Pacific Coast Motorsports To Join The IRL Frey

Pacific Coast Motorsports To Join The IRL Frey

Fresh off of a podium finish at the last and final ChampCar World Series race held on the streets of Long Beach April 20th, 2008, Mario Dominguez and Pacific Coast Motorsports appear to be on the verge of pushing the chips to the middle of the table for a run at the IndyCar Racing League 2008 Championship season.

At Long Beach, the team showed its potential and Dominguez spoke of possibly returning to race at the Indianapolis 500.

"Knock on wood, we'll be there with Pacific Coast Motorsports and myself as a driver by the Indy 500," he said. "Every since I can remember, I've always wanted to race in the Indy 500."

"It is a sad moment for me because I will miss Champ Car, I loved Champ Car and I will always be so proud to have won in Champ Car. But, there has to be one series; that is very clear.

"The future is bright, I am sad but at the same time happy, in the end, the fans will be the winners and that is terrific and I hope to be part of that. This is where I made my name and this is where I made my career, but my future starts right now."

Pacific Coast Motorsports would join KV Racing Technology, Conquest Racing (with consulting services from Forsythe Performance Research - a redirected Forsythe Racing effort), Dale Coyne Racing, Newman/Haas/Lanigan and HVM Racing as former ChampCar teams who have made the transition.

With three race weekend races in the can, Mario and PCM will be starting out not as far behind as one might think.

Now, if only they can get credit for the points earned by the third place showing at the Long Beach Grand Prix!

Details to follow ...

UPDATE - April 23, 2008:


Image Credit: PCM (2008)

Pacific Coast Motorsports is pleased to announce their entry into the IndyCar Series, with Mario Dominguez driving the #96 Visit Mexico City/PCM/Dallara.

The Mexico City Tourism Board is the primary sponsor of the PCM entry and the program will commence with the 2008 Indy 500. PCM team owner Tyler Tadevic joined Mario Dominguez and representatives of the Mexico City Tourism Board at a press conference in Mexico City this morning.

Mexico City ’s Vice Minister of Tourism, Flavio Abed commented on the program, “For the city of Mexico City , this motorsports project represents an extraordinary opportunity to promote another face of our city and to show the world everything this great city has to offer. Mexico City is one of the more important destinations in Latin America , not only for business, but also for pleasure. Mexico City is rich with history and features beautiful parks, theatres, museums and cultural destinations. Mario is very important to this city and we are excited to promote our city to the IndyCar audience through this program.”

Dominguez drove for the Southern California-based team in the Champ Car finale last weekend at the Long Beach Grand Prix and awarded the team with their first Champ Car podium, “We are very excited, and proud to announce our partnership with the Mexico City Tourism Board and Mario Dominguez. We see this much more as a partnership than typical sponsorship,” said Team Owner Tyler Tadevic. He continued, “With our recent success at the Long Beach Grand Prix and with Mario giving me my first podium as a team owner, we couldn’t be more excited, and we can’t wait to get started. This program is an extension of our belief in the Hispanic market and of our belief the Hispanic fans have for Open-Wheel racing and Mario in-particular. This Hispanic demographic is the fastest growing market in the United States and a very important fan-base for the IndyCar Series.”

Mario Dominguez, 32 is a native of Mexico City . He was honored with the title of “Official Driver of Mexico City” last fall by Mayor Marcello Ebrard. Dominguez will make his rookie debut in the IndyCar series at the world’s most famous motorsports event, the Indy 500.

“I am very excited about this new project. Racing in the Indy 500 is a childhood dream of mine. I understand I have a big responsibility since I will be driving the Mexico City car. I will be representing the colors of my city and my country in the most important racing series in North America,” said Dominguez. “I am very excited to continue my efforts with PCM. We just finished on the podium this weekend and that shows that we are competitive and can be champions together. Antonio Morron my manager and I have been working on this for a long while and we are very grateful the Mexico City Tourism Board saw the potential in this opportunity to promote Mexico City as the great tourism destination that it is. I also want to thank Mr. Alejandro Rojos, the Minister of Tourism of Mexico City, and Mr. Flavio Abed for the confidence they have placed in me. I will work as hard as I can on and off the track to give Mexico City the results that it deserves.”
Pacific Coast Motorsports has received two Dallara chassis. The team will debut the #96 entry with Dominguez at Rookie orientation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 4, 2008.

Formed in 2002 and based in Oxnard, California, Pacific Coast Motorsports are champions on the track and in the marketplace. The 2004 Toyota Atlantic Champions have competed in a diverse array of motorsports challenges, from open wheel to sports car racing and succeeded in every discipline. Off the track, PCM has been sponsored by some of the countries most recognizable names, from Imperial Capital Bank ... to Menards, TECATE and Vonage ... to Uniden --- and now, Mexico City D.F.

OLE'!

... notes from The EDJE

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.