bit happier with it. I knew that with the disadvantage I had in Sebring, I could prove myself much better in Houston with this new engine.
The first practice session this morning had a few challenges that presented themselves. First off, the morning session began at 7:45am which was much earlier than I am used to. Second, the opening laps of the morning session were very dusty. The visibility while behind another car's rooster tails of dust could compare with the visibility of rain in a wet race. My Andersen racing team and I made a number of changes to the car throughout the first session, finally finding a good setup. In addition there was a mid session red flag where I had plenty of time to go through my driving and find places to improve. We put it all together and finished a comforting 4th quick.
The afternoon session brought higher temperatures and a cleaner racing surface. As expected, the lap times were much lower than in the morning session. I got up to speed fairly quickly, however when we put new tires on half way through the session the car was not handling at its finest. Once again my team and I made changes and the car became a lot more predictable to drive. With that comfort level, I was able to push the limits more and improve even more on my driving. After a long and stressful session, we found the speed and placed 2nd for the afternoon session.
Tomorrow morning is the qualifier and afternoon is the race. I feel Andersen Racing and I are very much prepared for the rest of the weekend and if everything goes according to plan, we have a very good chance for a win this weekend.
Jonathan
3.29.07
My first in season Star Mazda test occured this weekend at VIR. Virginia International Raceway is a great track and I always seemed to do well there in Skip Barber races. It is also the track where I fractured my hand this past year. It is one of my favorite tracks I have raced at and I enjoy the challenges the track provides. My engineer (Mike Reggio) and I worked on both a dry and wet set up as we were lucky enough to have both conditions. We found a great set up that I am fully confident in for the race at the end of April. Unfortunately, we realized we had a serious engine problem. Our setup was fantastic, and I felt my driving was better than par, and there was still lots of seconds of laptime between my teamates. We looked over the data, and realized we were down a considerable amount of horsepower. This meant that for Sebring the same was true.
I am looking forward to Houston with a fresh motor in the car, and hopefully everything will fall together and my team and I will have a great race weekend.
Again, thank you to all my supporters and my team, I couldn't be doing this without you.
Jonathan
3.18.07
It was a rough and stressful weekend of racing at Sebring. The first race of the 2007 Star Mazda Series season had finally arrived. I experienced many highs and lows in a few days time. I was having a ton of fun, even as I hovered between 10th and 14th position on the practice time sheets for most of the week.
The first challenges came as my Star Mazda racecar ran into electrical glitches during the first session, limiting us to only three laps. Even though I had to watch everyone else get 40 minutes of driving, we were listed 13th of 31 cars. Not bad for three laps. Later, we began to suspect engine trouble, not quite getting the top speed my teammates achieved. My Andersen Racing Team crew worked hard all week to diagnose the problem, but our soft engine power didn’t appear to improve much. If that wasn’t enough, the first electrical problem of the week led to a wiring harness change, which skewed the scale of our computer data. It made understanding my driver notes that much more challenging.
Luckily, rain came for the race! A less than perfect car isn’t as important in the rain, so I had high hopes. As expected, visibility was next to nothing. My goal was simply to survive and finish the race. The car handled great because the crew put a very nice rain setup on. I was experimenting with the traction control knob the whole race.
Crashing out of the first race of the season is certainly not a good way to start the year. Like I said before, consistency wins championships. I kept a smart, calm head on my shoulders for the few green laps we had and came home 10th out of 31 cars. Considering the problems we had all week, the rainy conditions, and it being my first ever Star Mazda race, we were pleased.
Off track I had plenty of opportunities to practice the role of racecar driver. At the first driver’s meeting I was the only one dressed properly, while other drivers were unbelievably in tee shirts! I did an interview with SPEED Channel and had a chance to practice thanking my sponsors like Skip Barber without sounding like I was reading off a list. I spoke about the change from the Skip Barber Formula 2000 to the carbon fiber Pro Formula Mazda, as well as the fantastic help Mazda provides with its ladder system.
Huge thanks again to Skip Barber Racing School for the scholarship! I wouldn’t be writing this without your help! Thanks also to the Andersen Racing Team, who worked so hard for me all week.
Full race event information can be found here.
Jonathan
3.7.07
Yesterday was the last day of testing before Sebring and the only pre season test I had with Andersen Racing. It was only a one day test, but I feel that there were a lot of lessons learned, both on my part and for the team. My laptimes were right on pace for the tires I was using. The tires I drove on were not ideal for the conditions, but I felt that driving on those tires would be better because I could get used to how they respond. Going fast in testing is not as important as going fast at Sebring, and those are the tires I would be using for Sebring. I feel that we learned enough to put everything together and do very well for the first race in Sebring at the 12 hour weekend. It is going to be my debut Star Mazda race, and I am very excited for this event.
A very focused and determined Jonathan
2.16.07
Today I spent the day at Sebring International Raceway with the Skip Barber race series in their new Mazda race cars. I never had drove the Sebring full course before, and I felt it was best to get a day's worth of seat time in preperation for the Star Mazda season opener at Sebring. One very critical part in racing, in my view, is the idea that racing is a race to see who can go fast, fastest. More quality seat time will speed that process up.
Jonathan
2.9.07
After a lot of confusion and hectic decision making, I have finally decided on a series and team for next year. I will be participating in the Star Mazda series with Andersen Racing. Today I signed the contract and our partnership is official. I am looking forward to having a successful year with a great team. I feel that Andersen racing can keep my driving to the top if its game and will bring out the best in me. The seaon opener kicks off on March 16th at Sebring International raceway.
The team's website can be found at: Andersen Racing
Here is the press release. It can be found on Andersen Racing team's website and on eformulacarnews
Star Mazda: Goring Signs with Andersen Racing
Andersen Racing has announced Jonathan Goring will drive for the team in the upcoming Star Mazda Championship.
Goring, having tested with the team back in November and widely rumored to join the team for some time, was recently confirmed as the third full-time Star Mazda Championship driver at Andersen Racing. As part of a five-car team at the season-opening race at Sebring International Raceway, Goring will make his series debut alongside series regulars Jonny Baker and Ricardo Vassmer, as well as Phil Saville and Michael Fitzgerald, who will take part in selected races during the upcoming season.
The 17 year-old Goring joins Andersen Racing and the Star Mazda Championship following a wild, but ultimately successful season of racing in the Skip Barber National series. Returning for a second season of competition, the Norfolk, Conn., native went from a race winner to title contender. Battling all season-long, Goring narrowly edged two other drivers for the title, securing the championship on the final lap of the season-finale. In wining the title, Goring was awarded the $100,000 champion's scholarship, which has helped him make the move up the motorsports ladder. Goring becomes the second consecutive Skip Barber National champion to drive for Andersen Racing, following in the footsteps of Gerardo Bonilla.
Based in Fairfield, N.J., Andersen Racing is widely regarded as one of the premier teams in the junior formula car category. Owned and operated by Dan and John Andersen, the team has established an internal motorsports ladder system in order to prepare and develop its drivers to achieve success in the upper echelons of the sport. In 2007, Andersen Racing will run multi-car operations in Indy Pro Series, Star Mazda Championship and F2000 Championship Series.
Currently Andersen Racing is continuing preparations for the 2007 star Mazda Championship and Round One at Sebring on March 16th.
Jonathan
2.7.07
I just arrived back home from Florida and Skip Barber instructor training. I am going to become an instructor for the school, as I feel I am a good representitive of the company and am behind everything they do. Being around the track when you are not driving and just teaching is also just as educational as actually driving. I feel that the things I learn I can put into my racing career, and also it is nice to teach other people and spread the joy of the sport.
Jonathan
1.7.07
I recently took part in a second Formula BMW test with Gelles racing. As expected, the test was very successful and I was again very amazed by the preperation of the car and the quality of the engineers. My laptimes were seven tenths faster than any other driver there. It was a great learning experience and I am getting ready to pursue winning the 2007 Formula BMW USA championship if that is the series I choose for 2007.
Jonathan
12.17.06
I just got back from the airport flying back from Orlando and the PRI show. Yesterday I mingled around gathering information, talking to people, and trying to develop my marketing skills. I learned a lot yesterday, and I feel it was a great experience. My marketing skills did in fact develop, and I will continue to seek sponsorship for 2007 and the future.
Jonathan
12.16.06
Yesterday I tested with a top level Formula BMW team. Gelles Racing supported me very well throughout the whole entire test and my laptimes were very competitive and consistent. The car was awesome, it worked flawlessly all day long and the team was very easy to get along with. Every setup change we made cut the laptime shorter, we never made any changes in the wrong direction. I left the test feeling very pleased with the performance of both Gelles Racing and myelf.
Jonathan
12.14.06
The PRI show is a very impressive facility. Everything is in a one million (literally) square foot building and everything and everyone that has to do with racing is there. It is a very incredible place to be. I participated in the All Star Go Kart Race, but was unable to make the final due to getting caught up in an accident. I was in P5 glued to the back bumper of the kart in front of me until he spun exiting the second to last corner. I, of course, made contact and hooked wheels. It sent me for quite a ride, thankfully one that stayed on its wheels. The chaos was not over however as countless drivers decided to ignore the yellow flags, and I got pounded from the rear, and both sides multiple times by multiple karts. If it were not for my smart thinking to lift my legs up far from the pedals and closer to the fuel tank, I for sure would have had two broken legs. When there was finally a gap in traffic, I jumped out of the kart and ran behind the wall to safety. I have a severe bruise on my leg, but no broken bones thanks to my fast thinking.
This accident has not effected my mood or my emotions at all. I am going to Roebling Road to test a Formula BMW race car with Gelles Racing. I am looking forward to the test, and can not wait to get back into the safety of a race car!
Jonathan
12.10.06
I have been selected to compete in the All Star Kart Race at the PRI show in Orlando this coming week. I am very thankful for the opportunity and I would like to thank Skip Barber, Stars of Karting, and SSC Racing to make it possible. I have not been behind the wheel of a Racing Kart in a long time and can not wait! It is going to be a blast to return to the roots of my career for one day. I also will be around at the PRI show introducing myself to people which is something you have to do if you want a motorsports career as bad as I do.
I am testing a FBMW car with Gelles Racing on the 15th of December, and am expecting a final decision for my 2007 season on the 16th of December.
Jonathan
11.16.06
I just got back from a very successful test with the Andersen Racing Star Mazda Pro Team. Dispite some mechanical issues the first day, I was able to gather the car up and set some very fast and consistent laptimes. I also learned a lot about how the team works, the people, and the comfort level that the team brings to me is very good. All in all I was very impressed, just as I was with the other team I tested with which was Racers Edge Motorsports.
I am commited to race in the Star Mazda Series next year. I have a lot of thinking and careful decision making to go through before I come to a conclusion regarding which team I feel better with, and whether or not I should continue to do more testing with different teams.
Jonathan
10.30.06
Yesterday's race was amazing and without a doubt the most intense race of my life. Not only was a national championship on the line, but there was the concern of what I would do with my career next year if I were not to win the championship this year. Without the $100,000, it would be very hard to get the finances for a higher formula car series for next year. This meant that I had to win the championship if I were to move up to a bigger and better series.
Saturday began with qualifying for the second race in the morning where I placed 2nd. I ran into traffic quite often during the session and it was very difficult to find a nice gap to put a good lap together. When I did find a gap, I would make a small error and add three tenths of a second to my laptime, not good enough for pole. Toward the end of the session I managed to put a couple flyers together, and missed pole by .041 seconds to Alexander Rossi. This would make the first race very close because Rossi's laptimes and mine were very close.
The first race drama began, once again, before the green flag even flew. Heading into turn three for the warm up lap, the right side tierod broke sending me flying into the gravel which damaged the car further. I limped the car back to pit lane and the mechanics did an amazing job of fixing the car before the start of the race. I started on pole, led the field into the first corner and led them the rest of the way to the finish. This win put me in a very good position for the championship because it meant that at worst I could finish one spot behind Marco Di Leo on sunday and still win the championship, but no farther back than that.
As the sun rose on sunday morning I knew that today would decide the champion. I knew what I had to do, and I never let myself get nervous. I remember I used to get nervous before big races, but I am so used to racing that I have not gotten nervous for a race in the past year, even with a championship on the line. At the start it was Rossi, Di leo, and then me in third position. Going into turn five for the first time, I was startled by Rossi and Di Leo's brake point and I never expected them to brake as early as they did. In order to not avoid Di Leo, I had to swerve to the inside with no intention to pass, hoping to make it through. Rossi also got on the brakes early and as he turned in my nose clipped his rear tire sending him into a spin. I managed to gather the car back and keep on with the race with a badly damaged nose and wing, which of course would slow my laptimes down. I also had cars both behind and ahead of me, which made it interesting knowing I could only finish one spot behind Di Leo. Di Leo was directly in front of me, but I had huge pressure from behind by Peter Husser and Mario Ochoa. With the car as damaged as it was, I had quite the difficult race to deal with: Keeping up with Di Leo, and holding back Husser and Ochoa. Di Leo was slow through turns one and three, and exiting three going into turn five I kept looking to the inside of Di Leo. It must have been this way on six or seven different occasions, with car contact of some sort everytime. Di Leo was racing with a lot of aggression and I would give it right back to him, but without causing what Randy Pobst calls "race track terroism." I managed to hold off the cars behind me and still keep up with Di Leo dispite the horribly damaged car and finished exactly where I needed to; one spot behind Di Leo. I knew I had won the championship and I had never been happier in my life. This was without a doubt the biggest accomplishment of my life.
I am now in the process of deciding what series I am going to race for next year. A lot of hard and careful thinking will be put into this, as it is a very important decision.
Jonathan
10.27.06
The stage is set for tomorrow's race which should be very interesting. I am starting from pole position, a very good place to be. Miller Motorsports Park is a track where there are not very many passing opportunitys which makes qualifying very important. I am starting from the best possible position, and am the quickest, so I simply need to leave the fighting for position behind me, and slowly pull on the rest of the field. Obviously it is impossible to predict a race, so I have no expectations for tomorrow. Expectations are limitations.
Jonathan
10.26.06
Today concluded the "unofficial practices" of the last Skip Barber National weekend. I ran quick both yesterday and today, and have slowly been lowering lap times. Unofficially, I am the quickest by eight tenths of a second, but that does not mean I drove up to my standards. Although I went fastest, I still have some things I need to straighten out to go as fast as I would like. Ideally, there is no "as fast as I would like," however, there is a level of acceptancy with myself that I would like to achieve.
Overall, a great start to the weekend, but there is definitely room for improvement. I need to put everything together for the official practice tomorrow, and then for the rest of the weekend.
Jonathan
10.16.06
This past weekend I raced in the Skip Barber Regional Series at Lime Rock Park. This weekend was mainly to get seat time and extra practice for the last race of the National Series at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. I tried some new ideas I had that I did not want to risk in the National, as it would have a negative effect if it did not work out. This weekend was simply a practice weekend, and practice it was! I dominated the whole weekend and set a new track record. I took pole in Qualifying but had a four off which according to the regional series rules, means I had to start from the back of the field. The green flag flew and I quickly made my way to the front and pulled away from second place. I went on to win the race by half of a straightaway. The second race was much the same, I led, pulled a big gap, and took the race win. This was a very educational race weekend because I learned some new things to try for the National. Quality seat time is most important, not quantity seat time.
Jonathan
09.28.06
This past weekend at Road America was an exciting one. I fought with multiple cars all weekend and it seemed the forces were against me. The first practice session I drove well, but was five seconds off the pace. The feedback I got from instructors around the corners was very good, but there was five seconds worth of time. There sat the points leader, dead last and slowest. I knew that I was not driving five seconds slow so we decided to switch cars. The new car I got into was very nice horsepower wise, but the brakes seemed to go spongy. I stayed in that car the rest of the weekend fighting with bad brakes. The remainder of the weekend was wet to damp conditions so I could never get the brakes up to temperature to see if the problem was still there.
Race 1 took place in the pouring rain. When I say pouring rain, I mean pouring rain. It was also very dark because it was almost 6:00 because of all the delays. I knew that the key to winning this championship was going to be consistency, so I knew I had to just simply finish this race. The visibility was at best horrible between the how dark it was and the rooster tails from cars in front. I cruised around being conservative, and finally caught and made a last lap pass on Alex Doman, without being able to see! I finished a disheartening 7th.
Race 2 was going to be different then Race 1. It was a bright sunny day and perfect weather for racing. The drama started on the grid, when Marco Di Leo had a broken shift cable and had to switch cars. After the delay we went out for the pace lap. On the pace lap I noticed right off the bat that my brakes were spongy again. This frustrated me, but I did not let it get to me. I knew that the perfect race car driver should be able to adapt to anything, and that I still had to drive the car the best I could. It was near impossible to modulate brake pressure, which took away my ability to trail brake into corners. I was slow on entrys because of this, but had fine exit speed. The lack of being able to float speed into the corners held me back from moving up through the field. My car also had an understeer, which normally you would fix with more trail brake, but this time there was a problem with that! I still used the car to the best of my abilitys and after a well hard faught race finished 6th.
Practice/Race 1 Qual Skip Barber article
Race 2 Qual Skip Barber article
Race 1 and Race 2 Skip Barber article
Jonathan
09.21.06
Here I am sitting at the airport getting ready to board the plane for the second to last weekend of the Formula Dodge National Championship. The championship is coming to an end, which makes every finish and every race crucial. Tomorrow is practice to get used to the track and to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Here is the article from Skip Barber
Formula Dodge National Championship rounds 11-12 preview
09.14.06
The Star Mazda test with Racer's Edge Motorsports went very well. A Star Mazda car differs from a Formula Dodge car in many ways, the biggest difference being the concept of downforce. With more downforce, softer slicks, and the rotary engine, the car is overall a way more performing car than a Formula Dodge. My first reaction when I drove the car was that it felt more like a race car in comparison to the Formula Dodges. The Formula Dodges to me seem like a Dodge Neon without fenders, which is basically what they are. The Star Mazda felt considerably safer, faster, and more comfortable. I was very impressed with the high speed cornering forces and with the braking, but not so much with the straightline power, I expected a little more then it had. It took a while to get familiar to how downforce effects the cars handling at different speeds. For example, turn eight, which is a high speed right hand corner, was very hard to trust the aerodynamic grip that the car has as apose to the mechanical grip that I am used to.
All and all, very fun and educational experience!
Jonathan
09.10.06
Tomorrow I am leaving for Carolina Motorsports Park in the Northern section of South Carolina. I am testing a Star Mazda race car with Racer's Edge Motorsports and it will be my debut in a Star Mazda. With the exception of a Formula Dodge and an old Alfa Romeo historic car, it will be the only other race car I have driven. It is going to be a new and exciting experience for me and I feel I will adapt to the car's performance very quickly. One of my strengths as a race car driver is my ability to adapt to a new situation. Whether it be a new track , new car, setup problem, sudden changing track conditions, I can adapt to the circumstances very well. I am looking forward to this test and feel I will learn a lot. Racing is about who can go fast fastest, sometimes not just going fast. The more you learn and the quicker you do, the better your performance will be.
Jonathan
08.7.06
Yesterday's race was an amazing one, thats for sure. I took the green and led the race from lap 1 all the way to the finish. I had Alexander Rossi in my mirrors the whole time, sometimes he could close in on me, and sometimes I would pull away from him. The key to winning this race was to not make any mistakes and to drive an extremely perfect and consistent race, and that is exactly what I did. I had to take no pressure from Rossi, as he was waiting for a mistake from me to capitalize on. My mistake never came, and I finished first and had a weekend sweep. I was fastest in every session, with the exception of the first qualifying session. I walked away from this weekend with my 4th National Formula Car win and could not have had a better weekend, as I scored every possible point I could except one.
Skip Barber Article - Race 1 + 2
Jonathan
08.6.06
Today could not have been any better for me. I am starting on pole for race number two and I also won race number one, both of which took place today. Qualifying was a question of focus and concentration and I managed to put the two together and get a good result out of the session: P1! The race was set to take place later this afternoon, and the key to that race was moving up through the field quickly (I am starting 11th) but keep a smart head on my shoulders at the same time and not getting in an accident. Once again, I did exactly what I needed to do, moved through the field, and pulled a 4.5 second lead, good enough to take my 3rd national victory.
Jonathan
08.5.06
Sometimes the day goes too well in the beginning, and then it all comes to a stop when it is the most important. I was quickest in both the first and second practices, by .6 seconds the first session and by .001 seconds the second. In Qualifying however, the combination of when the rain was going to come and my strategy of when to go out on track did not mix. I was in the pits when the track was dry, waiting for it to get dryer. However the weather had a different thing in mind, and a sun shower burst soaking the track and ruining any chances of pole from then on out. I still went out on track, and managed to get 11th; the best I could make of the situation. I have reviewed my data and am ready for tomorrow's events: Qualifying 2 and Race 2.
Skip Barber Article - Prac 1 + 2
Jonathan
07.25.06
Today I got the chance to drive a friend's Alfa Romeo GTV-6 at lime rock. It was an old firehawk race car and was top 5 in its time, and is a very quick car. It was the only car that I had driven besides a Skip Barber car, and wow was it different! I noticed it had a lot more power oversteer than a Skip Barber car does because of the horsepower difference. I also was suprised by how it handled, and it was very heavy in comparison to what I am used to. It was definitely a good experience because I got to learn to drive a car I have never driven before and it was a totally different ball game, because the techniques were so far off of what I am used to. That is good because as a professional race car driver, I need to be able to jump into different cars and drive different ways. I need to adapt to situations and cars as best I can, and this provides good practice.
Jonathan
07.2.06
Sunday's race was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in a race car. It was a frantic, high paced, drafting race, with countless lead changes. I started on pole, went back to 4th, back up to the lead, back to 4th, and then finally ended up finishing 2nd .092 seconds off of 1st place. On the start going into turn five, I got rear ended by Richard Heistand and saved a terribly loose race car because of that, and still pulled off a pass for the lead exiting turn five. I pulled out a slight lead, but then lost it again due to not having someone to draft with. It was then a chaotic series of lead changes, a total of seven in a nine lap race. I put myself in a position to win, being in second in the last passing zone, but Marco Di Leo drove down the inside of the corner, ruining my chances of getting by. It was all about exit speed out of turn fourteen for the race win. I had a very good run out of the corner, but not quite good enough. I lost the race by .092 seconds. I am still very happy with a 2nd place finish, but wish I had better luck yesterday. I am still 3rd in the points standings, and caught up to Alexander Rossi by 5 points.
Jonathan
07.1.06
Today was very much like a roller coaster type of day. I had both ups and downs in both the race, and qualifying. In the race I started 4th and fought my way up to 2nd position. Exiting turn 14 coming onto the straightaway mid race I had a run on the leader, Richard Heistand, and popped out of the draft and Heistand moved over in a blocking attempt and we made contact. I almost made contact with the wall, but only got hit by Heistand thankfully. I then had the front nose cone of the car litterly fly off from the contact and get wedged in my suspension, jamming the steering and making it incredibly hard to turn the steering wheel. I kept going with the race, but got fatigued in about a half a lap trying to deal with steering being jammed, and thankfully it finally fell free from the car in the carousel and I was able to see again, and it made the steering a lot easier. By now I had lost many positions, being at a terrible aerodynamic disadvantage and knew that if I came out of the draft, I would lose even more. I managed to stay in some sort of a draft and finished 6th, limping the car across the finish line.
The mechanics did an excellent job at getting my car ready for qualifying in the afternoon session. In qualifying I felt slow, but was actually very fast, good enough for pole position in tomorrow's race.
Qualify for race 2 article by Skip Barber
Jonathan
06.30.06
I am very tired from today's activities so I will keep this short. Road America is a track where the biggest concern is to put yourself in place for the win. You may not want to be leading the last lap, as second position can draft right by you and take the lead away in the last passing zone. I have put myself in a position to win, being 4th for the start of tomorrow's race #1. I learned some things from the first practice session today of where i ended up in 5th place. I put all the things I learned together and managed to go .3 quicker and up one position, into 4th. Tomorrow is going to be a frantic, close, competitive, race. The key to finishing well will be to master the draft, and have very good race craft, of which I know I have plenty of. I feel I have a good chance of another podium finish tomorrow. I simply have to review my notes from today and catch up on anything I might be missing.
Jonathan
06.29.06
Today consisted of the two first practice sessions of the weekend, and I managed to do very well in both of them. Although both of these sessions were not timed, I know I have strong laptimes and am able to run up front with the leaders. Andy Rosseto, Alexander Rossi, and I, (no particular order) seemed to be the quickest of the day. Where is Marco Di Leo? Not here, everyone expected Marco Di Leo to show up to run the lapping day, but he never showed up. If he does not show up for the race weekend then the points standings will be greatly effected with his absense. Whatever the case me be, I have to run my own practice and qualify sessions tomorrow, and not worry about anybody else. I know I am doing well, but must keep this performance up for tomorrow's first timed practice and qualifying.
Jonathan
06.27.06
Well, here we are getting ready for rounds 7 and 8 of the Formula Dodge National Championship. Alexander Rossi, Marco Di Leo, and I are very close in the points chase and at Road America it is anybody's game. Road America is a track where drafting is the main key element and importance. It is also where I not only made my National Formula car debut, but also won my first ever national race. I am rushing around packing bags and preparing for this race weekend, everything is hectic before we leave as usual! I have reviewed my notes and in-car videos, trying to get as much memory of the track back as I can. This weekend is set to be a good one.
I have also contacted select Star Mazda teams in aim for a test sometime later in the year. I feel I have enough experience in Skip Barber cars (they are the only race car I have ever driven) to move up to a higher formula and a better performing race car. It will be interesting to see how fast I get up to speed in the Star Mazda car, because I won my first ever national car race on my first national race weekend, which would suggest that I got up to speed very quickly.
Good luck to all my competitors this weekend, I am looking forward to seeing all of you.
Road America preview by Rick Roso
Jonathan
05.20.06
This weekend has been a very good one. The first practice session I was
1st quick and dropped to 2nd quick by the third and final session. I then
qualified a disappointing 7th position for the start of the first race.
Although I was in the 4th row, I was fairly happy because I had a starting
position on the inside for the first corner on the start of the race.
I got a good start and passed for 6th place. Then on the first flying
lap (2nd lap) 2 cars went off in turn 1 because of water at the apex.
One-Hundred feet later Marco Di Leo got into a nasty roll over accident.
He was okay and walked away from the wreck. This put me in 2nd place.
The race officials then threw the red flag and since the rule is that
they do the restart depending on the position on the previous lap, I had
to start 6th again. I then worked my way up to 3rd place, until Rich Heistand
and Kyle Lawrence went off in turn three because of a very sudden rainstorm.
I instantly converted to the rain line and I was now leading! I slowly
pulled away from the rest of the field by a couple tenths of a second
per lap. My margin of victory was 5.4 seconds.
The second race I went out and was in 4th position for the greater part of the qualifying session but ended up in 3rd for the start of the second race. In the second race I got an amazing start, and the leader slid wide in the first corner, opening the door for me to take 2nd position. I then was in hot pursuit of Rich Heistand and slowly catching him until he made a mistake in the downhill corner, spun, and made contact with the tire wall. I almost got collected in the wreck and had to brake hard to avoid the spinning Heistand. I of course lost momentum and allowed Alexander Rossi by in the process. I followed Rossi for the remainder of the race and finished 2nd.
I had very good results this weekend, a 1st and 2nd should bump me up in the points standings. Very good results for still having a broken thumb!
SBN points standings, top 15 drivers, after 6 of 14 rounds:
1. Alexander Rossi, 295
2. Marco Di Leo, 281
3. Jonathan Goring, 275
4. Alex Doman, 214
5. Kyle Lawrence, 208
6. Mario Adrian Ochoa, 192
7. Richard Heistand, 190
8. Justin Moon, 175
9. Jason Fennessey, 145
10. Duncan Ende, 136
11. A.J. Riley, 124
12. Kyle Wiegand, 114
13. Chris Wehrheim, 112
14. Jonathan Gore, 96
15. Darius Trinka, 76
Here are the articles from Rick Roso at Skip Barber:
Jonathan
05.14.06
Tomorrow through saturday this week is going to be a very unique and tiring opportunity for me. I am going to be attending a 3-day Skip Barber Racing School event at Lime Rock Park. I obviously would not be participating as a student in this event but rather a potential future instructor for Skip Barber. I will sit in on the event and listen in detail to the current instructors and how they deliver their feedback to their students. This would also get my mind in gear for the upcoming event at Lime Rock on May 18-20. My goal amongst other things for the future would be to be an instructor, so this would be the thing to do to start.
Jonathan
04.24.06
Friday practice it all went downhill. I went from being 4th quick to 10th quick. I knew this was a wake up call, and I had to focus on where the time was. I reviewed my notes and still could not improve my position. I was now to start a very dissapointing 16th place for saturday's race.
On saturday the race took place in torrential downpour. It was so bad, that I feel the race should never have started under those conditions. They should have waited until the rain eased up. We took the green anyway, and the visibility was zero, at best. I gained 6 positions under braking going into turn 1, because I found a spot on the very inside out of the rooster tails from other cars. After that, I was driving the track on memorization. I could not see a thing. On the back straight, in 3rd gear, which is normally flat out in 5th, I drove off the track because I could not see a thing. It was impossible to even judge where the track was, on a straight! A couple cars spun and crashed so this brought out a full course caution. I remember on the pace lap I never saw the pace car, or the rest of the field. On the restart A.J Riley was apparently moving at a much slower pace then me, and I plowed into the back of him because I could not see. Like I said, the race should never have been started under those conditions. I walked away from the accident with a $4535 crash damage bill, and a broken thumb!
Sunday's race I was to start 16th. Thankfully, it was a dry race. I also switched cars because the other one could not be repaired in time. The green flew and wheels were dropping everywhere! I remember the whole 5 lap race smelling tire smoke and seeing dust clouds because of all the chaos. I managed not to go off, and moved my way past 8 cars in 5 laps to finish 8th.
I was dissapointed because of the fact that the instant I switched cars, I made up 8 positions and had a noticeably better handling car. I feel I would have worked my way up to at worst 5th place if the race had been more then 5 laps long, because of a late start.
Next race weekend is Lime Rock May 18-20, and I hope to do better there.
Jonathan
04.21.06
Just getting back to the hotel, and I have no energy left to type. I used all of it in the race car and preparing to get in the race car today. It was a long and hard two practice sessions, almost running back to back with about 10 minutes inbetween. I wound up 4th quick out of seventeen for the day dispite others being as much as 50 pounds lighter then I, because of the fact that no weight has been added to the cars yet to make them all equal in speed. Good start to the weekend. I would say more, but wow, I need to get some sleep because im exhausted!
Jonathan
04.15.06
Today I had a very interesting and completely unique experience.
Too bad I only got to sit in it.
Jonathan