It’s A Hollywood Debut For Pacific Coast Motorsports

Frankie Muniz (left) and Carl Skerlong make up the 2008 driver lineup for PCM's Atlantic program. Image Credit: PCM 2008/CCWS website

It’s A Hollywood Debut For Pacific Coast Motorsports

Being a member of the Champ Car Inner Circle fan club has it’s benefits. For example, the other day I receive in my email inbox an invitation to join an event that was being held up on Universal City Walk where a CCWS Atlantic racing series team was going to make it’s 2008 team debut campaign announcement.

The event was scheduled to start Wednesday, January 30, 2008 – 7:00 P.M. – about a half an hour after the Republican Presidential Primary Debate that was being broadcast from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, staged right in front of the reassembled Boing 747 that had served as President Reagan’s Air Force One while he was in office, was scheduled to end.

City Walk is easy to get to from where I reside here in Toluca Lake, it is just one mile away, and up on the hill near the amusement park.

Let’s go! … and go we did.

Universal City Walk at night. The blue neon outline of King Kong hanging off of the building ahead in left frame. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks/The EDJE

Drive to the MTA station parking lot at the bottom of the hill (nobody walks in LA!), grab the Universal Studios shuttle tram for the slow ride up the 20% or so grade to the top of the hill to be let off just around the corner of the signature spinning world fountain at the Universal Studios entrance. Walk the City Walk past Sparky’s, The Daily Grill, Bubba Gump’s, The NASCAR Racing Amusement Arcade, underneath King Kong hanging off the side of a building, on past a few more eateries forward to the large guitar standing in front of the Hard Rock Café, Hollywood (originally named Hard Rock Café, Universal City).

Two shrouded CCWS Atlantic cars bookended a gathering that included PCM team director Tyler Tadevic as announcer/interviewer, team drivers - Carl Skerlong and Frankie Muniz, race engineer’s Burke Harrison and Tim Lewis, and a host of Committee 300 Long Beach Grand Prix voenteers, fans (as EDJE was one), and a large contingent of entertainment and sports media.

President/Team Director, Tyler Tadevic rests his arms on the drivers who will campaign for Pacific Coast Motorsports in the CCWS Atlantic series 2008 season. The drivers are Frankie Muniz (on left) and Carl Skerlong (on right). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks/The EDJE

This excerpted from the CCWS website -

PCM ANNOUNCES CARL SKERLONG, FRANKIE MUNIZ AS DRIVERS FOR ATLANTIC TEAM
Hollywood, CA (Jan. 30, 2008)

Frankie Muniz (left) and Carl Skerlong - 2008 Pacific Coast Motorsports CCWS Atlantic drivers next to the car Frankie Muniz is expected to drive for the season. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks/The EDJE

Pacific Coast Motorsports, a two-car team in the Champ Car World Series, announced tonight that they will expand their racing team with a two-car entry in the Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. PCM also announced their all-American driver lineup, Carl Skerlong and Frankie Muniz.

Pacific Coast Motorsports Champ Car driver Alex Figge acquired the Bakersfield-based US RaceTronics Atlantic team. The team will be based at PCM's Oxnard, California, headquarters and will compete under the Pacific Coast Motorsports banner. Former US RaceTronics team owner, Shane Seneviratne will manage the Atlantic program.

PCM team director Tyler Tadevic made the announcement under the famous Hard Rock guitar at a media event at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios tonight in Hollywood. Tadevic commented on the team's desire to return to their racing roots.

"We're really proud to be returning to the series where we won the 2004 championship, and we are looking forward to continuing our winning tradition," Tadevic said. "As a graduate of the series, Alex is a believer of the product; this is an important program to him. Shane has a history of running championship-winning teams and we saw this as a terrific opportunity to return to Atlantic competition.

"We feel we've got two exceptional young drivers on board. They're both quick and very professional. We've got an exciting season ahead of us."

Skerlong, 19, of Mukilteo, Washington, will drive the #28 King Taco/Mazda/Swift. Skerlong made an impressive debut in the Atlantic series in 2007 with two podium finishes and a top-10 finish in the series championship. Skerlong will be paired with two-time Atlantic championship-winning (2003, 2004) race engineer Burke Harrison,

"I am so excited about this opportunity," Skerlong said. "I am really happy to be able to continue my relationship with Shane, but grateful for the tools and resources racing for Pacific Coast Motorsports will offer. I have one goal this year, and that is to win the Atlantic series title and the $2 million prize in the #28 King Taco car."

Frankie Muniz rests helmet on the front right tire of his Atlantic series ride for 2008 between photography shots. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks/The EDJE

Muniz, 22, of Los Angeles, will drive the #29 PCM/Mazda/Swift in his sophomore season of Atlantic competition. Most people will recognize Frankie as an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor, but 2008 will mark his third season as a professional racecar driver.

"Joining PCM is a huge step forward for me in my racing career," said Muniz. "In the three tests I have already completed, I have learned so much and really developed my skills as a racing driver. Tim Lewis, my race engineer, has a championship-winning record behind him and we have gelled really well. I just can't wait for the season to start in April at the Long Beach Grand Prix and I am thrilled to represent a professional racing team like Pacific Coast Motorsports."
Reference Here>>

After the ceremonies, the crowd milled around and fans, friends, and family of the event we able to enjoy a little conversation. The gathering outside adjourned to a private party hosted by Pacific Coast Motorsports up on the second level of the Hard Rock Café. Food and conversation were in plentiful supply and the building buzzed of the upcoming first of the season tests that are to be held in Sebring, Florida beginning this weekend. Team members were anxious to get the cars in the transport truck, drive them across the country and get this 2008 season started.

Great success to Team Pacific Coast Motorsports, may you all wage a campaign of epic scale … one worthy of a Hollywood debut!

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks/The EDJE

See you all the next time you are in the neighborhood at the 2008 running of the Long Beach Grand Prix. We will hop in the car and drive to the MTA station parking lot at the bottom of the hill ...

… notes from The EDJE.