May 2004

RED BULL JUNIOR TEAM'S MATT JASKOL TUNES UP FOR FORMULA BMW

New York, NY (24 May 2004) - Red Bull Junior Team member Matt Jaskol has been turning heads as he turns laps this spring as he prepares to do battle in the 2004 Formula BMW USA Championship. The young Las Vegas native is the only Red Bull Driver Search winner who will be chasing his Formula 1 dreams stateside, as his fellow winners, Dominique Claessens, Colin Fleming and Scott Speed, have already begun racing this season in Europe in the Formula Renault Eurocup.

The Red Bull Junior Team has made significant strides this season, with Scott Speed scoring the program’s first win, while Fleming and Claessens have shown quick progress in their first season abroad.

Hearing of his fellow team members’ exploits has only made Jaskol all the more anxious to get back to doing what he loves best, wheel to wheel racing. The waiting is almost over, as the series debut race weekend will be staged at Lime Rock Park on Memorial Day weekend.

In the meantime, Jaskol has been serving notice of his intention to make the BMW championship his, working his way through the testing program set up by his team, Florida-based Autotecnica, and impressing them with his speed and feedback. In the two-day official FBMW test at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, Jaskol was quickest in every session that he ran in, and set a best lap time more than one second faster than anyone else.

Jaskol is under no illusions, as he knows he will have to perform well this season if he wants to make it to the big time.

“To move my career forward, I simply have to win, no excuses,” said Jaskol. “I know Red Bull has high expectations for me, and that’s why they put their faith in me to be racing here in the States, but the pressure really comes from within. It’s the same as it has ever been since I got in a go-kart, so I while the expectations are high, that’s not new for me.”

Jaskol smiles when asked about the fact that he is racing Stateside, while his fellow team members have a go at it in Europe.

“I think I got the better deal, really. I can stay in front of racing people here in the states, and I get to keep living in Las Vegas, and keep eating my own food, and win races! Obviously it’s a goal of mine to get over there and race, but this is a great opportunity for me. It’s so important to take the right steps career wise, and Red Bull really looked out for me and my career. They made sure I was going to be comfortable where they placed me, and even though we haven’t yet got to the first race, I am really impressed with Team Autotecnica.”

The inaugural Formula BMW USA season will comprise fourteen races, held on seven race weekends, and will be sanctioned by Champ Car. Race venues will include the Canadian Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix and four Champ Car events. The series debut will take place at Lime Rock Park, CT, on 31 May, with the series finale slated to place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on 12 September.

The 2004 Red Bull Driver Search program aims to discover and support the "diamond in the rough," lacking the knowledge and contacts needed to embark on a career in racing, as well as talented young drivers already in racing. The long-term goal is to have a steady group of three to six American drivers racing in Europe, groomed to break into Formula 1 and compete for the World Championship.

Source: Maxim Sports Management, Inc.
(http://www.maxim-online.com)