Press Release: April 28, 2011

Cates Takes Second Place at Long Beach

The Grand Prix of Long Beach began with a decent start for Cates; however it ended on a very high note. Cates was 4^th fastest in the first practice session and ended up 5^th on the grid for qualifying. After reviewing their race data and realizing they were still pretty far off the pace, the team was hoping for some mayhem on the start; and that’s what they got.

The Volvo of Aaron Poveledo and the VW Jetta of Ronald Zitza got into each other which consequently ended up taking out Lawson Aschenbach. It was a chain reaction which cleared the way for Cates. Povoledo got through but then his right front tire went down due to the mishap at the start. When his tire finally let go he almost stalled in the middle of the turn creating some unavoidable contact with Cates. After that Cates was in the lead for a few laps until being passed by Navarro. Navarro would go on to win the race but would be disqualified later due to an air box infraction. “I was surprised to be leading the first lap,” said Cates. “I saw Eric Meyer behind me and no one in front and I thought it was just going to be a two man race. After hoping to check out on the field I saw the white VW of Navarro fly by and suddenly called in on the radio to Jon the crew chief. He told me he wasn’t for position but it turned out he was. After realizing my actual position on track it didn’t really matter, the car just didn’t have the speed to keep up with Navarro,” remarked Cates.

Shea Holbrook ended up getting past Cates towards the end of the race. Cates’s VW got caught in between gears, ending up in a near four second loss on time. That allowed Shea to close and then Cates got shoved to the outside of turn 1 by a Mustang where Shea got by him. When the checkered flew Devin was in 3^rd but after tech and the disqualification of Navarro he ended up second. “I’m very happy to have finished in second in the illustrious Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said Cates. “If you would have told me before the race that I was going to finish on the podium I wouldn’t have believed you as we were so far behind the front three cars. Our car is still really down on power. But after a little luck and smooth driving I found myself on the podium so I can’t be disappointed. I would also like to thank my sponsors Cutaway Creations, Cates Engineering and Finish Line Productions for all their support this year.”

After Long Beach Cates finds himself second in points (278) to Lawson Aschenbach (367) with Shea Holbrook in third with (252). The next round is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah April 29 – May 1. Look for Cates as he tries to close the gap in points and go for a win at Miller.

Press Release: April 7, 2011

Cates wins Sunoco Hard Charger Award

for both races at World Challenge Opener

April 7, 2011 – Broad Run, VA – Devin Cates, a 2010 race winner in World Challenge, kicked off the 2011 season by winning the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for rounds 1 & 2 at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. “There are a lot of high hopes for this year,” explained Cates, “This is our first full season of racing since 2009 and we are looking forward to competing for the championship.” Cates was 5^th fastest amongst the Touring Class in the first practice session in his Cutaway Creations / Cates Engineering sponsored Volkswagen GTI. When qualifying came around, Devin was zealous and ready to prove the speed of his GSM Motorsports prepared GTI. Unfortunately, on his first flying lap the shift cable broke causing the car to be stuck in 3^rd gear. Cates ended up gridded 15^thout of 18 cars in class.

The first few laps of Race #1 were very hectic but Cates stayed focus and started his move up through the field. “Racing with 48 other cars within 3 classes in my first street race was quite an eye opener, especially after not being behind the wheel of a race car for over 5 months”, remarked Cates. After settling into a good pace, the caution flag flew for the first major accident of the season.

“Somehow I managed to avoid the 3 car pileup of Sandberg, Meyers and Holbrook. I saw the corner workers showing the waving yellow flag approaching the turn and I backed off the pace a little since it you could not see the exit. As soon as I got to the middle of the turn I could see the track was almost completely blocked. I was able to drop throttle and get the car rotated just in time to maneuver past the Honda Civic of Holbrook. That was one of the closest calls I can remember. I ran over a bumper that was out in the middle of the track, but the GTI was able to continue on” said Cates. After the caution that lasted for a good twenty minutes, Cates was able to pick off a few more positions and salvage a good finish, ending up 7^thin Touring Car and advancing the most overall positions of all 3 classes.

“Due to our lack of testing over the off season, we really didn’t have the car dialed in enough to allow Devin to make a run for the front. We qualified 3^rd first time out at VIR last fall but an oversight on some rule changes in the off season left us running a bone stock exhaust and we just didn’t have the speed on the straights like the other Volkswagens”, claimed team manager Brian Cates. After getting the VW’s handling dialed in with the new Pirelli slicks and picking up a few more horsepower by removing the stock muffler, the GTI was starting to come alive.

Sunday’s race was initiated by a decent launch on the standing start from 10^th place. Some skillful maneuvering allowed Devin to work his way into 5^th position before one of the Volkswagen Jettas ended up on top of the tire wall and stalled the race for about ten minutes. After the restart Devin was able to make a few more passes and ended up finishing 4^thand garnering the Sunoco Hard Charger award again.

Being able to procure two solid finishes after a botched qualifying session and initial teething problems gave the team reason to be happy and rejoice over the weekend. “It didn’t go as planned, it was at times rough and moderately dismal but we were able to fight through and salvage two good points paying positions and most importantly, gain more experience to help through the remainder of the season,” said Jon Lewis, owner of GSM Motorsports. “We think we will have a much more competitive car for our trip out west to Long Beach” claims Lewis.

St. Petersburg, Parade of States:

Devin was one of 6 World Challenge drivers that were lucky enough to participate in the St. Petersburg Parade of States, along with a cast of INDY CAR drivers. The Honda Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg festivities were kicked off Thursday night by a parade of grand gestures and welcoming salutes. The streets were surrounded by thousands of St. Petersburg natives, some sitting and others standing, but all very anxious and eager in anticipation for the parade and fan adoring race car drivers. The parade was led by the Budweiser Wagon, pulled by the infamous Clydesdale horses. Next in line was the official World Challenge pace car, a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta piloted by WC Vision’s marketing director Dave Drimmie. Devin Cates and GT driver Mike Skeen were sitting high on the back of one of the convertible Volkswagens as they waved and greeted the fans. “It was an awesome experience interacting with the fans,” said Cates, “being able to gain perspective on how the fans appreciate the involvement with the drivers and the series is great.” At one point Devin hopped out of the car and ran to the gates of the fans, passing out some hero cards. The whole experience is something that will remain indelible for quite some time.

German Speed Merchants:

The Devin Cates Racing VW GTI was constructed and prepped by Wilmington, North Carolina’s German Speed Merchants. GSM has prepared race winning cars for over a decade and offers full fabrication, suspension development, tuning services and performance modifications for German Car enthusiasts. GSM provides track day and club racing support and routine service and maintenance for street vehicles, specializing in VW, Porsche, Audi and BMW vehicles. GSM Motorsports will be providing full trackside support for Devin Cates Racing for 2011 World Challenge Series. www.gsmwerk.com

Devin Cates:

Devin Cates won his first SCCA Pro Racing event in 2009, winning round 9 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the ultra-competitive Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series. In 2010 he competed in several professional road racing series, starting off with GRAND-AM’s Continental Tire series Grand Sports division for 5 races with Mitchum Motorsports in a 2010 Riley Camaro. Devin also garnered a pole position and finished 3^rd in his first and only outing in GRAND-AM’s Mustang Challenge with Capaldi Racing. He paired up with Capaldi again at Mid Ohio to win the inaugural Mustang Challenge race in World Challenge and finished P2 the second race, taking 3rd and 5^th place overall in GTS. Devin started racing in NASA’s Camaro Mustang Challenge at the age of 16. He developed his racing skills in the hotly contested Spec Miata series, obtaining numerous poles, fastest race laps and race wins with the Washington DC region SCCA. www.devin.catesracing.com

Sponsors:

Cutaway Creations, located in Fairfax, VA, is a long-time sponsor of Devin Cates Racing. Cutaway creations can create a visually intriguing display of any mechanical or electro-mechanical product. Whether you need a full vehicle cutaway for an international auto show, an intricate display for a small component for a museum exhibit, or an “animated” model for technical training, Cutaway Creations can create an artistic masterpiece that can fully expose the inner workings of your product. www.cutawaycreations.com

Cates Engineering, located in Gainesville, VA and founded in 1988, provides structural engineering and consulting services for national and local based developers, architects and contractors. The company offers a wide variety of design, construction administration and expert witness services for residential, commercial, institutional, government and mixed use type projects. www.cateseng.com

Finish Line Productions, located in Gainesville, VA, provides professional motorsports photography, in-car video and post production video editing services to the racing community. www.finishlineprod.net

Press Release: September 14, 2010

DEVIN QUALIFIES THE

NEW VOLKSWAGEN GTI THIRD IN THE
SCCA PRO WORLD CHALLENGE SERIES
TOURING CAR CLASS AT VIR

Press Release: August 7, 2010

CATES FINISHES THIRD IN HIS SCCA WORLD CHALLENGE SERIES DEBUT

Cates finished third in his series debut, driving the No. 68 Cates Engineering Ford Mustang FR500S. Cates topped a fleet of cars from the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge. Kevin Helms, of Charlotte, N.C., advanced from 10th on the GTS grid to finish fourth in his No. 04 DBA/Carbotech/AST/Exedy Acura RSX. Ben Crosland finished fifth in his No. 25 RPMotorsports Ford Mustang FR500S.

Press Release: July 18, 2010

CATES SCORES POLE FOR 2ND NJMP RACE ON SERIES DEBUT

MILLVILLE, NJ, 18 July – It won’t be the usual suspects for the second Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race of the weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park. On his debut race weekend, Deven Cates laid down a scorching lap to match the scorching temperatures, securing his first pole in Mustang Challenge competition. On his first flying lap, he put in a lap of 1:32.530 seconds, easily the fastest lap of the entire weekend. Lining up alongside is rookie Kyle Gimple who fell a tenth of a second shy of claiming the pole for himself as both drivers vie for not just Sunday Group Mangement “Rookie of the Race” honors to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation, but also the overall win to close out an exciting double-header race weekend.

Newly minted championship leader, and the first of the usual suspects, Tony Buffomante will start from third on the grid. Race 1 polesitter Dan Aweida completes row two in fourth position.

“I’m getting a more used to the car,” said Cates who has experience in other production-based series and now drives the No. 68 Mustang for Capaldi Racing, “and I managed to pull out a good first lap. Now, if I can focus on pulling ahead a bit in the opening laps, maybe I can convert this to a win. This may be our last race of the season, but a good finish could change that.”

A Capaldi Racing Mustang FR500S on the pole is no surprise, except for when it’s not driven by Buffomante. Cates was indeed recruited to the team by Buffomante and the two drivers shared data and car set-up throughout the weekend, to good effect.

“I’m really proud of and happy for Devin. I’ve raced with his dad and been following Devin’s performances in other series and suggested they come over here and give the Mustang Challenge a try when one of his other drives ended,” said Buffomante, driver of the No.34 Capaldi Racing Mustang.

Though temperatures were still on the very warm side for the morning qualifying, they were slightly down on the highs seen earlier in the weekend, contributing to the faster speeds. That fact also meant a return to a more normal qualifying pattern calling for a quick out lap, put in a flyer, and let the tires cool for another run for a fast lap. At that point, it’s call it a day, for qualifying at least, and hope that your best lap is good enough.

“I thought we’d be okay with our first lap,” said Buffomante of his own qualifying effort. “But, it wasn’t good enough. Still, I’m pleased for Devin, and I’ve picked up a few more points on Jason (van Kluge). He’s a good racer, and any advantage I can get on him in the championship is a big plus.”

von Kluge lines up in fifth place for this afternoon’s race. Alongside will be Pratt Cole and yesterday’s race winner Ben Crosland starts from the seventh position. The differential among the top seven is just over eight-tenths of a second.

Winner of 2009 in New Jersey

MILLVILLE, N.J., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than 24 hours after one of the most exciting races of the season, the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup drivers returned to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the series' second race of the weekend. Once again, the drivers didn't disappoint the fans and put on a near repeat of yesterday's performance on the 14-turn, 2.225-mile road course.

The race started with Mark Pombo on the pole position in the #20 Volkswagen Parts & Accessories car, and was able to pull away from the rest of the field in the early stages. However, an accident between the #22 car of Andrew Novich and the #3 of Taylor Broekemeier caused a full-course caution on the second lap. Pombo led for a few more laps after racing resumed, but things started to heat up on lap 8 when Jake Thompson claimed the top spot going into turn 1. Pombo was able to battle back and resume the lead two laps later. Then, on lap 11, Devin Cates capitalized on a battle that saw several of the frontrunners venture off track. The Broad Run, Virginia native drove it to the front and never looked back before taking the checkered flag. The win marks Cates' first series win, and he's the sixth different driver to win this season.

"I've shown that I can be fast in this series this year, but I've not been able to back up my speed with solid finishes until now," Cates said. "So, to be able to get a win before the end of the season is awesome. There were some great battles out there today. Once I was able to get around Mark (Pombo), I was determined not to give him the spot back. Thankfully, he raced me clean, and we both wound up on the podium. I know it's too late for me to think about winning the Championship at this point, but I want to close out the season strong, and this is a great way to start."

Pombo and Timmy Megenbier rounded out the podium with second and third place finishes. In nine races, Megenbier has been on the podium eight times, which is a series record. As a result of his consistency, Megenbier now has 346 points will carry a 39-point Championship lead into the final race of the season at Road Atlanta. He will take the title regardless of any other driver results if he can finish 15(th) or better. Andy Lee (307), Joey Atterbury (273), Thompson (271) and Pombo (262) are also among the top five drivers in the Championship. Perhaps the best battle heading into the final race will be for "Rookie of the Year" honors. Atterbury and Thompson are the two drivers in the hunt, and they're only separated by two points.

DEVIN QUALIFIES THE

NEW VOLKSWAGEN GTI THIRD IN THE SCCA PRO WORLD CHALLENGE SERIES TOURING CAR CLASS AT VIR

CATES FINISHES THIRD IN HIS SCCA WORLD CHALLENGE SERIES DEBUT

CATES SCORES POLE FOR 2ND NJMP RACE ON SERIES DEBUT

Cates Becomes the Sixth Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup

Winner of 2009 in New Jersey

NEW VOLKSWAGEN GTI THIRD IN THE
SCCA PRO WORLD CHALLENGE SERIES
TOURING CAR CLASS AT VIR