Montreal, Quebec, Canada - US RaceTronics came to Round 11 of the Champ Car Atlantic Championship in Montreal, Canada with the hopes of moving up in the Championship standings and continuing the impressive distinction of having the only driver who has thus completed every single lap this season. Last year saw US RaceTronics and its driver Monterrey, Mexico native David Martinez win the pole and finish 3rd. This year, while still under considerable financial strain, the team was yet again able to muster up the resources to allow it to compete at this weekend’s race and again the efforts paid off handsomely. The weekend’s qualifying efforts resulted in a pair of sixth place finishes on the time sheets putting the #4 Sub Hub sponsored car sixth on the starting line for Sunday’s Champ Car Grand Prix de Montreal Atlantic Race. While US RaceTronics is typically a 1-car team, this weekend’s race also saw the US RaceTronics lend a helping hand to the McAtee Motorsports entry of Brian Thienes.
The teams shared the same Garage Area and facilities, as well as personnel. While Sunday’s race was Red Flagged after 1 lap, the team regrouped on Monday morning. As the Green Flag dropped once again, Martinez began his assault on the field and quickly made headway through the field. He battled the 5th place car of Sierra Sierra’s Raphael Matos and on Lap # 4 quickly took over the fifth spot. With his car continuing to improve with each lap Martinez worked the entire race on closing the gasp between himself and the forth place of Forsythe Championship Racing’s Leonardo Maia and overtook Maia on Lap #16. Martinez’ blistering pace continued to increase finally culminating in his setting the fastest race lap on Lap # 22 with a time of 47.378 (90.823 mph).
Martinez continued to run clean laps throughout the race and finished the race in a very respectable forth place. Martinez not only keeps his streak of being the only driver in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Series to run every single lap this season, but this finish vaults Martinez and the US RaceTronics squad from seventh place to fifth in the Championship standings Brian Thienes also brought the McAtee Motorsports entry to a twentieth place finish after starting the race twenty-first. Thienes, for his first ever Champ Car Atlantic Championship Series start ran a very clean and smart race. Inexperience in a new car, a new track, and inclement weather conditions did very little to impede Thienes’ weekend. Shane Seneviratne- US RaceTronics Team Owner On the Race Weekend: Overall it was a great weekend. We were consistently competitive in the dry but it was also nice to be on the pace under difficult wet track conditions as well. David did an amazing job this weekend and it was nice to have Peter Jacobs to help on the team. His experience added to our strong result.
On Road America: It’s going to be the usual scenario for us; trying to find the resources to be able to make it to Road America. We really would like to make it to the race especially since it will be the last one (race) of the Season. It’s been a long year and the team has done an amazing job and we’d like to continue and properly wrap up the Season, while hopefully placing high on the Championship standings. On Running a Second Car: While running a 2-car operation with limited staff can be complicated we are proud of our efforts. Brian did an amazing job stepping into an amazingly competitive series, even under the difficult conditions.
