LANCASTER, Calif., April 28, 2006 – Defending Subaru Rim of the World Rally Production GT class winner Dennis Chizma (Las Vegas, Nev.) and motorsports logistics specialist Vanessa Weikart (a native of Germany now living in Coldwater, Mich.) formally announce the creation of Team Deva. Team Deva will focus its years of motorsports experience into a multi-car rally program for competition throughout North America beginning later this year. Chizma, a longtime rally and sports car racing expert, has been named Technical Manager while Weikart, who has handled logistics in motorsports since the mid-1980s, will be Logistics and General Manager of the program. Team Deva will enter a new car in its first major rally, the Laughlin International Rally in Laughlin, Nev., on November 10-12. However, Team Deva will have its first formal participation here in Lancaster, Calif. as it backs Chizma and co-driver Andrew Cushman (Las Vegas) in the No. 165 Team Deva Porsche 964-C4 in the WSRC Production GT class of this weekend’s Subaru Rim of the World Rally.
“I have been running my own rally program for years,” said Chizma. “We’ve been very successful doing it that way. However, Vanessa and I began talking when she came to Laughlin with us last year. She got hooked on rally there and wanted to get involved and it all took off. We’ve made the commitment to do this right. It will be with the same quality Porsche race cars that Motor Sports Unlimited has been running but now, we’ll offer that to more drivers. This will be a full-out program. The drivers will only have to worry about driving when they get to the rally.”
Combining their two skill sets, Chizma and Weikart have assembled a new team with decades of motorsports experience and countless victories in both rally and sports cars. With such deep roots, experience and exceptional contacts in the racing world, Team Deva looks to meet the standard of North American rally competition.
“Due to my European connections and longstanding relationship with teams, drivers and vendorsthis rally venture with Dennis seems like a good match and hopefully is destined to be a success,” offered Weikart. “I have never been a part of the ownership of a team before. However, I have handled the logistical needs of many and, with Dennis responsible for the technical aspects of the rally team, I am confident that we have the pieces in place to offer a very competitive and well run team.
