Courtesy of AshleyRacing.com – Ashley Freiberg PR

Last weekend, Ashley Freiberg (pronounced FRY-BURG) driver of the #91 TrueCar Star Mazda competed in her first race of the Star Mazda

Championship presented by Goodyear season at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with team JDC Motorsports. “This was actually my first time ever on a street course, and I absolutely loved it,” said Ashley. “The facility was awesome, and I can’t wait to come back!” Ashley drove in her last race over a year ago, where she was the first woman to win two Skip Barber Championships and the first woman to win a Barber National race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2010.

“Being out of a car for a year, and coming from Skip Barber, I have had some adjusting and learning to do getting used to driving a car with more horsepower, slicks, and down force,” said the five time karting champion. “With the support from my team and my driver coach, Mike Zimicki, I have definitely learned more the past few times I have been driving my TrueCar Star Mazda car than I have in a long time.”

Ashley qualified just outside the top 10 in 12th place on Friday, and in the race on Saturday passed three cars to finish 9th out of 21 cars. “I think one of my strengths is that I am consistent, and during the race I just focused on getting a good start and making the least amount of mistakes possible,” said Ashley, who was nominated as a candidate for the prestigious Team USA Scholarship. “I definitely have a lot to learn with this car, and I expect to be working really hard this year to keep improving my times.”

Unfortunately, her second race on Sunday ended quickly when she was taken out from behind going into turn 10. “Right now I am focusing on the next race at Barber MotorsportsPark. The track has a lot to do with trusting down force, so I will definitely have a steep learning curve over the weekend!”

The Star Mazda Championship Rounds 3 and 4 will be held at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park this Friday and Sunday. To follow the action live go to the Star Mazda website “Live Timing and Scoring” where you will also find on track schedules and live timing of each session.

Follow Ashley:

www.AshleyRacing.com

Twitter Name @AshleyFreiberg

Facebook Fan Page “Ashley Freiberg Racing”

About TrueCar,Inc.

TrueCar, Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better car buying experience for dealers and consumers. Consumers want a hassle-free car buying experience and dealers want high-quality sales velocity. TrueCar helps achieve these goals by providing unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealers and consumers can communicate with each other. TrueCar’s market-based information provides both consumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally. TrueCar’s communications platform then allows informed, ready-to-buy consumers to communicate directly with participating dealers. Some of the nation’s largest and mostwell respected membership and service organizations rely on websites powered by TrueCar to help educate their members and customers who are in the automotive market. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, and has offices in San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX. After experiencing dramatic growth since 2006,TrueCar is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information. TrueCar’s participating dealer partners have sold over 500,000 new vehicles to TrueCar users nationwide.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter(@TrueCar) and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook and Google+.

About JDC MotorSports:

Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. This past year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. The Minneapolis-based squad won a third Star Mazda Championship with Tristan Vautier in 2011, in addition to being victorious in the USF2000 National Championship and earning multiple podium finishes in its Prototype Lites Championship debut campaign. JDC MotorSports will once again contest full seasons in the Star Mazda Championship, USF2000 National Championship and Prototype Lites Championship in 2012.