M1 Racing prepares Skip Barber driver for the road ahead

In just the latest example of its commitment to the future of the sport and the Mazda Road to Indy program, M1 Racing has taken a competitor in the Skip Barber Winter Nationals under its wing.

The Dallas-based team that competes in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires has not only been scouting for potential future drivers within the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system, but it is investing time and technical expertise to help one of them  — 17-year-old Bryson Schutte of Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada.

Schutte will race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif., this weekend, and he’ll compete at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., at the beginning of April. He has impressive credentials in karting, including third place at the Skip Barber Karting Shootout in 2012.  Although he’s just beginning his formula car career he already has five top-five finishes in a Skip Barber formula car, including a third at Sebring last month.

“(Team manager/engineer) Remi (Lanteigne) showed me all sorts of data,”  Schutte said.  “He also showed me the DartFish system the team uses, which was really cool. It’s a video-synching system, basically. You can see the different lines people take with it, and you can compare yourself to others. We looked at the in-car video and compared that to other people.

“Remi’s experience over the years is really helpful. In Skip Barber you can’t make any changes to the cars, so if I have an issue he can tell me how to adjust my driving to compensate for it, and sort of drive around the issue.”

Lanteigne has attended several of Schutte’s races in both karting and cars.  Schutte was also a guest of M1 Racing last month at Sebring while the team was conducting a test of its lead Pro Mazda driver, Juan Camilo Acosta.

“Bryson is just one of the young drivers that M1 Racing hopes to help,” Lanteigne said.  “He’s a talented kid.  We believe in the Mazda Road to Indy system, and we’re trying to do our part to reach out to the kids at the lower levels and help them along.

ArmsUp Motorsports announces 2013 lineup

ArmsUp Motorsports officially announced the team's return to the 2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda. The Sheboygan Falls, Wis., based team will start the 2013 season at Sebring International Raceway next week with a four driver lineup. Competing full time with the team will be James Dayson, Felipe Donato, and Andrew Hobbs. Joining for a two-event effort will be Tim Paul.  

"I'm very excited about our lineup this season," said ArmsUp Founder Gregg Borland. "We've got a strong group of racers who are dedicated to learning, developing and earning those podium finishes. The 2013 season looks to be very competitive, and we're feeling confident in our team." 

Returning to ArmsUp Motorsports is Canadian racer James Dayson. The 34-year-old ran a partial USF200 season in 2012, and went on to win the National Class Championship in the 2012 Winter Fest. Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Dayson hopes to build on his winter success.

"I am very excited to be racing again with ArmsUp Motorsports," said Dayson. "They are a great team that takes pride in what they do on and off the track. I'm looking forward to competing in the full season for 2013 and my goal is to get some podiums and some wins under my belt.  I feel we can be competitive with the work we have put in last year and during the off season."

A new addition to the team is 18-year-old Felipe Donato. After establishing himself in the Brazilian Karting Championships, the college graduate felt the timing was appropriate to join the ranks of the other two liter drivers.  

"I'm so excited to have the opportunity to join my first international championship, especially in a high level competition like the USF2000 and with a top and professional team like ArmsUp," said Donato. "I know that I have so many things to learn and some of them will be very difficult, but I'll do my best to develop myself and to achieve strong results."

Also joining the team is 18-year-old American Andrew Hobbs, grandson of the legendary International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee, David Hobbs. In the 2012 season, Andrew competed in the 2012 Skip Barber Summer Series, earning two wins and eight podium finishes. This year, Andrew will advance up the Mazda Road to Indy for his first full time season in USF2000.

"I am incredibly excited to be working with ArmsUp Motorsports this year. I've known the team since they started out in Formula 2000 competition and I know they do a fantastic job with the cars. I would like to thank Pulse, ABN, David Hobbs Honda, Prestige Autoworks, and Mastertech for making this possible. I know I've got a lot to learn but I could not ask to be a part of a better team."