See video - 20 questions with Jonathan

Jonathan Summerton wins Sportsmanship Award

During the annual Atlantic Championship Banquet at the Portola Hotel in Monterey, California, all the drivers, teams, owners and guests gathered for a great evening and the presentation of awards.

Throughout the evening some great action photographs taken by Phil Sedgewick were shown on the big screen alongside many humorous shots of all the teams, owners, and drivers that had been captured throughout the season.

21 yr old Jonathan Summerton from Kissimmee, Florida, was awarded the prestigious Jovy Marcelo Sportsmanship trophy which is presented to the driver who exemplifies a true sportsman, family man and racer behavior on and off track. Jonathan afterward said, "It is a great honor to receive an award like this. I believe that racing is made up of a really big family where everyone is friends. Even though I race hard against the other drivers on track they can still be friends off track and the Atlantic Championship group are all great friends. I would like to thank the Marcelo family for giving me this trophy."

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Close race at Laguna  Seca!
Jon finished second closely after John Edwards, coming in second in the race and achieving second place in the championship. What a tight race!
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Jon wins at Road Atlanta!
Drivers' championship: Simona de Silvestro (176 points), Jonathan Summerton (169), John Michael Edwards (166).


Summerton Wins Again in Mosport

Practice day started Thursday and Summerton was on the pace out of the truck with the fastest morning and afternoon sessions. In the Friday morning practice session the Newman Wachs’, #34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI team tried some alternative settings to allow them options for race set ups. For the afternoon session Jonathan was back preparing for qualifying and put his car out front by nearly 4 tenths of a second. Afterwards Jonathan commented, “I love this track. It is a ballsy track which is pretty unforgiving; turn 2 is great, and I just love the different corners and elevations”.

Qualifying: Summerton grabs pole by over .3 seconds lead.

The start of the qualifying session was delayed due to wet and foggy conditions, plus the heavy rain Saturday morning cleaned off the track dramatically changing the conditions. But, again Summerton got the job done. Despite changing track conditions he successfully put his car at the top of the charts by over three-tenths of a second setting yet another track record (1.12.060) for himself and ensuring he will start from the pole position in the Grand Prix of Mosport Raceway, his fourth pole position of the season. When interviewed after his stella performance Jonathan smiled, “I just had to keep the car on the edge. We just kept pushing throughout the session. That’s what everybody has been telling me it was. It was on the edge, but you’ve got to get it on pole and I think we had it by like four tenths (of a second). I’m very happy to be there. The guys did a great job. Don Halliday, my engineer, and all the team, and (team owner) Eddie Wachs, I’d like to thank them for allowing me to do this. I also want to thank everybody else involved: Cooper Tires, Mazda and Cosworth, of course.”

Sunday morning came with a crisp 67 degrees as the cars readied for the start. As the lights went out Summerton led the field, pulled away from second place and then settled into a race routine, slowly but surely putting up to 4 second lead. The field behind was changing order, then on lap 27 Simona, who had dropped back to 5th miscalculated the daunting turn 2 and flipped, going into the wall and causing a full course yellow allowing the field to close up. After several laps the race went green and with a one lap dash to the checkered Summerton led by 1.12 seconds over Edwards.

On the podium Summerton said, "We had a good race, everything went well. I’d like to thank the team and everybody for all they have done. Cosworth for the engines, Mazda and Cooper, and (team owner) Eddie Wachs for giving me this opportunity. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m really happy to be up front and winning this race. Simona had a bit of bad luck and I think it really helped us in the championship this weekend. Hopefully, our winning streak will continue through the next two races. I know we can do it.”


Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres
Canadian Fans are Great
Commenting on his return from the weekend's racing in Trois-Rivieres Jonathan Summerton said, "I really enjoyed the racing and the Canadian crowd of spectators were great." It made good racing fantastic and enjoyable. The Canadians are really into open wheel racing."
" Starting off the Thursday test day the Newman Wachs cars were fast out of the transporters so I knew we could get a podium despite there being little chance of any overtaking on this circuit with an Atlantic car.'
After a few laps of qualifyingJonathan knew it would be a struggle as the team had gone the wrong way with the set upforcing him to change his driving slightly to accommodate the issues. Once he did this he had to push to be in the top three. In fact, with a few laps left, Jonathan was in P1 with him being relinquished to P3 as the checkered flag was shown.

For the race Jonathan had a great start and was on to Simona. However he was boxed by her,his team mate and the wall, so, with nowhere to gohe wasforced to back off or risk going into the beads and possibly taking everyone out. After that there was little hope of passing with the top 3 cars being so close on lap times. He continued to keep pressure on but at the half way decided to back off and at least have the fastest lap which he managed several times at the end of the race setting a new open wheel race fastest lap ever of 59.022 seconds finishing the race 3rd.

On the podium Jonathan was asked how his race went . " I had a great start and gained on Simona. However, I was boxed in going into turn 2 which meant if I had continued I would have lost several places on 2nd and 3rd so I decided it was better to drop to 3rd. After that it was impossible to pass; as a soon as I got close to the car in front I lost aero and grip so could not make a pass stick. I feel that I had a good car and could have won had I had the pole. Still, a podium is consolation."
Jonathan's next race is at Mosport,near Toronto, Canada,August 30th.

The race for pole: Both NWR drivers were in the top-three during practice sessions at the 1.5-mile street course, but it would come down to the wire for pole position. Just two-tenths of a second separated the pole sitter and 3rd place, with four-hundredths separating the NWR teammates. Summerton was quickest overall, and Edwards, 3rd, so both know they have the speed to contend for the win .

Summerton won from the pole at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and Edwards did the same the previous two rounds at Autobahn Country Club. Edwards and Summerton trail points leader by just 16 and 22 points, respectively

J onathan - P3; Fastest Lap 58.872 seconds)

"It was definitely a hot session. I really don't know where we went with the car. It definitely was not in the right direction. It's very disappointing, actually, to be where we are after being so strong in practice. The guys did a great job on the car, we just made a little bit of a mistake with the set-up. It's going to be a hard race tomorrow, a long race, and very warm, but we're going to do our best. We're going to go back there tonight and figure out what the problem was."

Read about Jon's involvement with GIVE KIDS THE WORLD.

MID-OHIO PHOTOS JUST IN!

Pole Position, New Track Record and a Race Win! Life was sweet this weekend for Jonathan Summerton.



Having transitioned back to his old team, Newman Wachs, they had several problems with the car as the weekend started. Although it was Jonathan's first time to race at the Mid Ohio track he soon got the hang of it and worked with his engineer and crew to perfect the set up. His engineer, Don Halliday, and mechanic, David Marquez, were both celebrating their birthdays so Jonathan gave them a little more to celebrate.

In qualifying it was very close between the top three drivers as times came down, each producing a faster lap than the last. However, with 6 minutes to go, Jonathan did his blistering track record setting lap of 1 minute 12.970 (111.399 mph), a time that held through the closing minutes and the only time under 1 minute 13 seconds.

When asked about the pace Jonathan had set his engineer Don Halliday said, "Jonathan has a great ability to keep producing record setting laps consistently without feeling the pressure. He gets the job done and is a pleasure to work with. It was a great birthday present for me." Jonathan’s time was nearly 3 seconds faster than the old track record set by A. J. Allmendinger.

Jonathan commented, "We had a good car which allowed me to bring home the new track record. I tried to beat the time on my last lap but didn’t manage it as I went off my fastest lap on my dash. The track is really hard on tires."

For Saturday’s race the weather was overcast as the cars formed up in front of the pits for the standing start. As the lights came on and the engines began to reach their limit it was lights out and go. Both Jonathan and Simona got good starts. By turn 2 they were already pulling away from the field which was perhaps a good thing as they both locked up going into turn 2. From there Jonathan controlled the pace, saving his tires. Simona continued to pace him most of the time 4 tenths to over a second behind until they reached lapped traffic. Jonathan thought he could take the car on the outside but at the last second had to go inside which made him lose momentum. It also allowed Simona to keep her speed up, which, as they went into the keyhole, they were side by side with neither giving way.

Jonathan held off the attack as he put the pedal down and started pulling away again, during which he continued to set the pace of fastest laps in the closing stages of the race. Ultimately, Jonathan again set a new race track record of 1:13.812. As he pulled into the pits his exuberant team was back in high spirits as they cheered his flag to flag win. When Jonathan exited his car and was interviewed about the race he said, "I am really grateful to Eddie and his team for giving me the opportunity to race in the Atlantic series. We all work great together and it has truly been a team effort. Thanks to Eddie and all the team for the hard work they have put in to giving me a good car."
The next race is August 17th weekend at Trois Rivers in Canada


Joliet, Illinois.
The Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois is proud to bring road racing back to the Chicago area. Seven exciting racing series will compete July, 24-26 on the full 3.6 mile, Alan Wilson designed road course, including Jonathan in the Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.

Jon's on track for practice at 1045am then at 3.55pm we have Race One qualifying. Qualifying for Race Two follows on Saturday morning at 9.00am then we have RACE ONE at 2.05pm. RACE TWO is on Sunday ,also at 2.05pm.

Back in the saddle - New Jersey
New Jersey Race weekend
Newman Wachs Racing drivers John Edwards and Jonathan Summerton had a lot of work to do for round five of the Atlantic Championship Series at Lime Rock Park, as they started 5th and 6th, respectively . With some smart moves, both were able to make the best of their less-than-desirable starting positions. Edwards returned to the podium with a 2nd place finish and the fastest race lap, and Summerton improved to 4th.

This race marked a return to NWR for the first time since the 2008 Atlantic Championship season finale at Road Atlanta last fall. The #34 car also struggled to find speed in qualifying and Summerton had his lowest starting position of the season.

The native of Kissimmee, FL had a great start and also took advantage of the minimal passing opportunities, narrowly missing making it a podium finish for both NWR drivers. He drove a smart race and still sits 2nd in Championship standings.

Jonathan Summerton #34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ Newman Wachs Racing: (Finished P4; Fastest Lap 51.182 seconds- P5)

" Well, we're headed in the right direction and that's the biggest thing. We knew the race today would be a challenge, starting as far back as we did. I got by Markus at the start and passed Vervisch later on when he made a mistake and I took advantage of it. It is game on from here on out. The season is only halfway done and there is still a lot of racing ahead of us. The Championship is still within our reach and we're going after it."

Newman Wachs are back!
Jonathan is back on track this weekend with the team who almost took him to the 2008 Atlantic Series Championship.

Next up for Jon and the new team is Round 5 of the Championship at Lime Rock Park, CT July 18.
______

Jonathan Summerton now has one secure seat for the balance of the year - the #34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI entry for Newman Wachs Racing.

Summerton has driven the first four events in Atlantic this season for Genoa Racing, winning the first race in a double-header weekend at Millville, N.J. He currently stands second in points, eight markers behind Simona de Silvestro.

" I am very excited to re-join the team and get back to our winning ways of last year," Summerton said. "I appreciate the opportunity Eddie has given me and I am looking forward to winning the championship that the team deserves."

Summerton's teammate is defending Star Mazda champion John Edwards in the #36 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Nuclear Clean Air Energy/NEI/Energy entry. Edwards won the season-opening round at Sebring.

Summerton won twice driving for NWR in Atlantic in 2008, as part of a five-race stretch where either he or his fellow American named Jonathan (Bomarito), scored the victory. Both drivers were eclipsed by Finnish driver Markus Niemela by the season finale at Road Atlanta

New Fan Site
Join the celebrations at Jon's new Fanzone community.

Jonathan Rejoins Newman Wachs
Jonathan Summerton came up just short of an Atlantic Championship in 2008. For the rest of 2009, the prodigious American talent will have a chance at capturing that crown with the same team as he did a year ago.

In a year spent balancing driving in both Atlantic and the Firestone Indy Lights Series, Summerton now has one secure seat for the balance of the year - the #34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI entry for Newman Wachs Racing.

Summerton has driven the first four events in Atlantic this season for Genoa Racing, winning the first race in a double-header weekend at Millville, N.J. He currently stands second in points, eight markers behind Simona de Silvestro.

"I am very excited to re-join the team and get back to our winning ways of last year," Summerton said. "I appreciate the opportunity Eddie has given me and I am looking forward to winning the championship that the team deserves."

Summerton won twice driving for NWR in Atlantic in 2008, as part of a five-race stretch where either he or his fellow American named Jonathan (Bomarito), scored the victory. Both drivers were eclipsed by Finnish driver Markus Niemela by the season finale at Road Atlanta.

This season, Summerton drove in the first six events in Indy Lights for RLR Andersen Racing, posting a best finish of second at the first race of the year in St. Petersburg. He briefly led the series standings on the strength of three top-five and four top-ten finishes.

Unfortunately, financial reasons dictated a change within the seat to Chilean driver Pablo Donoso prior to the race at Iowa Speedway. The Atlantic Championship resumes its 2009 season in two weeks time at Lime Rock Park racing with the American Le Mans Series, and then is the feature series running at the Autobahn Country Club circuit in Joliet, Ill. on July 25 and 26.

On Track...New Jersey Motorsports Park
Atlantic Series Championship

Jonathan wins from the front.
Jonathan totally dominated at New Jersey Motorsports Park today, winning from Pole. Only one driver could stay within sight of JS as he raced to victory, completing the races fastest lap time in his final lap. More Soon!

Pole for Race One
As the track dried rapidly in the final minutes of the 30-minute qualifying session, Summerton clocked a best time of 1:11.417 (109.386 mph) in Genoa Racing’s No. 19 Barker Specialty/Geller Group/Genoa machine on the final lap of the session. It was Summerton’s third career pole in Atlantic competition. He has qualified on the front row for every race thus far in the 2009 Atlantic season, and for the fifth consecutive time dating to a second-place qualifying result the penultimate round of the 2008 Atlantic Championship at Miller Motorsports Park.

" From here, I just need to get a decent start," Summerton said. "I’ve never done a rain start, and it would be interesting, so hopefully it stays dry. The car is pretty good. We’ve got a little bit of tuning to do, but overall, I’m happy. I think we can win this weekend. We came in after we did four laps (early in the session) and we were P2. It was drizzling at the beginning, but it was still a dry track. Then, of course, the rain came and wet the track, so we decided to sit in. Nobody was going quick on rain tires, so we decided to wait until it was within five seconds a lap. Then, we decided we’d go putt around for a few laps, and then my engineer, Geoff (Bushor), came in and told me that the track was going quicker and he told me to push. That’s what I did. I’ve got to thank Barker Specialty and Geller Group for helping me out this weekend."

Road Atlanta
So, headed off to Atlanta on a nice lunchtime flight and was hoping to get to walk around the track and see what it was like and if anything had changed from the year before but nope.

Delayed flights from the other team members I was riding with made me miss the track walk and well the swimming competition around the track. LOL .

There was over 20" inches of rain that day and well, lots of puddles on the track. So I didn't miss too much I guess. But got to see around the main terminal of Atlanta airport as I arrived at 2:15 and well, my ride didn't get there til 5:15 so had a lot of time to walk around. We eventually made it to the hotel at about 7 that evening and then I went to see a movie with some friends then came back and went to sleep.

What we were all worried about seemed to be the rain staying around but nope it went away and we had dry sessions from the first session to the race.

We went out on the track and well on the test day we were fastest every session. Couldn't complain about that could I?

But we made some improvements for the next day where we were unofficially the fastest in both sessions again. Another great day - still we went back and focused on improving the car the most we could for qualifying. During qualifying though we didn't expect the track to be as slick as it was and well, it was a hard session.

I really had to fight for my pole position and was very happy that I got it as my last lap I got traffic and was not able to improve. We still got pole by 2 tenths so was very happy.

Oh, random thought - while I was thinking I was bad the night before and had an ice cream and then for breakfast the guys don't know but had an Egg Mc Muffin from McDonalds - man, was that good, haha.

Now we were onto the race and man was my heart racing like it had never done before. I knew that I had to win otherwise my Championship hopes were gone. And well, the lights went out and I had a great start and went on to pull a 7 second gap in which I must admit was kind of hard to stay focused as I didn't have any one pressuring me. Then suddenly the yellow came out and well, man I was thinking this sucks as I was pulling away and now they got to close all the gap down to zero.

Now I had to fight hard again to pull away and well, I was able to win the race by 4.2 seconds and set fastest race lap. Now couldn't ask for a more perfect weekend than that could I? Well, to top all this off my parents were at the race which was the first race since last year. I also had 2 friends come who had never seen me race or been to a race and well they really enjoyed it.

I loved seeing my friends and family after the race at the podium as it was just great to know they support me in every way. I must say will be one of the most memorable moments in my life. Man, now that was an awesome week.


New Jersey Diary
New Jersey Race weekend
Well the whole deal came together at the last minute. I was at home on Wed night and well I thought I would make a call to the team owner of Genoa to see if they wanted me to run this weekend in NJ and well I found out it was a yes. So got my flight out to Philly which is the closest airport to the NJ race track. Thursday came and well I checked in online and headed to the airport to fly up to NJ. I arrived at 5 on Thursday evening and was able to catch up with the team and go out to dinner.

Fri came bright and early at 6:05 I was up and awake getting ready to head to the track fro our practice and first qualifying of the weekend. In the practice we were 3rd quickest with a couple of laps of traffic and well we were very happy with the car. For qualifying made a couple little changes to the car and well we ended up going out and
it started to drizzle but I was able to lay down a fast lap on slick tires as the fastest but then the rain came for about 10 min in which I sat in the pits just watching to see if the track dried out. And well it did, so for the last 5 min I went out for a couple laps to see how the track was and then my engineer told me to go for it so I did. I was able to do 1 flyer and well in that flyer made a little mistake but did not let that affect me and well I was on Pole. I was so excited to be on pole for the first race.

Sat morning was also another early morning where I was up at about 7 and headed to the track ready for Qualifying 2. In this qualifying we didn't really make any changes as we thought the car should be good. Well we were right it was just a case of catching traffic and well I managed to find all of it. I was able to get one clean lap and well kinda stunk as I know we had a pole position in the car. But I ended up in 2nd position for race 2. Now it was onto the first race where I had a great start and well just drove away from the field winning by a large amount of time of about 6 seconds. I was so pleased to win that race as I gave the team it's first win since 1994. It was a great feeling to win.

Sun and now it was the final race of the weekend. I was prepped and ready for the race. I had a great start and well knew my only real opportunity to win the race was to get around Simona at the first corner. So I tried. I launched the car well off the line and was able to get side by side going into turn one but I was forced into the grass and well was able to hang on to second but then it became a race of pressure. I decided to stay right on her bumper every lap and tried taking advantage of the traffic situations in the race but none of
that played to my advantage. We def had the fastest car in the race but never got chance to get out front and run away again. I am very excited though over the whole weekend and am now sitting 2nd in points in the championship. I am also very excited about my new website which is awesome. Thanks to TSDG.