After coming so close to winning the TC class title the year prior, Jeff Ricca was determined to rewrite history and change the outcome in 2024. With eight wins, three podiums, and 266 points accumulated in total, he confidently delivered on his mission.
His consistency and strong performances saw him wrap up his championship campaign a little early, officially clinching the title at Barber Motorsports Park with a couple of rounds still remaining in the season. For some, this would welcome a feeling of elation, but for Jeff Ricca, who poured endless effort and energy into his quest, it came as a relief.
“My crew told me over the radio that my main competitor had to retire from the race,” Jeff Ricca explained about the moment he knew he had wrapped up the title hunt. “We had already done all the math and calculations prior to the race, and ran through the different ‘what if’ scenarios. When I got the radio call that my competitor was in the pits and was going behind the wall, I knew that all I had to do was just finish the race. It was such a relief.”
Ricca acknowledged that the relief was in part due to the amount of pressure he puts on himself to be successful, but this very same desire for perfection is what had led him to achieve so much.
“The pressure is coming from within, I’m the one putting it on myself,” he said. “I want to do well for myself, all our team members, our sponsors, the manufacturer, and I take that on. If things didn't go well, I think they would accept that, but at the same time, they put a lot of faith in our program. So when that radio call came through, it felt like the burden was taken away.”
Reflecting on how the 2023 season went down, it’s clear that Ricca had redemption on his mind, and wouldn’t settle for anything less than the top spot.
“In 2023, we knew we had our work cut out for us because I had to miss the one race weekend because we had that factory drive at the Nürburgring, so of course that meant we couldn’t score points,” he elaborated. “I knew that the whole season that it was going to be tough and that I needed to be winning as much as possible to make up for that deficit. Luckily we secured the team and manufacturer championship and sealed the deal on those. The gap between first and second for the driver’s championship was doable going into the last round. Unfortunately, I was taken out of contention in the final race of the year, and my title hopes went away with it.”
Heading into 2024, he was determined to make sure things would end differently this time. His objective was to tally up as many wins as possible, and score big points early on in order to build a sizable buffer if needed.
Although he admitted that the team faced some setbacks and had to overcome hurdles throughout the year, overall it was a highly successful campaign. Notably, he looked back on both rounds at VIRginia International Raceway with a great deal of fondness, largely due to the challenges they faced and how they tackled them.
“VIR was probably the one weekend where I knew that performance wise we were not quite there compared to our competitors. From a balance of performance aspect, to the track layout, and the track conditions, we should’ve been on the backfoot. For us to win the first race was awesome. We would have settled for second or third place, as we were just coming in to collect points, but to win was unexpected but very welcomed.”
Ricca is not only proud of his accomplishments as a driver, but with the team as a whole, having also clinched the Team and Manufacturer Championships with Ricca Autosport and Hyundai. He is quick to sing the praises of all the talented people he works with, highlighting that it truly takes a village to be able to accomplish these feats.
“I stress this a lot, because any driver in the series can't get a driver championship without a team, right? Being able to reward the team with a team championship is always a priority in my book. People don't always get to see the blood and sweat they put in week in and week out, whether it’s at the shop or at the track. It’s an honor to be able to all be successful together as a unit.”
When looking ahead to 2025, Ricca’s aim is to continue growing. With exciting plans on the horizon, including expanded efforts with Hyundai, his vision is clear as he strives for an even bigger presence within the TC America paddocks.