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SCCA: Daskalos Proving Underdogs Can Win in WC
Written by: SCCA Communications   http://www.scca.com
06/05/2009
Topeka, KS
 
Proof that underdogs can still have their day in the sun was witnessed May 17 at the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Round Four race at Mosport International Raceway. There, Jason Daskalos, from, Albuquerque, N.M., won his first career SPEED World Challenge GT race.
Jason Daskalos and his "everything guy" Sheldon Miller celebrate their win as Mosport on a shoestring budget. (Mark Weber/SCCA) » More Photos

Teams and drivers, including Daskalos, are struggling to find the budgets this year to compete. Just two weeks prior to the Mosport race, Daskalos chose to sit out the race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He had to limit his events to three for the year. Finding the budget was the main reason, but his decision was reversed when he found out that SCCA Pro Racing had re-evaluated the Viper and reduced the intake restriction by 10 percent, giving him and his team even more of a fighting chance on the track.

Daskalos can’t be accused of wasting a nickel; he spends no more than absolutely necessary on racing. Racing is expensive, and Daskalos probably squeezes more from a racing dime than any other World Challenge GT team in the paddock. His entire crew is made up of just one man, Sheldon Miller. Miller drives the rig, repairs the car, crews the car and engineers the setups. When Jason got on the podium at Mosport and yelled out, “Here’s to Sheldon, the hardest working guy in the paddock,” there was not a doubter among the teams and drivers present.

Those close to the series suggest that Daskalos and Miller could be the David in the racing version of David and Goliath. Daskalos’ transporter could be considered humble, a pure white transport and toter; his rig has no sponsor logos, no team logos, just living quarters for him and Miller when on site.

Of the different makes of cars that are running up front, his could be considered one of the least expensive. World Challenge racing is obviously not cheap, but Daskalos gives hope to those teams and entrepreneurs with talent and brains running a limited budget. You don’t need a million-dollar car to compete at the top in the professional world of road racing … at least not in World Challenge.

Daskalos and Miller exhibited guts and determination in getting the win at Mosport. Daskalos has been consistently qualifying in the top 10 and at Mosport, he qualified fourth. And then, every once in a while, lady luck shines its light on you. For 2009, World Challenge has introduced a coin flip after qualifying that may or may not invert the top five qualifiers. The top qualifier is asked to call “heads” or “tails” while the coin is in the air. If wrong, all five cars at the front of the grid are inverted. The coin flip at Mosport put Jason on the outside of the front row adjacent to the fifth qualifier and new pole sitter.

In the 30 laps following the standing start, the top six competitors drove a near flawless race giving fans an incredible nose-to-tail finish at the checker. Daskalos took the lead on the first lap and never looked back.

We caught up with Daskalos to get his take on the economics of racing and
winning in World Challenge.

When you decided to make the jump to professional racing, how did you end up choosing World Challenge and how important were financial considerations in your decision?

“World Challenge was a perfect fit considering the fact I already owned a Dodge Viper and the 50-minute sprint race was more financially achievable.”

How difficult was it to put together your budget for the first season?

“Being new to the series, we initially spent more than we intended in order to make the car more competitive. We used the knowledge gained from our first budget and applied it to the next season in order to keep spending as minimal as possible.”

You ran in the Viper Racing League before World Challenge, so obviously you were familiar and comfortable with the Dodge Viper, is it an economical car to driver in World Challenge?

“The Dodge Viper is my car of choice because it is reliable and durable from a mechanical standpoint and competitive from a performance standpoint. The fact that we were able to run one motor for the entire season without an overhaul made it the economical choice.”

Did you learn any money-saving tricks and strategies after your rookie year?

“After networking with other teams in the paddock we learned about new connections and suppliers in the racing industry. The number one trick is: don’t crash!”
Daskalos leads the way in Canada. (Mark Weber/SCCA) » More Photos

What are some luxuries other teams have that you go without?

“Our team does not have an engineer. We limit the amount of testing between races and we are cautious with the amount of new tires used during a race weekend. We run a lean operation and focus our spending only on the necessities.”

You’ve been making leaps and bounds with each season, and now you’ve finally earned your first World Challenge race win. How were you able to make progress and catch the bigger teams without the same resources?

“Revisiting tracks that we have previously raced and applying the knowledge from that experience to make the car more competitive. The same goes for me as a driver, I have learned from previous races and continue to improve my skills.”

What advice would you give to a small team planning to enter their first season of World Challenge?

“Work on yourself. Focus on being a better more skilled driver before you spend more money on the car. Work within your budget and stick to buying parts that are needed. Have the knowledge of what are needs and what are unnecessary frivolous buys. And most importantly, always remember that being the small team does not mean you can’t be the winning team!”

For more information on World Challenge and to follow Daskalos’ progress through the 2009 season, visit www.world-challenge.com.
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