Duo Joins The Racers Group’s Competition and Motorsports Marketing Program
Petaluma, Calif. (The Racers Group) March 30, 2017 – The Racers Group welcomes drivers Jerry Kaufman and Kyle Tilley to their successful Pirelli World Challenge team for the 2017 season. The pair will race with TRG’s Aston Martin V8 Vantage squad for SprintX GTS races, debuting in April at VIRginia International Raceway.
In 2016, The Racers Group (TRG) won the SprintX GTS Team and Drivers’ championship, a new format for the PWC series. Kaufman, from Mooresville, N.C. raced with his driver coach Tilley, of Bath, England, throughout 2016. The duo’s on-track teamwork is formidable and bodes well for a win. In 2013, Kaufman was the National Champion BMW driver, winning two races overall, six class wins, and the rookie of the year title. The driver has since focused on perfecting his race craft and in 2016 competed in IMSA’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with Tilley. Now, Kaufman looks forward to driving the powerful Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
“Aston Martin has built the car to beat in GT4 worldwide by combining V8 power with great handling you would expect from a european sports car,” says Kaufman. “It’s a terrific venue with one of the best tracks in the country with fast turns and long straights. It should be a great start to the season.”
Kaufman and Tilley met through an SCCA endurance race team in 2015. Kaufman was ready to move to the pro level and his friendship and working relationship with Tilley continues to result in steady strengthening of his driving skills.
Tilley is a second-generation racing driver with elite-level open and closed wheel experience. He’s earned a championship in the British Formula Ford series, taking 11 wins, 9 pole positions and 12 fastest laps in 12 races. Since moving up to the pro racing level five years ago, he’s achieved impressive stats: 40 pole positions, 29 wins, and 2 championships in 70 races. Now, as both a driver coach and co-driver for Kaufman in TRG’s Aston Martin program, his focus is on a strong debut in Virginia.
“I am thrilled to be joining The Racers Group for 2017,” said Tilley. “Not only is it exciting to make my debut in the Pirelli World Challenge SprintX GTS Championship this season, I get to do it with the most successful sportscar team in history and my close friend Jerry Kaufman.”
Also appearing on the the Pirelli World Challenge docket are TRG drivers Drew Regitz and Kris Wilson who drive the 007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, which their colleague James Davison drove to a second place finish in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida, in mid March. The future looks bright and TRG’s CEO Kevin Buckler is enthused with the team’s progress, particularly that of Kaufman.
“Jerry is an exceptional driver with all the earmarks of a burgeoning champion. He is coming to us with the right mindset and is ready to learn and ready to win.” says Kevin Buckler, with whom Kaufman and Tilley recently partnered, combining their several decades of collective motorsports marketing expertise.
Both Tilley and Kaufman have achieved success on and off the track with the latter known for his real estate acumen and sporting goods background, as well as his deep connectivity in political circles.
Says Buckler, “Kaufman’s pairing with Tilley has proven a great match and we all expect many feature successes from them both on and off the track.”