News
SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis. - ArmsUp Motorsports, one of the top SCCA Formula Continental teams, will bring the long Wisconsin off season to an end this
week in Savannah, Georgia. The ArmsUp team will begin their season with a two-day test at the Roebling Road circuit March 3rd through 4th. Immediately
following the test the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin team will get their first taste of racing action at the Tom Nehl SCCA National. Returning drivers
Revere and John Greist will lead a four car team on the flowing Georgia track. Two new drivers to the ArmsUp team, Rick Balsley, who made two starts
with the ArmsUp Motorsports in 2008 and Skip Barber regular Jeff Pietz, will join the Greists for the Savannah event.
The week in Savannah will
be the first chance for Balsley and Pietz to sample their brand new Zetec powered Van Diemens that were prepped at the ArmsUp shop over the winter.
For the Greists, the event will be their first opportunity to sample the updates that have been made on their cars from last year.
"I can't
wait to get going in savannah," said Rick Balsley during his seat fitting at the ArmsUp shop over the weekend. "Every time I see the car I get more
and more excited about driving it. It keeps looks better and better as it comes together. The test days at Roebling will be great because I have never
been to this track. I'll get to spend two days just shaking the car down and getting comfortable with it. I think that's going to help me a lot in
working to improve on what I learned in my two races last year."
The rest of the ArmsUp Formula Continental team will begin their season after
the Midwest thaw. Returning drivers John Dickmann, Kirk Kindsfater, and Jim Victor will all see race action for the first time in May. Noble Heller
will be a new face to the team in 2009. Heller had his Carbir F2000 prepared at the ArmsUp workshop over the winter adding a new chassis make to the
teams FC assault.
2009 will mark the first year that the SCCA National Championship Runoffs will run at the famed Road America. After taking a
year off from SCCA's National Championships the ArmsUp team is looking to make full use of their home track advantage and has ramped up development
in the offseason. ArmsUp has left no stone un-turned and is working hard at improving their fleet of Van Diemen FC cars to optimize them for Road
America.
An ever expanding team has led to an expanded schedule for ArmsUp Motorsports for 2009. In April ArmsUp Motorsports will get their
first taste of the Virginia International Raceway when they compete in the SCCA National event. Watkins Glen International Raceway is the next new
track on the schedule as ArmsUp will travel to the historic circuit in July for the SCCA Finger Lakes National. ArmsUp Motorsports will also return to
Central Ohio for the first time sense 2005 for F2000 Championship Series event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
ArmsUp Motorsports will also
be continuing there Vintage and Formula Atlantic programs. Walter Vollrath, who will be scaling down his FC participation this year, is scheduled to
be behind the wheel of his Lola-497 Sports Racer at the three major vintage events at Road America including the Kohler International Challenge. Jose
Paredes will be back in his familiar black and blue Swift .014 Formula Atlantic car. The Frankfort, Illinois resident will look to continue the
massive strides in performance he has garnered over the previous two seasons.
"I am very excited to get this season going," team owner Gregg
Borland said from the ArmsUp Shop. "We have worked pretty hard on our cars over the offseason, making a lot of improvements, so I'm excited to see
how we stack up. It's amazing to have everyone one of our drivers from last year coming back, and adding Jeff [Pietz] and Rick [Balsley] only adds to
the depth of our program. With the Runoffs being in our backyard, I can only think that this is going to be one fun year for us."
Formed in
1995, ArmsUp Motorsports is one of the premier SCCA Formula Continental and Formula Atlantic racing teams. Based in Elkhart Lake, Wis ArmsUp
Motorsports is a full service prep shop for Formula Continentals, Formula Atlantics, and Vintage racing cars. For more information please visit the
official ArmsUp website at www.ArmsUpMotorsports.com.
Revere Greist will lead a large FC contingent from ArmsUp Motorsports in 2009 to the Runoffs
(Photo Courtesy Mrs. Purple Frog)
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