- March 9, 2006 -
CASEY NEAL ADDED TO SEBRING LINE-UP FOR JOHN WALKO RACING

TRAFFORD, PA (March 9, 2006) – John Walko Racing has added yet another talented young driver to the mix as the team plans its inaugural assault on the STAR Mazda Championship.

Casey Neal, a 2005 Red Bull Drivers Search Finalist, will join the team at the season opening race at Sebring International Raceway on March 17th where the STAR Mazda series will compete as part of the 54th Annual Twelve Hours of Sebring.

The Cincinnati, Ohio based driver brings a stellar record in karting to the table, including wins in both the Stars of Karting and WKA national events as well as WKA National, regional and local Championships. His brightest accomplishment to date however has been his dominant performance in the Red Bull Drivers Semi-Finals where he set fast time en route to winning all eleven races.

That ability to quickly learn and adapt was evident to John Walko early on in a recent test at Roebling Road Raceway, “Casey’s first laps were essentially a shakedown run as we brought a newly rebuilt car. We had some bugs to work out in the car early on but Casey adapted well and was very quick.” Walko continued, “I was impressed with how quickly he learned.”

The team reviewed the data from the initial runs with Casey, offering suggestions on what he needed to work on in the following sessions. Walko again was impressed by the seventeen year olds results. “After reviewing the data and listening to the coaching, Casey made all of the necessary changes and was instantly quicker. His ability to listen and learn showed in the lap times.”

Walko is excited to have Neal join JWR at Sebring to open the season, “We are very happy to have a talented young driver such as Casey in one of our cars. This is also an excellent situation for him as he will have the benefit of teammates and an experienced crew to learn from.”

John Walko Racing, along with drivers Charles Anti, Ross Smith and Casey Neal begin their STAR Mazda Championship season at Sebring International Raceway, March 17th as part of the 54th Annual Twelve Hours of Sebring. The team is seeking interested drivers to join JWR for the STAR Mazda series. Testing programs and full or partial race seats are available for the 2006 season. Contact info@johnwalkoracing.com for more information.

Additional team information can be found at www.johnwalkoracing.com.