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Javier Mendoza Joins Long Road Racing Team
RALEIGH, N.C.—Long Road Racing is pleased to announce that Javier Mendoza has joined the team as a full-time crewmember. Mendoza brings his talent as a crew chief, chassis dynamics specialist and mechanical engineer to his new role with the team.
Mendoza will focus his efforts on the development and preparation of Long Road Racing’s customer cars in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series. He will also act as car chief for the No. 27 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5, a perennial Continental Tire Series champion contender.
Mazdas are a specialty of Mendoza’s, just as they are for Long Road Racing. Prior to joining the team on a full-time basis, Mendoza worked race weekends as a carchief for Long Road Racing. He also pitched in during four furious days of car preparation prior to the GRAND-AM race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, during which two cars were completely rebuilt, resulting in a pole position and the team’s first podium finish for the MAZDASPEED3.
Mendoza’s Mazda history dates back to 2006, when he joined Hyper Sport. Under his guidance as crew chief, the team took second in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Series championship in 2006. Mendoza moved up to the Rolex Series with the No. 40 Dempsey Racing Hyper Sport Mazda in 2008. He has also worked with teams in the American LeMans Series, SCCA World Challenge, Spec Miata and MX-5 Cup.
“Javier’s Rolex experience adds an additional key element to Long Road Racing,” says Glenn Long, owner of Long Road Racing. “We have a lot of experience with club racing and the Continental Tire series, but we don’t have a lot of the Rolex crew members. I think the methodologies and procedures that are used in Rolex will be an advantage; Javier’s experience helps us gain that in our racing program.”
After going to school for automotive technology in his home country of Venezuela, Mendoza began working in the spec series owned by a friend’s father. He was a volunteer initially, but soon worked his way up to a crew chief. Meanwhile, Mendoza earned his mechanical engineering degree before moving to the United States in 2004.
Now, Mendoza is looking forward to using his vast experience to propel Long Road Racing’s fleet of customer Mazdas to victory. He says, “I’ve seen this operation for many years and I believe that Glenn is a focused businessperson. I like the way he presents himself and the way the team presents itself. There’s a chance to grow here and to have a career. I’m happy to be here because the operation has high standards.”
Long Road Racing specializes in Spec Miata rentals, race car service and preparation of all brands, trackside support, race team management services, and transportation and logistic services. In addition, they also offer maintenance, repair and performance tuning for all sports cars. Long Road Racing’s 12,500-square-foot shop in Raleigh, North Carolina, includes the city’s only four-wheel-drive Dyno. Learn more online at www.LongRoadRacing.com.
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