Congratulations Bobo
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Gerardo joins BP, Mazda, and B-K Motorsports for 2008 ALMS Season
Each of us has a story to tell. We all have a few special components of our lives. Family, friends, and doing something special with our time on this earth. As kids, we tell our parents we want to be astronauts, firefighters, actors, doctors, professional video game testers, or similar. As we grow older, our teachers, family, and friends shape us into who we are today.
I had some amazing teachers in my life. I'll never forget how my English teachers taught me the importance of communication. It would be many years before I understood their lesson. I'll also never forget the lesson taught to me by George Hopkins of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps who always told us, "If you get up and go to work every day, it will all work out."
It is with tears in my eyes that I write to you today to share with you that it has indeed worked out. My greatest dream has come true. I have been hired by Robert Bach, owner of B-K Motorsports, to drive the BP Mazda LMP2 prototype in the American LeMans Series. I also grow my relationship with Mazda, a company who's products I have driven on the street and race track for 14 years, and start a relationship with Mazda's valued partners, BP, Castrol, and Yokohama. I join with a phenomenal co-driver in Ben Devlin. The two of us will campaign the entire American LeMans season, while Raphael Matos, a Champ Car Atlantic and Star Mazda champion, will join us for the longer races at Sebring and Atlanta.
The journey to this day began 18 years ago, the day I first drove a go-kart. It would be many years of waiting before taking the Skip Barber 3-Day Racing School, and again many more years before ever driving in one of their races. I filled the time with autocrossing and the occasional kart race. A few driver search competitions placed me near the top, but never enough to earn scholarships. I knew nothing of sponsorship. One day, on the advice of a great friend named Nort Northam, I joined Skip Barber as an instructor. My life changed forever thanks to the learning I gained as a teacher, and by surrounding myself with the highly experienced race drivers who worked there.
I found ways to raise the support needed to compete in the Skip Barber's Regional series, and then three seasons of Skip Barber Nationals. Season 2 of Nationals was the infamous one where I spun off the championship to Marco Andretti. You never forget a lesson like that, and with that confidence, won the National Championship in 2005. There was never a doubt in my mind I wanted to go to Star Mazda and chase the Mazda Ladder System. In 2006 Star Mazda was a roller coaster ride of many important lessons, winning the opening race, then fighting through a season of highs and lows to finish 6th in points. In 2007, at the last minute, I signed with B-K Motorsports to run their IMSA Lites car, also powered by Mazda. I learned a great deal more winning this championship by working with the team in a capacity beyond just driving the car.
I have found balance in life, racing and teaching. I choose to teach, and will continue to teach, because it balances the raw war of competing at the pro level. I love racing and teaching equally. I would not do one as well without the other.
The list of names of people I wish to thank for helping me get here is too long for this email. But, I must thank God for strength and guidance, my family for their unconditional love, my friends for always being there when I need them most, my coaches for telling me exactly what I needed to hear at just the right time, my students for working hard and trusting me, my teammates and crew for their endless work, and my investors who took the risk and paid the incredible cost of tuition to shape what I am today. And of course, thanks to Robert Bach, John Doonan, Robert Davis, Mazda and its partners for trusting me.
Come and see the BP Mazda Team race this coming Saturday, March 15, 2008 at Sebring! Or catch us on SPEED Channel, with a green flag at 10:05 AM Eastern time!
I was surfing the web and came accross this announcement on GeradoBonilla.com Awesome job BoBo, we all respect your love of the sport, your professionalism and demeanor. This was well deserved. Good luck at Sebring!
Congratulations on reaching the ranks of the best professional road racers through hard work, talent, good humor and grace.
We'll be rooting for you at Sebring and right on through the rest of the season. Very good stuff!
Bravo Gerardo Bravo... We're proud of you!
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__________________
You draw 'em a picture and they eat the crayons... (Duck Waddle commenting on the creative ways some people interpret driving instruction.)
Wonderful, wonderful news! It's fantastic when you get to see someone succeed commensurate with his skills and hard work. It's even more fantastic to see it happen to a great human being. This time we get both. Bobo, we'll be following you (albeit at some considerable distance -- like your competition!) every mile this season.
__________________ "If you feel like it's all under control, you're not going fast enough." -- Mario Andretti
Testing Mid-Corner Speed / Advanced Member (500+ Posts)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 553
Re: Congratulations Bobo
If someone ever needs an example of the rewards of hard work,
perseverance, positive attitude and strong character, this is it. Congratulations Gerardo, it is well and truly earned and deserved.
Tears in his eyes...A Cinderella story...former driving instructor..... soon to be.....World Champion!!!!!!......
We are all so proud and happy. You have always made such an impression on me....even though I came to a few events.....You deserve all of the good things in life.... This is a good case of "The good guys do win".
Good luck,.... We're all a little jealous.....And it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Make us proud!!!!!!
This story put such a big smile on my face. Gerardo, I am so happy for you. What an awesome opportunity, and I am sure that you have found your place to shine even brighter than you already have. Best wishes for a wonderful season.
Mid-Corner Speed Master / Advanced Member (1,000+ Posts)
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chatham, NY
Posts: 1,268
Re: Congratulations Bobo
I always love it when the good guy wins. I'll have to do it in front of the TV but that noise you'll hear is us in the Northeast rooting for you.
Congrats, Bobo. Enjoy.
__________________
QUALIFICATIONS 1987: Davidson: "Sammy Swindell's car runs a normally aspirated stock-block engine with Pontiac heads. It was developed by John Buttera." Palmer: "Wow, yeah, he used to play the sax with Louis Prima." Davidson: "That was Sam Butera." Palmer: "Oh, yeah."
Maximizing Exit Speed / Advanced Member (10+ Posts)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Daytona Beach
Age: 76
Posts: 18
Re: Congratulations Bobo
Gerardo
This is phenomenal news! No one is more deserving. I know you will excel in this series as you have in others. I'll try to get down for the start but will definitely watch on Speed. Congratulations Bobo!!
Don
It's been a few days and now, with my mind fully recovered, I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your support. Reading your posts during the race week was very special and uplifting.
I'm blessed to be racing with B-K Motorsports. If you could have been there, in my shoes, you would have been in awe of them. The audacity of building a complete LMP2 car in 24 hours from a bare tub was a sight to behold. "Herculean" is an appropriate term. I watched them not only get it done, but do it with passion. They got only a few hours of sleep in rotation, some guys up for 40 hours.
The passion of the team's leadership gave me great confidence. Not just the ownership and managers, but the partners as well, from Mazda, to Yokohama, to BP and Castrol, to the engine guys at AER, our engineering staff, and others. It was a treat to see the executives, instructors, crew, and customers of Skip Barber Racing School stop in and check on us. A few of the senior Skip Barber crew volunteered to help us check the car over.
We also received feedback from around the paddock. Crew chiefs and drivers from the most accomplished teams in ALMS sent us letters or stopped in to encourage us. The CEO of the ALMS also stopped in. The support from around our little world was so humbling. So many great people in this sport.
Driving the car is a very special privilege. It's a fighter jet of race cars. I can now understand just how much work it takes to get here. The time and money invested, the effort, the training, the support of friends, family, and investors, there's so much to it. I'll have a lot more in my playbook to teach with at Skip Barber.
Thank you once again for supporting my awesome team and my part in it. I hope to see you all at the racetrack soon.
Maximizing Exit Speed / Advanced Member (10+ Posts)
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 19
Re: Congratulations Bobo
Was at a sailing course in St. Pete with my daughter, and ran down afterwards to see if i could catch some of your race this past weekend. Alas, already finished, but got to watch some of the Indy Lites and come by the BP stand. Seeing the name "Bonilla" emblazoned on the car ( a prototype, my most alluring fantasy ) just made me smile and smile.
Some folks on this site will recall the energy and enthusiasm you shared with us mere mortals when you came running down the pit lane in the six-hour PBOC a few months back, having set fast lap in spec miata (!) while the other drivers were scratchin' their heads....with a big smile you breathlessly shook hands and chatted with us and then said " Wanna know how i did it? ", explaining your braking points and strategy. That was so you -- enthusiasm, joy of the sport, energy, and a great willingness to help others. To me, that's what it's all about - that's being a real Racer! You deserve every success! Go, Gerardo!
Nicely put Doc. I remember the light in his eyes when he described how great it was driving Sebring for the first time at night after years of dominating in daylight.
What I'll always recall was Gerardo bounding into the BSI parts trailer we were using as a changing room with the good news that he'd just been invited to tryout for the LMP2 car he's now driving. Never touching a step, he literally flew into the trailer his feet landing several feet inside. His face was having trouble containing his oversize grin and big eyes, looking more like Mickey Mouse than Mickey himself. He had the demeanor of an orphan who'd been led into the living room of a mansion with an enormous Christmas tree and told that all the gifts around the big tree were only for him.
He wasn't at liberty to divulge the team but "Zoom Zoom" was ooozing out of his pours. It was an opportunity he'd been working towards for years and he has made and will continue to make the best of it. :-) Good stuff for a very good guy and racer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Racer
Some folks on this site will recall the energy and enthusiasm you shared with us mere mortals when you came running down the pit lane in the six-hour PBOC a few months back, having set fast lap in spec miata (!) while the other drivers were scratchin' their heads....with a big smile you breathlessly shook hands and chatted with us and then said " Wanna know how i did it? ", explaining your braking points and strategy. That was so you -- enthusiasm, joy of the sport, energy, and a great willingness to help others. To me, that's what it's all about - that's being a real Racer! You deserve every success! Go, Gerardo!
__________________
You draw 'em a picture and they eat the crayons... (Duck Waddle commenting on the creative ways some people interpret driving instruction.)