Sutherland Racing

Los Gatos Local Tom Sutherland to Race at San Jose Grand Prix

Graduation ceremony memories are still fresh in his mind but before he packs his bags for his freshman year at Texas Christian University, 18-year old Los Gatos High School graduate Tom Sutherland of Los Gatos, California, will be racing the #2 Champ Car Atlantic car for Jensen MotorSport at the San Jose Grand Prix July 27 - 29, 2007.

The San Jose Grand Prix is the ninth stop of the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. Continuing its "More Than A Race" theme from the last two years, plans for the 2007 San Jose Grand Prix include Champ Car, Champ Car Atlantic, Historic Stock Car, Formula BMW and Formula Drift competitions, along with motorcycle stunt exhibitions, concerts, interactive displays, a family fun area and charity events.

Sutherland races in the Champ Car Atlantic series for Jensen MotorSport with teammate Frankie Muniz, the actor of "Malcolm in the Middle" fame. The San Jose Grand Prix will take the drivers on a 1.5 mile circuit, twisting past the skyscrapers and palm trees of downtown San Jose. "I truly love racing at any venue, but there is always something special about racing on your home turf in front of a supportive home-town crowd. I'm really looking forward to another great time at this year's San Jose Grand Prix," said Sutherland.

This is Sutherland's second time at the popular local San Jose Grand Prix. Last year, he achieved a career best when he took second place in Round 9 of the Formula BMW USA Series at the San Jose Grand Prix, finishing just .668 seconds behind winner Reed Stevens. With a total of 32 starts and finishes, Sutherland holds the Formula BMW USA record for most starts and finishes, and over the course of his Formula BMW USA career he racked up 19 Top 10 finishes and 3 Top 5 finishes.

Sutherland and the team have already completed races in Las Vegas, Long Beach, Houston and Portland. Leading up to the San Jose Grand Prix are a series of Champ Car Atlantic competitions that include races in Cleveland, Quebec, Toronto and Edmonton, where Sutherland will race against a number of seasoned drivers. "This is my first Champ Car Atlantic year, so the learning curve has been pretty steep," says Sutherland. "My team is really strong, and I'm getting a lot more comfortable with the car, so I'm confident that I'll move up in the rankings with every race through the rest of the season."