ECC Motorsports geared up for 2015
January 22, 2015
(Team Release) AJ Henriksen and ECC Motorsports are geared up to compete in the Trans Am Road Racing Series in 2015 at a whole new level.
This season ECC returns TA2 Class runner up and Rookie of the Year Adam Andretti for another full attempt at the championship. What is new for ECC will be a regular entry in the TA.
In 2014 ECC fielded a TA2 Camaro for their first attempt at a Trans Am Championship. "It all turned out pretty good.", said Henriksen. "He was on the front row for all but one race. The only time we missed a front row start was at VIR and it was because we flat spotted the tires and had to change them for the race." That meant giving up the front row position and having to start in the back. "We proved he could come from the back though.", AJ added.
Adam won 3 races and set 3 new track records. Andretti had a chance to win the championship going into the season finale at Daytona. A flat tire forced a pit stop put an end to the championship bid.
In 2014 Henriksen ran a team TA2 Camaro in about half the events. The season highlight for the team might have been the June race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. "We were both on the podium. That was pretty special."
In the season's finale race Henriksen and ECC debuted a TA class Corvette at Daytona. After a steady and consistant effort he finished 3rd. That was the perfect spring board to start a TA program for 2015. "Daytona was a cool preview of something new.", he said. As they prepare to start the new season how many races we see the Corvette has yet to be determined. "I am going to do as much as I can. We want to see how things with the idea of making a serious run at the TA class championship for the series 50th anniversary in 2016."
ECC Motorsports bring to the table a full team of experienced racers. "Mike Russell comes from Newman-Haas. Billy Wenk from Skip Barber and Ray Evernham. Dick Danielson was a long time Trans Am competitor. Steve Ray worked with Ruman Racing and of course there is Tabitha Andretti. Tabitha is all over it.", Henriksen said with a laugh.
That leaves Henriksen's team TA2 Camaro out of a job. There have been no thoughts about fielding that car for another driver. "It will be a back up car. We're just a family team. We are not in business for that. I've seen too many people go down that road and lose all the fun that brought them to the track in first place. We want to keep it simple and keep it in the family and enjoy all that Trans Am racing brings to us."
In 2014 Andretti scored 9 straight podium finishes with 3 wins. Henriksen entered 5 TA2 races with his best finishes of a 3rd at NJMP and a 7th at Lime Rock. As mentioned he also finished 3rd in his single TA class entry.
ECC will begin its 2015 campaign at Sebring International Raceway on March 1, 2015.
