Everything went extremely well for our testing of the Riley Technologies Camaro in Savannah on March 1st and then at the race at Homstead on March 6th! It was our first time we racing with the Mitchum Motorsports Team and everyone worked very well together. We could not have been more pleased with how it all went for our first event together. Even more importantly, we met some very important team and driver goals for this, our second race in the Grand-Am CTSCC (Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge) GS Series. We did in fact take a few very meaningful steps forward!

1. Joey & Devin drove strong, consistent and carefully – This was their first REAL time racing in a competitive car, with a competent crew and racing ‘up there in the lead pack’ position during the race. They did not wreck the car and kept it on the track.
2. Joey & Devin finished the race – 11 cars DID NOT finish the race including three Camaros. We finished in 24th position out of 66 cars, which was not as strong as we would have liked, but better than Daytona and that is the goal – better each time.
3. Joey’s driving skills were absolutely outstanding and he definitely got himself ‘noticed’ at the track: Joey had the fastest lap time of all the Camaros for; the practice session before qualifying, the qualifying session and, even during the race!
4. Joey started the race in 13th position – he drove the first 66 laps (91 total) and despite being assessed a ‘stop & go’ penalty (a call that could have gone either way, but being that we are the new kid on the block, we took the call without argument). That penalty dropped him back to 30th but Joey was undeterred and he fought his way all the way up back up to 14th when he finally came in and pitted on lap 66.
5. The tires became less than stellar approaching lap 50 – none the less, Joey actually drove as fast, or faster, lap times the last 15 laps he was out there than he had the previous 15 laps. He was steadily gaining and moving up the pack hoping for a full course yellow to come into the pits for a driver change, four new tires and re-fuel. That yellow never came and we had to pit under green which cost us a lap and took us out of the top 15 positions.
6. The accomplishments of this race were far and above our expectations and the testing and race prepared us well for our next race at Barber Motorsports the second weekend in April. We also moved forward toward the goal of winning the Grand-Am Rookie of the Year Award for Joey & Devin.

Wanna go for a ride for a couple of laps at Homestead with Joey driving in the #6.2 Camaro? Buckle your seat belts before you press the play button, he is going nearly 160mph on the back straight and onto the high bank sweeping turns into the front straight!

Joey Atterbury and Devin Cates have teamed up to join Mitchum Motorsports for 2010. They will be racing a new Riley Technologies Camaro in the Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Atterbury and Cates became good friends while racing against each other in the 2009 VW Jetta TDI Cup Series. In that series Atterbury won the opening race at VIR, and garnered ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors by finishing in the top five in 6 out of the 10 races. He finished 4th overall in the final point standings. Cates was awarded ‘Most Improved Driver’, won the 9th race of the series at NJ Motorsports Park and finished in the top 10 in points overall. Cates also captured the iRacing Driver award by having both the fastest time and the most hours logged racing the Jetta TDI on iRacing during the season.

Both rookie drivers earned their SCCA Pro Racing Licenses through the VW Jetta TDI Cup Series. They both proclaim this series as a great way to start your career as a race driver. Despite living on opposite ends of the country, Atterbury and Cates race each other daily on iRacing as they prepare for next season in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Both drivers own and race a Spec Miata in their local SCCA Regions.

Learn more about these exciting new drivers and follow them through the 2010 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Series next year at joeyatterbury.com and devin.catesracing.com