McKaigue, Fiorano Racing Show Total Commitment

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 11, 2015) – Whether Shaun McKaigue crosses the checkered flag first or last, there is one constant he brings to each race weekend – whole-hearted commitment.

McKaigue is entering his fifth Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin season, faithful to Fiorano Racing and its team owner, Gianni Panico, since the IMSA (International Motor Sports Association)-sanctioned Single-Make Series started in 2011.

“Shaun started as a customer, but we’ve since become great friends,” Panico said. “We have committed to each other. We go out on the racetrack and have fun. He’s getting better and better race-by-race with some coaching. For us, it really is a lot of fun.”

McKaigue’s commitment does not end when steps out of his Gold Cup Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car and takes off his helmet. His devoted attitude spills across the IMSA paddock and beyond as he lends a helping hand through charitable work.

One charity that hits close to home is Hearth Place Cancer Support Center, an organization in Oshawa, Ontario, that helps families with children experiencing different types of cancer.

“We try to help them raise funds, and we also have an ability to have the children come to the tracks with their parents to get the full racing experience with us for a day,” McKaigue said.

McKaigue, from Gilford, Ontario, hopes to provide 12 families with a behind-the-scenes look into the IMSA paddock in 2015.

“It just gives them a break from the daily grind,” he said. “These are families that are going through a difficult time, so for them to have a day when they can forget about their troubles is inspiring.”

FER-PAL Infrastructure, McKaigue’s business, his team at Fiorano Racing and IMSA work together to make the days at the track run smoothly for Hearth Place families.

“I think I get more out of it than the kids do,” McKaigue said. “It can really break you up to see what they are going through. To witness how brave they are and to see the trials and tribulations their parents are going through helps me to certainly put things in perspective.

“Admittedly, I’m a weekend warrior, and as a racer you’re always striving to do better, and sometimes things occur where an accident happens or maybe things don’t go as well as you want. To understand that there are people dealing with a lot more important issues certainly helps us realize just how lucky we are as racers in the paddock to enjoy this sport.”

Aside from charitable work, McKaigue is looking forward to another season competing in IMSA. 2011 Gold Cup Champion McKaigue enjoys the camaraderie between his competitors.

“We enjoy when new people come in,” McKaigue said. “We enjoy embracing them and getting to know everybody within the paddock, and we think there’s a great togetherness within the series. Obviously, everyone is competitive – by nature that’s what racers are. But all in all, there’s an ability to race hard and race clean but have a beer at the end of the day and a couple of laughs.

“Geographically the series works well for us, which makes it fun. We enjoy the level of competition, and we appreciate the organization that IMSA brings to it. There’s a level of professionalism with the IMSA group – and that’s across everyone, from Tech to Registration – and we really appreciate that.”

The 2015 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin starts on Victoria Day Weekend, May 15-17, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.

For updates on the series, follow @IMSA on Twitter with the hashtag #GT3CAN and on Facebook. The latest news can be found by visiting IMSA.com.