Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Joel Miller, the 2007 champion of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda, will take his title bonus — a paid season of 2008 Star Mazda — to the championship winning team of JDC MotorSports.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Reigning Star Mazda champions JDC MotorSports, which took series rookie Dane Cameron to the 2007 driver’s title, signed 2007 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda champion Joel Miller for 2008.

Miller’s title bonus for winning the 2007 Skip Barber National is a paid 2008 ride with a leading Star Mazda team.

Miller joins the Minneapolis-based JDC MotorSports squad having recently completed a successful test with the team at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California. Working with newly re-signed race engineer Rick Cameron, Miller will be part of a multi-car team, partnering with yet-to-be-named drivers. Miller, 19, becomes the third consecutive Skip Barber National champion to enter the Star Mazda Championship, following in the footsteps of Gerardo Bonilla and Jonathan Goring. The personable pilot will be seeking to provide JDC with its second consecutive, driver, team and rookie championship titles.

‘‘We are very pleased to have Joel driving for us in 2008,’’ said JDC MotorSports co-owner John Church. ‘’I’ve known Joel for a long time and he is not only a very talented driver, but also an exceptional young man. He was quickly up to speed in testing and has already bonded with Rick [Cameron]. I truly believe that he will not only challenge for wins, but be in contention for both the Rookie of the Year and series title in 2008.’’

Miller echoed Church’s comments, hinting that he will be looking to take a run at the title in 2008. ‘’Having raced in the Mazda ‘ladder’ from karting through Skip Barber, the move into Star Mazda for 2008 is the next logical step for my career,’’ Miller said. ‘’I’m looking forward to racing with JDC in the Star Mazda Championship. I’ve known John for a while and after working with Rick in testing, it was an easy decision picking JDC as the team I would drive for next year. I can’t thank Mazda and Skip Barber Racing enough for this opportunity. Now I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and begin working towards what I hope will be another championship-winning season.’’

A native of Hesperia, Calif., Miller enters the Star Mazda Championship having already established himself as a winner. First getting behind the wheel via local kart racing, Miller quickly became not only one of the leading karters in the region, but in all of North America. This culminated in 2006 when he captured the Stars of Karting Intercontinental A (ICA) national championship.

In late 2006, Miller was named the winner of the Stars of Karting/Skip Barber Scholarship, which was a paid season of Skip Barber National for 2007. Making the most of the opportunity, he captured the series title with a series-high five wins. In addition to racing in Skip Barber, Miller traveled to England and competed in the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy as a Team USA Scholarship winner.

Following a short break for the Christmas season, Miller and JDC MotorSports will commence an extensive winter testing program ahead of Round One of the Star Mazda Championship at Sebring International Raceway on March 13 as part of the Mobil1 12 Hours of Sebring event.

Rick Roso, Jeremy Shaw & JDC MotorSports