JUNE

STUNNING POLE position for Maryeve Dufault

California resident Maryeve Dufault is a talented and dedicated kart racer. She proved it once again when she captured pole position ahead of several, more experienced competitors in a Rotax kart race.

The young racer of the SCC racing team enjoyed two good practice sessions in the morning as she worked on improving her chassis before the qualifying effort.

 “I had some over steer coming out of the corners this morning,” she said. “I tried to correct it for the qualifying effort. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find a clean lap in the traffic. The qualifying session was only five minutes long and I had to produce a good lap quickly to start from pole position.”

She eventually qualified in 4th place. It was very tight at the top of the timing sheet with only half a second separating the top five qualifiers. Pole position went to three-time Rotax International Champion, Michael Leib.

Maryeve was ready for a great start in the pre-finale. “My goal was to try to get at the front of the pack quickly in the race,” she said. “I knew Michael and I would be quick at the start, as well as two other drivers. I did not want to be caught behind slower drivers for too long.”

At the start, she blasted from 4th to third and managed to pass Erik Jackson in the inside on the second lap. She was now running in second place and was ready to give Leib a run for his money. She managed to pass him to take the lead.

“I knew I had to stay really focused when I took the lead and make no mistakes because Michael Leib was right behind me,” she explained.

She crossed the line in first place, taking victory in the pre-finale and finishing 3/10ths of a second ahead of Leib. The sensational win gave Dufault pole position for the finale.

However, her race was short lived, unfortunately. She lost her neck collar during the race and she was therefore given a black flag.

“It was a really upsetting situation as it was a really banal incident that ruined my race,” she declared afterwards. “However, the rules are the rules and anyone who’d have had the same problem would have been black flagged. I’m already looking forward to the next race.”



MAY

SPECTACULAR debuts for Maryeve Dufault with CRG karting

Maryeve collects one victory and three podiums in the month of May.

To keep fit physically and mentally, racecar driver Maryeve Dufault races karts during her spare times. Since April, she has been competing for the famed Italian kart manufacturer CRG. 

Maryeve races in the hotly disputed Rotax DD2 series in California. This category features spec 125cc Rotax engines that are fitted with paddle-activated two-speed gearboxes. These purebred racing machines are shod on slick tires; they are capable of stunning accelerations and breathtaking corning speeds.

Competing for the new structure, the CRG SSC Team, Maryeve had some great battles and she earned a victory in just her second race.

"I’ve raced with a Birel chassis for a long time before I tested the CRG kart in April with SSC Racing,” the young lady said. “I was a great test session and I had a nice opportunity offer to me to race with them.”

Maryeve was obviously delighted with her maiden victory.

“CRG is a great chassis and the SSC team provides me with great support as well as a very competitive package,” she said.

“I am obviously extremely happy with the outcome of this race as I finish in the victory lane. Scoring victory in just my second outing confirm that I took the right decision. I'm still learning a few things about the chassis and the SSC team gives me extremely valuable advice and support. These guys have been great and they are true professionals.”

A FINE TOP 5 FINISH

Sebring International Raceway, Florida
4th and 5th races of 2008

It has been for me a great weekend of racing in Sebring, Florida on February 15 and 16.

It was my first time at the famed Sebring International Raceway. For that reason, I knew I had a lot to learn in very little time. Sebring is the track where is held each year the famous 12 Hour of Sebring endurance event. It’s a 3.7-mile road course made of 17 turns.

I tried to learn the layout of the circuit as quickly as possible during the first outing without trying to push too hard. Unfortunately, my car suffered from some mechanical problems during the second practice and the qualifying session. I tried my best to drive the problem around, but it was impossible. The organizers gave me a make-up session on Saturday morning along with few other drivers that also had issues with their cars as well.

I qualified in 8th place for the first race of the weekend. I had a great start and by Turn 7, I was already running in 3rd place. Meanwhile, the two leading guys were fighting pretty hard. I was getting ready to make a pass and I decided to wait for the right moment. Unfortunately, Barcena hit me from behind and the impact threw me off course. I was really frustrated because I had such a great start.

I had to pit to have the car checked out, and that dropped me back into 18th position. There were only six laps to go in the race. I managed to pass about eight cars and finished 10th overall.

My starting position in the second race of the weekend was the finishing position of my first race. At the start, the car in front of me slowed me down. I had nowhere to go, and that ruined my hopes of passing several cars right at the beginning of the race. That made me lose touch with the front-runners. But it was a very good race without any yellows. I pushed hard, won a few good battles and made it into the top 5.

“The fact is, some races are processional and so it was for Group 4’s second race,” said the official series’ press release. “The top five drivers – Bumgarner, Bartlett, Durango, Kristian and Dufault – ran that way from lap 3 onward. Richard Schwyn had a fine drive from 11th to sixth, with Hagerman, Barcena, Dominic Lamanna and Pasquale rounding out top 10.”

Maryeve

February 2008
12-hour Enduro Le Mans

A few weekends ago, I had the chance to compete in my first 12-hour go-kart endurance race. It was a fantastic experience and I realised how much I love endurance racing.

My teammates were Boris Said (NASCAR driver), Colin Fleming (who competes in the GP2 series in Europe), Sam Hubinette (Drifting driver), Tanner Foust (X-games rally gold medallist),Arie Banquet and Britanny Reed. Britanny is the daughter of Mike Reed, who’s been in motorsport for over 35 years, working for A. J. Foyt and Tom Sneva among others, as well as being the owner of his own U.S.A.C. midgets.

We were the pro team with 11 other teams that consisted of four to six drivers. Everyone did a tremendous job. We encountered a few obstacles, but it was part of the fun. This endurance race was also great occasion as well and a portion of the proceed went to "Make a Wish Foundation".

Every team member drove from 30 to 90 minutes at the time. My turn came at night around 4 am and I drove for 1h42 minutes non-stop! Our kart didn't had the best speed but it had great turn-in, so this is were I could gain some time over the other teams. I didn't sleep at all nor took a nap. I was suffering from a cold and I knew that if I would sleep I’d wake up not feeling so good. So I decided to stay up.

My lap times were consistent during my entire stint. Even on my last lap I felt strong and not fatigued. I surprised myself with how much endurance I had. I guess my really hard core training helped me to get at that level of my fitness.

At one point, I had to fight for position with Craig Stanton. We were having a blast out there and we were passing each other back and forth. I gained several positions but got some aggressive drivers not braking and banging into me. It got me frustrated at certain moments.

Mike Reed was nevertheless impressed by Maryeve’s driving abilities. “Maryeve, an up-and-coming Indy Pro Driver, was one of the fastest drivers out on the race track,” he said. “She drove non-stop for a long period of time and her lap times never dropped below the 20-second mark. In fact, she did a 19.4 which was one of the fastest lap of the entire race. That made her the fastest driver of the pro team.”

By the end of the event, Tanner Foust was driving for us but he was tapping his helmet on the pit straight, meaning he needed a change driver. We gained one position and we were now running in 6th place. For the last 35 minutes of the race, the team decided to have me drive because I was the fastest driver of the pro team. The goal was to keep 6th place but the team that was in 7th position didn't need to stop again…

We eventually lost that 6th place since that competitor was running right behind Tanner. I had a lap to warm up my tire and I started to fight. I was catching him up, but a lapped driver messed up my game a little bit. I got stuck behind him a little bit too long and I lost touch with him.

But overall it was a lot of fun for a great occasion. Every driver did a great job out there and we made a great team. I'm really happy I competed into it.

“Maryeve is not only a great person on and off the race track but she also has the looks to go with her talent,” Mike Reed declared after the event. “My daughter just loves her and if she can grow up to be like Maryeve even if Brittany doesn't become a race car driver, she will be a better person. I wish Maryeve the best of luck next year. And I know Brittany will be watching her.”

Now, I'm ready to compete in an endurance race like the 24 Hour Rolex or 12 Hour of Sebring.

January 2008
Laguna Seca, close to a win"

Brian Skinner and Kevin Tittle ducked it out until Tittle spun and fell off the road on lap 12. After two laps of full-course caution to get Tittle’s car out of the gravel trap, Maryeve Dufault got around Kevin Woods and then Skinner to take the lead and crossed the finish in first place. However, Maryeve was handed a 15-sec time penalty, and she was eventually classified seventh.

Skinner inherited the win – his first – with Ethan Stone coming in second and Fabrice Weill, third. Traver was given a penalty for contact with Kevin Woods, and ended up 10th. When it all shook out, fourth was Walter Kuhn, with Sunho Lee and Ryan Burns fifth and sixth, respectively. John Candeias and Michael rounded out the Top 10.

"It was a great weekend with several obstacles for me. My first qualifying session didn't go well since I dropped four wheels off the pavement and had to start the race from the back of the pack. I took the lead near the end of the race, but I was given a penalty that unfortunately caused me the victory. I was black flagged on the last lap. I pushed hard to stretch my lead. So if I they gave me a time penalty, I would not lose too many positions.”

“I later competed in another race with a different group of drivers. I was forced to start from the back of the pack since I didn't run the qualifying session. I started the race in 14th, and near the end I was running in third. I had to perform several difficult passes and be careful because the strict sporting regulations can make you lose a race quickly.

At one point, we had a caution period that allowed me to tuck just behind Ian Costa for the restart. At the green, I passed him in turn one. I was now in second place, chasing for the lead and trying to keep my position. Everything was going much faster since I wasn’t running in traffic. Unfortunately, I pushed hard to pass him in Turn 10 but dropped wheels off the course, which caused me another penalty. Regional races tend to be a little stricter from a driving point of view. But it was a great weekend. I had a lot of fun and passing so many cars was tremendous. It gave me great experience with driving in traffic and passing at the right moment. I decided to race with Skip Barber because it's always a great series to start the year with some practice."

2-
Movie " FAST GIRL"

Determined to make a name for herself in the male-dominated sport that recently claimed the life of her talented father, a young female race car driver with a lead foot and love for speed punches the gas and never looks back in this family-oriented sports drama.

Starring Mircea Monroe and Justin Guarini, “Fast Girl” is about a young girl, Alexis "Alex" Johnstone (played by Mircea Monroe), who knows she is destined to become a true motorsport champion. But Alex's uncle Bill (played by Dwier Brown) is the man in charge of the local speedway, and there's no way he's going to lose another relative on a racetrack.

As determined as Bill is to prevent his niece from crashing and burning behind the wheel of a race car, however, Alex is equally resolute to prove that she has what it takes to keep pace with the best male drivers around. Later, as Alex becomes involved with a professional race car driver (played by Guarini) who has a reputation for always crossing the checkered flag first, the young girl's conflict proves much more complex than simple black and white.

Race car driver Maryeve Dufault did the stunt work for Alex, the female driver. “We did most of the stunt work at Willow Spring,” Dufault said. “It wasn't my first time doing stunt work, so I had some experience and I understood the camera work and positioning. It was a lot of fun.”

Dufault also had the chance to work with actress Mircea Monroe. “It was great! I had the chance to discuss with her and to show her a few little tips about how a driver would do certain things. I think she did a great job in this movie.”

MARCH 2007

Race car driver Maryeve Dufault Embodiment of Beauty and Performance

Dufault Makes Appearance in Life Fitness Booth at IHRSA

SAN FRANCISCO (March 29, 2007) - Matching athletic performance with dignified beauty, model and Formula car driver Maryeve Dufault joins the growing Life Fitness team of female athletes. A longtime fan of Life Fitness products, Dufault uses the company's cardiovascular and strength-training equipment to stay in top shape.

"In Formula racing, there's no room for fatigue," said Dufault. "I've been working out on Life Fitness products for years - to increase my endurance to handle 45 minutes of intense racing and to build my core and upper body strength to control my car through fast turns. Its products are essential to my performance."

A constant media focus as a Formula race car driver, Dufault worked with the well-recognized Ford Modeling Agency and has appeared in a number of films, but is now concentrating her career on the racetrack-what she considers her true calling. Dufault will make an appearance with Life Fitness at the 2007 IHRSA Convention on March 29.

Dufault is one of a host of other top female athletes linked to Life Fitness
and joins surfer phenom Alana Blanchard and professional golfers Cristie Kerr and Natalie Gulbis in highlighting fitness, performance and health with Life Fitness products.

About Life Fitness
Life Fitness, a division of Brunswick Corp. (NYSE: BC), is the global leader
in designing and manufacturing a full line of high-quality fitness equipment for commercial and consumer use. It is the largest commercial fitness equipment provider in the world and the only fitness equipment manufacturer that has been providing premium equipment for nearly 30 years. Life Fitness' cardiovascular and strength-training products, including the renowned Lifecycle exercise bike, are used worldwide in health clubs, fitness centers and wellness facilities, as well as in homes. The company is headquartered near Chicago, in Schiller Park, Ill., and distributes its equipment in more than 120 countries.

JANUARY

Maryeve Racing Launches New Web Site

Jan. 28, 2007 - Maryeve Racing launched a new website this week to keep race fans informed and in touch as the Mazda Series driver continues to grow and expand towards the future. The updated look and interactive features will provide fans with up-to-date information and give them a way to communicate directly with the driver.

"I really like the look and feel of the new site, and hopefully my fans will as well," said Maryeve Dufault.

The website includes news, a photo gallery, a promotional video, as well as a store section. The site also provides information on the driver and sponsors.

The website, custom programmed by G-nius Communication. www.g-nius.ca, was designed with race fans in mind. "We wanted to create a site that would keep fans informed, entertained and give them a reason to keep coming back. Whether they just pop in to view race results or photos, there is something on the website for everyone following Maryeve," said firm owner Benoit Gosselin.

ABOUT G-NIUS COMMUNICATION: At G-nius, we are passionate about racing. It's what we do for a living! We understand the needs and wants of the motorsport consumer better than any other. Why shouldn't we? It's who we are!

This year, G-nius will guide the marketing, media, sponsorship and public relations activities of some of North America's highest profile teams and drivers. To keep our clients at the top of the pack we're in training all year round. There's no off season here! In much the same way that our clients test their courage on the race track every day, we too are driven to achieve excellence. In an industry that commands attention like no other in North-America, G-nius prides itself on providing unique and measurable motorsports marketing services.

Phenom Racing Group Begins Testing for 2007 Championship.
Maryeve Dufault completes test at Buttonwillow Raceway Park

Benicia, California. Phenom Racing Group has begun testing in earnest for the 2007 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, recently completing a test at Buttonwillow Raceway Park with Montreal, Canada resident Maryeve Dufault.

Dufault, has participated in a limited racing schedule the past two seasons, competing in the Canadian Grand Prix round of the 2005 Star Mazda Championship and select Formula BMW USA events in 2006. With this limited seat time, Dufault was happy to get some off-season testing under her belt in the #92 Phenom Racing Group Molecule Mazda.

“It was a pleasure testing with Phenom Racing Group and I’m impressed with the professionalism of the organization,” Dufault commented. “When I’ve raced in the past I’ve had makeshift seats that haven’t fit quite right, but Phenom built a seat just for me and really took the time to get me fitted to the car properly, which helped throughout the test as I could feel what the car was doing.

The coaching they provided during the test allowed me to continue to build up speed and I look forward to working with them again.”

Phenom Racing Group team manager Pete Mercier offered praise to Dufault. “Maryeve did and excellent job during the test for a driver with limited driving time,” Mercier explained. “She responded well to the coaching and was able to improve throughout the day.”

Team Principal Michael Guasch is also optimistic for the upcoming season. “2006 marked the debut of Phenom Racing Group and the team fared well in the ultra-competitive Star Mazda Championship with team driver John Faulkner just missing out on the Masters Championship,” Guasch explained. “Now with a full season behind us, and the team established, we can spend this off-season making the cars and drivers even faster.”

About Phenom Racing Group
Founded by Star Mazda Championship competitor Michael Guasch and veteran Formula Atlantic, American LeMans Series and Star Mazda engineer Pete Mercier, Phenom Racing Group is headquartered in Benicia, California and competed in the 2006 Russell Racing Pro Formula Mazda Championship as well as the nationally televised Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.

More information about the team can be found on their website at
www.phenomracinggroup.com.