WOODHOUSE RETURNS TO BATTLE

Courtney and Wittmer Take on TorontoToronto, Canada (July 16, 2010) – Jeff Courtney returned to the wheel of the No. 99 Kenda Tires/Woodhouse/Dodge/Viper Competition Coupe last weekend for Round 7 of the 2010 World Challenge Sports Car Wars after a bruising run at Watkins Glen. Teammate Kuno Wittmer was also back in his completely remade No. 13 Woodhouse Performance/Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. Courtney earned an 8th place finish while teammate Wittmer finished 6th.

“Things were looking up for the Woodhouse Team when we got to Toronto,” said Team Owner Bob Woodhouse. “Watkins Glen left us with two cars not fit to be seen on the bad side of town, it is times like this where a team’s strength is really shown. Huge thanks go out to the team, first to Crew Chief Rick Maxwell, then Engineer Matt Bejnarowicz and many other key people for their incredible rebuild of the No. 13 Viper. It was a day and night scrambling to make the repairs and be at Toronto on time. I am just delighted to be around such smart and committed people.”

Wittmer echoed the praise. “The team deserves a big reward. They basically built a brand new car for me, amazing effort! My Dodge Viper was well set up all weekend.”

Courtney looked forward to returning to the Streets of Toronto course, “It’s been a while since I’ve raced here and I was really looking forward to the track. It was good to be back in a Viper again.”

Wittmer was also enthusiastic about the course. “The Streets of Toronto has always been a favorite street course for me but last weekend the tight streets of Toronto were very hard to get around. The pavement seemed to have been more favorable to our competition.”

Mid-way through the 2010 season, the competition really heats up. “The Volvos with the engine, brakes and AWD advantage were hard to beat, just like the past six events,” said Wittmer. “The championship is our goal. We will try to bring our A game to the table in every remaining event in order to gather all those vital points. Woodhouse voiced his frustration with the results of Toronto and is focused on the future. “The Honda Toronto Grand Prix tied us in knots. After Rick Maxwell, Matt Bejnarowicz and the rest of the team made an incredible re-incarnation of Kuno's #13 Dodge Viper Competition Coupe we felt we had a pair of top five cars. Jeff has been simply smokin’ off some great lap times, in the zone let’s say, and Kuno, well few drivers have more laps in and know more about the surface of the Toronto course than he does. The two of them were chasing each other finding more and more speed on the course by the time qualifying showed up on Saturday. So you can see why we had lofty hopes for great finishes.”

Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed. “Both of our drivers lowered their times substantially in qualifying, problem was, the Volvo's literally blew everyone off the asphalt. This is getting irritating, I can't say that any nicer,” said Woodhouse. “We had two incredible cars for the race with two well driven races, no flaws existed other than how we finished, 6 and 8. We felt we came with more than that. This course did not respect our big bad Vipers; it favored the short wheel base, lower center of gravity cars. We fell back in the short square and slow corners. Stay tuned, this is not acceptable.”

Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Hilton Toronto, Toronto’s premier, urban, contemporary Hotel in the heart of Toronto sponsored Courtney, Wittmer and the Woodhouse Performance Racing Team last weekend at the Acura Sports Car Challenge of Toronto.

“We were honored to have the Hilton Toronto and Ruth’s Chris Steak House as a sponsors and part of our racing family last weekend,” said Courtney.

Edwin Frizzell, Hilton Toronto General Manager said, “We were excited and proud to partner with Woodhouse Performance Racing Team and we extended our support and visibility at Toronto’s premier racing event while at the same time we supported Jeff Courtney and one of Canada’s top drivers, Kuno Wittmer. Many of our current customers and staff are huge race fans. This partnership offered a unique opportunity to support fans and the racing community at large.”

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, official sponsor of the Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper Competition Coupes of Jeff Courtney and Kuno Wittmer for the 2010 Honda Indy Toronto & Acura Sports Car Challenge is pleased to serve guests the finest aged, corn-fed, USDA Prime beef available. Enjoy award-winning cuisine and gracious hospitality .The meat is cooked to perfection in broilers at 1800 degrees and served sizzling. In addition to USDA Prime beef, they offer Veal Chop, Chicken, Lamb Chops, Lobster, Crab Cakes and much more! Private Dining is available for lunch or dinner with seating for 10-100 guests.

Watch all the racing action of this hot street course on VERSUS on July 31, 2010, 3-5 pm (EST) .

DODGE VIPER CUP DEBUT

Debut Has Highs and Lows at Virginia International RacewayMilwaukee, Wisconsin (July 16, 2010) – Jeff Courtney played the dual role of both owner and driver July 11th and 12th at Virginia International Raceway in the debut of the Dodge Viper Cup and climbed the podium to the 2nd place position on his first race of the series. In the second race of the series, Courtney ran into some trouble with his No. 99 JCR Motorsports Dodge Viper ACR-X and was unable to finish.

“Saturday we started out pretty good,” said Courtney. “I thought we had a shot at winning it, the first lap of the race opened up an opportunity that as I look back I wish I would have taken.”

This was Courtney’s first time racing at the well-known Virginia International Raceway (VIR). “I’ve had multiple opportunities to run the track, but something always came up. I’ve seen the track on TV, and I’ve always wanted to run it. This is also great experience for me when I return here in September for the World Challenge race.” Courtney will be driving the No. 99 KENDA Tires/Woodhouse Performance/Dodge Viper Competition Coupe in rounds 10 and 11 in the World Challenge Sports Car Wars on September 10-12.

“Being new to the track, it was great to have a friend to help me out a bit. Tom Long really gave me some good advice on his home track,” said Courtney.

On Sunday, Courtney was looking to improve on his 2nd place finish, but things did not work out as planned. “We qualified 3rd, but then the car was too low so I had to start from the back. It was frustrating, we kept trying to adjust for the car settling, but we could never get it adjusted up enough.”

Courtney started at the back of the pack and made some good headway as he charged through the field. Things were looking positive, Courtney was hoping for a return to the podium. “The car just got too hot, I had to pull off and take the DNF.”

“I want to give a shout out to Todd Albrecht and Cindy and Fred Lux and all the guys at Lux Performance,” said Courtney, who paddocked with Lux Performance. “These guys worked really hard, and although we thought we were better prepared, you don’t really realize until you get there how much you weren’t prepared!”

Look for an announcement soon on who will be driving the No. 99 JCR Motorsports Dodge Viper ACR-X in the next event of the Dodge Viper Cup series at Hallet Raceway on August 14-15, 2010.

DRIVER AND NOW OWNER

Courtney Switches Gears Milwaukee, Wisconsin (July 9, 2010) – Jeff Courtney is announcing his entry as car owner in a hot new racing series: the Dodge Viper Cup. Courtney will open the 10-race, five-event series by driving the No. 99 JCR Motorsports Dodge Viper ACR-X at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) July 10-11.

As a driver in various racing series for many years, 4 years under the direction of team owner Bob Woodhouse and the Woodhouse Performance World Challenge Team, Courtney is now playing the dual role of both driver and owner. “My commitment is still to Woodhouse Performance and World Challenge,” said Courtney. “Bob and the whole Woodhouse team have been very helpful in guiding me on this new venture.”

It was an opportunity that Courtney said was too good to pass up, “Dodge has put out an excellent new Viper in the ACR-X and this spec series has a lot to offer for drivers, owners, and fans. We have a great package, including VERSUS TV coverage and the same production as World Challenge.”

The spec series will showcase a field completely comprised of 2010 Dodge Viper ACR-X vehicles, allowing for head-to-head competition between drivers while keeping costs down.

The series will run two 30-minute sprint format races per weekend and will be sanctioned by the North American Road Racing Association (NARRA). The rules and technical aspects of the series have been established by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

After the first race at VIR on July 10-11, the season continues at Hallet Raceway on August 14-15, Pocono Raceway on September 11-12, the Miller Motorsports Park on October 2-3, and will culminate in the final race of the 2010 season at Spring Mountain Raceway, October 23-24.

As Courtney dips his toes into the owner’s pool, questions remain as to who will be driving the No. 99 in future races. “It’s still an unknown at this time,” said Courtney, “but watch for some big name drivers to bring the No. 99 to podium in the balance of events.”

For Dodge and racing fans everywhere, this series is sure to become a must-see favorite. Stay tuned for racing action and updates!

WATKINS GLEN NY PIT REPORT

World Challenge Round 6, Woodhouse Pit Report from Watkins Glen, NY 7/3/2010

We have all had one of those days: The mood is buoyant, the world is full of sunshine; suddenly.......... crash; we are talking literal here. Friday July 2nd at Watkins Glen Int. Raceway was that day. Not just one Woodhouse Performance/ Dodge Viper Competition Coupe hit the wall; two. Within 15 minutes of each other both of our cars were wounded in separate one car incidents. What are the odds?

The drama began with Dodge Motorsports manager Gary Johnson and yours truly chasing to the Kuno Wittmer crash site just in time to witness the ambulance with lites flashing boiling down the gravel road to the medical facility. After a quick corner worker interview to get their take on "What happened?" We are off to see Kuno at the medical building only to find him AWOL; released, what a relief. (Later when we caught up to him we learned a sore neck, stiffness, and some swelling at the juncture between his legs was the extent of it. The situation earned him a new nickname by the Realtime AcuraTeam; "Walnut", Draw your own conclusions.)

Arriving back at the transporter we locate the red #13 Dodge Viper CC looking like a Humvee after an encounter with a land mine. This focused our attention so much that it left no room for the brain to process the blue #99 Dodge Viper sitting just feet away on the alignment rack appearing as if a Grizzly attacked it sitting there with half the nose and splitter lopped off.

This is racing and stuff happens; but let me explain why this was a defining moment: We are in this to bring our drivers and Dodge Motorsport a Championship. This is midpoint in the season with driver Kuno Wittmer ranked #2 in points and Jeff holding top ten as well. If we DNF this race we are no longer a contender for the 2010 season.

No time to dally. Need a game plan. Qualifying is one hour away. From the team meeting came a decision by Jeff Courtney to put Kuno Wittmer in his #99. That was a huge decision on his part. My eyes got watery. By doing that he gave teammate Kuno a shot at the championship.
Every member of the team spoke few words for the next 60 minutes as drivers and crew focused on mending the nose and splitter of the blue #99 Viper Competition Coupe and converting it to #13 car for Kuno. The car made pit lane with 3 minutes to spare and as qualifying runs closed Kuno was sitting in 4th and Jeff was sitting on his thumbs. OK time to fix that, off I go to shop for a suitable rent-a-race-car for Jeff. With less than 24 hrs until the race, this would be a daunting task.
Our competitors Tony Gaples, owner/driver and Ray Sorenson crew chief of Black Dog Racing served up a Corvette and the deal was sealed. It just doesn't seem right to have a good Viper driver in a Corvette but hey, ya do what ya gotta do. First you put on our sponsor lettering, KENDA tires, then you take a large Dodge label and place it on the rear end over the Corvette name. Done in fun but you should have heard the Corvette fans howl. All Images © SCCA Pro Racing, Inc.

So what happened that both of these Viper beasts that they would crash at nearly the same time? Coincidence mostly, Jeff and the blue #99 had an "off" in the "bus stop" portion of the track while working on an alternative line. In the case of Kuno and the red #13 car, the data retrieval told part of the story. People like Kuno Wittmer are rare human beings. They get all the goodie out of a car at every brake zone, every corner and every straight, and do this lap after lap. If a car makes a hiccup, there is no safety net or 5% window left for recovery. A wheel speed sensor decided not to participate for whatever reason. When that happens the ABS brain says this is getting complicated so it drops out of the game leaving less stopping power.

After putting closure on the Friday from Hell, the team focused on getting a good result out of round 6 of the Sports Car Wars brought to you by World Challenge on Saturday the 3rd at 4:15. Kuno finished 2nd behind Ron Fellows and in front of Randy Pobst the points leader. Jeff did all he could with a car he sat in for the first time that day and brought it home 12th, both maintaining their position in the points chase. The end result brought a good feeling for stepping on the gas when one of life's speed bumps pulls you off the road. Find more at www.world-challenge.com. Next.............we have seven days to make this all good and be in the paddock at the Toronto Grand Prix. Lets hope Dodge and all of you will stay our friends and support us through this. Thanks for being there Dodge people. Stay tuned to see if we make it.

Bob Woodhouse of Woodhouse Performance Racing Team.

WATKINS GLEN THROWS UNEXPECTED PUNCHES

Woodhouse Performance Team Remains Standing Watkins Glen, New York (July 3, 2010) –There were some bumps in the road for the Woodhouse Performance Team this weekend at Round 6 of the Sports Car Wars at Watkins Glen. Both drivers, Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda Tires/Woodhouse Performance/Dodge Viper Competition Coupe and Kuno Wittmer in the No. 13 Woodhouse Performance/Dodge /Viper Competition Coupe sustained damage to their cars during practice rounds. Just moments before qualifying, the No. 13 car was not drivable. True to form, the Woodhouse Team rose to the challenge and worked as a team to put two drivers in the race on Saturday, and Courtney and Wittmer retained their hard fought for top-ten positions.

“It was quite a weekend,” said Courtney. “We had some car issues right out of the box on the first day, and just when we thought we had things worked out, more issues came up on day two.”

During the last practice before qualifying was when the team hit the wall, literally. “I was coming through the carousel into the laces when I saw that Kuno had hit the wall,” said Courtney. “I slowed down to see if he was alright before I went on. I needed to make one more check on my car, and it was on the next lap when I was coming out of the carousel again that I brushed the wall. Thankfully, the damage to my car wasn’t as severe as Kuno’s.”

The Woodhouse Team found itself approximately 1 hour before qualifying with two damaged cars. The team gathered to determine what, if anything, could be done, and Courtney made the decision to focus on the No. 99 car—for Wittmer to drive.

“To me it was a no-brainer,” said Courtney. “He is currently 2nd in the drivers’ standings, with a legitimate chance to win the 2010 championship; it is just the best thing for the team. Giving up my car was just the right thing to do.”

The Woodhouse Team went into overdrive, scrambling to fix the damage on the No. 99 car and changing stickers for Wittmer. Team Owner Bob Woodhouse, never one to sit still, arranged a last-minute deal for Courtney: he would drive Tony Gaples back-up Corvette. Literally, minutes before the race, Courtney was introduced to a completely new car.

“I’d never driven the Corvette before, and there is definitely a learning curve!” said Courtney. “If I’d had had a couple of more laps to get the braking system down, we could probably have done better.” Without an ABS system, Courtney had issues with locking up the brakes and flat spotting his tires. “Eventually, I figured it out, but by then my tires were pretty square.”

Despite being physically battered from his earlier crash, Wittmer ran another fantastic race, climbing the podium yet again to 2nd place. “I drove one of my best races to date this year. Trying to pass the Volvos has become a very difficult thing, especially on speed and braking. My plans are now stronger than ever to try and win this championship," said Wittmer.“

All things considered, we did surprisingly well,” said Courtney. “Watkins Glen threw its best punches at the Woodhouse Team, and we are still standing.”

Racing fans need to watch this race. Broadcast time is set for July 17, 2010 at 11:00am-12pm on VERSUS.

READY FOR ROUND SIX

Courtney and Wittmer Return to World Challenge Sports Car Wars at Watkins Glen Milwaukee, Wisconsin (July 2, 2010) – World Challenge drivers around the country are ready for Round Six of the 2010 World Challenge GT season at Watkins Glen International during this holiday weekend. Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda Tires/Woodhouse/Dodge/Viper Competition Coupe is prepared to snatch a top-five finish to build on his consistent top-10 finishes in the first portion of the season. Teammate Kuno Wittmer, driver of the No. 13 Woodhouse Performance/Dodge/Viper Competition Coupe is also excited to build on his impressive start to the 2010 season where he currently holds the 2nd place position in the Championship Points’ race.

“It has been a long break,” said Courtney. “The beginning of the season is always a little hectic, and this mid-season gap has been good for the entire team, the opportunity to take a deep breath and focus on the rest of the season.”

“In our last race in Mosport, we came out scoring some good points. We are very pleased with that,” said Wittmer. “A podium effort is what we are looking for at Watkins Glen. The Porsche's will be fast on this course and so will the Volvos, but we have the best product in our hands with the Viper Comp Coupes. We should be able to run constant laps back to back all weekend and walk away with our plan achieved. "

The Woodhouse Performance team has really raised the bar this season; things have been working smoothly allowing Courtney and Wittmer to turn in some terrific times. “Rick and Matt have been really spectacular this season,” said Courtney. “I know they have continued to work hard over this bit of a break, fine-tuning the cars and doing some testing so we have our game face on for the rest of the season.”

“The race at Watkins Glen this weekend should be thrilling; when drivers return after a long break it tends to produce some surprises, both ways if you get my drift,” said team owner Bob Woodhouse. The standing start for this Sports Car War will be at 4:15 (EST) on Saturday, July 3. Catch the moment-by-moment racing action at http://paracom.paramountcommunication.com/ct/4372955:6538341211:m:1:191896110:8A703B9586E684723D5A8821FC6AFEE1 and cheer on Courtney and the Woodhouse Performance Team.