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Two Podiums in Formula SCCA Debut
David drove the Formula SCCA car for the first time during official practice in Sebring. With the help of his Cape Motorsports team, he was able to improve the car's base setup and produce some competitive lap times. In qualifying, Jurca placed the car second on the grid, two tenths off of the pole position time. "I picked up some understeer after putting on new tires for the first time in qualifying," said Jurca. "I came in to make changes to the car, but unfortunately the session ended early with a red flag. Second still puts us in a good position for the race." Race one would see Jurca have gearbox problems from the moment he entered the track. On the start, David was unable to get 1st gear and dropped from second to fourth. A caution came out on lap two and Jurca went from fourth to first on the restart. He would lead the next three laps but drop to second after losing first and occasionaly second gear. David did eventually finish second in the race. "I got a great restart," said Jurca. "I think I had the car to challenge for the win, but I started having problems with the gearbox." In race two, Jurca would start second again. He got a good start and maintained second position, but made a pass for the lead before the end of lap one. Jurca lead the first two laps, but it wasn't meant to be. A fuel pressure problem put the engine down on power. The leader started to pull away and David battled with second place for the next three laps. As the problem got worse, second place ended up pulling away from Jurca as well. By the end of the race, fourth place caught David and they swapped positions no less than four times. Luckily, the end of the race was near and he was able to bring the car home for another podium finish in third. The two podiums for the weekend were good enough to put Jurca second in points. "The crew worked really hard all weekend dealing with the problems we had with a car that wasn't ours," commented Jurca. "I'm happy to leave with a bunch of points. Things should be better at the next round in Atlanta when the team has my car ready. I would like to thank my sponsors Serengeti Design, Best Ceramic, Kuzzins Kustoms, and Bell Helmets." Like many drivers in the newly formed Formula SCCA Championship, Jurca began his racing career in karts. Displaying great natural talent, the 18 year-old quickly progressed up the karting ranks, winning numerous championships. By 2000, Jurca was racing in the upper echelons of karting in North America. Currently the number one ranked shifter kart driver in North America by Shifter Kart Illustrated, Jurca won the 2002 SKUSA SuperNationals Pro IC race and the 2003 SKUSA ProMoto West Zone Championship. He was also a 2003 Skip Barber Champ Car Scholarship Driver and one of six finalists in the Red Bull F1 Driver Search. Widely regarded as North America's premier training series, the Cooper Tires Championship Series offers the complete motorsports education, with emphasis on cost-effective racing. Racing throughout the United States and Canada, the Cooper Series will showcase the best young drivers from around the world on a challenging mix of racetracks. For additional information on the Formula SCCA Championship or
Cooper Tires Championship Series, please contact Michelle Kish at
(973) 575-2626, e-mail MichelleKish@usff2000.com or visit |
(March
18 -19, 2004) Just weeks after finalizing his plans with the championship
winning Cape Motorsports team, David Jurca made his debut in the
Formula SCCA Cooper Tires Championship Series during the Mobil 1
12 Hours of Sebring weekend. The plan was for Jurca to complete
a one day test at Cooper Park Raceway prior to the event, but unfortunately
the parts for Jurca's car did not arrive from England in time and
the team was forced to rent a car for the weekend.