PWC: Barber notebook

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

The Pirelli World Challenge series is now in its 27th season as North America's premier GT Production road racing campaign. But the series is cultivating young driving stars including several exciting teenager drivers. Parker Chase, the factory Ginetta GT4 racer from New Braunsfels, Texas, is just 15 years old but has already scored podium finishes at Circuit of The Americas and St. Petersburg in the GTS division. A national karting star, Chase was granted his SCCA pro license in 2015 and has already challenged for race wins. Chase plans to compete in three different racing series in 2016.

At age 16, Nathan Stacy from Owesso, Oklahoma, has been racing cars since he was 12. Nate is the youngest SCCA Pro racer in history as he received his NASA Pro license in late 2012. In 2014, Stacy finished his rookie season in the Pirelli World Challenge by driving a Ford Fiesta to second in the 2014 TCS drivers championship. In 2015, Stacy moved to the GTS driving a Boss 302 Mustang in 11 of the 17 GTS races and assisting Ford to the GTS Manufacturers' point title. In 2016, Nate is teamed with Jack Roush Jr. in the Roush Performance GTS team. Ford also leads the GTS manufacturers points after four races in 2016.

Texan Harry Gottsacker, 16, began his career at the young age of 13 racing karts at a national level. Notable karting accomplishments include 2014 WKA Daytona Road Race Champion; 2015 Florida Winter Tour Podium Finish; and 2015 Texas ProKart Challenge DD2 Champion. In 2015, Harry earned a pro license from SCCA and competed in several tin-top races throughout Texas. Following up on a busy 2015, the San Antonio racer competes in the Grand Touring Sport (GTS) class of the Pirelli World Challenge racing a UK-based Ginetta G55 with Performance Motorsports Group. Harry will also compete in a full season of the exciting Red Bull Global Rallycross Lites series.

Austin Cindric, 17, literally grew up in the sport following his father, Tim's, adventures as president of Penske Racing. Tim leads the "Captain's" IndyCar, NASCAR and Australia V8 car programs. Cindric started his racing in the INEX Legends and Bandoleros in 2011 at age 12. Expanded into karting and USF2000 formula cars in 2012 and 2013 before moving Pirelli World Challenge (Mustang at Mid-Ohio), Cooper Tires USF2000, Red Bull Global Rallycross and other sports series in 2014. Last year, Cindric drove the Lamborghini at Mid-Ohio and placed second in the GTA division. In addition, Austin won races in the Global Rallycross Lites, IMSA Continental Series as well as being a medalist at X-Games in Austin, Tex. This season, Cindric drives the No. 6 Discount Tire McLaren 650S in the GT category in the Pirelli World Challenge.

Ernie Francis Jr., 18, brings the Breathless Racing Ford Boss 302 Mustang to the GTS class in 2016. Francis began in karts at the tender age of 4 and competed throughout the country until age 13. He won the 2012 Spec Miata championship as well as the 2012 FARA title. In 2013, Ernie Jr. captured seven TCB races in his rookie season in Pirelli World Challenge, finishing third in the final TCB points. In 2014, Francis won three TCA races and placed third in the PWC final TCA standings. In addition, Francis Jr. has won two-time TA3 Trans-Am series championship with eight wins in 2015.

HOME RACE FOR ALLEN

John Allen grew in Selma, Alabama, site of the famed civil rights march in 1965. He and his family didn't arrive in Selma until 1968, but he and sister went to public schools. Allen then attended the University of Alabama, majoring in electrical engineering. While studying in Tuscaloosa, Allen was approached to join the Air Force. He signed up for a four-year commitment upon graduation. Allen continued his Air Force commitment for an additional 17 years as a reserve as well as working in the aerospace business. He was heavily involved in the first Gulf War and assisted in shooting down scud missiles during two of the conflicts.

Living in Denver, Colorado, Allen grew his engineering industry to begin his own business in 1999 with ITech. Allen later sold his company to Fahrenheit IT and began racing sports cars. Last year, Allen made his professional racing debut at Barber Motorsports Park in the GTS category with Porsche Cayman. John has been winning races in the SCCA Club division recently and returned to the Pirelli World Challenge this weekend. In addition, Allen's Porsche was on display Tuesday at the University of Alabama engineering department campus as John has started a program to raise funds for the Engineering Research Center at the Tuscaloosa university.

"It was great Tuesday at the University of Alabama engineering department with our Porsche Cayman," said Allen. "We received a bunch of attention from the students and the media. We are raising funds to assist the Research Center through our racing. We are anxious to show the students how engineering is used in racing as well as aerospace which I worked in after graduation. It felt great to come back to the university and explain a variety of aspects with engineering. And it's fun to come back and compete in the Pirelli World Challenge at Barber Motorsports Park, the place I ran my first pro race. It is fantastic to have such as beautiful road racing facility in Alabama now. I can't wait for the races to begin this weekend."

BUFORD NO STRANGER TO BARBER

GTS pole winner Jade Buford of Nashville is no stranger to Barber Motorsports Park. Driving the No. 45 SIN Car R1 GT4 machine, Buford is making his first Pirelli World Challenge start today. But the Porsche school instructor has been coming to Barber for over 10 years and has more experience at this facility than any other driver in the GTS field. Buford won the pole Thursday after a unique qualifying round that included changing from rain tires to slicks.

"We were all betting on it being pretty damp," he said. "We thought another cell was coming in. But we got down to the pits and it was pretty dry. There was definitely a dry line and slicks were the way to go. We just had to make sure we were not in a violation when we made the change over (to slicks). We were in no rush to get back out on the track. We knew we had three or four laps to get a good lap in. We wanted to get that lap at the end. The team has worked very hard on the car and the Sim Car is really awesome to drive. This is my first PWC race moving over from IMSA and I am very excited to be here. I did some of the original testing with the car and it is an awesome program. I really want to see it go. The GTS series is pretty awesome. This is definitely the way to go with the GT4 platform. I have been coming here for over ten years now. It's one of the first track I ever came to. I also teach here at the Porsche school. I just met Scott [Heckert] this morning and we worked together well. I'm looking forward to Friday's race."

NASCAR'S SCOTT HECKERT

Making his Pirelli World Challenge debut this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, Scott Heckert of Ridgefield, Connecticut, comes to Alabama with a background in stock car racing throughout the East Coast and South. Heckert, 22, is a four-time winner in the NASCAR K&N Filters East Series including two victories at Watkins Glen. Heckert is driving the No. 54 SIN CAR R1 GT4 for Racer's Edge Racing Team in GTS this weekend. This is Heckert's second time in the SIN R1 GT4 car after a recent testing session at Roebling Road in Georgia. Today (Thursday) marks the first time Heckert has driven at Barber Motorsports Park and posted the third-quickest time (1:32.02, 89.257 mph). Heckert began karting at age 8 and took the Skip Barber school at age 15. However, Heckert moved into Super Late Model stock cars through the South, racing in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Last year, Scott was a contender in the NASCAR K&N East campaign with two wins and ten top-10 finishes. Now, Heckert hopes to make his mark in PWC this weekend in the GTS division.

"I am learning a lot about the car with ABS brakes and aerodynamics," said Heckert. "This is my first time at Barber Motorsports Park and I am having a blast. What a great track. It's fun to drive and the car is fun too. But I know I have a lot to learn with this series and these cars. I've racing most the ovals from the last six or seven years and getting back into the road racing side is challenging. But I'm very anxious to race in the Pirelli World Challenge. We had a good test and now competing this weekend will be more experience for me. I'm very excited about being here this weekend at Barber."

FERGUS' OLD PORSCHE IS NEW AGAIN

In the second race at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, reigning TC champion Corey Fergus took a huge hit on lap 2 in the Byers Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in turn two. The impact in the outside wall actually moved the concrete retaining wall several feet. Despite being banged up a bit, Fergus was checked out and released from the hospital that evening. However, Fergus' Porsche GT Cup mount was not as fortunate. The Porsche's chassis was destroyed as were many other parts of the race car. But Fergus' Motorsports Promotions machine was now been rebuilt and is ready for action this Friday in GT Cup competition after the car was basically cut in half and the engine literally knocked from the chassis.

"We have more new parts than old parts for the Byers Porsche now," said Fergus. "But the new tub and the car overall feels great. I'm excited to come to Barber this weekend for my first PWC race here. We tested the new car last week at Putman Park in Indiana and things went well. Now, I just need more seat time in the faster Porsche. The car is much more aggressive than my TC Porsche from last year. But I'm getting used to it."