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BURLINGTON, ON - The owners of TLM Racing are extremely pleased to announce that TLM Racing has been sold to AVR Motorsports. At the end of the 2009 F1200 Championship Series season all 3 partners in TLM Racing had agreed, due to increasing personal and business commitments they were unable to continue managing the front running F1200 team.
It was with a heavy heart that all three owners, Chris Tanser, Dave Matkovich, and Gerry Merz feared that the work and effort that was put into building TLM Racing may fade away.
"After 4 seasons, winning over 40 podiums, 2 Rookie of the Year, and 2 Vallis Cups...to see the name TLM Racing just disappear, would have been sad", commented Gerry Merz. "We worked so hard to develop a winning system for up and coming open wheel racers, but now, to find a really top notch, young, up and coming group of guys to take all our work to another level....Chris, Dave, and I couldn't have hoped for a better future and home for TLM Racing than AVR Motorsports.
AVRmotorsports.com principals are Sam Ashtiani, Shane Viccary, and Jonathon Rolstin, all 3 graduating "Honors" with Bachelor of Engineering degrees from UOIT in April of 2010 and all 3 project leaders in the UOIT Formula SAE program.
Both Ashtiani and Viccary bring a veteran's perspective as drivers in F1200 Championship Series, as well, Rolstin brings ALMS and GT mechanical experience to round out AVR's leadership and management team!
You could make a leap that AVR Motorsports, in some ways, looks very similar to a young Autotechnica, who enjoyed tremendous success developing their Formula BMW team and who's principals were also graduates of the same programs at UofT
"The team at AVR is very solid", commented Chris Tanser. 'I can see that they will be able to take the raw experience we gained with TLM Racing in the F1200 series and now add an entirely new "higher tech" component in both racing strategy and engineering"
TLM principals Matkovich and Merz, as per the alliance created between TLM and BGR, (Brian Graham Racing), in 2009, are moving onwards and upwards into BGR's camp to focus on business and driver development, after forming BGR Sports & Entertainment with BGR principle Brian Graham.
"Gerry and I will stay close to Sam and his team at AVR throughout their inaugural season in F1200", commented Matkovich. "Although these young AVR lads are coming to the table with serious technical and engineering CV's, make no mistake, we have a vested interest in ensuring that the new TLM of AVR-TLM maintains its winning ways.
TLM Racing would like to send a HUGE thank-you out to all those who helped make our F1200 team a success from 2006-2009. Team Sponsors, such as Paul Leggat of Roseland VW in Burlington, Brad Morris and Mark Paul of Grote Manufacturing, and Dale Cox of Amsoil. Also our crew members: Teresa Matkovich, Aaron Lang, Devan Matkovich, and Paul Gibson. Last but not least all the great coverage and support we got from the media...Rob/Al/Kim at eformulacarnews.com, Tony/Jeff at ekartingnews.ca, Russ/Jim at Canadianracers.com & Canadiankarters.com, David, Greg, James and the lads at insidetracknews.com and Mike at racecanada.com Thanks so much for supporting us and the FTDA!
But most of all....the lads who made it all worthwhile, although at times, had us pulling out our hair, but most of the time, just blew us away at what they did on the track and caused our arms to go up in the air 40+ times!. Devan Matkovich, (2006), Greg "The Stig" Brenzil, Aaron Lang + Matkovich (2007), Alex Ellis, Dylan Gibson + Brenzil (2008), and Taylor Near, Carlo & Aryton Triolo, and Keenan Harris (2009)
AVR Motorsports now has 3 seats in F1200 available for 2010. AVR plans to host a driver recruitment go-kart day at Formula Kartways on March 20th. For more information about the new AVR-TLM Racing, please contact Sam Ashtiani at sashtiani@avrmotorsports.com or direct at 416-854-1818
Also: www.tlmracing.com & www.avrmotorsports.com
From Gerry Merz
