RP Performance Racing

 

Drivers

Click on photos to enlarge.

Quentin Bearse

Quentin Bearse started racing in 2002.  Quentin’s best race finish has been 3rd in SSM
during the 2007 season helping him finish the year in 5th place in MARRS SSM points. 
For the 2008 season, he looks to consistent top 5 finishes in SSM.

 

 

Scott Brunk

Scott Brunk is going to be the teammate for Ken Zalner in 2006 in a run for the National Championship. Scott has been racing for 15 years and has competed in the 24 hours of Daytona. Scott also competed in the Skip Barber series and was rookie of the year in 1994. Scott finished 2nd in the Skip Barber series in 1996 by 3 points. In 2001, Scott ran a few Grand Am Cup races. In 2004, Scott won the MARRS championship in SSM. We look for Scott to finish in the top 10 in the NE and make a tip to the runoffs in 2006.

 

Andrew Coe

Andrew Coe

Andrew Coe started racing a Spec Miata in 2002. His career highlights include leading the points in the SSM MARRS Championship for half of 2006, only to finish second after the last race of the season. He also had a win at VIR in 2006 as well as back-to-back 2nd place finishes (2005-2006) in the 12-hour enduro with RP Performance teammates Bill Loomis and Wade Witmer. After missing much of the 2007 season for the birth of his daughter, Andrew will be competing in SSM again for 2008.

 

Matt Geidl

Matt Geidl

Matt Geidl started racing Spec RX7 in 2001. After 3 years of competing in the MARRS series and two 12 hour endurance races, his first top 5 finish was realized 2004 with a best finish of second place that season. Matt concluded the 2005 season 2nd in points (behind RP driver Ken Zalner) with two race wins. With the help of RP Performance’s expertise, Matt continued the momentum of the 2005 season to clentch the 2006 SpecRX7 Championship.  In 2007 after 3 race wins in SpecRX7, Matt switched his focus to the very popular SSM class concluding the season with multiple podium finishes.

Matt Geidl

Louis Interdonato

Louie Interdonato started racing Karts in 1991 to 1995 with the Woodbridge Kart Club. In 2004, RP Performance built his Spec Miata for Louie to compete in SCCA. In 2005, Louie won an EMRA race starting from the back. Louie has raced in 12 MARRS series races with five top ten finishes. Louie should be strong in 2006 with a new engine and some driver training.

Chris Kellet

Chris Kellet

Chris Kellet has been racing for a few years starting in Karts and then racing Spec RX-7's for a couple of years. This year, we are looking for good things from Chris racing in SSM for the complete MARRS season. Chris is a very talented driver. We hope to help him in anyway that we can for some top finishes and a very successful season.

 

Mark Lapos

Mark Lapos

Mark Lapos started racing in 2001 in SRX7. Raced an SRX7 from 2001 to 2004 and finished in top 5 in points in MARRS in 3 of the 4 years (ran a very abbreviated schedule in 2004). Claimed wins in the NYRRC at Pocono in 2003 and 2004. Switched to ITS in 2005 and finished 3rd in points in MARRS. Also, drove in five 12 Hours-At-The-Point races from 2001 through 2005 in SRX7, SM and ITS. Best finish 2nd in class.

Mark Lapos

Bill Loomis

Bill Loomis

 

After taking a Corvette driving school in 2001 to learn more about his street car and performance driving, Bill Loomis was hooked and proceeded to do FATT's for two years at Summit Point in his street car. He then  went to a Panoz pro racing school in January 2003 to earn his SCCA license. Bill has two 1990 SM’s a 1999 SM. His favorate racing accomplishments was finishing 2nd in SM behind RP’s team car in the 2005 and 2006 12 hour race with co-drivers Andrew Coe and Wade Wittmer, and placing 2nd in the 2007 Fathers Day MARRS SSM race while his two sons were in the stands watching his Dad race for the first time. For 2008, Bill will be running in the SCCA MARRS series in both SSM and SM, and compete in the NASA SM series for the first time. 

 

Ric Paplosky

Ric Paplosky

Ric Paplosky did a drivers school with RP Performance and then decided that Spec Miata was for him. He purchased a car from us, raced most of 2005 and did very well. We look for Ric to move up the ladder in 2006 and compete in the whole season.

Ric Paplosky

Matt Stutt

Matt Stutt

Matt Stutt started racing in the 125 Shifter karts in 2001. Continued through 2003, when Matt met Spec RX7 racer Matt Geidl and RP Performance owner Bret DePedro. Realized Spec7 was the place for him. Bought a Spec RX7 in 2003 and did his first school that fall. After a turbulent start, Matt clichéd his first Spec RX7 win in 2006 at his favorite track, Watkins Glen International Raceway.  A successful 2006 season led to an even more successful 2007 season with multiple race wins and a track record at Nelson Ledges Raceway.   In his typical style, Matt capped off the 2007 season with a dominating win starting from “the back of the pack”.

 

Matt Stutt

Jim Thill

Jim Thill

Jim Thill started his racing career in a Spec RX-7 back in 1998. Jim was the previous track record holder in Spec RX-7 at Summit Point. In 2003, Jim switch to SSM and played a huge part of the class coming to the DC region. Jim finished 4th in SSM in 2004 and in 2005. Jim will be a constant top three this year and should be fighting for the championship in 2006.

 

Wade Wittmer

Wade Wittmer

Wade Wittmer has been racing Miatas for 12 years. Highlights: 1995 - 3rd MARRS SSC Championship Points. 1998 - 3rd MARRS SSC Championship Points. 1999 -3rd ITA in inaugural running of the "12 Hours at the Point" (unofficially as a Spec Miata). 2000 - 7th SCCA MARRS SM Championship Points. 2003 - 2nd in NASA Spec Miata Challenge Championship. 2004 - 7th SCCA MARRS SM Championship Points. 2005 - 5th SCAA MARRS SM Championship Points.

Brian Zalner

Brian Zalner

Brian Zalner started his racing career back in 1996. He started racing in an ITS Porsche 944, then continued to SRX-7 and SSM. Along his way, he made pitstops in Arca, Grand Am and SM. After 5 Championships and multiple track records across the country, Brian has made his way back to SRX-7 for the 2006 season and has assumed the role of head crew chief as he supports his brother Ken and Scott Brunk along with the rest of the RP gang in an all-out onslaught in SM on the National scene of SCCA. In addition to his racing and crew chief duties, Brian has also been awarded the title of Director of Marketing for RP Performance and has vowed to do his duty to help fellow teammate and team owner Bret de Pedro to continue to strengthen and grow RP Performance and assist all of the RP drivers in any way possible.

Brian Zalner

 

Rob Morris

Rob Morris began his racing career at age 11, racing Sprint Karts. In over 30 years of racing, Rob has achieved multiple National Championships in WKA, Sprint, Roadrace, ShifterKart, and Superkart Racing. When it was time for a change, He felt that the competitive nature of Spec Miata would be a great new challenge. Rob felt RP Performance would be his best choice, in helping him reach his new goals. Rob learned a lot from RP's Staff in his first Season of 07'. He expects to improve to a top contender for 08'. Will run SM in MARRS, NASA, and some NE Nationals in 08".

 

 

Jonathan Hummer

Since his 2004 debut in sports car racing, Jon has been a front runner in SCCA’s ultra competitive MARRS series wheeling a Spec Miata. Jons resume includes several podium finishes in Spec Miata highlighted by a dominating 1st Place finish during the 2005 MARRS double. Jon has since furthered his driving resume in Road-Race Legends cars, Porsches, Audis and GAC BMWs. As an endurance driver, Jon is known not only for his lap times, but also for his patience, strategy and ease on equipment.

 

 

Mark Neal

Mark Neal caught the "addiction" for racing in the late 1990's racing superbikes with CCS. After a long sabbatical Mark's passion was reignited when he was recruited by RP Performance. He attended SCCA driver's school in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, finishing 3rd in both school races. A season best, 6th place finish highlighted 2007. We look forward to a promising 2008 season for Mark and many more top ten finishes.  Mark said,"I would like to thank Bret, Lori, Brian and Kyle for a great introduction and unmatched team support. Couldn't do it without you!"

 

 

Dave Wible

Dave Wible got his start behind the wheel auto crossing from 1988 to 1993.  He did some FATT days and Porsche Club events here and there while crewing for friends in GT4 ITA and spec RX7. Dave realized he longed for wheel to wheel combat and received his SCCA license from Panoz racing school in 2005. Although Dave only ran three races in 2006, his first full season was 2007 in SSM.  Dave managed a best finish of third place and finished third overall in MARRS points standings in SSM. Dave is a very proud member of Team RP Performance is is looking very forward to a successful 2008 and beyond. 

 

 

Brian Cates

Brian Cates started auto-crossing in 1977 in a 1965 Pontiac GTO.  From 1980 until 1982 he competitively auto-crossed a 1972 Mazda Rx-2 during his college days at VA TECH. He started racing in the SCCA in 1985 where he won his very first race in the Rx-2 in the first year of ITA and set the class lap record  Became ITA champion in 1987 and 1988. Went Pro-racing in 1989 with a Honda CRX in the IMSA Firestone Firehawk.  Took a break from racing for a while and raised a family….Hit “Mid-Life Crisis” and started back racing part time in 2002 with a Factory Five Cobra in NASA and won 1st race out.  NASA Factory Five Challenge Mid-Atlantic Champion 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.  Finished 2nd at the 2006 NASA National Chapionship and set lap record.  Dabbled in a rented Spec Miata in 2007.  He’s and his son Devin have now joined team RP Performance for a full court press season in 2008 with his newly purchased Spec Miata.

 

 

Devin Cates

Devin Cates started doing HPDE driver schools in NASA when he was 15.  He started racing a 1990 Mustang in the Camaro Mustang Challenge in 2006 and finished 2nd  in his fifth race, while competing in the inaugural NASA National Championships that year.  In 2007 he competed in the Spec Miata series in SCCA and a few races in the Spec Miata Challenge in NASA.  A few top 5 and top 10 qualifications and a couple top 10 finishes piloted for a season of learning and progression.  However, as the RP’s newest young gun driver, coupled with a strong desire to win and the tutelage of  Brian Zalner,  Devin expects to perform much better and will strive to bring home a championship.