Now, the big news that everyone has been waiting for: the drivers have announced which teams they will drive for. Here is the breakdown and some quotes from the drivers themselves:
Volcano Motosports has signed Josep Lettenberg to drive the #00 and Samuel Highcliff to drive the #42. Lettenberg is racing for the championship. "With ARC and Volcano Motorsports, as well as Quea-Z onboard as a sponsor, I'm hoping to have a good shot at the championship this year. This team will be able to field very strong cars, and it should be a fun drive." Highcliff is currently signed for half of the season, and a renewal pending good performance early in the season.
Herbal Productions announced that Brandon Odor and Gote Garde will be driving the #14 and #90 respectively. They also signed Stefan Grolz as a team member, as they were unable to sign the driver that was desired, Vince Rosek, who had engineering expertise. "We just got outbid on Rosek, someone else had a better deal for him. It's unfortunate, but we'll play with the hand we have been dealt," said Herbal. Garde said of signing with the team "It's not exactly the ideal situation for me, but I'm ready to go racing. I'm a little disappointed I do not get to work with a fellow European driver, but at least I'm going racing unlike some of the other drivers out there."
Team [R] Garage managed to get contracts with Shu Ito, who will drive the #38, and Matias Maldanado for the #17. "I'm happy to be driving the Vitoli Freezer Pizza's car," said Maldanado. "It's my favorite sort of frozen pizza. No, really, I mean it. I'm not just saying it because they sponsor my car." Shu Ito was also excited at the prospect of driving for a team based in his home country. "What can I say, this is great. Representing Indonesia in this series is a real privilege."
The Razgriz Racing Team took on Karl Weiss and Jake Sanson in the #31 and #32 cars. Karl said that he was looking forward to driving the Speedtec car of Razgriz. "These cars seem extremely fast, and they handle well too. Just a joy to take out on the track. I am confident that I can have success driving for this team. It also helps to have a great sponsor like Key Security on board. I'm glad to be driving their colors."
The team of planetgenerally.de signed Heiner Neuer and Jan Van Koelic to their driver lineup. Neuer, being a German countryman, was a natural choice for the slot. The veteran Van Koelic had lots of good things to say about his teammate. "He's enthusiastic, he's likable, and he's pretty darn fast in a race car, too. I'm happy to work with him this season, hopefully together we can bring this team to the top."
Orange Racing Team Austria gave a press conference to announce their driver signings earlier today. "We are pleased to announce," said Daniel Rosenberger, "That our drivers will be Vince Rosek and Stuart Townsend. This duo should be one of the strongest teams out there on the track." It also appears to be one of the most expensive duos, with the signing price tag coming in at over 220 money. One has to wonder how much money will be available for development of the cars.
The Japanese team Vemac Grand Prix has signed two Japanese drivers, no surprise given the team member that they signed earlier this month. Sakito Takasani and Masami Toyoma will be hitting the track in the teams two cars. These two drivers are familiar with each other from the Japanese open wheel circuit. "I'm glad to be racing with Masami. He's a guy who shows a lot of promise, and I've seen him do some great things with cars in the Japanese Formula circuit," Said Takasani upon the announcement that the two would be driving together.
Defending test season champion Peninsula Motorsports added Ryan Bachelot and Niko Tomas to its payroll today. Bachelot will pilot the #1 and Tomas the #2. The two should make a good pair, as they seem to compliment each other's skills well. "We're ready to help Peninsula take the season crown," said Tomas. It appears that bduddy is trying to go with some younger talent this season, although that may come at a slight cost of skill, but these two show a lot of promise as the series begins.
Destiny Racing has made their announcement regarding their drivers. Rocco Salzani will be driving for the championship in the #16, and Ana Patrice makes her debut at world level racing in the #12. One has to wonder how exactly she got there, but it seems clear that it is not her skill, but more likely the fact that she is an attractive woman who has wooed many sponsors along with her. It'll be interesting to see how she does. "People may criticize me as being a pay driver," said Patrice, "but I'll be out there showing them that I really can drive, too."
There is the rundown of driver signings. Be sure to keep an eye here this week to hear more about the drivers, see the cars, and prepare for the first weekend of racing.
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