Volpi Racing Team

Volpi Racing Team, often abbreviated VRT or just Volpi, is a TM Master Cup Series team. This team was created in late 2009 when Volpi owner Cyril Volpi brought out JC Racing. They retained Alexis Rainsford and Zach Duff, winning the driver's championship in 2010 with Rainsford in their first full season.

Volpi is the only privateer manufacturer to have won a TM Master Cup series championship. While it's privateer status is somewhat questionable, as Volpi road cars exist, its only road car models, the SR560 and SR570 GT, were only available in Europe until after 2010. Despite sharing a parent company, Volpi Racing Team and Automobili Volpi are separate entities and do not provide technical assistance to each other. It is still classified as a privateer team rather than as a manufacturer team, unlike other teams which may receive assistance from the manufacturer that is backing them.

2010
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2011
Rainsford returned in 2011, and was the dominant force in the early part of the season, even though the 2011 Volpi VC03 did not appear to be a fast (or reliable) car. Rainsford won at Carbondale, but otherwise did not appear to have the speed to score a win. Zach Duff was conversely having a miserable season, being unable to cope with the somewhat difficult and inconsistent performance of the VC03. While critics slammed Duff's performances or accusing the team of favoring Rainsford at Duff's expense, Volpi insisted that Duff was being treated fairly, but that the car was not dependable and Duff was doing an adequate job given the circumstances.

Volpi's fortunes changed at the Karjala Grand Prix, a race they have always been very strong at. Rainsford won the race from 18th on the grid in a thrilling drive, giving her the championship lead. Duff had been as fast as Rainsford throughout the Karjala weekend, but was taken out on the first lap. Volpi noted that Duff probably could have set fastest lap of the race, but that his exit from the race was not his fault.

Rainsford continued to lead the standings until she left for V8 Champ Car before the Round of Daytona. She was replaced by Packer Carroll and Divina Henton, however, neither of them performed to expectations, although Packer managed two top 10's and four points finishes, including a best finish of 4th at Road America.

Volpi suffered after Rainsford's departure, but this could be due to Volpi's practice of ensuring that every driver in the team has a similar driving style. Thus, with all drivers having a similar style, the chassis can be developed for all of their needs and help both drivers. Volpi hinted that Duff's release was partially due to this, but that his disastrous 2011 season was also a reason.

2012
Packer Carroll, Divina Henton, Chris Davenport, and Yuliya Nosova were in contention for the two race seats for 2012. Volpi registered numbers 2 and 6 for 2012, with Carroll and Henton as the two race drivers. Chris Davenport will run for Volpi in the team's third car (again given the number 28) at Karjala, Indianapolis, and Decatur, but will run most of the remaining races in the #19 car for BlackDiamond Racing. In order to avoid confusion, VRT and BlackDiamond are asking the officials to allow Davenport to run the same number at both teams.

Rachel Rainsford is also part of VRT for 2012, but her role is only as a test and reserve driver, there are currently no plans for Rachel to participate in a TM Master Cup Series race in 2012.

Some rumors linked Automobili Volpi's purchase of Kivett in late 2011 to indicate a change in the team name from Volpi Racing Team to Kivett Racing Team, however, both VRT and Kivett rebuked the idea.

2013
Volpi signed Leonid Roderick to drive car #4 for the 2013 season, to replace the outgoing Divina Henton.

Trivia

 * Volpi's 2012 numbers, 2 and 6 (originally set to be 2 and 22), are a tribute to Newman-Haas Racing, Cynon's favorite IndyCar team, due to the fact they were based less than an hour from him. Cynon picked Volpi to be the Newman-Haas tribute team on the basis that they already had #2, and #6 was not assigned at the time of Newman-Haas's temporary closing.


 * Volpi has always had a car carrying Lynxe sponsorship. This will cease in 2013 as Lynxe will have its own team.


 * Volpi chassis are intentionally designed to mimic some of the Pontiac and Dodge cars in NASCAR.