McCumbee, McAleer Close In On ST Lead at Virginia International Raceway
*(This press release is also located at FreedomAutosport.com <http://www.freedomautosport.com/mccumbee-mcaleer-close-in-on-st-lead-at-virginia-international-raceway/>.)* For Immediate Release: August 30, 2016 Contact: Beth Dolgner, (678) 485-1947, bdolgner@gmail.com *​* *McCumbee, McAleer Close In On ST Lead at Virginia International Raceway* *Two Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5s in the Top Ten* ALTON, Va.—Freedom Autosport’s Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer closed in on the ST championship lead in Saturday’s IMSA Continental Tire Series race at Virginia International Raceway. The co-drivers finished seventh in the No. 25 ModSpace/Premier Building Systems/Spartan Cargo Trailers Mazda MX-5, and they are now just six points away from the ST lead. McCumbee qualified tenth in the No. 25 Mazda. In the opening laps, he navigated some rain to his advantage until a red flag came out as the deluge worsened. When the green flag flew again with only 45 minutes left on the clock, McAleer found himself in the race lead thanks to a great pit strategy. McCumbee and McAleer went on to finish seventh. “We got off to a really good start and were able to pick off a few positions,�?? said McCumbee. “The little bit of drizzle actually helped us! The guys at Freedom did an amazing job with strategy, so we pitted before the downpour came, which allowed us to get out and lead later. It’s probably some of the worst conditions I’ve ever driven in, but we were able to keep our ModSpace Mazda up front to gain some more points in the championship.�?? McAleer said, “It didn’t go as well as we wanted in terms of a result, but the ST leader had a more disappointing weekend than us, so to come away from VIR with an eight-point gain on the number one car makes us really happy. We’re very strong at Circuit of the Americas and Freedom Autosport had a strong car at Road Atlanta last year, so we should be able to run near the front at the final two rounds.�?? Danny Bender and Britt Casey, Jr., earned a top-ten, as well, finishing eighth in the No. 27 TRUMPF/Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. Bender, who qualified ninth, summed up the rain that brought out the red flag shortly into the race, saying, “The rain got harder and harder, and suddenly it was like driving into a wall of water, which was an interesting experience on slicks! The message from the pits was to get around however we had to. I had to look out the side window because I couldn’t see out the front!�?? “It went by really quickly,�?? said Casey of his rain-shortened stint. “You have to focus so much more in the rain, and by the end of it, there were only 10 minutes left and I felt like I’d just gotten in the car. Stevan and I stuck together, and seventh and eighth is admirable in that kind of weather.�?? Liam Dwyer and Andrew Carbonell finished 16th in the No. 26 Semper Fi Fund/Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. They also pitted prior to the red flag and were one of the first cars in the field that opted for full wet tires. The race from Virginia International Raceway will be broadcast on FS1 on Sunday, September 4 at 7:00 a.m. EDT. *ABOUT FREEDOM AUTOSPORT* Since 2008, Freedom Autosport <http://www.freedomautosport.com> has been a major force in the ST class of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series, proving the might of the Mazda MX-5s. Between their inaugural season in 2008 and the end of 2014, Freedom Autosport earned 12 wins. In 2015, the team won at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in route to finishing second in the ST championship. Freedom Autosport is named in honor of the men and women of the U.S. military who defend our freedom, and the team is a proud supporter of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Keep up with the team on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreedomAutosport/> and Twitter <https://twitter.com/FreedomAutospt>. *ABOUT MAZDA MOTORSPORTS * Mazda Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto racing development ladder system of any auto manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24 program offers a number of scholarships to advance drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any given weekend in North America than any other manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com <http://mazdamotorsports.com/>, @MazdaRacing on Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and Facebook. *ABOUT THE SEMPER FI FUND* The Semper Fi Fund <http://www.semperfifund.org/> provides urgently needed resources and lifetime support for wounded, critically ill and injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Case managers from the Semper Fi Fund work one-on-one with service members and veterans in order to understand and support their individual needs right now and throughout their lifetime. We keep our overhead low so our impact on the lives of service members and veterans is greater. The Semper Fi Fund is one of only three veteran charities to receive an "A+" rating from The American Institute of Philanthropy and a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. For more information visit www <http://www.semperfifund.org>. <http://www.semperfifund.org>semperfifund <http://www.semperfifund.org>. <http://www.semperfifund.org>org <http://www.semperfifund.org>. *ABOUT TRUMPF* TRUMPF Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the TRUMPF Group. Dedicated to serving the manufacturing needs of the American, Canadian and Mexican markets, TRUMPF is currently the largest manufacturer of fabricating equipment and industrial lasers in North America. We offer our customers innovative, high-quality products and solutions in the areas of sheet metal processing, laser-based production processes and electronic applications. Find TRUMPF online at www.us.trumpf.com and on Twitter as @TRUMPFInc. *ABOUT MODSPACE * Modular Space Corporation (ModSpace), based in Berwyn, Pa., is a leading provider of modular buildings, portable storage and services for temporary or permanent space needs. Building on more than 40 years of experience, ModSpace serves a diverse set of customers and markets— including commercial, construction, education, government, healthcare, industrial/energy and special events—through an extensive nationwide branch network throughout the United States and Canada. http://www.modspace.com/ *ABOUT PREMIER BUILDINGS SYSTEMS * Premier Building Systems is one of the largest and fastest growing distributors of steel buildings in the United States. Since 1995, our premium quality steel buildings have been in use for a wide range of industrial, commercial, residential and agricultural applications. http://premierbuildings.com/ *ABOUT SPARTAN CARGO TRAILERS * Spartan Cargo Trailers, LLC is located in Alma, Ga., and is a wholesale manufacturer of cargo and utility trailers. Manufacturing the industry’s very-best-quality trailers, Spartan Cargo Trailers provides the widest range of products in the industry including common utility/work trailer, a race car hauler, concession stands, restroom units with options like observations decks, hydraulic lifts, audio/visual equipment or something new and straight out of the box. Simply put, if you can imagine it, we can build it. Spartan Cargo Trailers offers as a standard: fifteen exterior colors, with single and tandem axles, radial tires, screw-less exteriors and awnings just to name a few. With the finest customization department in the industry, Spartan Cargo Trailers has designers that engineer trailers to suit customer wants and needs. https://www.facebook.com/Spartan-Cargo-Trailers-LLC-1686537238299528/ Beth Dolgner 2119 Marshalls Lane SE Atlanta, GA 30316 678.485.1947 bdolgner@gmail.com www.BethDolgner.com
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