OXNARD, CA (March 12, 2008) Pacific Coast Motorsports drivers Carl Skerlong and Frankie Muniz wrapped two days of testing in their US RaceTronics prepared Mazda/Swifts at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway yesterday.
The test was the official spring training for the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship, powered by Mazda, North America's premier open wheel development series."The test went really well.Obviously this one of our most important open tests because Laguna Seca is a track that we will come back and race on," said US RaceTronics owner, Shane Seneviratne."I couldn't have asked for more from the whole crew. There were no mechanical issues, the engineers gave great setups making both cars quick out of the box and they developed fast race set-ups for our return in May.Both drivers were at the top of their game and we think we are great shape for our return."
20 year-old Carl Skerlong earned two-podiums en-route to his top-ten finish in the 2007 championship.Skerlong is heading into his second season in the Atlantic series and ran up front throughout the two-day test.He completed 514 trouble-free miles and clicked off the second-fastest time of the test both days, despite it being just his second visit to the scenic raceway.Frankie Muniz officially joined the team last month; he is entering just his third season of professional racing.
Muniz's racing skills and times have improved with each test and he turned in a strong performance, completing 487 miles on the challenging 2.238-mile circuit, which features 11 turns.
"We'll do one more test at MSR Houston the last week of March and then we'll be set for our season debut at Long Beach. It's going to be a great season; the field is deep with very talented drivers," said Seneviratne.
Carl Skerlong, #28 King Taco/PCM/USRT/Mazda/Swift: "Overall it was a very successful test. We kept the King Taco car in the top-three throughout the test. I think we have a very good race to go back with in May.Also we learned some things that definitely will apply to other tracks, but we were really going for a racecar for Laguna and I think we've got that.I've got to thank Tyler and Shane and my engineer Burke and everyone else at PCM for doing such a great job, I really couldn't have asked for a better test."
Frankie Muniz, #29 PCM/USRT/Mazda/Swift: "To run that strong at Laguna, one of the most difficult tracks we compete on, felt really good.We made a lot of progress over the two days.The last run of the test yesterday was awesome. That was the best I've ever felt in a race car.The car felt perfect and I felt like I was able to get a lot out of it, it was awesome.If I'd been able to pick up one-tenth of a second, I would have moved five spots up the time sheets.It's just a test, so times aren't everything, but we are making a ton of progress every time we are on the track. I am in the hunt now, which is very motivating -2008 is going to be a great season.The Atlantic staff is putting together an exciting schedule and there were 20 cars at this test, the competition is going to be tough."
About PacificCoast Motorsports: Formed in 2002 and based in Oxnard, California, Pacific Coast Motorsports are champions on the track and in the marketplace. The 2004 Toyota Atlantic Champions have competed in a diverse array of motorsports challenges, from open wheel to sports car racing and succeeded in every discipline.In 2008 the challenge comes full circle as PCM returns to their roots in partnership with US RaceTronics entering a two-car effort in the Atlantic Championship.Off the track, PCM has represented some of the countries most recognizable names, from Imperial Capital Bank to Menards, TECATE and Vonage to Uniden establishing successful, high-profile marketing platforms that deliver meaningful exposure and a quantifiable return on investment. PCM is dedicated to success in the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda and we are committed to go beyond the traditional means to deliver value and exceed the expectations of our partners.Follow our Atlantic season at www.PCMracing.com.
