Sexton To Drive Pirelli World Challenge With Winding Road Racing

Features, Racing I By Tom Martin I April 05, 2017

Jeff Sexton will join Winding Road Team TFB for the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge series. Sexton, of Austin, Texas and Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2011, will run in the TCA class in one of the team's ND generation Mazda MX-5s. Sexton said "I'm excited to be joining the Pirelli World Challenge TCA class in 2017, because the latest Mazda MX-5 is a new car in that class. Winding Road Team TFB has built an extensive experience base with the car in MX-5 Cup during 2016, so I'm hopeful that we can quickly position ourselves as a front runner." Sexton will join teammates Mason Filippi and Jacob Ruud, who will be running BMW M235iRs in Pirelli World Challenge TC class.

Sexton comes to Winding Road Team TFB with a successful racing background grounded in karting. He achieved over 100 karting victories in the Texas region and twice qualified for the prestigious Red Bull Junior Driver Search, a national competition of karters aged 13 -17 aimed towards bringing an American to Formula 1. His first time behind the wheel of a racecar occurred at the Bridgestone Racing Academy where he drove F2000 Van Diemens in the Advanced Racing Program. He competed at the Jim Russell Future Driver competition, an international event where Sexton competed in the FJR 50, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, as well as karts. He has experience in a wide range of racecars that cover open wheel, prototypes, and GT cars.

"We are excited to have a talent like Jeff join the team. I know from personal experience how challenging formula cars can be and what a great platform they are for building the skills needed in touring car racing," said Tim Barber, director of competition for Winding Road Team TFB. "Naturally, there will be a lot to learn, with a new car in this series, and a different aero and tire package than we've run previously. But we are confident that our experience winning races in MX-5 Cup will bear fruit in TCA as well," Barber noted.

Sexton will run with Winding Road Racing sponsorship. "Winding Road Racing has an impressive range of offerings for the racer, from safety gear to race car engineering to coaching. They are really interested in providing everything racers need to go faster, and it is a pleasure to be able to showcase the brand in front of a North American audience," said Sexton. "With their large online presence, plus stores in Southern California, Northern California, Austin, Kentucky and the new Winding Road@ATLSpeedwerks portal, Winding Road Racing's rapid expansion has impressed me," he said.