BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA (July 17, 2013) – IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama points leader, 21-year-old Ashley Freiberg, refuses to slow down after making history at Watkins Glen International earlier this month. Freiberg is eager to maintain her position as number one in points as she heads to compete in the Mobile 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for this weekend’s double-header.
“I’m looking forward to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park because I have never been there before,” said Freiberg. “I have always heard great things about this track, and I love driving somewhere new! Right now my plan for the weekend is pretty simple; learn the track, work hard, and make sure I take each session as they go. I don’t have a whole lot of expectations except that I leave the track each day knowing that I gave it all I had.”
Freiberg, of Bondville, VT, continues to make waves in her rookie season in the GT3 Cup Challenge. The rookie driver became the first female overall North American GT3 Cup Challenge winner when she claimed victory at Watkins Glen. Although making history is not an unusual thing for Freiberg, her win follows becoming the first woman to win an overall Skip Barber Championship (with 25 wins) and the first woman to win a BFGoodrich Skip Barber National Series race at New Jersey Motorsports Park as part of her past accolades.
This weekend should be a test for the rookie driver, but a challenge has never been something the EFFORT driver has shied away from. After coming off such a successful weekend at Watkins Glen, Freiberg will have to keep focus in order to take on the 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course. Freiberg is number one in the points with Madison Snow followed in second only four points behind. The race at “Mosport” should be tight as the two battle for the top spot.
In between race weekends, Freiberg spent her free time supporting the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) series at Lime Rock, shooting a segment with Shakedown on DRIVE, and on the set of Sports Illustrated’s live daily talk show SI Now. The half-hour program is a mix of news and commentary, and features SI writers and invites newsmakers such as Freiberg. The studio appearance is on the heels of the TIME publication naming her a “Face in the Crowd” in May of this year.
The Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is Canada’s home of motorsports. This course is Canada’s first purpose-built road course, which was previously known as Mosport International Raceway and was renamed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2012. It is one of four tracks to play host to a series event in each of its fourteen seasons.
Events at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge get underway on Thurs., July 18 at 10:30 a.m. (ET) for the first official test session followed by the second test session to begin at 3:30 p.m. (ET). The first official practice will begin on Fri., July 19 at 8:45 a.m. (ET) followed by a second practice at 1:15 p.m. (ET) Qualifications are set for Fri., July 19 at 6:30 p.m. (ET) with the first race to be contested on Sat., July 20 at 1:20 p.m. (ET) and Race #2 on Sun., July 21 at 3:15 p.m. (ET). To follow along with live timing and scoring, please visit http://imsachallenge.com/timing.
In addition to EFFORT Racing, Freiberg’s racing efforts are also supported by: TRUECAR and Bell Helmets.
For more information, please visit www.AshleyRacing.com or www.EFFORTRacing.com.
About Ashley Freiberg:
Ashley Freiberg is a 21-year-old autoracing driver who competes in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama, a developmental series that prepares drivers for a professional autoracing career in United SportsCar Racing (GRAND-AM/ALMS). In 2013, Freiberg became the first female overall North American GT3 Cup Challenge winner with her victory at Watkins Glen International in addition to being named by Sports Illustrated Magazine as a “Face in the Crowd” in mid 2013. Freiberg has built a name for herself over the years, amassing various awards including the Coach’s Choice Award (2010) as the Best All-Around Driver in the Skip Barber Series. She has made history multiple times; becoming the first woman to win an overall Skip Barber Championship (with 25 wins), the first women to win a Skip Barber MX-5 race and the first woman to win a Skip Barber National Series race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Freiberg has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms including CNN, Teen Vogue, espnW, Fitness Magazine, Yahoo Shine, SPEED, Seventeen Magazine, SI Now, and AutoWeek, among many others. She began racing at age 13 and is just 5’6″ and 120 lbs. For more information, please visit http://www.AshleyRacing.com.
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