John Shoffner to Pilot Axiom Space's Ax-2 Mission to the ISS
Some of you may have noticed that John has been "conspicuously" absent from the drivers' seat this season! Don't worry, Racing still remains a big passion of his, and he will be back in the many future racing seasons to come! However, for this year and next, John has his sights set on piloting something that is event more "out of this world".
John will server as mission pilot for Axiom Space's Ax-2 with record-holding astronaut Peggy Whitson as Commander on a mission to the International Space Station that will enable new private-industry research in space.
But his intensive space training regiment has unfortunately left very little time for him in his more earth-bound race car.
The mission flight is scheduled for 2022 and part of John's training as mission pilot means he not only has to be familiar with the specialised spacecraft operations, but also all faculties of life aboard the ISS, including safety and regulations of every different international part of the station.
He is also currently training as back up mission pilot for the Ax-1 mission set for early 2022.
For more info read the official press release on the Axiom Space website here!
J2Racing - N24H QUALIFICATIONS RACE
Preparation is key - and what bigger race to prepare for than the Nürburgring 24h? The qualifications race held this weekend was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs - more so than the usual Nordschleife!
After Qualification round 1 on Saturday evening, and then round 2 on Sunday morning, the team were riding comfortably at P27, allowing them to participate in the top 30 qualifying round. With some particularly great driving from Moritz the team clawed their way up through a tough crowd to a starting position of 23rd for the main Qualifications race.
The 6 hour Qualifications race was a tough fight - the car setup meant the team was fighting understeer all day, meaning pace wasn't quite at the level the drivers wanted. However, at the end of the race they had maintained their P23 overall and a position of 3rd in class. Class P1 was taken by an experienced team that also came in P8 overall - going to show the true level of driver out there this year!
We've got our work cut out for us, but with some adjustments to some settings the team will be back up to pace and ready for the N24h race on the 3rd of June. Thanks for your support!
J2Racing - NLS Race 3 TWO FOR TWO!
After race practice on Friday, things were going well and the team were feeling confident. Moritz had put down a very respectable sub-8 lap at 7m57s, and Janine was pulling comfortably at in the 8-teens.
In fact, they were feeling so good they called the day early, doing the most to keep themselves fresh for the big event the next day.
Qualification on the Saturday went really well with the team qualifying in first position - except for the slight hiccup of a speeding infraction under a red flag, meaning that the car would start from the back of the grid!
However, Janine and Moritz fought through to bring home the class win again for round 3 of the Nüburgring NLS, making it two wins from two races!
Things are heating up this season, so keep watching and supporting the team!
J2Racing - NLS Race 2 CLASS WINNERS!
Oh, what a feeling!
After the disappointment of the weather cancellation from race 1, exicitment was high for round 2 of the Nürburgring NLS endurance championship. Weather leading up to the race had been spotty to say the least - but we shouldn't have been worried.
Qualifying went really well for Janine and Moritz, ending up with the J2-Racing team starting in position 1 in the SP9 AM class for the race - and things only got better from there. The two drivers went on to complete the four hour race in First position, a great result and the perfect way to start the racing season!
Congratulations to them both and hang on tight for round 3, coming up in two short weeks!
J2Racing - NLS Race 1 CANCELLED!
Well, that was frustrating!
The weather in the Eifel just did not want to play ball at round 1 of the Nürburgring NLS endurance championship. After completing a successful testing session on Friday, and even holding out through Qualifications on Saturday, the Nürburgring lived up to it's temperamental reputation and turned into the "white hell" as snow fell and covered the landscape.
Not much to do but watch and wait - and hope for better weather for round 2: coming up in 3 short weeks!
J2Racing - Updates for the 2021 Season
First space, then the Green Hell
The fact that John will not take turns driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with his wife Janine in 2021 has a direct connection with the new vehicle sponsor Axiom Space. The space infrastructure company from the USA accompanies private individuals on their journey to the international space station ISS - from training to the flight itself.
For John, this is a lifelong dream come true and he is currently diligently preparing as a backup mission pilot for Ax-1, the first fully private mission in history to the ISS, scheduled for 2022. “Even as a child, I dreamed of flying into space,” says Shoffner. “Now this dream is becoming a reality. To do this, I will take a year off my second great passion, racing."
J2Racing - Nürburgring 24h Race 2020
J2 Racing is all set to go on the 2020 Nürburgring 24h Race! After a successful qualifying round, J2 are all set to start off in P2 in the Pro-Am class, P10 overall!
You can follow the livestream 24h Nürburgring at this link here: 24h Nürburgring 2020 Livestream
J2 Racing are running with car #10, in the SP9 class. The race is scheduled to start at 15:30 (CEST UTC +2) on Saturday the 26th of September, 2020.
Rooster Rojo renews J2 Racing sponsorship
We're pleased to announce that Rooster Rojo will continue to be our sponsored partner for this coming season.
Mantas Zlatkus, global brand director of Rooster Rojo Tequila, said: “This will be an exciting year for Rooster Rojo as we will be participating [in] all nine VLN Endurance Championship races, we will stay awake during the ADAC 24-hour race and will meet our fans and VIPs to share the love towards the life full of adventures.
“Another new fact places us right next to such industry players as Martini and Johnnie Walker – now the team is named Rooster Rojo J2 Racing team, which is another approval of our close partnership with the racing team.”
We look forward to this partnership and are pleased to be sporting the Rooster Rojo branding on our new Mercedes AMG's for the 2019 season.