Press Release by: JMF Motorsports.
JMF Motorsports has added a step to their development ladder by fielding a karting team competing in Canada and USA. Six Canadian kart racers were chosen to represent JMF Motorsports Karting Team. They will compete in Canada in The Ron Fellows Karting Championship, Kart Stars Canada and Rotax Max Championship, as well as in the USA in the Stars Championship Series.
The drivers for the 2024 JMF Motorsports Karting team are Joshua Conquer, Lily Flintoff, Jaden Harry, Christian Menezes, Aidan Shimbashi, and Christian Valverde.
As opposed to programs that transition drivers from karts to open-wheel cars, the JMF Motorsports program focus is on GT cars.
The karting team was the initiative of President and CEO of JMF Motorsports, John Farrow. “Having a karting step in our program supports our efforts to bring Canadian drivers to the forefront of GT racing,” says Farrow. “The primary objective of this program is to identify and develop drivers and help them take the next step out of karts while forming a feeder system for our motorsports team.”
Danny Kok, COO of JMF Motorsports, sees this as a place for drivers to learn while being supported. “We identified drivers who have the characteristics we are looking for in our team framework, and will offer them race support and exposure to race cars,” Kok says. “We are looking for great kart racers who also have the right aptitude and attitude to become successful in professional GT racing.”
The program is managed by Brad Shimbashi, who has been in the motorsports industry for over 18 years. “With this program, we are establishing a clear path for our junior drivers. Learning to conduct themselves on and off the track is an important aspect in preparing to make the move to professional racing,” says Shimbashi.
JMF Motorsports fields teams in both SRO and IMSA. Competing in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Cup series, the Pirelli GT4 America series and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series, the goal is to identify and develop Canadian drivers and help them advance through the ranks of professional GT racing.
About JMF Motorsports
In 2020, performance driver and motorsport enthusiast John Farrow made the decision to implement a lifelong dream and start a race team. With his passion for Mercedes-AMG, and his desire to help Canadian motorsport athletes, he launched JMF Motorsports. His vision was to start a racing team that would help showcase young Canadian driver talent and assist them in advancing their racing careers.
JMF Motorsports entered the 2021 SRO GT4 America series and quickly became podium contenders, winning the last 4 races of the season. In 2022, JMF Motorsports / Conquest Racing had 2 victories and climbed to the podium 12 times. 2023 also saw a strong season with 8 podium finishes and 5 race wins. The JMF Motorsports / Conquest Racing team finished the season 2nd place in the 2023 SRO Pirelli GT4 America Silver Class.
