Pure Domination

Subtitle:Long-Term Investment In People, Parts Pays Off For JDC

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 19, 2015) – Happy team. Happy life.

With 16 championships in three different series, there’s rarely a time John Church and his JDC Motorsports team are unhappy.

JDC Motorsports added to the tally in 2015 with a team and driver championship in Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda. But there was more to celebrate along the way than the championship.

In the 2015 Prototype Lites season, JDC Motorsports won every race and pole. The JDC Motorsports lineup included Lites 1 series champion Kenton Koch, Clark Toppe and Matt McMurry, who finished 1-2-3, respectively, in the standings. It was the second straight team-driver title sweep for the Minnesota-based team, which helped Mikhail Goikhberg win the drivers’ crown in 2014.

“We have a running joke with the team,” Church said. “We should just quit while we’re ahead because it’ll never get any better than this. Winning every pole and every win, you just can’t top that. Winning a second championship feels good, and it’s great for the guys on our team as well, to see them succeed.”

JDC’s team-driver title sweeps in 2014 and 2015 have come in just its fourth and fifth seasons in IMSA’s Official Development Series.

The secret to success was simple. The team provided top quality cars for its drivers and ensured they were learning from one another’s accomplishments.

“We made sure they were always learning and pushing themselves to be better,” Church said. “I thought they (Koch, Toppe, McMurry) were arguably three of the most talented drivers out there with three of the best cars. We have a great team of guys backing them, so it was all about working together to succeed.”

However, enforcing the secret to success on three ultra-competitive and capable drivers was easier said than done.

As the season developed, Koch, Toppe and McMurry frequently found themselves in an intra-team fight for the top spot on the podium. Hard racing turned into rough racing, with each driver equally determined to walk away the winner. The threat of the team losing its way due to tension among its drivers loomed, so Church stepped in.

“We had a come-to-Jesus meeting about midseason,” Church said. “We had to get them back on the straight and narrow. They were fighting each other on track probably a little more than they should have been. You have three of the best guys out there: You don’t want them doing stupid things because then they aren’t learning if they aren’t on track. They all got the message. They finished on top; they really did an exceptional job this year.”

Church always places his customers’ success at the top of his priority list, respecting their budgets and time.

It’s why he has retained customers over the years. Case in point: 2014 Lites 1 Champion Goikhberg, who has been with the team since 2010, stayed with JDC Motorsports to continue his racing career in the team’s No. 85 Prototype Challenge entry in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series in 2015.

“I try to put myself in the customer’s position, and I ask the team to do the same,” Church said. “People are spending a lot of money to send their kids racing. You want to give them everything you can to make it worthwhile. Talking smart doesn’t get you there. It’s about working hard and doing the right thing.”

“They could go boating if they wanted. You have to learn what makes them feel good about coming back because they could go a lot of different places. It’s common sense with customer service. You have to keep them moving forward.”

Church’s motto is to work harder than anyone else in the business. Great success comes from great amounts of effort. JDC Motorsports is always willing to put in the time it takes to win.

“It’s a battle to stay afloat in this business,” Church said. “Some days it’s easy, and then some nights you’re working all night. In 2014 at Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park), Mikhail went off course and wrecked the car and then Matt’s’s (McMurry) engine blew up, and we worked all night to repair it. You’re running off adrenaline. But you do it because hard work pays off in the end.”

This effort continues at the JDC race shop located in Savage, Minnesota. Continual investment in people and equipment – even in tough economic times – has helped Church build a loyal, efficient group.

“Everyday is an opportunity; you have to try to not make the wrong decision,” Church said. “We grow more every year. In 2014, business was horrible, but we had just built the new building so there were a lot of costs in doing that. Now we can do more with the new space. We invested more into employees and equipment. I want to be a stable environment for our guys.

“There are years where we do all we can to pay the bills. Often that means me skipping a paycheck. It’s a sacrifice, and it includes working long days. The rough days aren’t a distant memory, but for 2016 they seem to be behind us. But you have to keep working. This time next year it could be another story.”

JDC Motorsports has confirmed it will run four cars in the 2016 Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda series. The team has yet to name the drivers, but Church confirmed business partner and veteran driver Gerry Kraut would be in the lineup.