RACE DRIVER TURNED BLOGGER // TED ANTHONY JR.

Greetings ColdTrackDays faithful! My name is Ted Anthony, Jr. and I’ve been given the privilege of sharing my 2010 racing experiences with you. I live in Redmond, Washington so I’m very much acquainted with the organizing theme behind ColdTrackDays. I got into driving as many people do, through my father. I began tagging along with him to (the sometimes cold) BMW Club and Porsche Club track days. When I turned 16, my passion for the sport had only grown, so I took my first driving school and began honing my skills at the same events I used to watch my Dad drive in. By the time I was 19 years old, I had developed to the point that I wanted to try racing. I took the competition licensing school with ProFormance Racing School, and got into a BMW 325is race car and began competing in ICSCC events... [read more]

After that, it went all downhill. We got our own PRO3-spec BMW 325is and attended as many races as we could afford. I ended up winning the 2006 PRO3 Championship, and soon moved into a 2004 Porsche GT3 Cup, winning all ten races I entered, including winning my class and placing 3rd overall at Portland’s (OR) famous Rose Cup Races. After that it was apparent that I could drive a fast car quickly (as well as a slow car quickly), so I started looking for ways to break into professional motorsport. I eventually signed with TC Motorsports of Auburn, WA to run the final four races of the 2008 Ford Racing Mustang Challenge season.

My first race in the Mustang was an eye-opener. I crossed the line 7th, but was penalized and ultimately finished 13th. This was halfway through the most successful season I had experienced, and was quite a shock. I took the opportunity to re-focus of the basics of driving, really work on my race craft, and devote myself totally to learning the nuances of driving the FR500S Mustang. I improved throughout those four races, with my 2008 season culminating in a victory at the final round of the Mustang Challenge at Miller Motorsports Park, the home of the series. It felt so good to finish the season on such a high note.

2009 saw me sign with TC Motorsports once again, this time for the whole Mustang Challenge season, ten races strong at some of the best racetracks in the USA. I had a fantastic year (despite a few bumps in the road). I won four races (three in a row at one point), landed on the podium seven times, and finished second in the overall championship. I also managed to sneak in two Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races (formerly called Koni Challenge). Compass360 Racing team owner Karl Thomson had seen me in the Mustangs, and invited me to run at Mid-Ohio in their #76 Honda Civic Si (above). I qualified 4th in the ST class, ran it up to 3rd (behind a pair of very fast VW GTi’s), and my co-driver brought us home in 6th place. Karl and the team were so thrilled they invited me back for the penultimate round at Miller, the same weekend as the Mustang Challenge race. I was paired with my teammate from TC Motorsports, Rick Edwards. He had a great run, starting 12th and turning the car over in 8th spot. I got in and drove the car into the dark, battling with Will Turner, of the renowned Turner Motorsport, eventually getting the best of him for 5th place in ST.

This race set the tone for 2010, as TC Motorsports decided to purchase two new Chevrolet Camaro race cars (built by Riley Technologies) to contend the entire season of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. I will once again be paired with Rick Edwards, and we have high hopes for the year. Stay tuned to this space for continuing updates on our efforts!

Photo: Curtis Creager, David A. Birkbeck and Wes Duenkel
Editorial: Ted Anthony Jr.