TPN Racing Blackforest Team Site

A Day in The Life of a Pit Crew Member

This was my first year with TPN/Blackforest Racing and I thought it would be interesting to give a firsthand recount of a day…………… or a weekend, in the life of a pit crew member, namely me.The weekend starts for me with a flight across the country since I live in Arizona and most of the races are on the east coast. So I arrive in racetown USA on Wednesday night and make my way to a hotel where the rest of the team assembles during the day/evening.
Thursday starts with an alarm at around 6.000am and then its time to meet the rest of the team in the lobby, grab some coffee and find out how we are getting to the track where hopefully the truck with the cars and all the “stuff” is located. More>

Pictured are Tom Nastasi and team TPN RACING - Blackforest testing several vehicles for an upcoming race.

drivers ofTPN racing - blackforest

tom nastasi

Birth date: 10/10/1963
Birth Place: New York, NY
Home Town: Stamford, CT

Personal
Nastasi is of Sicilian decent, and has a character named Max on the side of each of his helmets depicting Sicilian culture.

Racing Career
Career Highlights
• - Owns five Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge overall victories, all in Grand Sport class

• - Finished career-best fifth in 2005 Continental Tire GS point standings

• - Earned first and only Rolex Series GT victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2004

• 2003 SCCA Formula Atlantic Southeast Division National titlist
Year-By-Year Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Recap

• 2009 Spent much of season working on development of new Dodge Challenger, which debuted in Grand Sport class in season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Teamed with Ian James to finish 26th at Daytona.

2008 - Ran limited schedule in both Ford Mustangs and BMW M3s in GS class. Contested five races with four top 10s and a best finish of fourth at Mosport International Raceway.

2007 - Won opening three races on GS circuit but finished 12th in points after tough stretch of races midway through season.

2006 - Made eight GS starts with best finish of fifth at Daytona.

2005 - Competed on full GS circuit, earning wins at Daytona and Virginia International Raceway and five other top-10 finishes en route to fifth in points.

Ian james

Birth date: 7/22/1974
Birth Place: Epsom, England
Home Town: Phoenix, AZ

One of a select few drivers to have won in every Grand –Am Class 2010 Starworks DP BMW Riley, TPN Continental tire Dodge challenger, Rolex Boss Mustang GT, Panoz Abruzzi ALMS GT2

2009 – 2 Rolex DP starts, factory Panoz ALMS driver, Black forest Dodge challenger Koni challenge.

2008 – DP MSR Ford Riley 24hrs Nurburgring

2007 – DP MSR Lexus Riley ,ALMS Tafel Porsche RSR

2006 – Rolex GT Tafel Porsche CUP, Grand Am Cup Black Forest Motorsport FR500, ALMS BMW Factory GTR

2005 – Rolex GT Factory PTG BMW Grand Am Cup First win for new Mustang FR500 , Lemans 24hr P2, 12hr Sebring winner

2004- Rolex GT Racers Group Porsche RS Factory Lexus Grand Am Cup, ALMS P2 champion, 12hr Sebring Corage AER

David empringham

Birth date: n/a
Birth Place: n/a
Home Town: toronto, canada

Motorsport Consulting Highlights 2007 – Coached Rafael Matos to Series Champion – Sierra Sierra - Atlantic

2004 – Coached Ryan Dalziel to 2nd Overall - Sierra Sierra - Atlantic

2003 – Coached Ryan Dalziel to 2nd Overall - Sierra Sierra - Atlantic

2001 - Coached Hoover Orsi to Series Champion - Formula Atlantic Personal Career Driving Highlights 1993 – Toyota Atlantic Champion 1994 – Toyota Atlantic- Champion

1996 – Firestone Indy Lights Champion 2002 – Grand Am Cup Champion 2005 – Grand Am Koni Champion

2003 – Daytona 24 HR – DP – 1st Place and Pole Position 2007 – Grand Am – Daytona

Koni Challenge – 1st Place 2009 – Superlap / Time Attack/ Buttonwillow – 1st Place

Overall2010 – Redline Time Attack/Buttonwillow – 1st Place Overall

- World Time Attack/Sydney Australia – 2nd Place Overall

Boris Said

Birth date: 09/18/1962
Birth Place: n/a
Home Town: Carlsbad, CA

2010-Winns his first Nationwide Series victory at Montreal

2006- Scored a win alongside DP champion Jorg Bergmeister in the Sahlen’s 6 hours of the Glen.

Won GT qualifying race at Phoenix International Raceway

Grand-Am cup victory in a GS at Miller Motorsports Park
2005- Made 9 starts in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and finished 3rd at Watkins Glen

2004- Narrowly missed winning the Rolex Series GT championship, as he tied his Prototype Technologies Group teammate, Bill Auberlin in points, but lost the tiebreaker (Said had 5 wins, Auberlin had 8)

Grand-Am Cup race victory at Homestead.

2003- Scored NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series pole position at Infenion Raceway

2002- Won Rolex Series GT class at Phoenix

1998- Earned class victory at 12 hours of Sebring. Won NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Infineon Raceway

1997-1998- Won GT3 class in Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona

1989-1992- SCCA SS GT Champion

Valerie Limoges

Birth date: 7/10/1983
Birth Place: n/a
Home Town: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 135lbs
Hobbies: Snowboarding
Favorite food: Japanese

2007- Grand-Am Rolex GT / Koni GS

2006- Grand-Am Koni GS

2005- Finished 4th in Hankook Touring Champion with 4 top 5 finishes

2001- Quebec F-125 Champion

2000- Quebec F-100 Champion, Montreal F-100 Champion