Pecorari strong no matter where he races
Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com
317-908-2975 (mobile)
www.adampecorari.com
 
19th to podium in Speed World Challenge before setting fast lap times in KONI Challenge
**Note—Speed World Challenge race airs at 2 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, Oct. 13 on SPEED Channel.
 
10 October 07—Racers love nothing more than to race—and the more, the better.  So it was nearly a dream weekend for Adam Pecorari, who had yet another busy weekend of racing last weekend. The Pennsylvania resident impressed as he raced to the podium at Road Atlanta in Speed World Challenge competition before heading to Virginia International Raceway to compete in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge season finale. The World Challenge Road Atlanta race marked the first SWC event for Pecorari since taking his breakthrough victory at Mosport in August.
 
The SWC sprint race was held in rainy conditions, setting the stage for Pecorari, who made the most of what the No. 19 STaSIS Engineering Nelly Audi A4 could offer. A faulty turbo wastegate forced Pecorari to start from nineteenth on the grid, but he put that disappointment behind him as he got off to a lightning start, worked his way through the field, and battled for the lead late in the race.
 
Even though he had plenty of pace, Pecorari ended up running out of time to find a clean way by for the lead as veteran racer Michael Galati knew exactly where to put his car, holding on to take the win by just .266 of a second over Pecorari, who won the “Sunoco Hard Charger Award” for his march through the field.
 
“After the first yellow flag we were seventh,” Pecorari said. “Obviously with the four-wheel drive we had an advantage, but from seventh on, it was close. I was surprised; I thought I’d have a lot more speed compared to the front-wheel drive cars, but they drove their butts off. I just moved up one by one. I was right behind Michael (Galati) at the end and I thought I had enough to get by him, but he was on it. He didn’t make a single mistake and he’s obviously a really amazing driver, so I’m happy with second right now.”
Despite missing two rounds during the 2007 season and suffering a twenty-point penalty following the Mid-Ohio event, the penultimate-round podium moved Pecorari up to tenth in the overall SWC Touring Class Championship standings with the October 20 Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca event yet to run.
 
The second half of the race weekend saw Pecorari jump into the No. 52 Rehagan Racing Piloti Ford Mustang for the  KONI Challenge season-finale six hour event at VIR. After moving up to the lead pack early in the race, Pecorari’s luck went missing as fouled fuel filter foiled efforts at a second podium on the weekend.  Pecorari showed his speed nonetheless, setting the fastest lap time of all ten Ford Mustangs in the race despite only having a few practice laps in the car before the race started.
 
“I want to thank the guys from Rehagan from giving me the call this weekend,” said Pecorari. “They worked really hard every time we had a set back and we kept fighting to the finish but we just lost too much time making repairs. But the Piloti car was obviously fast and we were running with the lead pack the last half hour of the race, just getting as many quick laps in as we could. It was great to be so quick against people who have run these cars all season so I’d really like to get more time in one of these!”
 
 
www.world-challenge.com
www.americanlemans.com
www.adampecorari.com
 
###   
www.sundaygroupmanagement.com <http://www.sundaygroupmanagement.com>
 
Sunday Group Management/APecorari

CANADA (Aug. 26, 2007) -- Adam Pecorari, of Aston, Pa., led all but the first lap from the pole to take his first-career SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car win at Mosport International Raceway, part of the Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. Teammate Chip Herr, of Lititz, Pa., was second, followed by Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla.

Driving the No. 19 STaSIS/Clear Capital/Pfaff Audi A4, Pecorari slipped past fellow front row starter Herr in turn 10 on the second lap and never looked back, taking a 0.219-second win under caution, averaging 86.251 mph.

"This is amazing, because there are so many fast drivers in these series," Pecorari said. "We were quick at Mid-Ohio, but couldn't back it up in qualifying and the race. This weekend we started off quick as well. The car has been amazing all weekend, all three of our cars were great. I just did my job and there wasn't too much I could have messed up.

"We had a good start. I know Chip is amazing on the standing starts, so I just tucked behind him. Then I got by him on the next lap and put my head down. I was able to pull a little gap until the yellow came out, which I was a little upset to see that. I managed to pull a gap after, but Chip started turning some really good laps and I wasn't, but I was able to keep it and get my first win."

The race was slowed by two cautions, one to retrieve the Mazda 6 of Charles Espenlaub from the Turn Three tire wall halfway through the event. The second coming out on the last lap, after Roberto Santos crashed his Mazda into the turn two tire wall. Neither driver was injured.

"At first I wasn't happy to see that yellow at the end of the race," Pecorari said. "I thought we were going to go green, white, checker and I was pissed. Then I saw the yellow in eight and the white flag in nine and I started going nuts. I almost jumped out of the car."

Defending race winner Herr played wingman in his No. 17 STaSIS/Clear Capital/Pfaff Audi A4 for much of the race, holding off the advances of four-time Mosport winner Kleinubing and his No. 1 Acura Certified Pre-Owned/RealTime Racing Acura TSX.

"I got a good start. I don't know what happened to Adam, but we all said before the race that we were going to work together," Herr said. "With three [teammates] in the top three, the last thing you want to do as teammates is take each other out, so we had a sort of gentlemen's agreement. I cleared Adam in Turn One, took the lead and he just tucked in behind me.

"My car developed a push, which I didn't realize in the first couple of laps on the new tires, since we ran rain tires in qualifying. Coming onto the front straight, the front end pushed, I had to get off the throttle and run wide a little. Adam had a great run on me, took the line and I just tucked in behind him. I actually couldn't catch him for most of the race after that. I fell back a bit and saw Pierre coming. I know this is his track, so I had to watch my mirrors and at the same time try to set up a draft with Adam."

While Kleinubing was attempting to split the pair of red Audis, he was also trying desperately to hold off teammate Kuno Wittmer and his No. 44 Acura Certified Pre-Owned/RealTime Racing Acura RSX. Several times throughout the race, Wittmer got a run on his teammate up the back straight and looked to the inside. Holding true to his reputation of being one of the hardest drivers to pass in the series, Kleinubing closed the door each time going into Turn Eight, twice forcing Wittmer over the apex curb.

"Kuno [Wittmer] closed up on me and we thought we'd be able to help each other out and talk on the radio, but he wasn't closing up on the straightaway to bump me and get closer to these guys," Kleinubing said. "One time he got really close he tried to pass me and I had to close the door in Turn Eight. Then something happened with Kuno's car with two or three laps to go and that was the end of that.

"I had a pretty good start. Kuno [Wittmer] gave me a push and I got into fourth right away behind [Ian] Baas. He really didn't seem to have the same power Chip and Adam had. I was able to close up on him on the straightaway and get side-by-side a couple of times. I think by the third or fourth time I got him in Turn Eight. From there I just put my head down and tried to run with these guys, but I couldn't really make a charge. Once or twice Chip ran wide, but he was just teasing me--letting me get that close."

Canadian Wittmer, who paced both practice sessions before qualifying was held in the wet, held on to fourth after starting seventh. Randy Pobst finished fifth in the No. 73 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6 after starting sixth.

Point leader Jeff Altenburg (Mazda 6) finished sixth, followed by Seth Thomas (BMW 325i), who had the fastest lap of the race with a 1:30.876 (97.441 mph), Ian Baas (Audi A4), James Sofronas (BMW 325Ci) and Peter Cunningham (Acura TSX).

Thomas, of Cumming, Ga., was the top Toyo Tires Cup driver in his No. 38 Bimmerworld BMW.

After missing qualifying to change an engine in his No. 64 Autoanalyser Racing Lexus IS 300, Canadian Andrew Wojteczko finished 12th, earning the B&M Shifters Hole Shot Award for advancing five positions on the first lap, the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for advancing 11 positions in the race and the Piloti Rookie of the Race Award for being the highest finishing rookie.

Despite finishing behind teammate and chief Drivers' Championship protagonist Pobst, Altenburg held onto his point lead, 235 to 221. Kleinubing gained some ground, with 199 points, followed by Herr (196) and Sofronas (190).

Mazda still holds a substantial lead in the Manufacturers' Championship Presented by RACER Magazine, 55 to 39 over Acura, followed by Audi (35) and BMW (26).

Today's race will be broadcast on SPEED Channel Saturday, Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. (EDT). The series next travels to Road Atlanta as part of the Petit Le Mans, Oct. 3-6.

-credit: scca

Van Der Steur Racing made their much anticipated return to competition in the American Le Mans Series at the Northeast Grand Prix, held at Limerock Park July 6-8.  The team missed almost half of the season due to a testing incident shaking down the car for Sebring, so the team was very excited for their first race back in their #19 EFC Systems AER powered Radical SR9.
 
Van Der Steur Racing came to Limerock with a very few pre-race test days to set the car up, so every bit of track time was essential.  The team did a great job for their drivers, Gunnar Van Der Steur and Adam Pecorari, with giving them a car that did not miss one lap due to mechanical problems so they were able to use all the practice time trying to find a set-up on the very bumpy and slick Limerock Park.  Setting competitive times in practice, the team was able to put the car in the top 10 in class and 12th overall.  With qualifying being rained out, practice times were to be used for the starting grid.  “We really could have used some more practice time, with the 2nd practice and qualifying being rained out, but we were able to find a set-up for the race that let Gunnar and I feel comfortable in the car”, said Pecorari before the race.
 
The start of the race would be Pecorari’s first start in the American Le Mans Series, and Van Der Steur prepared Pecorari for all the confusion going into the start.  With the green flag, Pecorari was able to gain a few positions and would be in 10th overall by the first lap.  Adam had a very fierce fight with the partially factory backed BK Motorsports #8 Mazda/Lola throughout the first 45 minutes with the Mazda finally getting around Adam in traffic.  Running a steady pace for the remainder of his 2 hour stint, Adam would hand over the car to Gunnar during the second yellow with about 50 minutes remaining.  It was a rather difficult stint for Gunnar with the team loosing radio contact sometime during the pit-stop, but he did a great job to bring the car to the finish 7th in class and 10th overall.
 
“This race was especially difficult for only my second race in the ALMS with the track being so short and me running a double sting”, said Pecorari after the race.  “Limerock is so short that you never have two laps without being in some sort of traffic, so not only do you get physically drained, you also get mentally drained as well.  The team did a wonderful job to give Gunnar and I a car that ran flawless throughout the entire weekend, and now it is up to Gunnar and I to develop the set-up of the car so we can run with the top cars in class.”
 
The next race for Van Der Steur Racing will be the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course the weekend of July 20-21. 

Van Der Steur Racing made their much anticipated return to competition in the American Le Mans Series at the Northeast Grand Prix, held at Limerock Park July 6-8.  The team missed almost half of the season due to a testing incident shaking down the car for Sebring, so the team was very excited for their first race back in their #19 EFC Systems AER powered Radical SR9.
 
Van Der Steur Racing came to Limerock with a very few pre-race test days to set the car up, so every bit of track time was essential.  The team did a great job for their drivers, Gunnar Van Der Steur and Adam Pecorari, with giving them a car that did not miss one lap due to mechanical problems so they were able to use all the practice time trying to find a set-up on the very bumpy and slick Limerock Park.  Setting competitive times in practice, the team was able to put the car in the top 10 in class and 12th overall.  With qualifying being rained out, practice times were to be used for the starting grid.  “We really could have used some more practice time, with the 2nd practice and qualifying being rained out, but we were able to find a set-up for the race that let Gunnar and I feel comfortable in the car”, said Pecorari before the race.
 
The start of the race would be Pecorari’s first start in the American Le Mans Series, and Van Der Steur prepared Pecorari for all the confusion going into the start.  With the green flag, Pecorari was able to gain a few positions and would be in 10th overall by the first lap.  Adam had a very fierce fight with the partially factory backed BK Motorsports #8 Mazda/Lola throughout the first 45 minutes with the Mazda finally getting around Adam in traffic.  Running a steady pace for the remainder of his 2 hour stint, Adam would hand over the car to Gunnar during the second yellow with about 50 minutes remaining.  It was a rather difficult stint for Gunnar with the team loosing radio contact sometime during the pit-stop, but he did a great job to bring the car to the finish 7th in class and 10th overall.
 
“This race was especially difficult for only my second race in the ALMS with the track being so short and me running a double sting”, said Pecorari after the race.  “Limerock is so short that you never have two laps without being in some sort of traffic, so not only do you get physically drained, you also get mentally drained as well.  The team did a wonderful job to give Gunnar and I a car that ran flawless throughout the entire weekend, and now it is up to Gunnar and I to develop the set-up of the car so we can run with the top cars in class.”
 
The next race for Van Der Steur Racing will be the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course the weekend of July 20-21. 

After an extended break, Adam Pecorari and Van Der Steur will continue their development on the Radical SR9 Wendsday the 27^th at Mid-Ohio.  The team has been working out mechanical gremlins throughout a few weeks of testing at Summit Point Raceway, and will begin to work on the set-up at Mid-Ohio.  “The car is going to be a very quick car, we just need to develop the car and find a good set-up,” said Pecorari.  “At Laguna Seca last year, our 2^nd race, we showed we had the speed to compete when we were battling with the Porsches for a while, and that was straight out of the box with no testing!!  Just imagine what we can do when we finally get the car developed.” 

It will be a very big challenge for the team, as they are racing against multiple factory cars from the likes of Porsche, Acura, and Mazda, but Adam and his teammate/owner

Gunnar believes that within a few races they may be able to surprise some people. 

Adam also hopes to spend a day or two testing in his STaSIS Audi A4 with hopes to grab a few wins in the last 4 races of the year.

Adam Pecorari, of Aston, Pa., finished in 4th position of the 2007 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship season in Round Three at Lime Rock Park, part of the SPEED Touring Car Classic.

Adam's teammate Chip Herr won the event, James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., and Jeff Altenburg, of Ellicott City, Md. completed the podium.

Adam Pecorari, put two Audi’s in the top five by wheeling his No. 19 STaSIS/Centrec Parts Audi A4 to a fourth place finish, a career-best for the SCCA SPEED Touring Car newcomer who also collected the Piloti Rookie of the Race Award.

The SCCA SPEED Touring Car race at Lime Rock Park will air on SPEED Saturday, June 2nd at 3:00 p.m. (EDT).

Round Four and Five of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship will take place at Watkins Glen International, June 9-10.

LAST MINUTE: Adam Pecorari has been called last minute, to compete this weekend at Miller Motorsport Park in the Speed World Challenge Touring class.  Adam will be racing the #19 STaSIS Audi A4.

Adam already missed all day practice Wednesday and will miss the first practice Thursday leaving only one practice before the qualifying, on a track he has never been on.  The race is in conjunction with the American Le Mans. Stay tuned for more news and results.

Rumors say that there is a possibility of running the rest of the World Speed Challenge schedule with this same team.

He will return to the Van Der Steur Radical SR9 for Lime Rock the first weekend of July.

(Havre de Grace, MD) 9 February 07--Van der Steur Racing has signed young Adam Pecorari to contest the 2007 American LeMans Series season in LMP2 competition. The team will campaign a Radical chassis powered by the AER engine against the factory Porsche, Mazda, and Acura efforts.

""We're pleased to have Adam join us this year,"" said team owner Gunnar van der Steur. ""He showed when he raced with us at Laguna that he is tremendously fast, and very technically capable. We know we are going up against some very well-funded teams this year, but we are optimistic that Adam can help us get everything out of the Radical/AER combination.""

Pecorari is looking forward to his move up to LMP2 and the high level of competition he will be facing after scoring an impressive nine wins in ten starts running in the 2006 IMSA Lites Championship.

""I want to thank Gunnar for having confidence in me and bringing me on to help develop the Radical,"" said Pecorari, who first moved up to Formula Fords in 2003 after making a name for himself in karts. ""I think LMP2 is going to be one of the toughest categories anywhere in road racing this year, and I'm really looking forward to going up against these guys. We don't have the budget that the factory teams do, but I think we might be able to surprise some people.""

The 2007 American LeMans Series will start with the traditional 12 Hours of Sebring on March 14-17, and the team is hoping to test in advance of the season-opener.

""In the meantime, I am just going to keep concentrating on my studies and keep working on my fitness routine to be as ready as possible for the season,"" said Pecorari.

The Aston, Pennsylvania native recently got his 2007 season warmed up with a debut run in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. While some mechanical problems prevented Pecorari's Matt Connolly Motorsports BMW M3 from finishing the race, he was glad to get the last-minute call up to race and is taking as many positives as possible out of the weekend.

""I really want to thank Matt and Biltbest for giving me the opportunity to race in the 24,"" said Pecorari. ""It was good for me to get some night racing experience and to get some good seat time to get this season going.""

The American LeMans Series will open up with the traditional Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 14-17."