Tuesday, December 16, 2008
WOODHOUSE WINDSHIELD
2008 became our most successful year yet. Let me fill in the missing half season, then look at what is ahead in 2009.
I left you hanging just before the Mid-Ohio race in July. That entire event was full of firsts. The largest crowd in the history of the Mid Ohio track. A strong World Challenge presence. Our Woodhouse Performance team had drivers Jeff Courtney and Tommy Archer there. Jeff had an incredible outcome considering the challenges he endured during the race. We completely fried his transmission leaving him only two gears then one gear in the closing laps. An off track excursion took a bite out of the front splitter leaving him scrambling to maintain position after one of the best qualifying efforts he had all year. His crew Eric Messley and Eddie Martin hugged him and called him Mr. Perseverance, when he got out at the end. (Jeff thinks they might be gay J).
Tommy, what a professional, his skill and experience along with his suspension tuning knowledge put us in the Winners Circle and made this a Cinderella week end. John Mills, Engineer; Rick Maxwell Crew Chief, and Ashley Wick Car Chief made a combination that no one could touch. Tommy started and stayed up front for the entire race giving us our 2nd win for the season.
Mosport; an hour east of Toronto Canada located in a beautiful rural setting, and loved by drivers, due in part to the danger associated with high speed turns and vertical drops. Due to our success at Mid Ohio, the #13 Viper Comp Coupe driven by Tommy Archer received more weight and more air intake restrictor putting the potential for a win out of reach. The long uphill straight saw our intake restricted motor incapable of lugging that extra weight up the hill next to our competitors. We maximized the set up for corner speeds and hoped for the best which was a 4th for Tommy and 7th for Jeff. Much needed points.
Road America, a track that easily qualifies for a National Park with its beauty. Despite problems in practice and qualifying Tommy and Jeff got the job done. Tommy put the car on pole and won the race (the 3rd one for the year), that made our competitors sputter a lot, Andy Pilgrim you rarely see grumpy but he and the Remington Cadillacs had a bad day, with an engine goin up in an explosive fireball.
Due to an electrical glitch in Jeff’s car that killed his qualifying effort, he gridded for the race in last place. He made his standing start for the race look like a horse spooked by lightning. He started picking up positions immediately. By lap 13 he was reaching the top ten. That was when a couple hundred bucks changed hands among his guests since they were betting on which lap he would get to the top ten. He finished ninth receiving Hard Charger Award in the process. Jeff gave them a show, he was everyone’s hero in front of a crowd of over 250 invited guests and sponsors; they were having a real hoot.
As we approach the last three races of the season I need to be open and tell you the budget needed to be managed. With our primary partner FOAMETIX, we made a difficult decision and let Tommy Archer step out of the #13 FOAMETIX/Viper Competition Coupe. A manufacturers championship was hi potential, but financially we were unable to carry the additional budget.
The Detroit Belle Isle race takes place on an island in the middle of the Detroit River just downstream from the GM Renaissance Center. Wow, this week end had all of our Viper Friends in town with the Viper Owners Invitational. Talk about a great supporting crowd, Chris Marshall got the auction bug and raffled off the flag girl position for Vipers in the race garnering about $1500 for the honor. It went to the club silly. This track is not considered a place Vipers can win at, yet Cindi Lux did a great job of putting a Viper in the middle of the top ten. Accolades to her. Porsches on the other hand do well, something associated with the lighter weight, center of gravity, polar moment; all that “engineer speak.”
Our drivers were Brian Simo known from Trans-Am and NASCAR in the#13 Viper and Jeff Courtney in the #99. We had some wall damage err I mean car damage in practice with the #99 car ending up throwing it together barely in time for the race.
New Jersey Motorsports Park, a newly constructed track just one hour from Philly and Atlantic City. Jeff and Brian got along well here with Brian finishing 5th and Jeff in 6th.
The Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Keerieminettly ………what an ending to a spectacular season. The Petit LeMans, a biggie in U.S. Road Racing; 115,000 attended and we did our part to amuse and dazzle. The down side is we came home with two broken race cars and two DNF’s. This was not our week to play power ball. After an engine loss in the #99 Viper in first practice we followed that up with a 100 mph bump and slide down the concrete wall on the front straight in the #13 car, coming to rest at turn one looking like an Alaskan King Crab after a half dozen blows with a 5# sledge. Oil, water and crunched up car parts everywhere. The car managed to propeller along the wall applying both ends at intervals. There was no fire but that took the edge off a good day.
While Rick and the crew went about deciding if we had enough pieces to remake a race car, we enrolled Claudios’ Rolex spec Porsche 997 in the hunt and after one practice session we knew this was a knife in a gun fight. Claudio Burtin and I then went paddock shopping for options; like what could we rent to replace it with, or what could we place our famous and soon to be more famous FOAMETIX logos on?
In the end Jeff Courtneys 99 Viper carried the branding, along with KENDA and TJM. So we decided to go into the Friday race with only Jeff’s car. Although Jeff never finished the race he came away with the Hard Charger Award for passing three cars on the opening lap. On lap 10 the Green Viper #18 of Jason Foster come across the inside of turn 10a to punt Courtney at the driver door and off into the gravel. The left rear suspension was torn up leaving no option of re-entering the race.
Even though this event left little to brag about, it was enormously exciting and helped define what good people are made of.
On to 2009: If you watch much news, you could be influenced to think the world is coming to an end. I agree that the business climate has changed, largely a result of poor leadership, greed, entitlement thinking, and lack of integrity. But hold on here, 90% of the world is still doing business from one good person to the other. And we intend to be part of that.
We are not bending to the unthinking “me too” or “herd” mentality that accelerates this financial mess. You may know we formed a company called the WC Vision LLC that took the marketing and funding responsibilities for the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge. Co Chair Peter Cunningham and I are about 5 months and two additional great employees into this new adventure with five other investors. You are about to see the best 2009 WC season in recent history.
Throughout my previous 33 years in the automobile business, there were several down turns. We emerged out with more market share than going in. Positive attitudes trump negative thinking. This is good stuff so listen up. The trick is “don’t lift”; a good driver knows when he is on the edge and a lift will cause a tail spin. Keep the pedal on the floor. Live, love and get all the gusto; see you in 09.
Friday, October 24, 2008
JEFF COURTNEY RECAPS 2008 SEASON
Milwaukee, Wisc. (October 24, 2008) – Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper, along with the entire Woodhouse Performance Team, is decompressing and re-grouping after a tumultuous season in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Series. “It was intense, we suffered our share of bad luck, but a lot of great things happened,” said Courtney. For the second year in a row, Courtney finished in the top ten in Championship points.Although Courtney was unable to climb the podium, he was awarded the Sunoco Hard Charger Award and the Racing Electronics Holeshot award a couple times this season. “We had a lot of twists and turns this season, but for a relatively small operation, Woodhouse Performance has done amazingly well. The only thing that would have made it better was if I would have gotten a win, not just for me, but for the entire team,” said Courtney. “I know that Erik (Messley) and Eddie (Martin) wanted a win as badly as I did.”
In between action at the track, Rick Maxwell and Ashley Wick worked hard to keep both the No. 99 and the No. 13 cars ready for upcoming races across the country. Countless hours were spent going over the cars and making adjustments to obtain peak performance on race day. “Everyone worked really hard this year, and it really showed in the results. I’m very proud of my team,” said team owner Bob Woodhouse.
Woodhouse Performance did collect three checkered flags this season from driver Tommy Archer in the No. 13 Foametix Dodge Viper.
“There are so many behind-the-scenes people to thank too,” said Courtney. “Susan Dunklau, Andrew Richmond and Louise Woodhouse, they all helped so much from making travel arrangements to washing race suits between events.”
Another key component was John Mills, whose engineering experience was pivotal and helped the team earn honors this year.
“In addition to the crew and the team, I have to thank all of my sponsors. Without their support, I would not be able to participate in this great series,” said Courtney. Courtney’s sponsors include Kenda Tires, TJM Integrated Wealth Management, Coins of America, Badger Components, Karavan Trailers, JG Wheels, Eibach Springs, and Foerster Signs. I would also like to thank the following sponsors who sponsored special single events this year, such as Accurate Metal Products, Kapco Inc., and Foametix.
“MPI has done a great job of promoting me this year, a special thank you to LesleyAnn Neulrich, Dave Wied and Emily Golden for their promotional and marketing efforts,” said Courtney.
“I want to leave everyone with my appreciation,” said Courtney. “Thanks to all who have supported me, whether on television, at the race, or in the pits, all of my family and friends, it took all of you to make this work. See you again next year.”
Friday, October 3, 2008
END OF THE ROAD
Up and Down Season Ends at Road AtlantaAtlanta, GA (October 3, 2008) – The Woodhouse Performance Team descended on Road Atlanta unified with a strong desire to finish on the podium. For Jeff Courtney, river of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper, it was the last chance this season for a checkered flag. The SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT finale was sponsored by FOAMETIX, a state-of-the-art foam building insulation supplier owned by teammate Claudio Burton, driver of the No. 13 FOAMETIX Dodge Viper, who with a large crowd of supporters also planned a good finish. When hopes are so high, anything less is disappointing, and the Woodhouse team felt the piercing disappointment of two cars in the DNF category at the end of the race.
On Tuesday after only three laps into the first practice session, Courtney’s No. 99 car lost the motor. The team scrambled to install the back-up motor, which was found to be a bit down in power. “In the last practice session Tuesday, I ran it three laps to shake it out, but it was still a little slow in the straight-aways,” said Courtney.
During the second practice session, Burton had an unfortunate crash in the No. 13 car and the Team struggled to determine whether to attempt to fix the No. 13 in time for the race, or to try and find an alternate car to run. As Foametix was sponsoring the finale, pressure to see the branding in the race was acute.
The race day, it was decided that Courtney would carry the FOAMETIX branding on his No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT finale. Along with the additional logos, Courtney’s car would be equipped with the SPEED Channel camera, giving the No. 99 car increased visibility. “I was proud to carry the branding for [Burton],” said Courtney. “I really wanted to make a good run for both [Burton] and FOAMETIX, it was just an unfortunate weekend for both of us.”
After a very limited number of practice laps, the No. 99 car made a great start on race day, earning Courtney the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award as he advanced three positions in the opening lap of the race. “I had a great start,” said Courtney. “I would gain a lot of ground in the technical sections of the track, only to lose it on the straight-aways. I still feel we could have finished in the top ten.” A top ten finish would have kept Courtney in the sixth place position in the 2008 Drivers Championship Points race, but he had to settle for eighth after being slammed from the rear and taken out of the race.
During lap 8, Jason Foster’s Dodge Viper came into turn 10 carrying excessive speed and used Courtney as a brake, crashing into the left rear portion of Courtney’s car, knocking the wind out of him. A full course caution allowed the other cars to circulate while the two wrecked cars were flat-bedded back to the pits, marking the end of the race for Courtney and the Woodhouse Performance Team.
“It wasn’t how we wanted to go out, I had great hopes for this race,” said Courtney. “But as I’ve said before, that’s racing. I can’t stress enough how much work the whole team was forced into this weekend and how much I appreciate all they did. No matter what happened, they kept their chins up and worked hard.”
“Although disappointing, the results from Road Atlanta were not a measure of the Woodhouse Racing Team’s ability to perform during this amazing 2008 season,” said Courtney. “The entire team accomplished fantastic results during the season, and that is what should be remembered.”
Watch the race on the SPEED Channel on Wednesday, October 15 at 1 pm (EDT).
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
THE FINISH LINE
Road Atlanta Last Chance for Checkered FlagMilwaukee, Wisc. (Oct. 1, 2008) – The final race of the SCCA Pro SPEED World Challenge GT race is this Friday, October 3 at Road Atlanta, followed by the awards banquet Friday evening. This will be the last opportunity for drivers to capture that elusive checkered flag or podium finish. The Woodhouse Racing Team is ready.Sunday, September 28, 2008
Foametix® to Sponsor SPEED GT Finale
TOPEKA, Kan. (Sep. 28, 2008) - SCCA Pro Racing is excited to announce that Foametix®, makers of high-quality, environmentally friendly spray foam insulation, will sponsor the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Finale at Road Atlanta.Already familiar to SPEED GT fans as the sponsor of the No. 13 Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper, Foametix has signed on to be the presenting sponsor for the final round of the SPEED GT season at Road Atlanta. The SCCA SPEED GT Finale Presented by Foametix will be part of the 11th Annual Petit Le Mans Presented by the Totally New MAZDA6.
“We truly appreciate Foametix’s support of SPEED World Challenge,” SCCA Vice President of Marketing and Communications Eric Prill said. “We’ve already seen the Foametix name in the SPEED GT winner’s circle on the No. 13 car, and we’re delighted to welcome them as the presenting sponsor of the SPEED GT Finale.”
About FOAMETIX®
Saturday, September 27, 2008
WET AND WILD

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
THUNDER ROLLS
New Track Brings New ChallengesSunday, August 31, 2008
BELLE ISLE Great Atmosphere, Tough Track
Detroit, Michigan (August 31, 2008) – Motor City lived up to its name this weekend as thousands of racing fans and enthusiasts poured in to attend the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. In conjunction with the race was a nearly weeklong 10th Annual Viper Owners Invitational. Approximately one thousand owners came to the city for the Dodge sponsored festivities, bringing with them more than 400 of their beloved street cars from all over North America. Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper welcomed the opportunity to meet the fans and enjoyed signing autographs, “It was a lot of fun,” Courtney said, “The place was packed. I couldn’t believe how enthusiastic everyone was. It was great.”Dodge had a plethora of events and entertainment planned; including factory tours and chances to check out the Chelsea Proving Grounds and watch the Viper owners tear up the track.
The highlight of the weekend’s events was the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT race held on Sunday afternoon. This was the first time in years the series has been on the Belle Isle track and it proved to be daunting. “The track is narrow with high concrete barriers making it difficult to pass on. If you do not qualify well, it is tough to finish well,” said Courtney.
“I can’t ever remember our cars being so far off the pace this season,” said Courtney. The Vipers were running around 2 and a half seconds back of the leaders. Knowing how important a good qualifying spot would be, Courtney pushed the car hard and went just a tick over its limits coming into Turn One, but kept the slide off the wall for more than 100 yards before the bottom of the car caught on the raised concrete and twisted the car into the wall, damaging the suspension and brake lines. “I got lucky there, it could have been much worse. Along with a close call in Saturday’s practice, when the steering wheel came off in another spin, I really got a couple of breaks by not further damaging the car, or myself,” said Courtney. The team was forced to use the first lap time, putting the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper 14th on the grid.
With only three hours between qualifying and the start of the race, the Woodhouse Team did an unbelievable job putting the car back together. “I really need to thank the whole Team, Erik Messley, Eddie Martin, Ashley Wick, Rick Maxwell and Bob Woodhouse for getting my car ready for the race,” said Courtney. “I do not like putting our team and crew in that position.”
“Detroit was tough for me; passing was a challenge, almost impossible with the intake restriction we have now. I was fighting a soft brake pedal due to the damage from my qualifying spin,” said Courtney. “That, and the fact that the Vipers were just not as competitive at this venue, it was nearly impossible to move through the field.” Courtney finished the race in a frustrated 11th position, but maintained his 8th place standing in the Championship Points race.
Brian Simo, new to the Woodhouse Racing Team, stretched his racing muscles in his first SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT race this weekend. “I think Brian did well for his first time in a Viper,” said Courtney. Simo finished 10th.
The Woodhouse Team is readying the cars for the New Jersey Motorsports Park near Millville. “It is another new track for me and a chance to make things right. I look forward to the challenge,” said Courtney.
You can watch the Detroit Belle Isle race on the SPEED Channel September 12 at noon, (EDT).
Friday, August 29, 2008
VIPERS CONVERGE ON BELLE ISLE Jeff Courtney prepares for a new track and new teammate
Milwaukee, Wisc. (August 29, 2008) – The engine has barely cooled in his No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper as Jeff Courtney prepares to hit the track at Belle Isle near Detroit, Michigan this weekend. Fresh off of a 7th place finish, Courtney hopes to add another top ten, or better, finish to the Woodhouse Racing Team’s accomplishments this season and improve his current 8th place standing in the SPEED World Challenge Points race. Monday, August 25, 2008
2008 Mid Season Windshield Report
Sunsets make one reflect, I’m thinking back on the first part of the year and feeling a warm glow. This was the year we raised the bar. Our little team was incredibly challenged as it entered the racing competition in March at Sebring, Florida.
We remain survivors but not without the bruises, the discord and learning about how to get along with each other in a high stress environment. Add in a portion of car damage, five broken engines, 7 transmission failures along with the back bone of the transport trailer cracking open somewhere between Omaha and Orlando, and one begins to recognize a challenge.
This team reminds me of that children’s book about the “Lil Engine That Could”. They’ve been just that and more.
It is said the value of any prize is related to the sacrifice made to achieve it. The third race of the season Tommy Archer brought us a first place……….. I couldn’t contain it, eyes gushed. Everyone tried so hard, it was awesome.
At the same time, things are good; Tommy Archer gave the team a total of three wins in five for the #13 Viper Competition Coupe. The bad news is we lose Tommy in the car for the rest of this year. Detroit Belle Isle Gran Prix and the Viper Convention will not be the same without the Dodge Road Race King.
The good news is we get to continue with Jeff Courtney and his KENDA sponsor along with FOAMETIX, who has been Tommy’s main support all year. We also get to continue with Brian Simo, ex-trans am champion and Claudio Burton the president of Foametix. So hang on, the ride is but half over.
To see in car Video from the windshield of Jeff Courtney go to www.world-challenge.com If this can’t convince you that the SPEED World Challenge is better than drugs and just as addictive then you have no driving passion at all.
Written in Tribute to the fine Woodhouse team of people that made this happen: Rick Maxwell, Crew Chief; Susan Dunklau, Team Manager; Ashley Wick, Lead Technician; Erick Messley, Car Chief; Eddie Martin, Certified Viper Tech; Andrew Richmond, Marketing; Claudio Burton, pres of FOAMETIX; and part time Driver; Jeff Courtney, Driver; incredible Tommy Archer, Driver; John Mills, engineer and the race car equivalent to Einstein.
Your grateful team owner Bob Woodhouse
Saturday, August 23, 2008
BORDER CROSSING: Mosport Track near Toronto, Canada Produces 7th Place Finish for Courtney
Toronto, Canada (August 23,2008) – Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper took to Mosport International Raceway near Toronto, Canada this weekend in the 7th race of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Series. An additional 10% air intake restriction and a limited qualifying time did not keep Courtney from attacking the field and walking away with a 7th place finish overall.During practices, the Woodhouse Racing Team had gotten the car to a reasonable point, Car Chief Erik Messley and Viper Tech Eddie Martin had planned on making a few more adjustments during the qualifying laps, but they were cut short due to a crash. “We had some ideas on what it was going to take to improve the handling, but we did not get the chance to test them in the qualifying session. We still had a good car considering our restrictions,” said Courtney who qualified the car 11th on the grid.
Courtney aced the standing start and jumped ahead of a couple cars. During the first lap of the race, Courtney saw an opportunity to make a move and gain three more positions. “Down in turn five, the field kind of bunched up. I expected three cars to push wide and so I took a gamble and went down into second gear,” Courtney said. “Instead, I got pinched off and went up on the curb and missed my shift. Instead of making up three spots, I lost three spots. That move may have been a little greedy on the first lap, but hey, that’s racing.”
Courtney battled with James Sofronas in the No. 14 Porsche 911 GT3. “Sofronas defended well, I kept harassing him, hoping he would make a mistake, but he never did anything I could capitalize on,” said Courtney.
Late in the race, the Corvette of Brian Kubinski lost the motor, blowing oil all through turn nine, in front of the Aston Martin driven by Tommy Milner Junior, the Porsche of Sofronas and the Viper of Courtney. Sofronas and Milner spun out, but fortunately Courtney made it through unscathed. “We got lucky to get through that, some didn’t,” Courtney said. “That was a wild ride, I just hung on in the car, completely sideways; I just got lucky and saved it, inches from the pavement edge.”
The yellow flag stayed out while the checkered flag flew for Eric Curran in the No. 30 Whelen Engineering Corvette.
“It was a good race, for what we were given to work with weight, restrictor and all, we did a good job,” said Courtney.
The Woodhouse Team barely has time to catch their breath before they head over to the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, August 29-31.
Catch this weekend’s race on the SPEED channel on Wednesday, August 27, at 1 pm (EDT).
Monday, August 18, 2008
WOODHOUSE RACING HIT WITH RESTRICTIONS
Milwaukee, Wisc. (August 18, 2008) – Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper, tore through the field at his home track of Road America in Elkhart Lake last weekend, advancing 18 positions and earning the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award as well as the Sunoco Hard Charger Award. Courtney started last on the grid, which provided the opportunity to showcase his ability to move to the front. Despite losing one transmission in practice, the electrical glitch in qualifying, and again losing fifth gear near the end of the race, Courtney garnered an 8th place finish. “From the start of the race on it seemed as if all the breaks fell our way, allowing for the eighth place finish,” said Courtney.Sunday, August 10, 2008
TURNING POINT? After Bad Luck in Previous Races, Courtney Makes the Turn and Picks Up Awards at Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (August 10, 2008) – Jeff Courtney was determined to put on a great show for the hundreds of fans and supporters invited to the race this weekend. The overwhelming consensus was that he succeeded. “First off, I personally want to thank the people that were responsible for making the hospitality event happen. Jim Kacmarcik from Kapco, Inc., Woody Alverson from Accurate Metal Products, Andrew Schwartz and John Riechers of MPI Coin/Coins of America and Tom Multerer from TJM Integrated Wealth Management,” said Courtney. “It was a great event and I really thank them for their support and for all of the friends and family that made it out. I also want to add a special thank you to LesleyAnn Neulreich of ProMPI for all of her hard work in putting the event together.”On Saturday after several successful and promising practice runs, there was an electrical failure in Courtney’s No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper. Car Chief Erik Messley and Technician Eddie Martin rushed to fix the problem, but it could not be diagnosed in time to make a qualifying lap. Courtney was forced to start the race on Sunday at the back of the pack. “Our car continually got better throughout the week. The car was fast; I felt we had a top three car. Then the electrical failure. It’s the old racing cliché, you can lose it all on a 20 cent part,” said Courtney. “The whole team takes it really hard when something like this happens, it is hard for me to watch them feel so down. This was something that could not have been diagnosed during normal car preparation.”
Courtney blasted out of start and immediately began to make up for their dead last start by weaving through traffic to pull his way up to the leaders, advancing seven positions in the first lap to earn himself the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award. “We got the kind of start that we needed, we knew that a lot of things needed to work in our favor to move our way through the field,” said Courtney.
A couple of yellow flags also worked in Courtney’s favor, bunching up the cars. “To come up through a field filled with such talented drivers, we needed to get a few breaks,” said Courtney. In lap 15, the No. 8 Cadillac of Andy Pilgrim lost its engine and the car started on fire as it came into turn 5, crashing into the tires. Oil slick on the track forced the remaining cars to gingerly make their way through an all-course yellow, which remained for the finish of the race. Courtney had advanced a total of 18 places, earning himself the Sunoco Hard Charger Award and a respectable 8th place finish.
“Normally, I am a driver that NEVER wants to see a race finish under a yellow. This time, we were wounded, with fifth gear gone and fourth was questionable. I was just holding on when the yellow popped out. This was the second trans failure of the weekend. When my Car Chief Erik Messley radioed me that the race was going to finish under yellow, I was ecstatic. I felt like we were a sitting duck out there.”
“All things considered, things really worked out for us, maybe our luck has finally turned,” said Courtney.
“Jeff did what he does best, stayed patient and came from behind,” said Team Owner, Bob Woodhouse. “The electrical failure was unfortunate, but nobody could predict that. He did the best he could with what was handed to him, it doesn’t get more thrilling than what he did today! I’m really proud of him.”
Things are looking up for the Woodhouse Team, Courtney’s teammate Tommy Archer in the No. 13 Foametix Dodge Viper took his third checkered flag of the year, a win even more remarkable considering he was not even expected to race here this weekend but was asked by team owner Bob Woodhouse if he could fill in on short notice.
“Tommy, well what can you say about Tommy? He is phenomenal. I just can’t say enough about our guys,” said Woodhouse. “Success is in the details, our entire team is fully committed and striving for perfection at every race.
”Courtney maintains his 7th place standing in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT points race.
Catch the Road America SPEED GT race Wednesday, August 20 at noon (EDT) on the SPEED Channel.
The next race is Mosport Canada, August 21-24.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME Courtney Hoping Hometown Fans Will Help Get Season Back on Track
The Woodhouse Team can still taste the thrill of victory, along with the agony of defeat. While teammate Jeff Courtney struggled to finish using only the fifth gear, teammate Tommy Archer in the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper took the checkered flag at Mid-Ohio. "We're coming together as a team now and I am even more determined. We will rise from this," said Courtney.
Immediately after the race at Mid-Ohio, Crew Chief Rick Maxwell and Lead Technician Ashley Wick took the Vipers to the Wind Tunnel in Detroit, Michigan where aerodynamic performance tests were done. Time slots in the Wind Tunnel are difficult to come by and are highly sought after. "It was a great opportunity for us," said Courtney. "Both Rick and Ashley seemed pleased with the results."
Thanks to Erin Cechal from SCCA Pro Racing and Julie Sebranek from Road America, Courtney was scheduled for a live radio interview on "Racing RoundUp" hosted by Jim Tretow and John Puestsow on Monday, July 28 on ESPN Radio 540 AM. "The show was a lot of fun, it is a great way to bring exposure to our series, our sponsors, our team and myself," said Courtney.
Attentions have now turned to the upcoming race this Sunday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where hundreds of Woodhouse Racing and Jeff Courtney supporters are expected.
"It is going to be awesome," said Courtney, regarding the upcoming hospitality event hosted by Jim Kacmircik of Kapco, Inc. and Woody Alverson of Accurate Metal Products along with regular sponsors Andrew Schwartz and John Riechers of MPI Coin/ Coins of America, and Tom Multerer of TJM Integrated Wealth Management.
Jeff Courtney has further teamed up with MPI by adding ProMPI's LesleyAnn Neulreich as his marketing and event promotion coordinator. "LesleyAnn has done a great job working on this event," said Courtney, "She hustled between setting up for Mid-Ohio and now this event at Road America. I want to thank her for all her hard work."
On Friday night, many of the Woodhouse Performance Team, including Courtney and team owner Bob Woodhouse, will be participating in the Tour de Road America, a bike race along the track to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
On Sunday, guests will be able to meet and greet the drivers, technicians and team owner, Bob Woodhouse, as well as participate in a special question and answer session with Courtney.
Tickets for events from Thursday, August 8, through Sunday, August 10, are available at the gate, or you can order them online at www.roadamerica.com. Racing at Road America is truly an exciting family-friendly event, children 12 and under are free with a paid adult admission and parking is included in the ticket price. Road America is also running a special promotion this weekend with the Salvation Army. For those who bring in a non-perishable food donation valued at $5.00 to the gate will receive $10.00 off the price of their admission ticket.
"It's a great effort for a great cause," Courtney said. "I really encourage all who can come out to Road America this weekend to support the Salvation Army."
Come out and cheer on Jeff Courtney as he sets his sights on the podium at his home raceway; be among the privileged to watch the Woodhouse Racing Team continue to tear up the track!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Mid-Ohio SPEED GT to Archer
Starting from the pole in his No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper, Archer got away cleanly from the standing start to lead second starting Davis' No. 10 ACS/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra. Davis was never far from Archer, but he was unable to mount a challenge for the lead despite the race being slowed by three cautions.
Archer beat Davis by 1.224 seconds, averaging 77.075 mph over the 29-lap, 65.481-mile race.
"It's really rewarding for Foametix, the sponsor, who didn’t get on the podium at Watkins Glen and the Woodhouse Performance team who are all working so hard,” Archer said. “I’m a pretty picky guy. I wanted everything right on the car, because at this track, if you get behind somebody you’re in trouble. I knew going into qualifying we had to get up front as far as possible to keep a clean track.”
While it was Archer’s second win of the season and Davis’ third podium, two new faces graced the top three throughout the race before falling back, allowing Pilgrim to remain perfect in 2008 podium appearances in his No. 8 Remington Shaving and Grooming Cadillac CTS-V. Third starting Jeff Courtney ran third in his No. 99 KENDA/JTM/MPI Coin/Badger Dodge Viper before a lap-six spin put him well back to an eventual 15th place finish.
Courtney’s spin promoted hard charging Tommy Milner to third in his first series appearance in the No. 21 Rahal Letterman Racing Aston Martin DB9. Milner set the race’s fastest lap of 1:28.072 (92.297 mph) as he reeled in the lead duo. For over 15 laps, the top three were nose-to-tail until Milner dropped a wheel and spun out of contention in the Carousel on lap 22.
Milner’s departure coincided with Archer pulling out a slight advantage over Davis, one that would never shrink en route to the 2004 Champion’s ninth series win.
“The Viper hasn’t been the hottest car the last couple of years, so if feels good to put the car up front and be racing with these guys again,” Archer added.
For Davis, Mid-Ohio was a race to get back into the points chase after a mechanical failure eliminated him from the most recent race at Watkins Glen.
“We pushed and pushed, but were never able to get close enough to Tommy,” Davis said. “I think the second restart was the only time we really had a shot at it. We ran a great race flag-to-flag and when you’re racing at this level with guys like Andy and Tommy, they don’t make mistakes, so it’s good to come away with second, especially after our troubles at Watkins Glen. Hopefully we’ll get ourselves back in the Championship.”
At a track that has never been kind to the Cadillac CTS-V, with no wins in five tries, Pilgrim was pleased with his third place finish.
“It’s a surprise to be here that’s for sure,” Pilgrim said. “I qualified eighth and I wanted to qualify in the top 10, so I was happy with that, but I didn’t know what today would bring. Michael [McCann] had a bad start and I got by him. Randy [Pobst] went off in the Keyhole, so I got by Randy. A little bit later Jeff Courtney went off course and I got by Jeff. Then [Tommy] Milner went of track and I got by Milner. I had a little bit of a battle with Michael Galati, so I passed one car and ended up in third. There must be something on the front of the car that people see and they just drive off the road.
“The Remington guys are here and we just took a picture on the podium with all of them so I’m really happy to be here. It’s always good to make your sponsor smile.”
Milner fell to sixth after his spin, but worked back to fourth after an exchange with Michael McCann’s No. 16 Remington Shaving and Grooming Cadillac CTS-V and Michael Galati’s K-PAX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 reminiscent of great Trans-Am battles from the past. The trio went three-wide into Madness on lap 27, with all three cars emerging in a different order with only minor battle scars on the other side.
Galati completed the top five, with teammate and point leader Randy Pobst finishing sixth after running as low as 11th in his K-PAX Racing Porsche 911 GT3.
Dino Crescentini (Porsche 911 GT3) advanced seven positions from 14th to finish seventh, one better than teammate James Sofronas (No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3), who advanced 21 positions to take the Sunoco Hard Charger honor. Sofronas also advanced 12 positions on the opening lap to earn the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award after failing to post a qualifying time due to a water pump failure on Saturday.
Fifth-starting McCann recovered from a poor start to reach the top five with three laps to go, but faded to ninth. Tony Gaples (Chevrolet Corvette) completed the top 10.
Pilgrim cut into Pobst’s point lead, and now trails at the season’s mid point by 13 (503 to 490). Davis remains third, with 455, followed by Galati (404) and Sofronas (352).
Despite its fifth-place finish, Porsche maintained the lead in the SCCA SPEED GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine. The German manufacturer has 31 points to Cadillac’s 29, Ford’s 28 and Dodge’s 23.
Today’s race will be broadcast Thursday, July 24 at 1 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED. The series next travels to Elkhart Lake for the Road America SPEED GT Presented by Remington Aug. 8 - 10.Monday, July 14, 2008
STRENGTH THROUGH ADVERSITY Jeff Courtney and Woodhouse Racing Overcome Obstacles and are Ready to Race at Mid-Ohio
“It’s good that we had this break, we definitely needed the time to repair cars and work out some engine issues that we had at Watkins Glen. After a lot of hard work from Team Woodhouse, especially the crew back at the shop in Nebraska: Rick Maxwell, Ashley Wick and Susan Dunklau, I am confident we will be ready for Mid-Ohio,” said Courtney.
Although Courtney finished the race at Watkins Glen, his No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper struggled over the finish line with the engine belching a cloud of white smoke. A bump into the wall early on in the race threw Courtney and his car off and he was never able to recover. Courtney finished in 13th place.
“After a tough day like that, you really want to get out there again and prove yourself. I’m looking forward to getting back to Mid-Ohio, it is one of my favorite tracks,” said Courtney. Courtney had his first professional race win at Mid-Ohio in the Panoz GT Pro Series.
“I’m also excited to be racing near the home office of one of my main sponsors, Kenda Tires out of Reynoldsburg, Ohio,” said Courtney. “Kenda employees, along with Kenda customers and dealers, will be coming out over a hundred strong in support of us this weekend,” said Courtney. “We will do our best to put on a great show for them and give them a reason to be proud of their car and driver.”
After a long break, and a few rounds of golf, Courtney says, “I’m definitely ready to get back in the race car. The competition really heats up at this point in the season. We have a brutal schedule in August, so we are looking for good, strong, clean finishes in these races to maintain, and even improve on our present 6th place position in the championship points.”
The SPEED World Challenge GT race at Mid-Ohio is this Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 4:00 pm, don’t miss it!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
TOMMY ARCHER LEADS THE WOODHOUSE PERFORMANCE TEAM TO FIRST CHECKERED FLAG 13 CAR STARTS IN THE POLE AND NEVER LET UP
Woodhouse Performance was catapulted onto the leader board this Sunday with Tommy Archer in the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper taking the checkered flag and teammate Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/MPI Coin Dodge Viper charging up to a 6th place finish from a disappointing 19th place start.
After some great practices, Archer fought through the qualifying race on Saturday to earn the pole position on Sunday. Archer had a clean start and he maintained the lead throughout the race. Team owner Bob Woodhouse was thrilled with the win, a first for Woodhouse Performance.
Archer came on board as one of the drivers for the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper and the ten World Challenge races will be split with fellow driver Claudio Burtin. Archer will race the next race at Watkins Glen.
“Tommy is a great driver; he is really half engineer, half driver. He can make adjustments, he can interpret the car and relay it to the engineers,” said Woodhouse. This capability contributes to the skills of the other team members bringing all of us up a notch.
After substandard practice seesion and a dismal 19th position qualifying start, Courtney and the team made some heavy adjustments to his car for race day. “I was hanging my head pretty low on Saturday,” said Courtney. “I met with the team and we decided to make some heavy changes. It was a gamble, but it paid off.” The car drove so well on Sunday, Woodhouse wondered what Courtney could have done had he qualified in a better. “He was under 2 seconds from 4th place finisher Cindy Lux at the end.”
Courtney also earned admiration from the Woodhouse Performance team for his Sunoco Hard Charger award. He thundered from 19th place to finish in 6th. “He just chewed one lap off at a time,” said Woodhouse.
“The team is doing an incredible job, they are very talented people learning to work well together.” said Woodhouse, “it’s great to be doing so well.”
This was the second trip to the podium for Woodhouse Performance.