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Jeff Courtney of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper.
Photo by Michael Wong |
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JEFF COURTNEY RECAPS 2008 SEASON
Milwaukee, Wisc. (October 24, 2008) – Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper, along with the entire Woodhouse Performance Team, is decompressing and re-grouping after a tumultuous season in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Series. “It was intense, we suffered our share of bad luck, but a lot of great things happened,” said Courtney. For the second year in a row, Courtney finished in the top ten in Championship points.
Although Courtney was unable to climb the podium, he was awarded the Sunoco Hard Charger Award and the Racing Electronics Holeshot award a couple times this season. “We had a lot of twists and turns this season, but for a relatively small operation, Woodhouse Performance has done amazingly well. The only thing that would have made it better was if I would have gotten a win, not just for me, but for the entire team,” said Courtney. “I know that Erik (Messley) and Eddie (Martin) wanted a win as badly as I did.”
In between action at the track, Rick Maxwell and Ashley Wick worked hard to keep both the No. 99 and the No. 13 cars ready for upcoming races across the country. Countless hours were spent going over the cars and making adjustments to obtain peak performance on race day. “Everyone worked really hard this year, and it really showed in the results. I’m very proud of my team,” said team owner Bob Woodhouse.
Woodhouse Performance did collect three checkered flags this season from driver Tommy Archer in the No. 13 Foametix Dodge Viper.
“There are so many behind-the-scenes people to thank too,” said Courtney. “Susan Dunklau, Andrew Richmond and Louise Woodhouse, they all helped so much from making travel arrangements to washing race suits between events.”
Another key component was John Mills, whose engineering experience was pivotal and helped the team earn honors this year.
“In addition to the crew and the team, I have to thank all of my sponsors. Without their support, I would not be able to participate in this great series,” said Courtney. Courtney’s sponsors include Kenda Tires, TJM Integrated Wealth Management, Coins of America, Badger Components, Karavan Trailers, JG Wheels, Eibach Springs, and Foerster Signs. I would also like to thank the following sponsors who sponsored special single events this year, such as Accurate Metal Products, Kapco Inc., and Foametix.
“MPI has done a great job of promoting me this year, a special thank you to LesleyAnn Neulrich, Dave Wied and Emily Golden for their promotional and marketing efforts,” said Courtney.
“I want to leave everyone with my appreciation,” said Courtney. “Thanks to all who have supported me, whether on television, at the race, or in the pits, all of my family and friends, it took all of you to make this work. See you again next year.”
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper.
Photo by Irina Bouzenkova/www.irinaphoto.com |
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END OF THE ROAD
Up and Down Season Ends at Road Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (October 3, 2008) – The Woodhouse Performance Team descended on Road Atlanta unified with a strong desire to finish on the podium. For Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper, it was the last chance this season for a checkered flag. The SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT finale was sponsored by FOAMETIX, a state-of-the-art foam building insulation supplier owned by teammate Claudio Burton, driver of the No. 13 FOAMETIX Dodge Viper, who with a large crowd of supporters also planned a good finish. When hopes are so high, anything less is disappointing, and the Woodhouse team felt the piercing disappointment of two cars in the DNF category at the end of the race.
On Tuesday after only three laps into the first practice session, Courtney’s No. 99 car lost the motor. The team scrambled to install the back-up motor, which was found to be a bit down in power. “In the last practice session Tuesday, I ran it three laps to shake it out, but it was still a little slow in the straight-aways,” said Courtney.
During the second practice session, Burton had an unfortunate crash in the No. 13 car and the Team struggled to determine whether to attempt to fix the No. 13 in time for the race, or to try and find an alternate car to run. As Foametix was sponsoring the finale, pressure to see the branding in the race was acute.
The race day, it was decided that Courtney would carry the FOAMETIX branding on his No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT finale. Along with the additional logos, Courtney’s car would be equipped with the SPEED Channel camera, giving the No. 99 car increased visibility. “I was proud to carry the branding for [Burton],” said Courtney. “I really wanted to make a good run for both [Burton] and FOAMETIX, it was just an unfortunate weekend for both of us.”
After a very limited number of practice laps, the No. 99 car made a great start on race day, earning Courtney the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award as he advanced three positions in the opening lap of the race. “I had a great start,” said Courtney. “I would gain a lot of ground in the technical sections of the track, only to lose it on the straight-aways. I still feel we could have finished in the top ten.” A top ten finish would have kept Courtney in the sixth place position in the 2008 Drivers Championship Points race, but he had to settle for eighth after being slammed from the rear and taken out of the race.
During lap 8, Jason Foster’s Dodge Viper came into turn 10 carrying excessive speed and used Courtney as a brake, crashing into the left rear portion of Courtney’s car, knocking the wind out of him. A full course caution allowed the other cars to circulate while the two wrecked cars were flat-bedded back to the pits, marking the end of the race for Courtney and the Woodhouse Performance Team.
“It wasn’t how we wanted to go out, I had great hopes for this race,” said Courtney. “But as I’ve said before, that’s racing. I can’t stress enough how much work the whole team was forced into this weekend and how much I appreciate all they did. No matter what happened, they kept their chins up and worked hard.”
“Although disappointing, the results from Road Atlanta were not a measure of the Woodhouse Racing Team’s ability to perform during this amazing 2008 season,” said Courtney. “The entire team accomplished fantastic results during the season, and that is what should be remembered.”
Watch the race on the SPEED Channel on Wednesday, October 15 at 1 pm (EDT).
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper.
Photo by Irina Bouzenkova/www.irinaphoto.com |
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WET AND WILD
Thunderbolt Millville Starts Soggy, Finishes Dry
Millville, NJ (Sept. 27, 2008) – The thunder came to the newly opened Thunderbolt Millville track and it brought the rain. The wet weekend dampened speeds, but it did not dampen spirits as the Woodhouse Racing Team finished in the top ten again, with Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper finishing the race in 6th place. Teammate Brian Simo, in the No. 13 Foametix Dodge Viper, finished 5th.
The rain did bring a reprieve from the much talked about dirt and dust along the track where grass has not yet been established.
It was a wild qualifying session, starting off wet, finishing dry, with a crash ending the session early. During qualifying, lap times were dropping dramatically each lap as the track dried. “Qualifying was pretty exciting, you could be in the top five on one lap and in the next you could be 15th” said Courtney. On Courtney’s last qualifying lap, he almost aborted the lap because of a crash ahead of him. Instead, Courtney held the course and clipped off over a second and a half on his time to get the 7th place on the grid.
“It turned out to be a good weekend for us,” said Courtney. “It was pretty wet in the beginning, we only had one good dry practice session.” The wet conditions and forecast for a rain race kept the team’s focus on rain set-up. “We anticipated a wet race, that was what we were prepared for,” said Courtney. “I was nervous about a dry race, we didn’t really have enough dry track time to get the car properly set up for a dry race.”
“I got a great jump at the start,” said Courtney. “I was able to move up and battle with teammate Brian Simo for position.” Mid-race, Courtney was turning in competitive lap times with the leaders, despite struggling with a front-end push. During a late-race re-start, Courtney got another great start and an opportunity to pick off a few more positions. Courtney battled with Simo and Jason Daskalos in the No. 5 Coastal Pet Products Dodge Viper. Courtney and Daskalos bumped going into turn one, forcing Courtney off the raceline into the dirty part of the track, allowing Simo to get up alongside at the exit of turn two. Courtney could not hold the line and slid back again, losing his position. “I was having fun racing Brian and Jason hard,” said Courtney. “But I was also aware that I was racing for points and Brian was not.”
“Big thanks to the entire Woodhouse Team for once again doing a great job through adverse conditions,” said Courtney “Three days of rain creates all kinds of difficulties for the team and crew, they did a great job, as usual.
The checkered flag went to James Sofronos, a huge win after 99 previous attempts. “I would like to congratulate James on his first World Challenge victory, great race,” said Courtney. “I love my car number 99, but I don’t want to wait through 99 starts for my first victory!”
There is no rest for the weary, the Woodhouse Team heads directly to Road Atlanta for this week’s final SCCA Pro SPEED World Challenge GT race.
“I'm looking forward to Road Atlanta, it is one of my favorite tracks and events. It will be a great place to end the season,” said Courtney.
As Courtney heads to Road Atlanta, he moves up to 6th place in the SCCA Pro SPEED World Challenge Championship points race.
Watch the Thunderbolt Millville race on the SPEED channel on Wednesday, October 15, at noon, EDT.
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper. Road America. Shooter: Michael Wong |
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BELLE ISLE:
Great Atmosphere, Tough Track
Detroit, Michigan (August 31, 2008) – Motor City lived up to its name this weekend as thousands of racing fans and enthusiasts poured in to attend the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. In conjunction with the race was a nearly weeklong 10th Annual Vipers Owners Invitational. Approximately one thousand owners came to the city for the Dodge sponsored festivities, bringing with them more than 400 of their beloved street cars from all over North America. Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper welcomed the opportunity to meet the fans and enjoyed signing autographs, “It was a lot of fun,” Courtney said, “The place was packed. I couldn’t believe how enthusiastic everyone was. It was great.”
Dodge had a plethora of events and entertainment planned; including factory tours and chances to check out the Chelsea Proving Grounds and watch the Viper owners tear up the track.
The highlight of the weekend’s events was the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT race held on Sunday afternoon. This was the first time in years the series has been on the Belle Isle track and it proved to be daunting. “The track is narrow with high concrete barriers making it difficult to pass on. If you do not qualify well, it is tough to finish well,” said Courtney.
“I can’t ever remember our cars being so far off the pace this season,” said Courtney. The Vipers were running around 2 and a half seconds back of the leaders. Knowing how important a good qualifying spot would be, Courtney pushed the car hard and went just a tick over its limits coming into Turn One, but kept the slide off the wall for more than 100 yards before the bottom of the car caught on the raised concrete and twisted the car into the wall, damaging the suspension and brake lines. “I got lucky there, it could have been much worse. Along with a close call in Saturday’s practice, when the steering wheel came off in another spin, I really got a couple of breaks by not further damaging the car, or myself,” said Courtney. The team was forced to use the first lap time, putting the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper 14th on the grid.
With only three hours between qualifying and the start of the race, the Woodhouse Team did an unbelievable job putting the car back together. “I really need to thank the whole Team, Erik Messley, Eddie Martin, Ashley Wick, Rick Maxwell and Bob Woodhouse for getting my car ready for the race,” said Courtney. “I do not like putting our team and crew in that position.”
“Detroit was tough for me; passing was a challenge, almost impossible with the intake restriction we have now. I was fighting a soft brake pedal due to the damage from my qualifying spin,” said Courtney. “That, and the fact that the Vipers were just not as competitive at this venue, it was nearly impossible to move through the field.” Courtney finished the race in a frustrated 11th position, but maintained his 8th place standing in the Championship Points race.
Brian Simo, new to the Woodhouse Racing Team, stretched his racing muscles in his first SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT race this weekend. “I think Brian did well for his first time in a Viper,” said Courtney. Simo finished 10th.
The Woodhouse Team is readying the cars for the New Jersey Motorsports Park near Millville. “It is another new track for me and a chance to make things right. I look forward to the challenge,” said Courtney.
You can watch the Detroit Belle Isle race on the SPEED Channel September 12 at noon, (EDT).
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper. Shooter: Michael Wong |
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BORDER CROSSING:
Mosport Track near Toronto, Canada Produces 7th Place Finish for Courtney
Toronto, Canada (August 23,2008) – Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper took to Mosport International Raceway near Toronto, Canada this weekend in the 7th race of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Series. An additional 10% air intake restriction and a limited qualifying time did not keep Courtney from attacking the field and walking away with a 7th place finish overall.
During practices, the Woodhouse Racing Team had gotten the car to a reasonable point, Car Chief Erik Messley and Viper Tech Eddie Martin had planned on making a few more adjustments during the qualifying laps, but they were cut short due to a crash. “We had some ideas on what it was going to take to improve the handling, but we did not get the chance to test them in the qualifying session. We still had a good car considering our restrictions,” said Courtney who qualified the car 11th on the grid.
Courtney aced the standing start and jumped ahead of a couple cars. During the first lap of the race, Courtney saw an opportunity to make a move and gain three more positions. “Down in turn five, the field kind of bunched up. I expected three cars to push wide and so I took a gamble and went down into second gear,” Courtney said. “Instead, I got pinched off and went up on the curb and missed my shift. Instead of making up three spots, I lost three spots. That move may have been a little greedy on the first lap, but hey, that’s racing.”
Courtney battled with James Sofronas in the No. 14 Porsche 911 GT3. “Sofronas defended well, I kept harassing him, hoping he would make a mistake, but he never did anything I could capitalize on,” said Courtney.
Late in the race, the Corvette of Brian Kubinski lost the motor, blowing oil all through turn nine, in front of the Aston Martin driven by Tommy Milner Junior, the Porsche of Sofronas and the Viper of Courtney. Sofronas and Milner spun out, but fortunately Courtney made it through unscathed. “We got lucky to get through that, some didn’t,” Courtney said. “That was a wild ride, I just hung on in the car, completely sideways; I just got lucky and saved it, inches from the pavement edge.”
The yellow flag stayed out while the checkered flag flew for Eric Curran in the No. 30 Whelen Engineering Corvette.
“It was a good race, for what we were given to work with weight, restrictor and all, we did a good job,” said Courtney.
The Woodhouse Team barely has time to catch their breath before they head over to the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, August 29-31.
Catch this weekend’s race on the SPEED channel on Wednesday, August 27, at 1 pm (EDT).
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper. Road America. Shooter: Michael Wong |
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TURNING POINT?
After Bad Luck in Previous Races, Courtney Makes the Turn and Picks Up Awards at Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (August 10, 2008) – Jeff Courtney was determined to put on a great show for the hundreds of fans and supporters invited to the race this weekend. The overwhelming consensus was that he succeeded. “First off, I personally want to thank the people that were responsible for making the hospitality event happen. Jim Kacmarcik from Kapco, Inc., Woody Alverson from Accurate Metal Products, Andrew Schwartz and John Riechers of MPI Coin/Coins of America and Tom Multerer from TJM Integrated Wealth Management,” said Courtney. “It was a great event and I really thank them for their support and for all of the friends and family that made it out. I also want to add a special thank you to LesleyAnn Neulreich of ProMPI for all of her hard work in putting the event together.”
On Saturday after several successful and promising practice runs, there was an electrical failure in Courtney’s No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper. Car Chief Erik Messley and Technician Eddie Martin rushed to fix the problem, but it could not be diagnosed in time to make a qualifying lap. Courtney was forced to start the race on Sunday at the back of the pack. “Our car continually got better throughout the week. The car was fast; I felt we had a top three car. Then the electrical failure. It’s the old racing cliché, you can lose it all on a 20 cent part,” said Courtney. “The whole team takes it really hard when something like this happens, it is hard for me to watch them feel so down. This was something that could not have been diagnosed during normal car preparation.”
Courtney blasted out of start and immediately began to make up for their dead last start by weaving through traffic to pull his way up to the leaders, advancing seven positions in the first lap to earn himself the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award. “We got the kind of start that we needed, we knew that a lot of things needed to work in our favor to move our way through the field,” said Courtney.
A couple of yellow flags also worked in Courtney’s favor, bunching up the cars. “To come up through a field filled with such talented drivers, we needed to get a few breaks,” said Courtney. In lap 15, the No. 8 Cadillac of Andy Pilgrim lost its engine and the car started on fire as it came into turn 5, crashing into the tires. Oil slick on the track forced the remaining cars to gingerly make their way through an all-course yellow, which remained for the finish of the race. Courtney had advanced a total of 18 places, earning himself the Sunoco Hard Charger Award and a respectable 8th place finish.
“Normally, I am a driver that NEVER wants to see a race finish under a yellow. This time, we were wounded, with fifth gear gone and fourth was questionable. I was just holding on when the yellow popped out. This was the second trans failure of the weekend. When my Car Chief Erik Messley radioed me that the race was going to finish under yellow, I was ecstatic. I felt like we were a sitting duck out there.”
“All things considered, things really worked out for us, maybe our luck has finally turned,” said Courtney.
“Jeff did what he does best, stayed patient and came from behind,” said Team Owner, Bob Woodhouse. “The electrical failure was unfortunate, but nobody could predict that. He did the best he could with what was handed to him, it doesn’t get more thrilling than what he did today! I’m really proud of him.”
Things are looking up for the Woodhouse Team, Courtney’s teammate Tommy Archer in the No. 13 Foametix Dodge Viper took his third checkered flag of the year, a win even more remarkable considering he was not even expected to race here this weekend but was asked by team owner Bob Woodhouse if he could fill in on short notice.
“Tommy, well what can you say about Tommy? He is phenomenal. I just can’t say enough about our guys,” said Woodhouse. “Success is in the details, our entire team is fully committed and striving for perfection at every race.”
Courtney maintains his 7th place standing in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT points race.
Catch the Road America SPEED GT race Wednesday, August 20 at noon (EDT) on the SPEED Channel.
The next race is Mosport Canada, August 21-24.
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper at 2008 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Shooter: Mark Weber |
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THIRD PLACE START DOWNSHIFTS TO TROUBLESOME OUTING
Jeff Courtney Loses Transmission, and Hopes of Podium Finish, at Mid-Ohio
Lexington, Ohio, (July 20, 2008) – Jeff Courtney inched his No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper into the third place starting position, his personal best in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Series. Courtney felt confident, that the adjustments made in practice would give him a great chance for a podium finish.
“As I watched Brandon Davis on the track in the opening laps, I felt I had a better car than him. I’m not sure if I had anything for teammate Tommy Archer, but it would have been fun to dice with him. I really love the track at Mid-Ohio, and my car was running great. I should have made the call to change out the transmission,” said Courtney.
Courtney’s start was clean, but soon trouble began. It is no secret that the Vipers have been plagued with transmission problems this season, and that old nemesis reared its ugly head on the track at Mid-Ohio. Courtney almost immediately had trouble downshifting from 5th to 4th gear; it was in the fourth or fifth lap that Courtney lost 4th gear completely. Soon after, Courtney lost the 3rd gear, followed by the 2nd. Courtney was forced to finish the race using only the 5th gear.
“I may have forced the issue,” said Courtney, “Going into turn one on lap seven and spun the car.”
Courtney did all he could on the track to make up for the loss of gears, but when he needed to downshift, Davis would always pull away from him. After a valiant effort through a spin out and being tagged in the back by Sonny Whelen, Courtney finished 15th.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Courtney, “We could have had a great race. I really feel bad for my Car Chief Eric Mesley, Car Technician Eddie Martin, as well as the whole Woodhouse Team,” said Courtney. “They worked very hard getting the car dialed in and they deserved a better finish.” When the team first arrived at Mid-Ohio, Courtney’s No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/Coins of America Dodge Viper had a terrible push from mid-turn out and the team worked on its handling every session. With help from engineer John Mills and driver Tommy Archer, the car was handling great by the final practice.
“For a while in qualifying, Tommy and I were sitting at the 1 and 2 starting position. Davis just nipped me out at the end by only 2 tenths of a second, there wasn’t time to go out for another qualifying lap,” Courtney said.
Tommy Archer, also on the Woodhouse Racing Team, in the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper, had an excellent race, starting at pole position he finished first, a second win for him this season.
“I would like to congratulate Tommy Archer and the Woodhouse Team for a great first place finish,” said Courtney. “It was well deserved.”
Courtney is looking forward to Road America in August. “Elkhart is my home track, and although I don’t have a lot of experience there, I’m excited to have a huge showing of support from several sponsors as well as family and friends,” said Courtney.
Road America has been highly anticipated as more than 200 people are expected to be out in support for Courtney. New sponsors for the Road America event, Jim Kacmarcik of Kapco, Inc. and Woody Alverson from Accurate Metal Products will be in attendance as well as regular sponsors Coins of America and Badger Components.
You can watch the Mid-Ohio race on the SPEED channel on Thursday, July 24 at 1:00 pm (EDT).
Catch the next race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Sunday August 10, 2008!
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Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/MPI Coin Dodge Viper at
2008 Watkins Glen Int'l. Photo by: Irina Bouzenkova |
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GOOD INTENTIONS UP IN SMOKE
Jeff Courtney Barely Survives Engine Trouble at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen, NY (June 8, 2008) –The track was hot and humid as the drivers lined up for this Sunday’s Speed World Challenge race at Watkins Glen, New York. The Woodhouse Performance Team was still pumped up after Utah’s exciting finish, even after the news of a competition adjustment that was enacted on all of the Vipers just one day prior to practice. A 25% air intake restrictor was mandated. This left the teams scrambling to re-map the air-fuel ratios at the last minute and may have contributed to the engine woes that took a bite out of the teams’ successes this weekend.
This news came unexpected, as the Vipers were not predicted to perform well at Watkins Glen, a more Porsche friendly track. “We were surprised, but took it in stride, you do what you have to do,” said Jeff Courtney, driver of the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/MPI Coin Dodge Viper.
The team then lost an engine in practice in the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper car, driven by Tommy Archer, and Courtney’s No. 99 car received a transmission replacement as well. “The problems were unexpected, but we had a good strategy in mind for Sunday’s race,” said Courtney.
Unfortunately, that strategy hit trouble before the end. After a good start, Courtney put the heat on the cars ahead of him until a miscalculation forced him into the marbles at turn 11 in the third lap. The No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/MPI Coin Dodge Viper brushed the wall and lost about seven positions. After getting the car back under control, Courtney charged hard to regain position. “When I brushed the wall, I knocked the alignment out of the car. I really got up on the wheel to make up the positions I lost, but the car just wouldn’t handle the way it did at the start of the race. On the last lap, coming through the last set of turns, the engine let go, filling the car with smoke. I radioed to my crew chief Eric Messley that my engine just blew. He radioed back, saying ‘Just get it to the checkered flag.’ I told him that I couldn’t see a thing through the smoke and he replied, ‘You’re in a straight line, just run it out!’” Courtney coasted past the checkered in a cloud of smoke, finishing in 13th place.
Starting in the third position, Archer advanced early to second, earning himself the Racing Electronics Holeshot Award. However, the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper was forced to retire early from the race when the engine quit in the 18th lap. Archer earned the race’s fastest lap time in lap 9 with 1:56.903 and prior to engine trouble, ran nose to tail with winner Randy Pobst. Today’s results were unfortunate for the Woodhouse Performance Team. “That’s racing,” team owner Bob Woodhouse commented. “When compared with other teams, we were fortunate. The Black ACS Mustang driven by Brandon Davis went down early also with engine problems after charging for second from his third place position; and in the Touring Car race the Bimmerworld team lost all three of their cars in a horrific crash. Fortunately no one received permanent injury.”
“What doesn’t hurt you makes you stronger; we’ve got a hard-working team at Woodhouse. We’ll be back strong for Mid-Ohio in July,” said Courtney.
Courtney remains in 6th place in the World Challenge Championship Points race.
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The Woodhouse Performance team celebrates Sunoco Hard Charger, Fastest Lap and Checkered Flag
2008 Utah Grand Prix
– Shooter: Mark Weber
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JEFF COURTNEY AND WOODHOUSE PERFORMANCE TAKE CHARGE AT MILLER
Jeff Takes Sunoco Hard Charger Award and Posts Fastest Lap
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (May 18, 2008) – Jeff Courtney charged through the final laps of the SPEED GT Championship race at Miller Motorsports Park steering his No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/MPI Coin Dodge Viper up to a sixth place finish. Courtney’s fierce determination and strong will helped earn him the coveted Sunoco Hard Charger Award.
This was after some discouraging practices and a disappointing qualification for a 19th position start. Courtney pointed to his newcomer team engineer, John Mills, teammate Tommy Archer, crew chief Erik Messley and owner Bob Woodhouse and said that their direction helped make the difference from poor practices to an outstanding finish. Woodhouse didn’t want to take the credit.
“I know that Jeff is going to say it was the car,” Woodhouse said, “But it really has a lot to do with him. That is his modus operandi; he comes from behind and pulls it out in the end. He just chewed off one lap at a time.”
Courtney also set the fastest lap of the race at 1:57.628, and this in the 16th lap. “That’s another thing,” said Woodhouse, “he clocks in the fastest lap, not when the car is fresh, but in the 16th lap.”
This was Courtney’s first race on the newly configured track at Miller. “It is a good Viper track; the outer ring runs fast and has some great high speed turns.” The track was a little slippery, the GT race was the second race run that day so there was a lot of rubber on the road. “It was a little slick out there,” said Courtney, “I knew that going in. A few people made mistakes and we capitalized on them.”
Although going into the race at Miller Courtney had been happy with his 8th place position in the 2008 Championship Points race, he should grin at his rise to 5th. Courtney is now looking for his 4th consecutive top-ten finish at Watkins Glen June 5-8, 2008 and he hopes to continue to climb through the points standings and surpass last years 7th place overall finish.
“Congratulations goes out to Bob, Tommy and the rest of the team on their outstanding weekend,” said Courtney, of the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge. Archer qualified for the pole position for Sunday’s race and raced strong to take the checkered flag. It is the first World-Challenge win for Woodhouse Performance. “It was an amazing weekend,” said Woodhouse.
To catch this exhilarating race, watch it on the SPEED channel on Wednesday, May 28th at 1:00 pm EST.
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Jeff Courtney and Sonny Whelen in Long Beach bumper to bumper traffic. Shooter: Mark Weber |
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IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, JEFF COURTNEY
CLIMBS TO TOP TEN AT LONG BEACH
LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 24, 2008) – The narrow concrete confines of Long Beach took their toll on many of the Speed World-Challenge GT drivers over the weekend. “Critical in making up for a rough start meant making the most of every green flag run; it nearly kept us (Woodhouse Performance) out of the top ten,” said Jeff Courtney, in the No. 99 Kenda/TJM IWM/MPI Coin Dodge Viper.
At the opening smoke, the No. 4 Porsche 911 stalled ahead of Courtney and a scramble to get around without losing position ensued. The 13th spot where Courtney started, quickly dropped to 17th in the first lap.
“I really feel we had a top five car this weekend,” says Courtney, “but the tough start and the number of yellows made it difficult to climb back into contention.” Courtney finished in 10th place following his 5th place finish at the season opener at Sebring, putting him in eighth place in the 2008 Championship Points race.
This was Courtney’s first race with new teammate, Claudio Burtin in the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Viper. “Overall, competition was really in the air, even between Claudio and I, as we worked our way up the ranks. My tires were hot as I worked hard to get past Claudio,” describes Courtney, “and I needed a couple of laps to cool them down. I felt like the car was sideways more than not, but I felt the urgency of gaining positions while I could.”
The second race of the 2008 season was marked by several yellow flags and even finished under yellow, removing any last lap opportunities.
“It was great to have my sponsors from Wisconsin here for support.” said Courtney, “Andrew Schwartz, president of MPI Coin got in on the race action.”
Next stop for Jeff Courtney and the Woodhouse team is the 2008 Utah Grand Prix, in Tooele, Utah, May 16-18, 2008.
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2008 56th Annual Mobil 1® 12 Hours at Sebring
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COURTNEY MOVES UP 12 SPOTS FOR 5TH PLACE FINISH IN SOGGY SEASON OPENER AT SEBRING
SEBRING, FLA. (March 19, 2008) Jeff Courtney of Woodhouse Performance “brings the rain” and thunders past much of the competition in the rain drenched season opener at Sebring. “I tried to take a conservative approach,” says Courtney, “I just tried to keep my composure while others were losing theirs.”
“I was struggling to make the car hook up in some of the practice sessions and we knew we needed to make some major adjustments,” said Courtney. “Late Wednesday night, Bob (Woodhouse), Rick (Maxwell), Eric (Messley) and Tommy (Archer) were still finalizing adjustments.”
Courtney, of Slinger, Wis., went into the race a bit on edge as the car was wearing new Toyo 888 tires he had not tested as much as he would have liked. The rain came with its own set of concerns and the weather may have proved helpful for the Woodhouse Performance Competition Coupe in the long run.
Early during race qualifying one of the Corvettes blew an engine, leaving debris and oil on the track, preventing further qualifying rounds. “Not having a chance to test all of our adjustments was a big concern for the team,” said Courtney, “as the field pulled onto the grid, the rains started and we played this to our advantage. With several cautions, a well timed suspension adjustment and an early rain tire change, we were able to get ourselves in a good spot.” said Courtney.
Courtney gradually gained ground including a late restart run that netted two more spots. As the field all toughed it out through the weather, “it was patience and not taking unnecessary risks that kept us in the race.” said Courtney.
Over the weekend, Speed World Challenge announced a GT race addition at Courtney’s home track at Road America in Elkart Lake, Wis. “This is great news,” said Courtney, “It’s an awesome place to see a race, and I look forward to my local fans and sponsors coming out to see the car and be a part of the atmosphere.”
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The No. 99 Dodge Viper of Jeff Courtney.
Credit: Mark Weber |
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Woodhouse Performance Returns to SPEED GT
with Courtney and Dodge Viper
BLAIR, Neb. (Feb. 26, 2008) – Woodhouse Performance is happy to announce its return to the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship with driver Jeff Courtney. Following a strong seventh-place finish in the 2007 points, Courtney is back to pilot the No. 99 Dodge Viper.
Attached image: The No. 99 Dodge Viper of Jeff Courtney. Credit: Mark Weber
“We will again have Kenda Tires, MPI Coin, TJM Integrated Wealth Management and Badger Components as our primary sponsors for the No. 99 car,” team owner Bob Woodhouse said. “It’s great to have them back, as well as JG Wheels, Foerster Signs, Karavan Trailers, Eibach Springs and Kicker all supporting the team from last year.”
“2007 was a great year for Woodhouse Performance and it is exciting to be back in 2008,” Courtney said. “We have created some dynamic team synergy that I look forward to refining this year. We intend to prove the viability of the Dodge Viper in this series, while several other teams from last year have now opted for other cars.”
“We are looking to announce Jeff’s teammate in the No. 13 Viper very soon,” added Woodhouse, who has been a steady fixture and a paddock favorite with his flashy cars, love for the sport and sense of humor. “Jeff was a great addition to the team last year with his patient driving style and strong pushes in the fourth quarter of every race. He keeps us in contention and we are convinced the best is yet to come with Jeff.”
Although Courtney was new to SPEED GT in 2007, his seventh place points finish came on the heels of his 2006 SPEED Touring Car Rookie of the Year title. In the off-season his tires have been anything but cool, as he has been busy with performance testing and recently placed second in the Koni Challenge race at Daytona, Fla., Jan. 24-25.
SPEED GT is revving up for its first standing start March 14-16 at Sebring International Raceway, with Round Two scheduled for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 18-20.
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Woodhouse Performance Returns to SPEED GT
with Courtney and Dodge Viper
Hyper Sport Press Conference
www.grand-am.com
The No. 55 Hyper Sport Mustang FR500C finished second in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Friday at Daytona International Speedway. After starting 24th, Joe Foster, Jeff Courtney and Scott Maxwell worked their way up through the field in the series' season opener and were able to finish second for the second year in a row.
JOE FOSTER - 55 - Hyper Sport Mustang FR500C- (Finished 2nd) - HYPER SPORT HAS BEEN AROUND NOW FOR A FEW YEARS, AND ARE A TEAM THAT IS CONSISTENTLY AT THE TOP AND CHALLENGING FOR WINS. "Well the team has come together in so many ways and the second and middle stint obviously began with a lot of yellow, which was boring for everybody and then we tried to do a restart and then there was another yellow. The car is good in traffic; the Ford Mustang is a good car in traffic. It's not secret that is has good torque and this is the kind of race track that would suit that. I'd be lying if I was looking forward to Lime Rock in a Mustang. But definitely our strange beginning to the stint, it ended up lasting an hour and 20 something and we had a long green run for the last two-thirds of it. We kind of got strung out there and actually had a chance to race and get up front and back into the top three. That put us in a good position to go ahead and put Scott in for his sprint to the finish." DID YOU GUYS GET FOUR FRESH TIRES ON YOUR LAST PIT STOP? "Yes, we did."
scott maxwell - 55 - Hyper Sport Mustang FR500C- (Finished 2nd) - YOU SUDDENLY POPPED UP AT THE END OF THE RACE. TALK ABOUT YOUR DRIVE THERE AT THE END. "Actually, the car was working very well. And I'm really grateful to Hyper Sport because two days ago, 48 hours ago I wasn't even driving. We decided to go with three drivers for this race just to bank some points and for the rest of the year so we had a bit of a different strategy. Jeff and Joe do not only a great job not only keeping it at the front, but the car was like new when I got in it. It was like a 35-minute sprint for me at the end. I made a lot of mistakes actually; just trying too hard and there's a couple of guys that are annoyed with me out there. Anyways, the car was good, the Mustang was strong and we just didn't have enough time or the legs to catch the Porsche. It was a good start for us for two years in a row to be second here so maybe next year we'll come back and try to win it. It was a good start for the Hyper Sport Mustang." IF THERE WASN'T THE LAST CAUTION AND YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RACE THOSE LAST THREE LAPS OR IF IT HAD HAPPENED JUST A FEW MINUTES EARLIER AND YOU HAD BEEN ON CRAIG'S TALE, WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH HIM? "You know I honestly wasn't close enough to give you an honest answer. Our car was strong, but Craig was far enough down the road that I couldn't tell really if he was pushing hard or not. I would have liked the chance but he was too far down the road." YOU WERE INVOLED IN AN INCIDENT LATE. WHAT HAPPENED THERE? "I think it was the second flying lap and they warned me that the brakes were a bit glazed, and I went down into one and I was full blown on the brakes and couldn't stop and I thought I was actually going off for a nice little crash and I think I clipped one of the Volkswagens on my way in, I think it was a Volkswagen, -- one of the little cars I hit on the way in. Anyways I stopped about three feet shy of the wall and kept going."
jeff courtney - 55 - Hyper Sport Mustang FR500C- (Finished 2nd) - YOU QUALIFIED AND STARTED 24TH, BUT WAS YOUR JOB TO KEEP IT OUT OF TROUBLE IN A THREE HOUR RACE. TALK ABOUT YOUR STINT AND BEING CLOSE TO SOME OF THE TROUBLE IN THAT PART OF THE FIELD. "Yeah, we were very disappointed in our qualifying, but I think there were a lot of teams that were just hit the rain wrong and whatever. But thanks to Joe and Patrick for giving me the opportunity for one, but it was a lot of close calls early in the race, but for the most part staying out of trouble, I thought we did a decent job of bringing it in where we needed to to get these guys in. It was good to hang with a fast crew like that."
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The No. 99 Dodge Viper of Jeff Courtney.
Credit: Mark Weber |
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Impressive Season for Jeff Courtney in SPEED World Challenge GT
SLINGER, Wis. (Oct. 30, 2007) - Jeff Courtney and the No. 99 Kenda Tires/Pro MPI Dodge Viper posted a solid season in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships, finishing and impressive seventh in the overall standings in his first season in the GT division.
Courtney, nabbed to drive for Woodhouse Performance after winning Rookie of the Year in the Touring Car division in 2006, made a successful and notable transition into the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, a completely different animal than his AWD Audi in the Touring Car Series. Although frustrating, it was fuel for the fire for Courtney, who, despite the difficulties with the levelness of the playing field, impressed with his consistency.
From left to right: Jeff Courtney, Bob Woodhouse (car owner), Eddie Martin (crew), Randy Courtney (crew) and Erik Messley (Car Chief). Skip Engle photo
The opening race of the season was telling for Courtney, as he posted an 11th-place finish right out of the box. A monsoon-like rain hit the Sebring International Raceway the morning of the race, forcing Courtney to make his first start in a Viper in wet track conditions, but the combination of challenges didn't faze him. The new team, new car, new division, new group of competitors and slippery racetrack couldn't keep him from his signature clean, consistent racing. Starting off the season just outside the top-10 in points? Not bad.
At Long Beach, a new set of challenges arose: A tight street course, a group of folks from sponsor company ProMPI/MPI Coin to impress and limited track time to prepare for the race. But, the resilient Courtney was awarded the Sunoco Hard Charger Award, after picking up 16 positions on his way to a 13th-place finish.
The third round of SPEED World Challenge GT competition took place at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, which was the site of Courtney's first top-10 finish, of both his GT career and the season. He left 11 th in the Championship standings, just four points out of 10th. The next race would help him break into the coveted top-10.
That next race featured NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series star Kasey Kahne joining in the World Challenge festivities as teammate. Courtney would make the best of Round Five on the modified oval of Lowe's Motor Speedway and finish fifth in the No. 99 Kenda Tires/ProMPI Dodge Viper. It was his first top-five of the season and it was also a finish one spot higher than the celebrated Mr. Kahne – something to write home about. Heading to Round Six at Watkins Glen, Courtney was sitting 10 th in the season standings, on-track to start the second half of the season in prime position.
The next three races, taking place at Watkins Glen International, on the streets of Toronto, Canada and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, would produce solid top-15 finishes and confirm his newly-tabbed nickname 'Mr. Consistency.' Through the finishes he maintained his spot in the top-10 in points, while at one event hosting a special group of 100 sponsor guests. At Mid-Ohio, Kenda Tires associates cheered Courtney on from a frontstretch hospitality tent, watching their No. 99 Dodge Viper race its way to the front after one of their associates gave the command to start engines to the entire SPEED World Challenge GT field.
With two races remaining in the season, SCCA made a competition adjustment to the entire field that helped the Vipers become more competitive, and it showed in Courtney's results. It was just the ticket Courtney needed to level out the playing field and kick his performance into high gear.
Round Nine took place at the historic, super-speedy Road Atlanta. The race itself could only be summed up in one word: craziness. But for Courtney, it was one of his best of the season. He started out the weekend by posting his best qualifying effort to date, a seventh, and making his way through the multi-car wreckage resulting from a downpour of rain that came about midway through the race. He came out of the carnage cleanly in second, and had it not been for a first-time-in-SCCA-SPEED-World-Challenge-history extension of the race, Courtney would have gotten the first podium of his GT career. Still, the strategy and skill of Courtney and the direction of crewmen Erik Messley and Eddie Martin led him to a sixth place finish at Road Atlanta, one of his favorite tracks on the circuit. Again, Courtney left sitting inside the top-10 in the Championship points, one solid finish away from solidifying a spot there in his opening season of GT racing.
Then came the finale, at none other than Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in the beautiful hills of Monterey, Calif. The challenging road course and well-known corkscrew has given drivers funny feelings in their stomachs for years. The track was one Courtney knew he could tame, in part because of his confidence in the preparation of the Viper by Rick Maxwell and Ashley Wick. Qualifying saw consistent Courtney post his best qualifying run of the year, a fifth. Courtney told the team he felt like he had a chance to give the leaders a run for their money, but an unfortunate weight penalty after qualifying forced him to start at the back. An aggressive drive to the front found Courtney gaining 15 positions in the opening laps of the race and in the battle for 12 th before the mid-point of the race. Much to his dismay, a mechanical issue would slow his drive, forcing him to nurse the Viper home to an 18th-place finish. However, the Championship points position was not in jeopardy and Courtney would hold his place in the top-10 in points.
The Slinger, Wis. native and former Panoz Series Champion finished seventh in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Championship point standings, scoring 151 overall. He finished in the top 10 four times, the top five once and the top 15 in each of the rest of the races, with the exception of Laguna Seca.
At the banquet, Courtney thanked his sponsors Kenda Tires, ProMPI, MPI Coin, Badger Tire and Wheel, Karavan Trailers, Foerster Signs, JG Wheels, and Eibach Springs for giving him the opportunity to race in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Championship in 2007. He placed emphasis on the fact that he wouldn't be racing without their support.
"Despite some fighting with the series to make our cars competitive and a few driver mishaps, I felt like we put together a good season and learned a lot this year," Courtney said. "I'm really looking forward to going racing next year, whether it be in SPEED World Challenge, American LeMans or another professional series. The high competition level in World Challenge GT and the great support from the crew at Woodhouse Performance helped me raise my game this season to a level where I am confident that I will be competing for wins and possibly a championship next season."
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