Article Originally Posted at: http://www.grand-am.com/news/index.cfm?cid=23069

Rookie Buford Heads to Barber With Confidence

July 15, 2009

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 14, 2009) - Jade Buford will head into the eighth round of the 2009 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge season at Barber Motorsports Park with some additional confidence.

A native of Nashville, Tenn., Buford will continue his rookie season with the RSR Motorsports team as the three-car Street Tuner (ST) squad shoots for its first-ever victory in KONI Challenge competition. Buford will drive with Owen Trinkler in the No. 196 Cruise America/Four Winds Mini Cooper S, just as he has all season, but because Barber is his home track, he stands to feel a little more comfortable. In addition to Buford's testing and on-track participation at Barber, he also uses a simulator to hone his skills.

"It's a great track; it's hard to pass at, but it's a lot of fun," said Buford, who recently completed his junior year of college at Auburn (Ala.) University, about two hours from the track. "I've logged a lot of laps there, and that's where I met my co-driver Owen Trinkler. He was my instructor then, and he's still he's telling me what to do. Being my co-driver gives him a little incentive to share more of what he knows. It's a good partnership, and it's always good to drive with someone you know versus someone you might not as well."

Buford attended the Porsche Sport Driving School in 2006 at Barber and was instantly hooked. The following season, he participated in a three-day Skip Barber Mazda MX-5 Cup session, and last season he participated in four Porsche Club of America races, winning several sprint races prior to the main features. He placed fifth in an enduro race at Road Atlanta.

Buford's best finish this season was 14th at Lime Rock Park, one of multiple tracks on the 2009 schedule hosting split-class races. He said he is ready to improve on that, and Barber could be the place he and Trinkler earn their first top-10 finish together.

"It's been a blast," Buford said. "It's an opportunity that a lot of people don't get. I really enjoy it.

"With Daytona being the first race of the year, yeah, you definitely get a little overwhelmed," he added. "But with this series, your skill level skyrockets, your learning curve goes up. You gain a lot of confidence. I came into this season having only run in the PCA. People told me by the end of the season, you'll be a completely different driver."

The biggest test this weekend will not be the track itself, but the weather. This weekend's forecast calls for temperatures in the 80s, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms. This may give competitors a break, as past Grand-Am weekends have been contested in 90-degree temperatures.

Buford took an optimistic approach when it comes to driving in the heat.

"(The weather) is not too bad," said Buford, who someday wants to race professionally on the weekends while instructing during the week. "I lived in Auburn for three years, so I got used to it."

Following this weekend's race, Buford will test with Racers Edge Motorsports, which has put together one of the youngest, yet most experienced, driver lineups on the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 GT circuit this season. Racers Edge Motorsports team owner Jon Mirachi said the test will be an opportunity to further develop Buford's skills in a faster, more sophisticated machine, and give him a taste of GT action.

"I really appreciate the opportunity to test with Racers Edge at Barber Motorsports Park," Buford said. "Since this is my home track, it should be the ideal place to get some seat time in the team's Mazda RX-8 GT car. I've seen and heard the RX-8 from trackside and I can't wait to get behind the wheel and experience the performance first hand."

Added Mirachi: "I met Jade and his dad when we were at Watkins Glen in June. Jade is the type of young driver I really enjoy working with; he's immensely talented, extremely motivated and willing to listen. He's got a great future ahead of him and I hope we can help him to reach his potential."

Practice for the KONI Sports Car Challenge begins Friday, with qualifying Saturday and the two-and-a-half hour ST race at 2:50 p.m. Saturday. The Grand Sport (GS) class will also compete at 8:20 a.m. Sunday.