Performance Tech Motorsports will feature a new driver lineup as the team prepares for a successful 2016 season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda series.
The team has signed Kyle Masson to compete in Lites 1 in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda. Masson, 18, from Windemere, Florida, comes to the team from the Skip Barber Race Series, where he made an early mark.
In 26 races between the Winter and Summer series, Masson accumulated 10 podium finishes, including two wins, after making his racetrack debut in July 2014. Masson received the Most Improved Driver award for the 2015 Skip Barber Summer series. He also placed sixth out of 40 participants in the IndyCar Academy Shootout in 2014.
Joining Performance Tech and its Lites program is the next step in the development of Masson’s young racing career.
“I am trying to round myself out in all aspects of road course racing,” Masson said. “I have spent the last year doing open-wheel racing with Skip Barber and am now moving on to sports cars so that I can further develop myself.
“My goal for this year is to improve my driving skills and familiarity with the Lites car so that I can be a serious contender for the championship. My long-term goal is to develop myself as a racer and an engineer and to find a career in motorsports.”
Performance Tech, led by Team Principal Brent O’Neill, has the program and the passion to help Masson reach his goals, something he recognized from the beginning.
“I knew of Performance Tech’s reputation before I met with Brent and his crew,” Masson said. “I wanted to find a team where I felt like everyone shared a common vision toward excellence and treated each other like family, and at Performance Tech I feel we are able to do this and that we will be able to achieve the goals we want.”
Masson is an international baccalaureate student at Windermere Preparatory School, with an emphasis on high-level mathematics and physics. These courses help him to understand the physics of racing and hone the intricacies of his racecraft. He also is a multi-sport varsity athlete, competing in swimming and baseball.
O’Neill met Masson at a club event where Masson expressed his interest for sports car racing, leading to a test in one of Performance Tech’s Lites 1 cars.
“Testing has gone extraordinarily well, especially when you think about him only having a year of racing under his belt,” O’Neill said. “He’s a natural and really smart. He makes calculated decisions on the racetrack and doesn’t make mistakes.”
O’Neill is excited to develop the potential and natural ability Masson has displayed in offseason testing with the team.
“I’ve been so impressed not only with his natural talent, but he pays attention and he really wants to do well,” O’Neill said. “It’s a good fit for what we do here development-wise. He’s young and doesn’t come with a lot of experience, but with what he brings I truly see him being a championship-winning driver this year.”
The remainder of Performance Tech’s Prototype Lites lineup and its driver lineup for Prototype Challenge competition in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be announced soon.
Keep up with Performance Tech Motorsports by following the team on Facebook and Twitter at @Perf_Tech. For more information on the team, visit performancetechmotorsports.com.
NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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