Dan Gardner, Craig Stanton, and BGB Motorsports Make History

Gardner

We posted before that Dan Gardner and the Jackson-Dawson tC would be the first Scion to race professionally… Now it’s time to meet the team that’s going to make it all possible!

BGB Motorsports is a professional motorsports group that began in 2001 and is based out of Ormond Beach, Florida. Most well known for their Porsche program, which began to really gain steam after Tim Traver and Mikel Miller won the 6 hour VIR finale in 2006, they’ve proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with whenever they show up to the track. BGB owned cars have won 7 Koni Challenge Series races, visited the podium 12 times and finished in the top-10 46 times since mid-year 2001.

One of the most influential members of the BGB team is engineer Bernardo Martinez. Bernardo is a driver, race car builder, engine builder and suspension specialist. Wouldn’t you love to have someone like that as your next door neighbor? Martinez is a 2007 NASA Honda Challenge H1 National Champion, and his knowledge and background helped Dan and the Jackson-Dawon tC hang with the big boys.

Craig Stanton

Dan’s Co-driver for the KONI Challenge was Craig Stanton. Some of Craig’s accomplishments include competing in five Rolex Series GT races, notching three top 10s as well as finishing third in KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport driver points, claiming three podiums to close the season in 2007. He’s also participated in 27 Triathalons! Craig is another SoCal kid, coming right near Scion Underground HQ in Long Beach, California.

Here’s what the KONI Challenge Series News had to say about this unique team:

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 20, 2008) - Race fans will see history made in Sunday’s Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, when a Scion races for the first time in professional road racing competition.

Dan Gardner and Craig Stanton co-drive the No. 72 Scion tC, fielded by Jackson-Dawson Communications in conjunction with BGB.

Gardner drove a Scion in 23 races in NASA, where he won the regional championship in addition to winning at Mid-Ohio. The car has been upgraded for the KONI Challenge with the addition of a supercharger.

“It’s time to keep going with the program,” Garnder said. “This is more of a series about performance, and we’re proving it on the track. This is going to be big for Scion.”

It’s a new venture for BGB, a perennial Porsche powerhouse in the KONI Challenge Grand Sports division. The team won the 2008 season opening Fresh From Florida 200, with Stanton joined by Tim Traver in a Porsche 997.

The “glue that put the program together” was BGB engineer Bernardo Martinez, who helped land Stanton to drive in addition to helping Gardner set up the car.

“I think that with more than 50 cars in the field, our ultimate goal would be to do a top 10,” Gardner said. “If we finish in the top half it will be a success, in the maiden voyage of a car nobody knew anything about, and a platform that’s completely new. We’ve been doing the Grand-Am development on the car for only six months. I think the displacement and the supercharger will help it really hang with the pack, and we’re doing everything we can to make it turn and stick.”

The team currently plans to put Stanton behind the wheel for Saturday morning qualifying, meaning he will start the event with Gardner finishing up.

“Our hope is for a top-10 qualifying spot, and I’ll pick up the tail,” Gardner said. “To be driving with a guy like Craig brings a whole new level to the program and a lot of respect. Having a winning co-driver is a big plus. It’s awesome getting to drive with Craig.”

After Stanton qualifies the car Saturday morning, Gardner will get behind the wheel to lead a parade lap around the Mid-Ohio circuit, followed by more than 250 Scions and 500 owners.

Gardner said the team plans to run the July 5 race at Watkins Glen International, and possibly the season finale at Virginia International Raceway.

Jackson-Dawson & BGB Motorsports

You can find out more about BGB by visiting their website at www.teambgb.com. You can also visit Team BGB’s KONI Challenge Profile at http://grand-am.com/koni/teams/team.cfm?tid=1347.