James Vance has spent the down time between races concentrating on the business side of the sport.
Stouffville, Ontario - In the summer months, a few weeks off may be a welcome vacation to some. Instead, it's a perfect time to focus on building a business for Compass360 Racing driver James Vance.
Vance suffered his first DNF of the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season June 7 at Kansas Speedway after qualifying a season-best 12th.
To shake off that tough weekend, Vance has focused on his business of selling sponsorship and making deals that allow him to continue moving forward in his racing career.
"I knew I had to say something to give me closure," Vance said. "And I did. You can't control everything. It's so easy as a driver to get caught up in the excitement of the four days leading up to the race. You get hyped up, and at the end of the weekend you can be like, 'Man, what happened?'
"I had to make sure I didn't let myself focus on that. So I got back to work and focused on the projects that allow me to race. I looked at this year and everything that I've accomplished, and I was proud. Some driver coaching, I deal with sponsors, and I have worked for everything that I've spent this year. That accomplishment just made me proud of my work.
"The business side of things is exciting work to me. In university, I majored in business and minored in finance, so I have some background. To me, seeing that email or message that starts with that positive subject line is exciting. Landing that deal is the same feeling as throwing down a perfect lap. I'm addicted to it."
Vance's next step is to conquer Round 6 of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge June 26-28 at Watkins Glen International in his No. 74 ExpoSystems USA Honda Civic Si.
Vance, 21, from Stouffville, Ontario, finds himself in an all-too-familiar situation, having never raced at the next venue on the schedule. But he has logged plenty of miles on the 11-turn, 3.4-mile circuit on a simulator and through online racing.
"For whatever reason, there was always a lot of online racing of MX-5's at Watkins Glen," Vance said. "Now when I get there, it'll be different, as it always is when you're actually in the car. However, I'll have my reference points to help me out.
"I think I look at new tracks differently than other drivers. Going into a new track seems advantageous. I'm going in neutral with no expectations of how well I'll do in one turn or how difficult I may find another. New tracks excite me. I think it can be an advantage to not have been there."
On-track action starts at 2:20 p.m. (ET) Thursday, June 26 with Practice 1 of the weekend. The 150-minute race takes place at 11:35 a.m. Saturday, June 28 for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge field. Follow along with live streaming on imsa.com that begins at 11:35 a.m. Saturday, June 28 or tune in to FOX Sports 1 to catch the encore presentation at 10 a.m. (ET), Sunday, July 6.
For updates on James Vance, follow him on Facebook and Twitter at @James_Vance.
About ExpoSystems USA : ExpoSystems has developed a wide range of Custom Modular Trade Show Displays focusing on durability, lightweight materials, a flexible modular design and utilizing recycled materials where possible. Many of our custom trade show display systems offer custom specialized finishes and specialized accessory options available. From light boxes, Rotagraphics and counters, to special graphic headers or custom signage.
About Compass360 Racing (C360R): Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Brand Architects, a Toronto-based firm offering marketing expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. The team, with support from Honda Performance Development (HPD), fields front-running Honda Civic Si's in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, winning series championships in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. C360R also won World Challenge Touring Car Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the Canadian Touring Car Championship in 2010. It adds single-car Subaru WRX STi efforts to its CTSC and PWC programs for 2014. For details visitwww.C360R.com, like on Facebook and follow on Twitter.