Skip Barber : Jessica Brunelli named “Rookie of the Year”
At just 14 years old, Jessica Brunelli was named the Skip Barber 2007 Western Regional Race Series “Rookie of the Year”. Jessica ended the season in fifth place in points in both the Championship Division and Overall points total for the Season.
Skip Barber held its annual Awards ceremony to honor the top 10 drivers of the Western Region Race Series in Monterey, California on Sunday April 1st, 2007. The Series had an average driver count of over 40 participants per race weekend with over 80 different drivers competing over the six month schedule. Jessica was introduced by one of her driving instructors Jon Morley, he stated “Jessica finished the season very strong, with four podium finishes out of the last six races. Once she overcame a few rookie mistakes in her early races, Jessica proved that she could race with anyone in the Championship Division. It was truly amazing to watch this 13 year old develop into such a talented race car driver”. Jessica was presented with an overall fifth place trophy. Jessica competed in the Championship Division, Skip Barber’s highest level in the Series.
After the top ten drivers were acknowledged, Professional Driver Tommy Fogerty took the stage to present the “Rookie of the Year” Award. He began by discussing the accomplishments of the driver that was to win this award. He also said, “Being the “Rookie of the Year” in any race series is one of the greatest rewards a driver can receive” stated Fogarty “and it is my honor to present this award to Jessica Brunelli”. The room filled with applause and cheers as Jessica came forward to receive her Award. After the hugs and photos were over, Jessica returned to her table, receiving congratulations from everyone she passed on the way back to her seat.
“It was a great honor and surprise to win the Rookie of the Year Award”, Brunelli stated, “I had not been paying any attention to the points. We were running in the series primarily to learn race craft, transitioning from karting to formula race cars, it just happened that we finished on top of the Rookies. This is truly a great honor and a moment in my racing career that I will never forget. I would like to thank everyone at Skip Barber, they are a very dedicated group of people that have worked really hard with me to make me the best that I could be in a race car. Everything I know about race craft I owe to them and of course to my dad, for always being there to help me learn.”
Jessica participated in Skip Barber Shoot-out at Sebring, Florida
Jessica’s talent in not only kart racing, but in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge Race Cars earned her a spot in the Skip Barber National Shoot-out in January, 2007 at Sebring International Raceway.
The Shootout is stated to be, “the largest and single most important event for karters transitioning into race cars”. Skip Barber only selects the top 50 drivers from all over the world to compete in this prestigious event.
Jessica was one of only 4 drivers under the age of 15 to be invited. With the average age being 17 years old, Jessica was given the opertunity to test her skills and learn from the experianced group.
The Shootout was held over 4 days and put the drivers through a series of on and off track assessments. It is a great achievement just to be invited to the Shootout and Jessica left Sebring with a great deal of information, track skills and of course new friends.
Jessica's First win comes at Thunderhill Raceway
Jessica Brunelli, the two time, 2006 IKF Region 11 Champion driver from Hayward, Ca. wasted no time showing the Formula drivers of the Skip Barber Race Series that she was there to continue her winning ways.
In just her tenth race of her racing career in full size open wheel race cars, Jessica took her first win in the Memorial Race at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, Ca on February 11th, 2007 in the Championship division of the Skip Barber Series.
Not only did the 14 year old eighth grader win the race, she beat the field by over 9 seconds and bettered the track record set earlier that morning by over 6/10ths of a second, with speeds topping 130mph and averaging 90mph around the twisting three mile road course.
It was a great weekend for Jessica as she competed in two other races. The rain fell hard as the green flag dropped on the Saturday morning race. Jessica raced her way through the field to a second place finish, right on the bumper of the Championship points leader. To earn her first podium finish in the Championship Division of the Skip Barber Race Series. Sunday morning brought clearing skies and the end of the rain. Jessica had never seen this track in the dry, yet it didn’t take long for her to learn the dry line and finished the race in third place and another podium finish.
“It has been so much fun transitioning from karting to the Formula race cars,” stated Jessica Brunelli. “It is very different than karting, but I have been able to take a great deal of what I learned in my four years of racing and apply it to these race cars” “ Racing is racing, these are just bigger and faster”, concluded Jessica. ”and it was great to get my first win with Skip Barber.
Jessica finishes the 2006 kart racing season with Two IKF Regional Championships
By finishing first and second at the IKF Regional event at Prairie City, California, Jessica has won both Regional Championships in 2006.
It is very difficult for a driver to win just one Championship, to win two Championships in the same year is quite remarkable.
Last year Jessica came close, but fell just short. In 2005, Jessica raced in three divisions, finishing second in one and third in the other two. Three top three Regional points finishes is a great accomplishment in its own right, and no other driver could make this claim.
