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Written by:
Linda Mansfield
11/20/2007 - 07:00 PM
Palmetto, Fla.
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Anderson Racing's rookie took on a continent-sized new challenge this year with the aim of building up his racing career.
Palmetto, Fla., Nov. 21 - As people across the world reflect on their blessings this holiday season, at least one British race car driver is doing the same.
Jonny Baker, a 23-year-old who lives in the hamlet of Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, took on the challenge of racing in the United States this season, joining a team that was new to him to compete in a series unfamiliar to him and on tracks across the United States and Canada that he'd never before seen.
Baker, who was accustomed to winning races in his native country, didn't win a single race in this year's Star Mazda championship presented by Goodyear. Still, he says Andersen Racing made it the best year of his life.
"I learned an awful lot about myself this year, living in another country away from family and friends, but everybody at Andersen Racing made sure that I had the best year of my life," he said recently. "Dan Andersen runs a very professional team that has a family-like core to it. If I were just here on my own it would have been a long year, but it wasn't anything like that; the time just flew. The whole team is made up of an amazing bunch of people!"
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Based in Fairfield, N.J. and Palmetto, Fla., Andersen Racing is unique because it competes in three different series in order to offer the best training available for up-and-coming open-wheel drivers. Its first level is the F2000 Championship Series, where it often fields as many as five cars. Baker competed on the next level, Star Mazda, which has more powerful race cars and coverage on SPEED. The third step on the Andersen Racing ladder is the Indy Pro Series, the official development series of IndyCar, where it is the farm team for IndyCar team Rahal Letterman Racing.
When he made the decision to spend 2007 racing in the States, Baker was making the proverbial jump into the deep end of the pool.
"Before I came to America I was intimidated by the size of the country," Baker admitted. "After all, the United Kingdom can fit inside Texas. But I got used to that very quickly."
One thing he wasn't expecting was how much fun he had racing in the USA.
"The atmosphere at the races is very different
than it is in England," Baker said. "It's very friendly in America, and much more laid back. It's more family-like. There were occasions when you just wouldn't enjoy the atmosphere racing in England because it was so intense. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to be at the races, but it's much more fun in America. It was great!"
Before coming to America Baker placed ninth in the 2006 UK Formula Ford Championship with two podium finishes. He finished second in the 2005 UK Formula Ford Scholarship Cup with four victories, placing fifth overall in the national class. He finished second in Class B of the British Racing Drivers' Club Single-Seater Championship in 2004 with four victories.
Although Baker got more podiums in Great Britain, he said he learned a great deal on and off the track this year in the States that was just as valuable.
"I learned an unbelievable amount of technical things with Andersen Racing," he said. "I've driven for two fantastic teams in England, but with Andersen Racing I learned about both driving and the technical side of things. It will stand me in very good stead for the future no matter what I do.
"I spent a lot of time with my engineers, Mike Reggio and Jake Ware," he continued. "I'm sure that [team manager] Michelle [Kish], [crew chief] Roger Morissette, Mike and Jake will be extremely glad to see the back of me for a while after I tripped over their feet all year long!
"I have to thank the crew who worked on my car," he added. "John Poulter was fantastic to work with. He really cared about how I did, and that meant a lot to me. In addition, Steve Fried, who was my mechanic for the majority of the year, was simply awesome."
Baker said the team valued his input.
"They were always open to suggestions," he said. "We would sit in the back of the trailer with John Poulter for hours discussing things. It was such a comfortable environment; I never felt scared to voice my opinion. We looked for solutions to problems together. They helped me methodically attack a problem from a technical point of view. Even when I was wrong, they explained why something wouldn't work. It was an environment that encouraged learning, which was what I needed. Drivers really have to work on the technical things, and this helped me a great deal."
Anderson Racing's rookie took on a continent-sized new challenge this year with the aim of building up his racing career.
Palmetto, Fla., Nov. 21 - As people across the world reflect on their blessings this holiday season, at least one British race car driver is doing the same.
Jonny Baker, a 23-year-old who lives in the hamlet of Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, took on the challenge of racing in the United States this season, joining a team that was new to him to compete in a series unfamiliar to him and on tracks across the United States and Canada that he'd never before seen.
Baker, who was accustomed to winning races in his native country, didn't win a single race in this year's Star Mazda championship presented by Goodyear. Still, he says Andersen Racing made it the best year of his life.
"I learned an awful lot about myself this year, living in another country away from family and friends, but everybody at Andersen Racing made sure that I had the best year of my life," he said recently. "Dan Andersen runs a very professional team that has a family-like core to it. If I were just here on my own it would have been a long year, but it wasn't anything like that; the time just flew. The whole team is made up of an amazing bunch of people!"
%s
Based in Fairfield, N.J. and Palmetto, Fla., Andersen Racing is unique because it competes in three different series in order to offer the best training available for up-and-coming open-wheel drivers. Its first level is the F2000 Championship Series, where it often fields as many as five cars. Baker competed on the next level, Star Mazda, which has more powerful race cars and coverage on SPEED. The third step on the Andersen Racing ladder is the Indy Pro Series, the official development series of IndyCar, where it is the farm team for IndyCar team Rahal Letterman Racing.
When he made the decision to spend 2007 racing in the States, Baker was making the proverbial jump into the deep end of the pool.
"Before I came to America I was intimidated by the size of the country," Baker admitted. "After all, the United Kingdom can fit inside Texas. But I got used to that very quickly."
One thing he wasn't expecting was how much fun he had racing in the USA.
"The atmosphere at the races is very different
Before coming to America Baker placed ninth in the 2006 UK Formula Ford Championship with two podium finishes. He finished second in the 2005 UK Formula Ford Scholarship Cup with four victories, placing fifth overall in the national class. He finished second in Class B of the British Racing Drivers' Club Single-Seater Championship in 2004 with four victories.
Although Baker got more podiums in Great Britain, he said he learned a great deal on and off the track this year in the States that was just as valuable.
"I learned an unbelievable amount of technical things with Andersen Racing," he said. "I've driven for two fantastic teams in England, but with Andersen Racing I learned about both driving and the technical side of things. It will stand me in very good stead for the future no matter what I do.
"I spent a lot of time with my engineers, Mike Reggio and Jake Ware," he continued. "I'm sure that [team manager] Michelle [Kish], [crew chief] Roger Morissette, Mike and Jake will be extremely glad to see the back of me for a while after I tripped over their feet all year long!
"I have to thank the crew who worked on my car," he added. "John Poulter was fantastic to work with. He really cared about how I did, and that meant a lot to me. In addition, Steve Fried, who was my mechanic for the majority of the year, was simply awesome."
Baker said the team valued his input.
"They were always open to suggestions," he said. "We would sit in the back of the trailer with John Poulter for hours discussing things. It was such a comfortable environment; I never felt scared to voice my opinion. We looked for solutions to problems together. They helped me methodically attack a problem from a technical point of view. Even when I was wrong, they explained why something wouldn't work. It was an environment that encouraged learning, which was what I needed. Drivers really have to work on the technical things, and this helped me a great deal."
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