ENERGIZED BY A TOP-4 FINISH AT MID-OHIO, DANE CAMERON AND THE RACERS EDGE TEAM HEAD FOR THE HIGH BANKS OF DAYTONA WITH HIGH HOPES AND A HOT CAR
The new driver pairing of Californians Dane Cameron and Tom Sutherland demonstrated exceptional and immediate chemistry in scoring the first top-4 finish in the of the 2009 season for the #30 Racers Edge/ClickAway GT1 Mazda RX-8 at last weekend's EMCO Gears Classic at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. And they're headed for this weekend's one-day, 4th of July shootout on the high banks of Daytona with high hopes and a hot car.
"Tom and I have been racing against each other for years, but this is the first time we ever drove together as teammates and it worked out really well," said Cameron, a native of Sonoma, California. "We led two hours of a two-and-three-quarter hour race and would have won if not for an unplanned pit stop. The team and the car keep getting better every race and Daytona is a track well-suited to our car, so we're all excited about the possibility of a podium finish or even our first win."
Sutherland qualified the car third at the Mid-Ohio road course, but was moved up to second when one of the cars ahead was penalized for a 'technical infraction.' On the pace lap, the pole-winning car pulled into the pits before even taking the green flag due to a mechanical problem, so the #30 Racers Edge car effectively started from the GT1 pole and led every lap in class while Sutherland was at the wheel. When Cameron took over driving duties, expecting to finish out the race, he again led the class, but a malfunction of the cooling system in his driver's suit caused it to actually pump hot air instead of cool and made it impossible for him to finish his full stint due to overheating and dehydration. An unplanned pit stop toward the end of the race to change drivers resulted in the team dropping back several places and finishing fourth in class and 16th overall.
This weekend, the Racers Edge team, with Cameron and Sutherland again sharing driving duties, heads for the Daytona Motor Speedway and the Brumos Porsche 250. This is one of the most pressure-filled races of the entire 2009 schedule with practice, qualifying and the race all taking place on one day; Friday, July 4.
"The car was fast in the Rolex 24 at the start of the season, but we had some electrical problems that kept us from achieving the results we knew we were capable of," says Cameron. "But the team and car have both evolved a lot since then and we're all looking forward to the weekend. It’s a crazy schedule, all happening in one day, but since it's on a major NASCAR weekend the stands will be packed and the energy level will be high and it's always a blast to race in front of a big, enthusiastic crowd."
Cameron arrived at this point in his career via an accomplished climb up the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder. Driving for Genoa Racing in the ultra-competitive 2008 Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, Cameron started from the pole once and scored two podiums and five top-5 finishes, finishing seventh in the championship during his rookie season.
In 2007, he was both series champion and Rookie of the Year in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear with three wins, six pole positions, five podium finishes and two top-5s. In 2006, Cameron was the Rookie of the Year and finished second in the F2000 championship and, as a Team USA Scholarship driver, he won the 2006 Palmer Audi Winter Championship in Europe. In 2005, he was the SCCA Formula Jim Russell Series champion and Rookie of the Year. His karting career, beginning in 2000, was similarly successful, including the 2003 Jim Russell Karting 80cc Junior Shifter Championship and a 2004 finalist in the Red Bull Driver Search. Cameron's long-time personal sponsors include the Finlay Motorsports Driver Development Program, Lynx Racing, Rett.org, Nearburg Exploration and Sparco USA.
Racers Edge is a former Star Mazda team that won back-to-back championships in 2002 with Guy Cosmo and 2003 with Luis Schiavo before moving up to the Grand-Am series in 2007. Under the guidance of President, Team Manager (and former driver) Jon Mirachi, Racers Edge has established itself as one of the premier teams in North American road racing with substantial achievements in both open wheel racing and sports cars. In the 2007 Grand-Am Rolex GT series, Racers Edge led three races, scoring five top-5 and ten top-10 finishes. In 2008, racing the same Mazda RX-8 they will field this season, the team again led three races and scored three top-10 finishes.
This weekend is Round 7 of the 2009 season, the Brumos Porsche 250 at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course. On-track action begins with a Rolex GT series practice session from 8:30 am to 9:00 am Friday morning, followed by a combined session with GT and DP cars from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. The unique 15-minute qualifying session is scheduled for 11:15 am to 11:30 am. The Brumos Porsche 250 for the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, scheduled for 70 laps/250 miles or 2 hours and 20 minutes -- whichever comes first - takes the green flag at 2:00 pm. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV.
