GSR and Velocity Race Cars are pleased to announce they have joined forces with J.R. Motorsports to field a collaborative effort for Canadian stock-car standout J.R. Fitzpatrick at the upcoming NASCAR Canada event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on September 5th & 6th.
The partnership brings together three important elements of a successful race program: competitive equipment, professional preparation and a proven driver.
The CTMP weekend will serve not only as a serious competitive effort, but also as an opportunity for GSR and Velocity Race Cars to demonstrate what the two organizations can accomplish together.
GSR brings the best of the best race equipment, while Velocity Race Cars brings its race preparation, setup, data collection and analysis, technical personnel and at-track competition experience.
Together, the two organizations have the ability to provide the foundation for a complete, professionally operated, championship-calibre program capable of winning at the highest level.
For the first major showcase of that partnership, both organizations agreed that working with a proven driver was essential. That made J.R. Fitzpatrick a natural choice.
A past champion and one of Canada’s most accomplished stock-car racers, Fitzpatrick has built an outstanding career competing on both ovals and road courses. His extensive experience at CTMP, combined with his reputation for getting the most out of a race car, provides GSR and Velocity with an established benchmark from which to evaluate and demonstrate the performance of the overall program.
“The objective is pretty simple: put proven equipment, professional preparation and a proven driver together, and let the racetrack provide the answer,” said Pete Vanderwyst, President of Velocity Race Cars. “GSR has made a significant commitment to putting quality equipment on the racetrack. Our role at Velocity is to bring everything we can from the preparation, setup, technical and competition side. Then you put someone with J.R.’s experience and ability in the seat. That’s a combination we’re excited to see at CTMP.”
For GSR, the program represents an opportunity to demonstrate the capability of its equipment in competition and to continue developing a platform capable of supporting drivers at the highest levels of Canadian stock-car racing.
“We believe in the equipment and we want to prove what these cars are capable of,” said Glenn Styres of GSR. “Working with Velocity gives us the technical and competition resources to maximize that equipment, and having a driver with J.R.’s résumé gives us the opportunity to properly demonstrate the complete package.”
BUILDING BEYOND CTMP
The partnership is also about more than one race weekend.
GSR and Velocity see the potential to build on their combined resources and experience beyond CTMP, creating opportunities to work with proven drivers and partners on future events and expanded competition programs.
“CTMP is an opportunity for us to show what we can do together, but we don’t see this as something that has to stop after one race,” said Glenn Styres. “We’ve invested in the highest-quality equipment and Velocity has the people, preparation and technical capabilities to make that equipment perform. When you combine those resources with the right drivers, we believe we have the pieces to build something very competitive.”
“We want to build on this,” Styres added. “The goal is to create opportunities for proven drivers and partners to come into a professionally operated program where the equipment, preparation and trackside support are already in place. We can provide the complete package and give the driver the opportunity to concentrate on doing what they do best — driving the race car.”
For now, however, the focus is firmly on CTMP.
“You have to prove it on the racetrack first,” said Styres. “That’s why having J.R. involved is so important. We have the equipment, we have the people and we have a proven driver. Now it’s our responsibility to put everything together and perform.”
CTMP represents the first opportunity to demonstrate that combination under race conditions — and potentially the foundation for something much larger.
For Fitzpatrick, the event provides another opportunity to compete at a circuit where his road-racing experience and aggressive style have made him a recognized contender throughout his career.
The combination also provides GSR and Velocity with something particularly valuable: an experienced driver capable of providing detailed feedback and helping the organizations continue developing both the cars and the overall program.
While the partnership has longer-term potential, all three organizations are approaching CTMP with one immediate priority: Performance.
“First and foremost, we’re going there to compete,” said Vanderwyst. “If we do our jobs properly, the performance on the racetrack will demonstrate what GSR and Velocity can accomplish together. Everything else can grow from there.”
Additional details regarding the car, partners and race-weekend program will be announced leading into the CTMP event.
ABOUT GSR
GSR is committed to providing competitive race equipment and developing opportunities for drivers to compete in professionally supported motorsports programs. Through its growing fleet and partnership with Velocity Race Cars, GSR is building a platform capable of supporting individual events as well as expanded multi-race and season-long competition programs.
ABOUT VELOCITY RACE CARS
Velocity Race Cars provides race-car construction, preparation, setup, fabrication, performance parts, data collection and analysis, and at-track technical support. Velocity works with drivers and teams to combine equipment, technical knowledge and practical racing experience with the goal of maximizing performance on the racetrack.
ABOUT J.R. MOTORSPORT
J.R. Motorsports is led by championship-winning Canadian racer J.R. Fitzpatrick. With extensive experience in Canadian and international stock-car competition, Fitzpatrick has established himself as one of Canada’s most accomplished and versatile racers, with success on both oval tracks and road courses.
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