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2-3-12
Paralyzed Racer Michael Johnson Joins JDC Motorsports For 2012
USF2000 National Championship Campaign
Michigan native to pilot specially-equipped hand control car in
rookie title challenge
Junior formula car standout JDC MotorSports is excited to
announce that paralyzed racer Michael Johnson will be part of
its multi-car title challenge in the 2012 edition of the Cooper
Tires USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. The 19
year-old will make history this coming season, as he becomes the
first paralyzed driver to compete in the Mazda Road to Indy
program, piloting a specially-equipped hand control car.
For JDC MotorSports and Johnson, the 2012 USF2000 National
Championship season marks the latest step in a partnership that
started in the summer of 2011. With the ultimate goal of not
only competing, but fighting for top honors in the renowned
driver development series, the Michigan native will get behind
the wheel of a Mazda-powered Van Diemen that has been converted
to hand controls by JDC MotorSports with input from INDYCAR and
USF2000 technical staff and officials. The Skip Barber Racing
front-runner, will partner fellow series rookies Neil Alberico,
Scott Hargrove, and Zac Silver under the JDC awning, having
already accumulated more than nine full test days in the
specially-equipped car.
"I cannot even tell you how excited the entire team is to add
Michael to our 2012 roster," stated JDC MotorSports team
principal John Church. "Obviously this is a unique program, and
during testing Michael has shown us that he will be up to the
task and be competitive in our run for the championship in
2012."
"I'm so psyched to be competing in the USF2000 Championship with
John Church and JDC MotorSports!" commented Johnson. "My journey
to compete in open-wheel racing has required unique attention,
and I want to thank all the people who supported the efforts to
get us on the Mazda Road to Indy. INDYCAR and the USF2000 series
have been supportive in working with us to make this happen.
Many thanks to John and the entire JDC Motorsports team who made
a miracle happen with the preparation of the car, and when we go
racing next week in the Winterfest it will be a dream come true.
I also want to thank my family, especially my mom, dad, and my
grandfather, as well as my manager Matthias Czabok, PR person
Maria Jannace, and driver coach Grant Maiman. They all worked so
hard to put this all together."
Johnson was an extremely successful amateur motorcycle racer,
winning 14 national championships by the age of 12. On August
13, 2005, he was involved in a dirt track racing accident, which
left him paralyzed from the mid chest down. After a long road to
recovery of nearly two years, he received the green light from
his doctors to again participate in physical activities. In
2007, Johnson returned to motorsports competition, racing karts
which were modified to be driven with hand controls. Not
surprisingly, it was not long until Johnson started winning
again, capturing the Junior SuperCan class championship, earning
Driver of the Year honors. Continuing his winning ways in the
Great Lakes Pro Series - scoring six victories in the Rotax
class - the teenager elected to make the transition to car
competition in 2009. Johnson, piloting a car modified to be
driven with hand controls, made his debut in the Skip Barber
Racing series. After running a partial schedule in 2010, the
talented racer ran the entire Skip Barber Summer Series in 2011,
scoring three wins and seven podium finishes en route to third
place in the title fight.
JDC MotorSports and Johnson will officially commence their 2012
season on February 6-7, when the No. 54 Universal Coating/Coloplast/FlatOutNation.com/Red
Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry takes to Sebring International
Raceway for the opening tripleheader of the Cooper Tires
Winterfest. The chase for Cooper Tires USF2000 National
Championship powered by Mazda supremacy gets underway on March
16-17, with Rounds One and Two at Sebring as part of the 60th
Anniversary Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
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