Race Car Driver

COUPAL SIGNS WITH COMPASS RACING FOR 2018

 

 

 Coupal will contest the new TCR class in Pirelli World Challenge driving an Audi RS3 LMS Clubsport

TORONTO, CANADA – With the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge season fast approaching, 17-year-old high school senior JT Coupal has signed with successful Canadian outfit Compass Racing and will contest the debut season of the series’ TCR class.  He will be behind the wheel of the same Audi RS3 LMS Clubsport that he drove to eighth place in the PWC TC championship last season.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel, and to debuting the No. 77 BILSTEIN / Micro Precision Components / Race Day Foundation Audi RS 3 LMS,” enthused Coupal. “Audi's TCR car may look the same as last season, but it’s fundamentally changed in terms of performance, running in full TCR trim with nearly sixty more horsepower than we had last year. It handles in many circumstances as though it is rear-wheel drive rather than front, and the downforce it creates inspires confidence through even the sketchiest of corners.”

This season marks a change of team for Coupal with his move to Compass Racing. “We noted JT’s strong performances in World Challenge last season and are pleased to welcome him to our squad for TCR’s PWC debut,” remarked Team Principal Karl Thomson. “We had a great season last year with this platform, with our driver Paul Holton winning the TC championship, and we’re looking forward to continuing that success with JT, BILSTEIN and Micro Precision Components.”

Highlights

Important minute markers

0:48- WKA Karting

2:08 - "Um, Wow" - Skip Barber

4:38 - SCCA Championships and "The Leap" 

5:24 - A Quick Word

7:15 - Radio Le Mans Interview

10:15 - "The Least Millenial, Millenial"

12:24 - SEAT Leon Cupra and 24 Hour Endurance

14:13 - What's Next?

Racing

Where it all started: Karting

My career began in 2011 racing at a local kart track in Avon, NY.

More about karting

Rookie Season: Spec Miata

In my rookie season, I won four championships.

Spec Miata Details

2017: First Pro Season

My first international racing adventure took place in January of 2017.

Highlights

2018

Pirelli World Challenge TCR

The 2018 season will see me taking on the Pirelli World Challenge TCR class.

Season Details

About Me

Racing has been my passion since I was old enough to have one. It started with a general affinity for street cars; going to car shows and races at Watkins Glen countless times before I hit double digits. It’s safe to say that these early experiences instilled in me an unshakeable desire to be involved in racing, especially to be a race car driver. 

I started out as many successful drivers have; at my local karting track. At 13, I expanded into the WKA National road racing series, where I won two championships in my debut season. This experience proved invaluable to me when I spent a year taking Skip Barber classes to hone my skills in preparation for a potential racing career. I tried both sports and formula cars, and while I was quite capable in both, I chose to pursue the sports car route. 

When I'm not driving, I love to watch English Premier League soccer, and am an avid supporter of our local USL soccer team, the Rochester Rhinos. 

I am also very passionate about travel and exploration of places and cultures (usually visiting car museums as well!), US and European history, and marine biology, specifically ethology. I enjoy writing about everything from racing and cars, to fiction, as well as biology having created a taxonomical study of the Malawi cichlid for a recent school project.

I currently volunteer locally in the Ontario County Youth Court system and intend to pursue a Journalism major in college.

Some Fast Facts:

Favorite Author – Sandy Mitchell (science fiction)

Favorite Book – Islands: Beyond the Horizon

My Favorite Track(s) – Watkins Glen, Imola

Favorite Part of a Racecar – The tires

Favorite Color - Orange

Current Daily Driver – VW Golf GTI

Favorite Food – Authentic Cannoli

Driver Coaching

Let's go fast together!

Goals

Our approach relies upon your current level of driving proficiency. If you’re already experienced, then we may skip straight to working with data analysis to reduce your lap times by those crucial few tenths of a second.

Steps to Success

My success was based on learning to walk before you run. Many drivers want to have blisteringly fast lap times straight out of the box. This is not only unrealistic but also extremely unsafe.

Results

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to have you do a better lap time than everyone else at the track. The goal is to teach you how you can teach yourself later. While I may have given you a wealth of track knowledge and an improved lap time

Partners

Thank you for your support.

Contact Me

Want to learn more about me and my team?

Feel free to contact me to learn more about my racing or how to become a sponsor!