Houston, Texas – James Walker, Jr. is pleased to announce that he has chosen Risi Competizione to support his 2019 TCR Program in the SRO Motorsports America TC America Series.
Walker, of The Woodlands, Texas, is a 22-year racing veteran most recently coming from the Ferrari Challenge series. He will be driving the #34 Risi Competizione/ Hella Pagid Brake Systems Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR. The single-car TCR class entry of Walker will be in pursuit of the TC America TCR championship for the full season.
The TC America Series features eight rounds with two 40-minute sprint races per event weekend for 16 race championships, all at premier racing venues across America. The first race for the 2019 TC America Series will be at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 1-3.
“I have been focusing on competing in the TCR category since its inception in 2017,” said Walker. “Ferrari Challenge was a great experience, and I am thrilled that the team at Risi Competizione is able to continue on this journey with me. Twenty-two years of racing galvanizes the importance of surrounding yourself with the best people and best equipment. Risi does both beyond compare. Our two successful years together in Ferrari Challenge will serve as a fantastic platform to launch into TCR. Their operation is world-class, and each time I strap in I have 100% confidence that they have prepared a car capable of winning. Hopefully my driving can do justice to their incredible preparation skills and setup talent.”
The new TC America Series creates a unique and exclusive brand identity for the popular touring car class. After the inaugural Pirelli World Challenge season of TCR competition last year, the TC America class plans to build off the excitement and tight racing that the class produces. The TCR Class leverages globally-homologated TCR race cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
The Alfa Romeo TCR racecars are built and homologated by the renowned Milan, Italy-based Romeo Ferraris. The Team received the new car less than two weeks before the first race.
Originally from Rochester, New York, Walker is a licensed Professional Engineer who brings 30 years of real-world experience to his analyses of vehicle dynamics and the reconstruction of motor vehicle crashes. James graduated from GMI Engineering and Management Institute in 1994 with a degree in automotive mechanical engineering, and advanced his career through a combination of engineering and management positions. Along the way, he amassed first-hand experience in the specification, design, calibration, and testing of state-of-the-art electronic brake control systems including anti-lock braking systems, traction control systems, and electronic stability control.
Starting his racing career in 1997 with his own team, scR motorsports, in a Saturn SC2 in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Walker learned quickly and was invited to the SCCA Runoffs in Showroom Stock C (SSC) by his second season. He competed for seven successful years in the SCCA’s SSC and Improved Touring A categories.
In 2017, Walker and Risi Competizione teamed to compete in the North American Ferrari Challenge 458 Trofeo Pirelli North American Championship series with great success. In their first season, and in spite of Walker’s inexperience with the car, the tracks, and the series, he was able to score class victories at both Road America and at the Circuit of the Americas. The team finished their first season together in fourth place despite having only competed in 10 of 14 events.
In year two, Walker scored one pole position, one race win, five podium finishes, and six fastest race laps over the short eight-race season. He finished second in the 458 Trofeo Pirelli North American Championship.
Risi Competizione has a 20-year history and an undeniable standing as a leader in racing with numerous global championships, endurance and sprint victories, and an impeccable reputation that goes with the name.
“We are pleased to extend our association with James Walker,” said Giuseppe Risi. “We’ve enjoyed working with James the past two seasons in the Ferrari Challenge series and have seen him succeed as a driver. Early on he expressed his interest to transition to the TCR Class in the TC America Series and we are happy to support him in this endeavor. We feel that our racing experience will contribute towards James’ quest for a TCR championship.”
“In 2019 we are partnering with both Hella Pagid Brake Systems and Pagid Racing,” added Walker. “They bring an exciting combination of resources. We will be running their pads and rotors throughout the season, and have no doubt they are up to the challenge of TCR competition.”
Sponsors:
Hella Pagid Brake Systems (hella-pagid.com)
Hella Pagid Brake Systems offers an extensive range of brake components, with excellent technology for the most challenging of requirements. An extensive range of European brake pads, brake rotors, and wear sensors are offered, with the product range continuously being expanded. Hella Pagid Brake Systems can look back on decades of experience as an OEM supplier and offer the sales competence of one of the largest aftermarket trading organizations in the world, and their in-house experts provide independent repair shops with first-class technical service and sales support.
Pagid Racing (pagidracing.com)
Available in many different formulations and designs, Pagid Racing brake pads and rotors are designed to produce the highest possible performance levels over a wide range of operating conditions. While Pagid Racing brake pads and rotors are fitted as original equipment to some of the most prestigious and powerful production cars in the world, they also fit most popular racing and high-performance calipers, making them a desirable upgrade in demanding, high-performance applications. Pagid Racing brake pads and rotors are the exclusive choice of scR motorsports!
For more information, please go to world-challenge.com.