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IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge - Freiberg Moves To Sports Cars For 2013 Season


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Angleton, Feb. 4, 2013: Effort Racing today announced that American racer Ashley Freiberg will join the Team as they battle for the 2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokahama Championship. Freiberg will race the #51 Porsche GT3 Cup Car for the Texas-based Team in her inaugural sports car racing season.

“Sports Car racing has always been a discipline that has interested me,” said Freiberg. “At the end of the 2012 season I began to investigate different racing options. When the opportunity to compete in the IMSA Series with Effort Racing materialized it quickly became evident to me that this was the right time for me to make a switch. They are a great organization competing in a highly competitive Series and we share the same goals – to become Champions.”

Freiberg will join Effort Racing’s Driver Development Program, an innovative program designed to cultivate and grow young talented drivers and foster winning performances.

“Ashley is a perfect fit for the EFFORT team and its ongoing pursuit of excellence” said team manager, Hunter Wright. “Her work ethic, preparation and professional approach all align well with our team concept and make her the perfect fit for our program. She brings an abundance of talent in all aspects of racing and we’re all very excited to get the season underway and start to get the results we expect.”

With a predominantly open-wheel racing background, Freiberg’s career began at the age of 13 in go-karts where she won five national championships before moving to the Skip Barber Racing Series where she became the first woman in history to win an overall Championship. Freiberg continued to make history throughout her career as she became the first woman to win a Skip Barber National Series race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the first woman to win a Skip Barber MX-5 Cup Race, and the second woman ever to be selected as a candidate for the prestigious Team USA Scholarship Award (Danica Patrick was the first).

Last season, she was chosen as one of six female racers to join the TrueCar Racing ‘Women Empowered’ Initiative, and raced a full season in the highly competitive Pro Mazda Championship where she garnered six top 10 finishes.

The Illinois native, who currently resides in Vermont, is looking forward to her new challenge with EFFORT Racing and making an impression in the sports car scene.

“I am extremely excited to be a part of EFFORT Racing this season as I make my debut in sports cars, and am truly appreciative of the opportunity they are giving me,” said Freiberg. “Although I have had limited time in the car, my past racing experience has helped me adapt to the Porsche GT3 quickly and I already feel comfortable behind the wheel and with the Team. While I know I have a steep learning curve, I’m totally committed to this new chapter in my life thoroughly enjoying the new experience and having a blast driving this car. We are all confident that this year will be a strong one for all of us.”

Previous sponsors, TrueCar and Bell Helmets, will be returning in support of Freiberg’s sports car racing debut.

 
 
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