|
|
 |
|
 |
Hildebrand Escapes Iowa With Another Top Ten Finish
After hanging it all out on Friday for two wild laps to get the car qualified seventh, J.R. found himself struggling with an ill-handling car at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, but perservered to bring it home in the eighth spot. He retained third place in the championship, and actually made up a few points on second place.
More later!
|
06.23.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Scores Top Five After Rough Start in Milwaukee
J.R. Hildebrand once again showed his ability to overcome adversity this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile, coming from 14th on the starting grid to finish fifth, completing his last pass coming to the white flag. The young Californian entered the weekend having never driven on the notoriously difficult one-mile circuit, and while immediately fast, was caught out by a loose car and gusting winds resulting in contact with the Turn Two wall in the first practice session. He was forced to play catch up for the rest of the weekend, but put in a fantastic drive on Sunday, making up valuable ground in the points standings.
|
06.02.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Puts On a Show At Indy
J.R. Hildebrand drove an astounding race on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100. The youngster from Sausalito, California overcame a poor qualifying run and worked his way through nearly the entire field before being taken out with just 10 laps remaining, ending his hopes of scoring what very well could have been his second consecutive win.
|
05.29.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Wins at Kansas Speedway, Takes Points Lead
J.R. Hildebrand, from Sausalito, California, raced to a dominant win at Kansas Speedway this weekend and took control of the Firestone Indy Lights Series points lead. It was only the second oval race of Hildebrand's career, just the fourth race of the season, and both Hildebrand's and his RLR/Andersen Racing team's first Indy Lights Series victory. Together they have improved their finishing position with every race, and in doing so have secured the points lead heading into a month-long break before racing at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway just two days before the Indy 500.
|
04.28.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Second Quickest in Indianapolis Series Test
J.R. Hildebrand, from Sausalito, California, posted the second fastest time yesterday in the official Indy Lights series test at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hildebrand lapped the circuit in just 47.6683 seconds at an average speed of 188.805mph, trailing Rafael Matos by less than one one-hundredth of a second. Hildebrand's teammate, Andrew Prendeville, was third quickest as the three of them were more than a tenth of a second clear of the rest of the field.
|
04.12.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Off to a Strong Start in Firestone Indy Lights Series
J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, has had his work cut out for him as a rookie in the recently renamed Firestone Indy Lights Series, but with three strong drives so far, he has helped his RLR/Andersen Racing team get off to a strong start. Signing on just days before the first race, Hildebrand was thrown in the deep end right away as he had to adapt to a new car, schedule, and series very quickly. Driving from last on the grid into the top 10 in his oval debut at Homestead, and finishing fifth and second on the streets of St. Petersburg have put Hildebrand squarely in the title fight as he sits fourth just six points out of second.
|
04.07.2008
|
|
|
Indy Pro Series Renamed Firestone Indy Lights
The Indy Racing League and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire have announced an agreement which sees the Firestone brand assume title sponsorship of the Indy Racing League's official development series and reestablish the series name as Firestone Indy Lights. Before a breif sabbatical, then becoming the Infiniti Pro Series, then Indy Pro Series, the Firestone Indy Lights Series was the pinnacle of development series in North America. Many past and current Indycar drivers and champions made their way to the ranks of CART and the IRL through the series, and drivers will now be able to follow that same path to greatness.
|
03.26.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Reunites with RLR/Andersen Racing and Dominic and Nicholas Cape for 2008
RLR/Andersen Racing has signed J.R. Hildebrand, the 2006 Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 champion who drove in the Atlantic Championship last year, to drive its No. 25 Indy Pro Series car this season. Hildebrand, 20, a native of Sausalito, Calif. who resides in Indianapolis, joins Andrew Prendeville of Las Vegas as RLR/Andersen Racings two Indy Pro Series drivers for the 16-race season.
|
03.06.2008
|
|
|
Hildebrand Shows Impressive Speed with Genoa in First Atlantic Team Test
Genoa Racing, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, teamed up with J.R. Hildebrand, Larry Connor and Imran Hussein for an impressive test at the Sebring International Raceway Short Course on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. It was the first of three official pre-season tests for the Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Series Powered by Mazda, attracting no fewer than 25 drivers to the Central Florida road circuit. The Genoa team showed extremely well against the competition, ending up second quickest in the afternoon of the second day and fourth quickest overall for the two-day test with Hildebrand as the team's lead driver.
|
02.07.2008
|
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Completes Successful Test in Sebring with Genoa Racing
Champ Car Atlantic Series driver J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, had a very successful two-day test at the Sebring International Short Course this past weekend with Genoa Racing. He tested alongside fellow Atlantic Series veteran Tom Sutherland and longtime racer Larry Connor with Genoa, as well as both the Forsythe Championship Racing and Jensen Motorsports Atlantic teams.
He unofficially posted the fastest lap of the test by the end of Sunday morning and continued to outpace the other drivers throughout the afternoon.
|
01.16.2008
|
|
Off-season Update
As we're all heading into the holiday season, I thought I would send out a quick update about what I've been up to and what plans I have moving forward. I'm still in the process of sorting things out for next year, but with some good options out there, I'm very optoimistic about the upcoming season!
|
09.26.2007
|
|
Hildebrand collected by Wilson on lap 3 of race 1
Bobby Wilson, who had spun in turn 11 on lap 3, pulled back on the track directly in front of J.R., setting a new standard for dumbest move of the race. With nowhere to go, J.R. sustained front wing and suspension damage, and retired after a few more laps.
|
08.25.2007
|
|
|
Engine Problems put Damper on Infineon Qualifying
After being third quickest in the morning practice session, J.R. was looking forward to afternoon qualifying. But a sticking throttle early in the session, and the unexpected consequences of the attempted fix, shuffled J.R. back from a sure top five to twelfth for tomorrow's first race of the weekend.
The fix to the sticking throttle problem left J.R. with only 85% of normal throttle for the last thirty minutes of the session. While not enough to be quickly obvious to him, it was enough to quickly drop him in the order. The firm that maintains the IPS motors worked on the car for a lengthy period of time after the race, and the expectation is that the car should be running properly tomorrow.
|
08.24.2007
|
|
|
Hildebrand to Make Indy Pro Series Debut at Infineon Raceway
RLR/Andersen Racing has announced that American J.R. Hildebrand will drive for the team in the upcoming Indy Pro Series doubleheader at Infineon Raceway.
Hildebrand will make his IPS debut this coming weekend, August 25-26, having recently tested with RLR/Andersen Racing at Infineon. Competing at his home track, the Sausalito, Calif., driver will be reunited with race engineers Dominic and Nicholas Cape, who operated his championship winning effort in Formula Ford 2000. As part of two-car effort, Hildebrand will partner regular RLR/Andersen driver Andrew Prendeville during the doubleheader, replacing Joey Scarallo, who has elected not to run the final two events on the Indy Pro Series calendar.
|
08.21.2007
|
|
|
Up and Down Weekend at San Jose ends on a Down
Good luck has been hard to come by for J.R. Hildebrand this season, and the past weekend at San Jose did nothing to change that. The team arrived in San Jose with high hopes, as J.R. has seemed to be on the verge of another breakthrough at each of the races since his first podium at Cleveland.
|
07.30.2007
|
|
|
Edmonton Weekend Ends Strong
J.R. Hildebrand recovered from an unfortunate accident caused by another driver's error in Saturday's first race at Edmonton to score a top five finish on Sunday.
The weekend started off slowly. "We thought that the setup we used at Cleveland should work well at Edmonton, and that didn't really turn out to be the case." While J.R. ended the first race qualifying session only a bit more than seven tenths off the pace, that was only good for the twelfth starting position. "The field is so competitive that missing the setup by a tiny bit, or making a small mistake on a fast lap, is enough to cost you several positions in qualifying. I think we might have started a little behind, and I just couldn't make it up during the session."
|
07.23.2007
|
|
|
Promising Weekend ends in a Splash at Toronto
After qualifying seventh, J.R. hit a patch of standing water in the monsoon-ish early restart in Toronto, ending his race after contact with the wall.
The weekend started out well enough, with J.R. running sixth in the first practice. The first round of qualifying was later that afternoon, and the team felt well prepared to move up the charts a bit as the weekend progressed.
|
07.08.2007
|
|
|
High Hopes and Competitive Weekend Marred by Unforntunate Luck in Qualifying
After getting caught out by the unpredictable rain in Saturday's qualifying, J.R. came back from his 13th starting position to post a solid ninth in today's race. He was one of the few cars in the lead group that was able to pull off passes on the fast Mont Tremblant circuit, but was unable to get by Kevin Lacroix in the last few laps to pick up another position.
"We just missed the window in the Saturday qualifying session. I was one of the last cars to come in to get new tires for my qualifying run, and on my out lap it started raining. If it had held off for five minutes, I am sure we would have started in the top five. The crew gave me a great car this weekend, and without our unfortunate luck in qualifying, I think we could have been on the podium."
More to come later.
|
07.01.2007
|
|
|
NWR and Hildebrand Finish Second at Cleveland
J.R. Hildebrand, driving for Newman Wachs Racing in the Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Series Powered by Mazda, scored a career best second place finish this weekend in the Grand Prix of Cleveland. After qualifying fourth, his podium finish marked the best overall performance for the team this season. Now just half-way through the season, J.R. and the NWR crew hope to carry that momentum through the rest of the busy Atlantic schedule.
|
06.25.2007
|
|
|
Hildebrand Fights to Two Top-Ten finishes, Moves Into Top Ten in Series Standings
J.R. Hildebrand, driving for Newman Wachs Racing, used a pair of solid finishes last weekend at Portland International Raceway to jump into the top ten in championship points in the Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Series Powered by Mazda.
Having consistently shown the speed to compete at the front of the pack, but lacking consistent finishes due to issues both in and out of his control, Hildebrand arrived in Portland mid-pack in points following his seventh place finish at Houston. He was nevertheless in a confident frame of mind at the scene of two of his record 12 F2000 wins at PIR in 2006.
|
06.14.2007
|
|
J.R. Relocates to Indianapolis
J.R. Hildebrand recently relocated from Florida to Indianapolis to be closer to both his team and his physical training facilities. His plan is to split his time between Indianapolis and the NWR shops north of Chicago through the end of the season.
|
05.22.2007
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand and NWR Score at Houston
J.R. Hildebrand drove a calculated and intelligent race to score a convincing top-ten result on Sunday at Houston's JAGFlo Raceway at Reliant Park, bringing the Newman Wachs Racing #36 home in seventh position.
After dealing with bad luck in the first two races of the season, J.R.'s primary goals at Houston were to finish, and to finish strong. He accomplished both on Sunday.
|
04.23.2007
|
|
Electrical Glitch Ends Promising Weekend on Race Warm-Up Lap
After threatening the top-10 over last weekend's qualifying in the Imperial Capital Bank Challenge at the Toyota Gran dPrix of Long Beach , the Newman Wachs Racing (NWR) car #36 fell victim to a sealed electrical relay for its fuel pump, according to Chief Engineer Don Halliday. This sidelined rookie driver JR Hildebrand from competition, but it didn't dampen his spirits about his chances or the team.
|
04.16.2007
|
|
Newman Wachs Wraps Up Laguna Test - Time To Race!
J.R. Hildeband and Newman Wachs Racing wrapped up pre-season testing yesterday at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. After two more days of trial and error with the Swift chassis, they finished the econd day one spot out of the top ten. More to come.
|
03.09.2007
|
|
Newman Wachs Racing and J.R. Hildebrand Show Promise in First Atlantic Series Test
J.R. Hildebrand, reigning Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Champion, and the newly restructured Newman Wachs Racing Champ Car Atlantic team enjoyed an extremely productive weekend in Sebring, finding themselves in the top three each session, and setting the pace on the final day of testing. 2006 saw an influx of interest in the series, and the competition looks to be just as impressive, if not even more so, for 2007 as the teams and drivers congregated at Sebring International Raceway for the first of three official series tests before the racing season begins.
|
01.29.2007
|
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Top Rookie, Third Overall on First Sebring Test Day
J.R. Hildebrand was second overall in the first session, and followed that up with a third overall in the second session. His time of 58.618 in the second session left him a mere three hundreths off of the fastest time of the day, and the first rookie and third overall for the full day of testing. More to follow after tomorrow.
|
01.27.2007
|
|
Renowned Engineer Don Halliday joins J.R. Hildebrand at Newman Wachs Racing
Mundelein, Ill. - Renowned engineer Don Halliday has signed on to become the lead engineer for Newman Wachs Racing's (NWR) 2007 Champ Car Atlantic season. His acquisition comes on the tails of NWR's announcement of hiring rookie driver J.R. Hildebrand. Halliday's hiring has been one of many restructuring decisions NWR team principles Eddie Wachs and Ove Olsson have made in preparation for 2007.
|
01.11.2007
|
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Receives Prestigious Gorsline Scholarship
J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, will receive the 2007 Gorsline Scholarship, an award given to a young up-and-coming driver each year who displays the attributes of a future champion. It is the fourteenth year that John Gorsline of the Gorsline Insurance Company has sponsored this award to recognize and help aspiring drivers to develop both on and off the track and attain their professional goals. The award will be presented at a private reception preceding the Autosport Banquet in London Sunday 3 December 2006.
|
12.07.2006
|
|
Atlantic Racer J.R. Hildebrand Earns Honors Following Record Breaking Season
INDIANAPOLIS (December 7, 2006) - Following one of the most dominant and productive seasons in recent motorsports history, Champ Car Atlantic Championship driver J.R. Hildebrand is continuing to be recognized for his performance and talent exhibited in the 2006 Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 series.
|
12.07.2006
|
|
Emulating Our Forefathers
Auto racing has been shaped into what it is today by the drivers, teams and series from the sport's illustrious past. Motorsports has gone through many phases and variations, branching off into different categories all over the world, becoming arguably the most recognized sport that exists in the world. Each era of the sport is accountable for different aspects of the ways that we practice it, and I was able to experience one of the most influential ones first hand just one week ago.
|
10.29.2006
|
|
|
Hildebrand Fastest of the Champions in IPS Test
J.R. Hildebrand once again showed that his dominance of the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship was no fluke by proving to be the fastest of the three champions in the highly publicized Indy Pro Series test this week at Homestead Miami Speedway with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Along with Star Mazda Series Champion Adrian Carrio and Formula BMW USA four time race winner Reed Stevens, Hildebrand drove an IPS car for the first time, gaining valuable knowledge and experience in the 450 horsepower machine on Homestead's infield roadcouse.
|
10.28.2006
|
|
|
Hildebrand Wins in F1 Debut!
J.R. Hildebrand of Sausalito, CA took his first ever Formula One (vintage) victory on Sunday in the CSRG Charity Challenge Historic Grand Prix race. Starting from the pole by over a second, Hildebrand drove Doug Mockett's 1975 Penske PC-3 Formula One car, originally piloted by John Watson, to the win. He led every lap along the way, and finished well clear of his rivals.
More pictures and reports to follow.
|
10.16.2006
|
|
Hildebrand to Race Historic F1 Car at Infineon Raceway
J.R. Hildebrand, newly crowned Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Champion and Prospective Atlantic driver for 2007, will have the chance to drive a vintage Formula One car next weekend, October 14-15 at Infineon Raceway. Doug Mockett, a supporter of Hildebrand's Team USA Scholarship run in the Formula Palmer Audi series last year, will have Hildebrand pilot his 1975 Penske PC3 in the CSRG Charity Challenge Event.
|
10.06.2006
|
|
|
Hildebrand Starts and Ends on Top at Road America
Newly crowned Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Champion J.R. Hildebrand did double duty last weekend at Road America, contesting both of the Cooper Series races as well as making his series debut in the Champ Car Atlantic Series for Newman Wachs Racing. Having clinched the Cooper Series title, setting a new mark for wins in a season one week ago at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, Hildebrand focused his efforts on the Atlantic program, and gained a great deal of experience through adverse conditions over the weekend.
|
09.26.2006
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand to race in Atlantic Series at Road America
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc., Sept 15, 2006 - J.R. Hildebrand has signed with the Newman Wachs Racing (NWR) team to drive the #36 car during next week's Road America Champ Car Atlantic race. Hildebrand will be along side NWR's #34 Joe D'Agostino for the final race of the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic series.
|
09.20.2006
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Dominates with Double victory at Mid-Ohio
J.R. took the lead in the first corner and never looked back, claiming another dominant victory at Mid-Ohio Sunday. He has now won eleven of twelve races this season, rewriting the Cooper Series record books. More later.
|
09.18.2006
|
|
Championship in Hand
J.R. Hildebrand won his 10th race in 11 starts this year to clinch the 2006 Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course today. His victory also sets a new record for wins in a season, with the previous count being nine by 2005 champ Jay Howard. With three races still to run this year, Hildebrand will look to set the bar even higher for further F2000 competitors, and begin to explore his options for bigger and better in the coming seasons.
|
09.16.2006
|
|
|
Come Together
This article was written by J.R. as commentary on the lack of unity in open wheel racing in the United States. See it now on SpeedTV.com!
While the release of the Beatles' Abbey Road album in 1969 may have no tangible impact on the racing community, the popular refrain of the first song on the album, "Come together, right now..." is certainly ringing true to those of us on the sidelines of the Champ Car/Indy Car Series unification talks.
Read on to hear the full story...
|
08.16.2006
|
|
|
Hildebrand Sweeps the Streets of Toronto, Ties Record for Most Wins
J.R. Hildebrand, a native of Sausalito, Calif., returned to the top step of the podium last weekend with two dominant wins in the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship as part of the Champ Car Grand Prix of Toronto. With those two wins, Hildebrand tied the single season record for most wins, previously set by Jay Howard at nine. With four races left in the season, J.R. will be looking to set a new mark in the coming months.
|
07.11.2006
|
|
|
Hildebrand Sets a New Record for Consecutive Wins, Streak Ends at Seven
J.R. Hildebrand, from Sausalito, Calif., set a new standard this weekend, winning his seventh consecutive race in the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship breaking the previous record of six achieved only twice in its 17-year history. Hildebrand then looked set to extend his winning record to eight in a row, but made an uncharacteristic mistake that would cost him the win, ending his streak with a second place finish.
|
06.26.2006
|
|
|
Six for Six and Heading for History
J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, will look to make history this coming weekend as he has now become one of just three drivers to win six straight races in the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 series, and the only driver with the chance to make it seven. Another pair of victories this weekend at the Portland International Raceway vaulted him to this opportunity, and with two races coming up at the familiar Burke Lakefront Airport road circuit in Cleveland, Ohio this weekend, it could certainly happen.
Read on for more...
|
06.21.2006
|
|
Four Wins in Four Races; The Perfect Season Continues
J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, Calif., took a commanding lead in the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship over the weekend with a dominating performance at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to back up his double wins at Road Atlanta just one week prior.
Read on for more...
|
05.21.2006
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand and Cape Motorsports Set the Pace at Roebling Road
The Cape Motorsports team enjoyed a productive two-day test this week at Roebling Road in Savannah, Ga., as its three drivers - J.R, Hildebrand, from Sausalito, Calif., Dane Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., and Chris Meredith, from Potomac, Md. - continued their preparations for the new Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship season.
|
04.27.2006
|
|
Hildebrand Offered Admission to America's Highest Ranked Colleges
Unbeknownst to many within the racing community, J.R Hildebrand has been much busier than might initially meet the eye. Just before taking off to the UK last November for the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Cup as the Team USA Scholarship winner in 2005, Hildebrand was hard at work finishing his college applications.
|
04.05.2006
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Sets Blistering Pace in First Pre-Season Test
J.R. Hildebrand, a native of Sausalito, California, set a blistering pace at the famed Road Atlanta circuit in Braselton, Georgia this week, as the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Series teams gathered for the first group test of the year. Driving for Cape Motorsports, his speed and consistency from the time he first drove on the track places him as one to beat for this year's title chase.
|
03.09.2006
|
|
Formotion Products Signs on as an Official Sponsor
J.R. is very excited to announce that he will be working with Formotion Products of Sausalito, CA this year. With a motorsports edge, the unique style of their fine timepieces has gone unmatched for some six years, as they continue to manufacture amazing products. Formotion has previously been associated with the two-wheeled variety, supporting such bike builders as Matt Hotch, and is making the move to auto racing this year.
|
02.15.2006
|
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Signs with Cape Motorsports for 2006 Cooper Series Assault
2005 Team USA Scholarship winner J.R. Hildebrand will contest the 2006 Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship with Cape Motorsports. After scoring three podium finishes in four Cooper Series races in 2005 and earning a close second in the Pacific F2000 championship with PR1 Motorsports, J.R. found himself at the top of brothers Nicholas and Dominic Capes list of potential candidates to join one of the most successful F2000 teams of all time.
|
02.15.2006
|
|
|
Hildebrand Finishes High School with Perfect Record Once Again
J.R. just received his final report card from high school this week, and found nothing but As to finish his high school career despite missing two weeks at the end of the period due to the Team USA Scholarship Program. He will use his success to continue his education in the coming years after sorting out his racing future, as he as applied to such distinguished engineering schools as MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Davis. Below is a list of the classes and marks that he received for the fall semester. J.R. would like to thank the Redwood High School administration, and all of his teachers for helping him to do so well.
|
01.27.2006
|
|
|
Finished with High School!
J.R. graduated from Redwood High School on December 16, a semester earlier than his classmates. He finished his requirements for graduation and for college applications by doubling-up in both English and Social Studies, allowing him to get the job done as quickly as possible. Regardless of the colleges that he gets into, as he applied to schools like Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, he will be taking the next few years to devote 100% to auto racing, in the pursuit of his passion.
|
12.25.2005
|
|
Hildebrand Clinches Third Overall in FPA Autumn Cup
West Kingsdown, Kent, England (November 13, 2005) One third-place finish and a pair of fourths today at Brands Hatch - highlighted by a handful of sensational around-the-outside passes at the daunting Paddock Hill Bend - was enough to secure a tie for third place in the final Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy standings for 2005 Team USA Scholarship winner J.R. Hildebrand.
|
11.15.2005
|
|
|
Hildebrand Takes Two Podiums in First Experience Overseas
In his first weekend in the Team USA Scholarship Formula Palmer Audi in Snetterton, Norfolk, England, Hildebrand took home a pair of second place trophies, quite pleased with the result. Having only driven the FPA car once in a test session a couple of weeks ago at the Bedford Autodrome, Hildebrand got off to a quick start, imediately posting quick times in the first practice. His weekend then proceeded into two qualifying sessions and the first race on Saturday, followed by two more races on Sunday with would supply both action and drama as Hildebrand now heads to Brands Hatch next weekend to contend for the title.
|
11.06.2005
|
|
|
J.R. Hildebrand Wins '05 Team USA Scholarship
J.R. Hildebrand has been named winner of the prestigious Team USA Scholarship for 2005 and will follow in the illustrious footsteps of such former winners as Jimmy Vasser, Bryan Herta, Jerry Nadeau, Tony Renna, Buddy Rice and A.J. Allmendinger.
Hildebrand, 17, from Sausalito, Calif., has distinguished himself in his first season of professional racing, finishing second in a close-fought Pacific F2000 Championship and earning three podium finishes from just four starts in the East Coast-based Cooper Tires Championship Series for Formula Ford 2000 cars.
Hildebrand's prize will include entry in the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy series, which will comprise a total of six races run over two consecutive weekends next month at the famed Snetterton and Brands Hatch road courses in England.
|
10.18.2005
|
|
|
|
What Might Have Been: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Having finished outside the top three only once in the first ten races of the Pacific F2000 Series, J.R. Hildebrand found himself at the top of the points standings heading into the last two races of the year at Buttonwillow Raceway in California. In his first year of professional racing, Hildebrand had already come so far, and could clinch the series championship. Unfortunately, his string of consistency would be replaced with misfortune and frustration as his title hopes were dashed. Nonetheless, Hildebrand has some amazing opportunities lined up for the future, and will bring his knowledge and passion for the sport to an entirely new level as he progresses next year.
|
09.27.2005
|
|
|
Hildebrand Takes Pacific F2000 Championship Lead
J.R. Hildebrand of Sausalito, California, moved into the lead of the Pacific F2000 Championship for the first time this past weekend after claiming a pair of top-five finishes at Buttonwillow Raceway.
Just two points shy of leader Mike Forest after picking up double wins at Infineon Raceway, the 17-year-old rookie had high aspirations for the weekend.
|
09.07.2005
|
|
|
My Experience On the "Other Side of the Wall"
The opportunity to race my F2000 car with the Cooper Tires Series at the recent Champ Car Grand Prix at Cleveland, Ohio, was great for several reasons: It meant we could compete in front of a big crowd, and it gave me the chance to take a trip through the Champ Car World Series paddock to meet people, shake hands and build contacts for the future an important task for any aspiring racer. One of the people I met was the co-owner of Team Australia, Derrick Walker. Derrick has been very influential in open wheel racing as a successful and renowned team owner for many years. His team, which this year fields Alex Tagliani and Marcus Marshall, has historically been involved in both the development of drivers and of the Champ Car series itself.
Little did I know that such a meeting would lead to such a great experience for me so soon.
|
08.03.2005
|
|
|
JR Hildebrand Scores Second Win of Weekend at Infineon Raceway
SONOMA, Calif. Sausalito's J.R. Hildebrand completed a successful weekend at Infineon Raceway on Sunday with his second consecutive feature-race victory in the Pacific F2000 series.
Hildebrand, a 17-year-old student at Redwood High School in Larkspur, posted the first professional victory of his career in a 30-minute main event on Friday. He started on the pole on Sunday and, once again, took the checkered flag. The race was part of the Infineon Technologies Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend, presented by Ravenswood Winery.
|
07.18.2005
|
|
|
Hildebrand Picks Up the Win at Infineon!
Sonoma, Calif. (July 15, 2005) J.R. Hildebrand used his knowledge of the challenging Infineon Raceway road course to excellent effect this afternoon, taking the lead on the opening lap of Round 7 of the Pacific F2000 Championship Presented by Mickey Thompson Tires/Cooper Tire and leading throughout the 30-minute, 16-lap race to claim a long-overdue first professional victory.
|
07.16.2005
|
|
Hildebrand Ends Junior Year with Straight As and 4.3 GPA!
With his junior year coming to a close at Redwood High School in Corte Madera, J.R. was in a mad rush to close out the year successfully. Since he missed so much school while traveling to and from races and test days, he went into his last few weeks a little worried about his classes, particularly the two Advanced Placement college level courses. As finals rolled around, he studied hard, relying heavily on conceptual understanding, and pulled it off amazingly!
|
07.02.2005
|
|
|
Two Podiums in Cleveland!!
What a wild 48 hours! Qualifying was late Friday, and JR laid down the fastest laps of the session - but wait - it seems that the timing and scoring only picked up five of his laps, and his best laps didn't count. Even after presenting in car data, hand timing from two teams provisionally qualtified ahead of him, and a video that clearly showed him closing on the pole sitter during the pole sitter's fastest lap, the Cooper Series officials would not give JR his hard earned pole!
|
06.25.2005
|
|
J.R. Experiences Indianapolis
Just a few short weeks ago, J.R. experienced the racing spectacle known as the Indianapolis 500. His father, John, was invited to go as a business guest of Archipelago, the primary sponsor for Dario Franchitti, as well as for Andretti Green Racing. As a result of this affiliation, both J.R. and his father were treated to an experience that neither one will ever forget.
|
06.15.2005
|
|
Two More Podiums at Las Vegas
JR Hildebrand had another successful but frustrating weekend in the Pacific F2000 Series at Las Vegas. While most competitors would come away satisfied with a second and third for the weekend, JR dealt with a number of mechanical issues, and had to salvage the weekend with a great come from behind drive on Sunday.
|
03.21.2005
|
|
JR's First Day Instructing at ESPN Russell Racing Schools
On Sunday, JR spent the day as an instructor for the ESPN Russell Racing School at the first round of the SCCA Formula Russell Championship. He began the day giving track drives, sharing the secrets that he learned winning the 2004 championship and helped his fellow racers in giving them valuable tips and suggestions to help them succeed in the crucial first weekend.
|
03.14.2005
|
|
JR Hildebrand Karts with NHRA Stars
Pacific F2000 driver JR Hildebrand spent last Saturday back at the Infineon kart track mixing it up with some of the NHRA's finest drivers. While Ron Capps (Brut Dodge Funny Car) won the King of the Track title over Gary Scelzi (Mopar/Oakley Dodge Funny Car) and Cory McClenethan (Carrier Boyz Racing FRAM Airhog Top Fuel Dragster), JR, running as a representative of the ESPN Russell Racing Schools, was the real king, running laps more than a second faster than any participant at the event.
|
03.08.2005
|
|
JR Wins SCCA Formula Russell Championship
JR Hildebrand became the youngest ever SCCA Pro Racing champion today when he won the SCCA Formula Russell Championship. Hildebrand finished the season with seven wins, eleven podiums, thirteen top fives, and fifteen top tens in nineteen races this year.
|
11.13.2004
|
|
15-year-old J.R. Hildebrand Wins Jim Russell Graduate Runoffs
Webster's Dictionary should change its definition of "up-and-comer" to J.R. Hildebrand. Hildebrand, a 15 year old from Sausalito, Calif., beat out 46 other drivers to win the Jim Russell Graduate Runoffs with just three days of formula racing under his belt. The Jim Russell Graduate Runoffs were held on December 2-7 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
In addition to taking home the Jim Russell/RACER Trophy, Hildebrand won a free season in the 2004 SCCA Formula Russell Championship Series, presented by Yokohama Tire Corp - valued at just under $20,000.
|
12.08.2003
|
|
|
|
|
