Mississauga, ON (December 2, 2013)- Johnathan Schwemler Race Cars (JSR) is very pleased to announce the formation of the first Canadian Motorsports Program for injured and ill, retired and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The program has the goal of participating in all Canadian races of the 2014 Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series (OBCWS). JSR Owner/Driver Master Corporal Johnathan Schwemler, a 12 year member of the Canadian Army, recently won the Rookie of the Year Title in the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series (LOSC).
While the LOSC program will continue as the primary team for JSR, the new program fulfils a goal of Schwemler’s developed when he left Canada to serve in Afghanistan.
“Since the moment I started my tour in Afghanistan, I wanted to make sure that I gave back to my brothers and sisters in arms and their families,” stated Schwemler. “This new team is the chance to achieve that goal. The benefits of involvement in motorsport for military personnel have been proven by other teams in countries around the world.”
Inspired in part by the world record-holding Dakar Rally-Raid team of Race2Recovery from the United Kingdom, members of the new program will have the experience of being active full-fledged members of a motorsport team, learning all aspects of the sport at the grass roots level. In addition, the OBCWS team has the benefit of being able to tap into the experience and advice of the Race2Recovery team.
“Race2Recovery are the benchmark for a motorsport program of this type and we appreciate their support and willingness to work with us more than we can say,” said Schwemler.
The new JSR team will race under the Soldier On / Sans Limites banner and be managed by Ancaster, Ontario’s Jerry Simmons.
Simmons, who has 32 years of experience as a driver, team owner, and crew member in road course and endurance racing, will provide guidance, advice, and mentoring to the team. He has competed in the Trans/Am Series, the American LeMans Series, and the IMSA GT Championship. Simmons’ racing resume includes winning the 1983 and 1984 Canadian National GT1 Championships, one professional race win and one professional pole. He sits second all-time for starts in the Trans/Am Series by a Canadian, just three starts behind legendary Canadian road course endurance driver Ron Fellows.
After agreeing to take on the Manager/Mentor position for the new team, Simmons commented “I’m very honoured and humbled to have been given the opportunity to assist in establishing such a great and worthwhile program for JSR and Soldier On / Sans Limites. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to teach these folks how to be competitive and high-performing racers.”
JSR is able to provide opportunities for members of the OBCWS team to move up into the LOSC program when they are ready to compete at a higher level. In addition, JSR plans to grow the OBCWS team into a professional motorsport team capable of being competitive in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and/or the Canadian Touring Car Championship over the next two to three years.
As the media partner for JSR, In The Pits Media President and CEO Larry O’Donohue is thrilled about the expansion of the JSR/Soldier On program.
“Our Canadian staff have been working to provide support to the JSR and Soldier On program for several months, and we appreciate the opportunity to continue to support this team in achieving a meaningful and important mission.”
“We are so excited to get this team started and get out to our first race in the OBCWS. Jerry Simmons’ willingness to share his significant experience and knowledge in racing with our organization is an amazing asset. I can’t thank him, Soldier On / Sans Limites, and my sponsors enough for their support in making this team possible,” said Schwemler in announcing the new program.
The team is hoping to take to the track for their first race on May 3 & 4, 2014 at the ICAR Circuit at Mirabel Airport near Montreal, Quebec for a grueling 24 hour endurance race.
About Johnathan Schwemler Race Cars (JSR): Founded in 2010, JSR is managed by owner/driver Master Corporal Johnathan Schwemler. The team is comprised partly of former and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and JSR carries the livery of the Soldier On / Sans Limites Department of National Defence program. JSR currently operates two teams. The flagship team competes in the LOSC series, and will return in 2014 to best their 2013 season result of sixth in the Championship and winning Rookie of the Year. JSR’s other race team competes in the Optima Batteries Chumpcar World Series, and is designed to provide opportunities for clients of Soldier On / Sans Limites. See http://www.facebook.com/JohnathanSchwemlerRacecars for more information.
About Soldier On / Sans Limites: The Soldier On program was founded in 2007 as a joint initiative of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Department of National Defence that aims to use sport to improve the quality of life of current and former Canadian Forces personnel who have suffered major injuries. See http://soldieron.ca for more information.
About the Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series (OBCWS): ChumpCar is North America’s home for REAL, AFFORDABLE, COMPETITIVE endurance road racing with endurance races that range from 7-hours to 24-hours long and even longer. This series is for gear-heads and for people who love driving and driving fast. It’s for Chumps like you that have always wanted to go road racing without all the hassles or expense. It’s about ‘Joe Average’ and almost-race-ready cars. See http://chumpcar.com for more information.
About In The Pits Media: Based in Washington, D.C., In The Pits Media has provided media coverage and public relations/fulfillment services to the motorsport industry, including race facility promotion, team public relations, and a weekly radio program dedicated to all disciplines of the sport for 13 years. The Canadian Coordinator, Colene Allen, has been involved in motorsport for 31 years, including 14 years as a race official. Assisting her by providing photography services are Brooke Legacy, whose work has been published on the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car series website, and Rene Skrodzki, whose work was published in the Official Souvenir Program for the 2007 Indianapolis 500. See http://inthepitsmedia.com for more information.
For Marketing and Sponsorship Inquiries:
Johnathan Schwemler Racecars- Johnathan Schwemler, Owner/Driver
Phone: (647) 201-2399
Email: johnathan@jsracecars.com
For Public Relations Inquiries:
In The Pits Media – Canada/ Colene Allen, Canadian Division Coordinator
Phone: (519) 653-6297
Email: pr@jsracecars.com
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