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P R E S S
R E L E A S E S
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January 29, 2010
Benicia, California |
5458 GATEWAY PLAZA
DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510 TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 •
FAX: (707) 746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
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Simpson
Performance Products Is Exclusive Worldwide
Distribution Partner of Molecule Labs Products
New Braunfels,
Texas January 29, 2010 Simpson Performance
Products, Inc.
manufacturer of safety gear to the Motorsports
industry and the most recognized name in racing
safety announces a partnership with Molecule
Labs, headquartered in Benicia, Ca to become the
exclusive worldwide distributor for their
complete line of solutions for the safety, care
and maintenance of high performance racing suits
and protective gear, effective immediately.
We are committed to
connecting our customers with quality and
innovative products stated Simpson Performance
Products Vice President of Marketing Debbie
Bishop. Molecule Labs has an impressive line of
safety gear protection and care products. Racers
who race weekly, and sometimes in subsequent
nights, repeatedly ask how they can keep their
equipment in race ready form, on quick notice.
We believe Molecule Labs products fill this
need. Our far reaching distribution network
allows us to make this proven line of laboratory
tested performance care products available to
racers in all areas of Motorsports.
We started working
with Simpson Performance Products in July of
2009. Making Simpson our worldwide exclusive
distribution partner was just a logical next
step. It is a great opportunity for us to
continue building our partnership with Simpson
with our current product line as well with new
products currently in development which also
will be introduced and distributed through
Simpson. explained Matthias Czabok, Vice
President of Molecule Labs.
Molecule Labs
technical fabric care products protect and care
for Nomex fire suits, which must be carefully
maintained in order to be fully effective.
Molecule Labs has developed a complete line of
products to clean and refresh racing and Karting
gear, protect them from absorbing fuel and
removing potentially flammable stains and
contaminants, all without degrading the suits
protective qualities. For orders or to inquire
about carrying Molecule Labs products, contact
Simpson Performance Products at 800-654-7223 or
go online at
www.teamsimpson.com.
ABOUT SIMPSON
PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
Since 1959, Simpson
Performance Products has been the leading safety
manufacturer in the Motorsports industry.
Simpson believes in putting safety first and is
dedicated to elevating the standards of racing
safety through continuous development,
refinement, testing and partnerships. The one
thing that remains constant is Simpsons
commitment to racer safety. Gear up safer with
Simpson. View our extensive line of safety
equipment for the sport of racing at
www.teamsimpson.com
ABOUT MOLECULE LABS,
INC.
Molecule Labs, Inc.
provides solutions for the safety, care, and
maintenance of numerous technical fabric
applications. Specially formulated for Nomex
fire suits, tested by the SFI Foundation, Inc,
and proven in diverse racing conditions for over
three years, MOLECULE is designed for racers by
racers. Formulated to be used on any
brand of Nomex fire suit, the line-up of
MOLECULE WASH, MOLECULE REFRESHER , MOLECULE
PROTECTOR , and MOLECULE SPOT CLEANER can be
found in use on driver and crew suits around the
world, from Karting, Stockcars, Sprint cars, Off
Road Racing, Road Racing, Indy Cars, Drag Racing
to Formula One. A dditional
information on Molecule Labs can be obtained
from the corporate website @
http://www.moleculelabs.com
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July 22, 2009
Benicia, California |
5458 GATEWAY PLAZA
DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510 TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 •
FAX: (707) 746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
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Molecule
Labs™, Inc. announces distribution partnership
with Simpson Performance Products
Benicia, CA July 22, 2009 – Molecule Labs™, Inc.
producer of solutions for the safety, care, and
maintenance of numerous technical fabric
applications has announced a distribution
partnership with industry leading Simpson
Performance Products.
Molecule Labs™, a fabric care system
specifically formulated for Nomex® material is
now available through Simpson Performance
Products. The unique properties of the Molecule
Labs™ product line are designed to care for your
racing suit when dry cleaning is not an option.
The Protector formula bonds to Nomex® fabric to
help repel potentially flammable stains from
oil, grease, fuel, dirt and other contaminants
that can compromise the effectiveness of your
racing suit. The Wash, Refresher and Spot
Treatment formulas help you stay race ready
without affecting the performance of your
firesuit, gloves, helmet liner and accessories.
“We’re committed to connecting our customers
with quality and innovative products.” said
Simpson Performance Products Vice President of
Marketing Debbie Bishop. Molecule Labs™ has an
impressive line of safety gear protection
products that our distributors and customers
want to know about.”
To place orders or to inquire about carrying
Molecule Labs™ products, contact Simpson
Performance Products at 800-654-7223 or go
online at www.teamsimpson.com.
“Working with Simpson Performance Products is a
great opportunity for us to continue building
our distribution network within the Racing and
safety gear market.” explained Matthias Czabok,
Vice President of Molecule Labs. “Simpson
Performance Products currently services over 300
individual dealers worldwide and they have
enormous experience in the business so they are
a very good partner for us to work with” Czabok
continued.
ABOUT MOLECULE LABS, INC.
Molecule Labs, Inc. provides solutions for the
safety, care, and maintenance of numerous
technical fabric applications. Specially
formulated for Nomex® fire suits, tested by the
SFI Foundation, Inc, and proven in diverse
racing conditions for over three years,
MOLECULE™ is designed for racers by racers.
Formulated to be used on any brand of Nomex®
fire suit, the line-up of MOLECULE™ WASH,
MOLECULE™ REFRESHER , MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR , and
MOLECULE™ SPOT CLEANER can be found in use on
driver and crew suits around the world, from
Karting, Stockcars, Sprint cars, Off Road
Racing, Road Racing, Indy Cars, Drag Racing to
Formula One.
Molecule Labs has its roots in both specialty
chemical manufacturing and motorsports. Over the
years, its creator, Michael Guasch, has often
worn a lab coat one day and a racing suit the
next.
His unique understanding of these two distinct
professions brought Molecule™ Technical Fabric
Care System into being. Guasch’s expertise
developing innovative protective chemicals led
to the sale of one of his national brands to a
Fortune 500 company in 2005.
But instead of retiring, he decided to devote
more time to racing. With his increased time on
the racetrack, Guasch realized that his Nomex®
racing suits as well as his Karting gear
required special care that dry cleaning and
ordinary laundry products could not provide. So
he returned to the lab to develop a new line of
protective chemicals and care products
specifically formulated for Nomex® and other
technical fabrics.
After three years of development and testing, in
the lab and on the track, Guasch and his new
company have created the four-step Molecule™
Technical Fabric Care System.
Additional information on Molecule Labs can be
obtained from the corporate website @
http://www.moleculelabs.com
ABOUT SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
Since 1959, Simpson Performance Products has
been the leading safety manufacturer in the
Motorsports industry. Headquartered in New
Braunfels, Texas, our racing safety products
include helmets, firesuits, restraints, shoes,
gloves and accessories.

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May 15, 2009
Sonoma, California |
5458 GATEWAY PLAZA
DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510 TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 •
FAX: (707) 746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
|
Print /
Download: |
Get the PDF
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IHRA
(International Hot Rod Association) Announces
Molecule Labs, Inc. as Official Safety Gear Care
System
May 15, 2009
Benicia, CA
Norwalk, Ohio-based International Hot Rod
Association (IHRA), one of the premier drag racing
sanctioning bodies, has announced that
California-based Molecule Labs, Inc. Technical
Fabric Care System will become its official racing
safety gear care system.
Molecule Labs’ line of safety products is
specifically designed for the performance
motorsports industry, making it a great fit for IHRA
members and racers.
Molecule Labs’ technical fabric care products
protect and care for Nomex® fire suits, which must
be carefully maintained in order to be fully
effective. Molecule Labs has also developed a
complete line of products to clean and refresh
racing suits, protect them from absorbing fuel and
remove potentially flammable stains and
contaminants, all without degrading the suit’s
protective qualities.
“This is a great opportunity for Molecule Labs,
Inc.,” said Matthias Czabok, Vice President of
Molecule Labs’ Technical Fabric Care System. “Our
products are designed by racers for racers, and
racers are the heart of the IHRA membership. It
means a lot to have IHRA stand behind our products
as their Safety Gear Care System, because their
organization is such a valuable resource within the
motorsports community.”
“We’re committed to connecting our racers and
members in the motorsports community with quality
products that will make a difference in their
racing.” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn.
“Molecule Labs has an impressive line of safety gear
protection products that our members and racers will
want to know about.
“This partnership with Molecule Labs will be built
and developed in multiple phases to introduce our
racers to Molecule products and educate them how
Molecule products can increase the protection
performance of their safety equipment.” Polburn
said.
To help introduce Molecule Labs to the racers, IHRA
members who visit the Molecule website and enter the
promo code IHRA10 will receive 10 percent off of
their order.
About Molecule Labs
Molecule Labs has its roots in both specialty
chemical manufacturing and motor sports. Over the
years, its creator, Michael Guasch, has often worn a
lab coat one day and a racing suit the next. His
unique understanding of these two distinct
professions brought Molecule™ Technical Fabric Care
System into being. Guasch’s expertise developing
innovative protective chemicals led to the sale of
one of his national brands to a Fortune 500 company
in 2005. But instead of retiring, he decided to
devote more time to racing. With his increased time
on the racetrack, Guasch realized that his Nomex®
racing suits required special care that dry
cleaning and ordinary laundry products could not
provide. So he returned to the lab to develop a new
line of protective chemicals and care products
specifically formulated
for Nomex® and other technical fabrics. After two
years of development and testing, in the lab and on
the track, Guasch and his new company have created
the four-step Molecule™ Technical Fabric Care
System.
For more information please visit
www.moleculelabs.com or
http://www.IHRA.com/

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Michael Guasch Continues Winning Ways at
Virginia International Raceway
Master Class Competitor Moves Into Top-Ten
With Another Solid Outing
March 27, 2009
Danville, Virginia
In a race marred by multiple incidents and
caution flag periods, Michael Guasch, of
Walnut Creek, California, maneuvered through
the trouble to record his second consecutive
Master Class victory in Round Two of the
Star Mazda Championship presented Goodyear
at Virginia International Raceway as part of
the Bosch Engineering 250 race weekend.
Driving the #91 Molecule Labs JDC
Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda, Guasch would
out-qualify and outrace all fellow Master
and Expert Class competitors, recording a
fourteenth place finish and move into a tie
for tenth place in the overall championship.
“I’m a little disappointed with the number
of caution periods we had during the race
but I’m excited to be climbing back on the
podium again,” Guasch explained afterwards.
“JDC Motorsports, my engineer Rick Cameron,
and my mechanic Rafael Navarro gave me a
great car right from the start of the
weekend and I’ve been improving behind the
wheel as well. I was able to qualify within
one-tenth of a second of the previous track
record set in 2007 and was within two
seconds of some extremely talented young
drivers that are running in this series.”
Starting sixteenth in the field of
twenty-eight Guasch would lose several spots
on the opening lap as trouble between
several cars ahead of him slowed his
progress, but he would recover and regain
spots on each subsequent restart. “The
restarts were challenging as everyone was
bunched together and the cars behind were
getting a strong tow as we headed towards
the first turn,” Guasch explained. “It was a
definite challenge to focus on moving up
while at the same time protecting your
position and your car to avoid contact that
might end your race early.”
Joining Guasch on the podium were race
winner Peter Dempsey along with fellow JDC
Motorsports teammates Alex Ardoin and Joel
Miller and fellow West Coast and Molecule
Formula Mazda Challenge competitor Patrick
O’Neill.
Guasch now shifts his attention towards
Miller Motorsports Park, just outside of
Salt Lake City, Utah, for Round Three of the
Star Mazda Championship presented by
Goodyear on May 14-16.
About JDC Motorsports
Involved in formula car racing since its
inception in 1994, JDC Motorsports has
established itself as one of the leading
junior open-wheel teams in North America.
Initially making its mark in the F2000 class
of club racing competition, JDC Motorsports
was soon a team worth watching in the pro
ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000
Zetec Championship, the team not only won
races, but also helped develop multiple
young drivers. In 2005, JDC Motorsports
expanded its efforts, entering the Star
Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of
the top teams in the series, JDC captured
both driver and team titles last season, as
well as Rookie of the Year honors with Dane
Cameron scoring a series-high three wins.
This past season, JDC Motorsports finished
fourth in its inaugural season F2000
Championship Series competition and as the
runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship.
Additional information on JDC Motorsports
can be obtained from the team’s website @
http://www.jdcmotorsports.com.
For direct contact, please contact John
Church @ 952-233-3075.
About Molecule Labs
Molecule Labs has its roots in both
specialty chemical manufacturing and motor
sports. Over the years, its creator, Michael
Guasch, has often worn a lab coat one day
and a racing suit the next. His unique
understanding of these two distinct
professions brought Molecule™ Technical
Fabric Care System into being. Guasch’s
expertise developing innovative protective
chemicals led to the sale of one of his
national brands to a Fortune 500 company in
2005. But instead of retiring, he decided to
devote more time to racing. With his
increased time on the racetrack, Guasch
realized that his Nomex® racing suits
required special care that dry
cleaning and ordinary laundry products could
not provide. So he returned to the lab to
develop a new line of protective chemicals
and care products specifically formulated
for Nomex® and other technical fabrics.
After two years of development and testing,
in the lab and on the track, Guasch and his
new company have created the four-step
Molecule™ Technical Fabric Care System.
Additional information on Molecule Labs can
be obtained from the corporate website @
http://www.moleculelabs.com

Michael Guasch in the #91
Molecule Labs Pro Formula Mazda Navigates
Turn Five at VirginiaInternational Raceway
in Round Two of the 2009 Star Mazda
Championship presented by Goodyear on April
26, 2009.

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Michael Guasch Captures Master Class Victory
at Sebring
Master Class Competitor Makes Competitive
Debut with JDC Motorsports
March 20, 2009
Sebring, Florida
Making his debut with JDC Motorsports in the
#91 Molecule Labs Pro Formula Mazda, Michael
Guasch of Walnut Creek, California, captured
the Master Class victory, finishing
eighteenth overall, in Round One of the Star
Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at
Sebring International Raceway. Running in
the support event for the American Le Mans
Series and the 57th Annual Mobil1 12 Hours
of Sebring, Guasch would run as high as
fourteenth overall and recover from a
mid-race spin to hold onto the top spot in
the class. “I’m really excited with how this
weekend worked out and to climb onto the
podium with JDC teammate and overall race
winner Adam Christodoulou made it even
sweeter,” Guasch exclaimed. “The car was
getting faster every session and after
qualifying ahead of my fellow master class
competitors, and all but one expert class
competitor, I was itching for the race to
start.”
Guasch’s podium hopes were almost dashed on
lap 14 of the 20 lap event when he spun in
coolant that had dropped onto the track,
dropping him behind fellow class competitor
Gerry Kraut. “The race had been going really
well and even with the caution flag periods
I had built up a comfortable gap,” Guasch
explained. “I was on my regular line when
the car snapped around on me. I was able to
recover quickly and had only dropped a few
spots but had to fight back past Gerry if I
wanted to visit the podium.” With the first
race weekend with JDC Motorsports complete,
Guasch was filled with praise for the
organization. “I’ve been very impressed all
weekend with the level of dedication and
preparation put out by everyone at JDC
Motorsports. Their efforts show with Adam’s
overall victory, along with solid top-ten
efforts from Caio Lara, Joel Miller and Alex
Ardoin, and Gerry and I battling it out for
our class victory.” Guasch commented. “I
also have to thank John Church, Rick Cameron
and my mechanic Rafael Navarro for
everything they put into giving us the best
cars in the paddock.”
With Round One in the record books JDC
Motorsports and the Star Mazda Championship
presented by Goodyear now head to Virginia
International Raceway on April 23-25 for
Round Two as part of the Grand
AM Bosch Engineering 250 race weekend.
About JDC Motorsports
Involved in formula car racing since its
inception in 1994, JDC Motorsports has
established itself as one of the leading
junior open-wheel teams in North America.
Initially making its mark in the F2000 class
of club racing competition, JDC Motorsports
was soon a team worth watching in the pro
ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000
Zetec Championship, the team not only won
races, but also helped develop multiple
young drivers. In 2005, JDC Motorsports
expanded its efforts, entering the Star
Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of
the top teams in the series, JDC captured
both driver and team titles last season, as
well as Rookie of the Year honors with Dane
Cameron scoring a series-high three wins.
This past season, JDC Motorsports finished
fourth in its inaugural season F2000
Championship Series competition and as the
runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship.
Additional information on JDC Motorsports
can be obtained from the team’s website @
http://www.jdcmotorsports.com.
For direct contact, please contact John
Church @ 952-233-3075.
About Molecule Labs
Molecule Labs has its roots in both
specialty chemical manufacturing and motor
sports. Over the years, its creator, Michael
Guasch, has often worn a lab coat one day
and a racing suit the next. His unique
understanding of these two distinct
professions brought Molecule™ Technical
Fabric Care System into being. Guasch’s
expertise developing innovative protective
chemicals led to the sale of one of his
national brands to a Fortune 500 company in
2005. But instead of retiring, he decided to
devote more time to racing. With his
increased time on the racetrack, Guasch
realized that his Nomex® racing suits
required special care that dry
cleaning and ordinary laundry products could
not provide. So he returned to the lab to
develop a new line of protective chemicals
and care products specifically formulated
for Nomex® and other technical fabrics.
After two years of development and testing,
in the lab and on the track, Guasch and his
new company have created the four-step
Molecule™ Technical Fabric Care System.
Additional information on Molecule Labs can
be obtained from the corporate website @
http://www.moleculelabs.com

Michael Guasch in the #91
Molecule Labs Pro Formula Mazda laps Sebring
International Raceway in
Round One of the 2009 Star Mazda
Championship presented by Goodyear on March
20, 2009.

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Guasch and Schnur Break Into Win
Column at Infineon
Weaver Continues Winning Ways and
Locks FM Class Championship

September 2, 2008
Sonoma, California
Sunny skies and warm temperatures
greeted the gathered crowd of
drivers at Infineon Raceway and two
new faces lit up the top step of the
podium as both Michael Guasch and
Larry Schnur would record their
first victories of the season in
Rounds Eight and Nine of the
MOLECULE Formula Mazda Challenge,
held this past Labor Day weekend at
the famed Sonoma circuit.
With championship points leader
Patrick O'Neill forced to watch from
the sidelines as the directors of
the San Francisco Region of the SCCA
denied his entry for the race
weekend, his fellow competitors
raked in the points.
Leading the charge for most of the
weekend was Walnut Creek, California
based resident Michael Guasch who
captured the pole position for both
races of the weekend in his #91
MOLECULE Phenom Racing Group Mazda.
Kevin Woods, the pilot of the #81
World Speed Motorsports entry got a
great start and was at the front of
the fifty-one car field for most of
Saturday's event, but Guasch was
able to navigate the lapped traffic
just a little bit better than Woods,
using a slower Formula Continental
car in the closing laps to climb
into the lead the field to the
checkered flag.
"Capturing the victory was
definitely a thrill for me today and
is right up there with participating
in the podium celebration at
Portland International Raceway
earlier this year with the Star
Mazda national championship," Guasch
stated. "That traffic helped me
close up on Kevin and make the move
to the front but those last few laps
were a handful as we all fought the
oil that was being leaked over the
track by one of the DSRs."
Joining Guasch and Woods on the
podium was Stan Kohls, driving the
#18 World Speed Motorsports Mazda,
who managed to recover from a 100
MPH spin exiting turn ten midway
through the event to record his
fifth podium of the season.
In the Standard Formula Mazda
division series standout Bill Weaver
was continuing to display his
mastery of the field, recording a
pole position time of 1:36.798
seconds, which was three seconds
faster than the new Formula 3
turbocharged Lola racecars that
competed at Infineon earlier in the
month. He was also quicker than
quite a few cars in the Formula
Atlantic class. Weaver would lead
every lap of the class enroute to
his eighth straight victory. "Weaver
is wringing everything there is out
of his Standard Mazda. This is a
track the Bill knows well, and he
holds the track record in Formula
Mazda here so it is no surprise to
anyone that he is so far up the
qualifying sheet," noted series
official Ben Hettema. Joining Weaver
on the podium were series veterans
Shawn Westerhoff, who is returning
to the series as a proud new father
of a baby boy, and Stew Tabak.
Pleasant summer temperatures
continued as the drivers gathered
for the second day of racing, but
the battles up front were darker as
contact between several drivers
throughout the event shuffled the
field. Guasch and Woods, who had
battled each other the previous day
would make contact in turn eleven,
forcing Woods into the wall and out
of the event, while Guasch had to
limp around with a damaged car. With
Guasch and Woods out of the way and
with Kohls knocked out of the race
at the start by an F1000, Larry
Schnur would guide his #30 Schnur
Racing World Speed Motorsports Mazda
to the checkered flag for the Pro
Formula Mazda victory.
"Larry had a great race. We started
in a decent position, but
unfortunately he had to check up a
little in the turn one incident at
lap one. He put his head down and
was running third in a 51 car field
with his eyes on the leader,"
commented Larry's Standing Start
driver coach John Olsen. "When the
opportunity arose Larry was there to
take advantage of it, and he led the
rest of the Formula Atlantic group
to the checkered flag."
"Breaking into the win column here
is an awesome experience and I would
like to thank everyone at World
Speed Motorsports for all their hard
work throughout the season," Schnur
commented. "I was able to drive a
clean race today and avoid the
incidents that were catching up to
other drivers and got to taste the
reward of victory."
Completing the Pro Formula Mazda
division podium were Jim Mashburn in
the #59 Magma sponsored Pro Formula
Mazda and Michael Gesser in the #21
Alaska Coffee Roasting World Speed
Mazda.
The story in the Standard Formula
Mazda division was once again
written by Bill Weaver who bettered
his qualifying time from Saturday
with a fast lap of 1:36.678, almost
two seconds faster than his closest
competitor to earn his ninth
consecutive pole position. Weaver,
from Fresno, California, would
follow up his pole effort with
another masterful drive to capture
the class victory ahead of
Westerhoff and series rookie Matt
Kurdock. The Series will wrap up the
2008 championship at Infineon
Raceway, running as a special group
with NASA for the weekend on
November 8-9. "I think everyone is
looking forward to the season finale
and having a class dedicated to our
championship," commented series
official Ben Hettema. "Our mixed
practice session on Friday with our
high-powered cars alongside Formula
Vee and Formula 500 cars was hectic.
It seemed that they had one foot on
the brake and one on the gas, there
was so much traffic it was hard to
pass. Some of the smaller formula
cars can barely drive 55."
For more information visit:
http://formulamazdachallenge.com
Video of Kohls spin and save in race
8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWH2Eh13X_U
Video of lap one of race 9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3apr96t4wiI
Current Points Standings:
http://westcoastseries.com/results/2008/2008-points.pdf
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MICHAEL GUASCH
Michael Guasch Wins Master
Class and Visits Podium at Mazda
Grand Prix of Portland
July 30, 2008. Portland, Oregon.
Visiting the Portland International
Raceway circuit as a sponsor of the
Pacific Coast Motorsports Champ Car
effort in 2007, Michael Guasch
watched the Star Mazda Championship
presented by Goodyear as a support
race for the weekend. Guasch would
return to Portland in 2008, this
time as the driver of the #91
MOLECULE Pro Formula Mazda, and
capture a podium spot for himself as
the Master Class winner in the
opening round of the Mazda Grand
Prix of Portland.
Returning to racing
with his Phenom Racing Group
organization after a year‐long
absence to promote his MOLECULE
brand of Nomex fabric care products
for racing applications, Guasch
entered the Portland weekend second
in points in the Star Mazda West
Coast Championship and decided to
enter the national championship
prior to Saturday morning’s
qualifying session.
“We had some good
practice sessions on Thursday and
Friday and I’ve been itching to get
onto the podium for the pro series
so I decided to pay the entry fee
for this weekend and see if we could
make the dream a reality,” the
resident of Walnut Creek,
California, explained.
He would line up
twentieth on the grid of thirty
cars, just ahead of fellow Master
Class competitor Chuck Hulse and
several rows behind Gerry Kraut, but
dropped back behind Hulse on the
opening lap when several of the top
drivers tangled during the standing
start employed by the series.
“The start was
definitely chaotic up ahead,” Guasch
described. “One of the young‐guns
had clutch issues on the starting
line and cars were going this way
and that to avoid him. Then as we
came into the Festival Chicane a
couple of other drivers had contact.
I protected the corners of my car
but did lose the position to Hulse.”
Guasch would set out
after Hulse, Kraut and his podium
dream, pulling closer lap after lap.
He would slip past Hulse on lap
fifteen to move into second in
class, and fifteenth overall, and
several laps later would work his
way past Kraut and into the class
lead, holding the position through
the end of the race and finishing
eleventh overall.
“It was an awesome
feeling when that checkered flag
came out and I knew that I would get
to visit the podium at the end of
the cool down lap,”Guasch revealed.
“I had dreamed of this for a while
and making the trip to the podium
didn’t disappoint! I need to thank
my crew at Phenom Racing Group for
giving me a great car and to my
fellow Master Class competitors for
the exciting racing.”Guasch would in
fact have two podium visits for the
day as his drive earned him the
second podium position for the West
Coast Championship podium ceremony
behind West Coast leader Patrick
O’Neill.
“Patrick has been
driving some incredible races but we
were right there ready to pounce if
he had slipped up,” Guasch said. “At
the end of the weekend it has been a
thrill to taste the champagne on the
podium and to build on my West Coast
Championship standings as
well.”Guasch now heads back to
California to prepare for the
upcoming rounds of the MOLECULE
Formula Mazda Challenge at Infineon
Raceway and will anxiously await the
return of the Star Mazda
Championship presented by Goodyear
to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in
October when he can once again try
to climb the podium.
About MOLECULE:
MOLECULE Labs, Inc.
provides solutions for the safety,
care, and maintenance of numerous
technical fabric applications.
Specially formulated for NomexR,
tested by the SFI Foundation and
proven in diverse racing conditions
for over two years, MOLECULE is
designed for racers by racers.
Formulated to be used on any brand
of NomexR fire suit, the lineup of
MOLECULE WASH, MOLECULE REFRESHER,
MOLECULE PROTECTOR, and MOLECULE
SPOT CLEANER can be found in use on
driver and crew suits around the
world. For more information and
complete info on the products, with
videos, technical info, testimonials
and more visit
www.moleculelabs.com
 |
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MICHAEL HOGG
Stars of Karting East
Rounds 5 and 6, Shawano, WI. Sunday
Report
“We did what we needed to do, and it
was our consistency and hard work
that paid off in the end,” say
Michael Hogg responding to media at
the track after being asked his
thoughts on his newly achieved Stars
of Karting Eastern Championship.
The third heat race took place this
morning, and was the final of three
heat races. These heat races
determined each drivers starting
position for the two final events.
Starting outside the front row in
second spot, Michael jumped out into
the lead by the first corner and
held of a charging Jose Zanella for
the win. After review however, the
race officials determined that
Michael had jumped the start and he
would be penalized three spots.
“Personally, I feel it was to close
to call, and I feel that the fact
that the pole sitter didn’t have a
great start further emphasized the
idea of me jumping the start. I do
appreciate the professionalism in
which the Stars Officials handled
the situation though, and I trust
their judgment. We will move on and
focus our attention to the final
races.”
After all the points had been
tallied up from all three heats,
Michael maintained a solid second
place starting position for both
final races. He would be starting
along his biggest competition Jose
Zanella. Michael opted to use new
tires for this race which was
different then most other drivers.
There were many different strategies
in play, which all adds to the
excitement of kart racing.
At the green flag Michael was able
to tuck in behind Zanella with Mair
right behind in third. Michael and
Zanella began to break away, and
Michael was in good shape to take
over the lead. Just when Michael was
preparing for a pass on Zanella, the
master link on his chain broke
causing him to retire from the race.
“It was a huge disappointment for
both my mechanic Scott and I, but it
was just part of racing. It’s
happened to the best so we just have
to try our best to prevent it from
happening again.”
Hogg ended up finishing in 7th spot
which made the point’s race even
tighter. After points were
calculated, it was determined that
Hogg needed to finish 4th or better
in order to clinch the Eastern
Division Championship.
When it came time for the second
final, the adrenaline was pumping
for all the drivers in the class.
Being the final race on the East,
there was a lot on the line for all
drivers involved. When the green
flag flew for the standing start of
the second Tag ICC Final it was
Michael Hogg getting the whole shot
off the line. Michael Rocketed off
the line and was able to squeeze
Zanella to the inside to hold onto
the top spot. Both Zanella and Mair
being on new tires though, Hogg was
challenged early on. By the end of
the third lap he had dropped back to
third spot. Michael knew what he had
to do, and started to run very
consistent and fast lap times,
considering his tires were older
than anyone else’s. After a 15 lap
race of the USA International
Raceway, Michael Hogg rolled across
the line in third spot. Not only
taken the step on the podium,
Michael had won the Eastern Division
Championship.
“What an amazing feeling,” Michael
said,” We have worked hard for this
all year, and to now have a
championship in my name is a great
feeling.”
Michael Hogg had done what he needed
to do, and his excitement was shared
with his mechanic Scott Cowell and
all the rest of his teammates at the
podium ceremony. A tough weekend for
Michael really made him work hard
for every inch. It proved to be a
big learning experience and showed
Michael’s driving capability.
Finally, Michael made sure to thank
all his loyal sponsors and
supporters in his post race
interview.
“I need to really thank all of my
sponsors for this championship.
First of all, Italian Motors for all
of their hard work. Michael and
Claudio Valiante for all of the
advice and coaching, WAM Development
Group, Ritter Motorsports, CMSI
Pacific, Molecule Labs, and Bell
Racing.”
Michael will be back on track for
the 5th and 6th rounds of the
Western Division Championship in
Seattle Washington at the end of
August.
Media Contact: Kevin Barry Dever,
Molecule Labs, Inc. Public
Relations:
kevin.dever@moleculelabs.com
Enter the Molecule™ web site to view
more art at:
www.moleculelabs.com
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2008 Star
Mazda West Coast Championship Round 4 May
16-17, 2008 Miller Motorsports Park |
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May 16, 2008
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May
17, 2008 |
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O’Neill
Captures Star Mazda West Coast Series
Victory at Miller Motorsports Park
May 17,
2008. Tooele, Utah. Racing as part
of Round Two of the Star Mazda
Championship presented by Goodyear at
Miller Motorsports Park, Patrick
O’Neill, of San Francisco, California,
drove to victory in Round Four of the
Star Mazda West Coast Series in his #64
O’Neill Construction Pro Formula Mazda.
Joining O’Neill on the podium were World
Speed Motorsports teammates Stan Kohls
and David House.
“This was
an awesome weekend and it was blast to
drive with the national series here at
Miller Motorsports Park,” O’Neill
commented. “This was my first ever
standing start and it was dead cool.
Rick Cameron helped give me a great car
and I stayed out of trouble and had a
fun time out there.”
The
standing start would be a focal point
for all the west coast drivers
accustomed to the traditional rolling
starts for the other events with Dave
House making the biggest jump overall at
the start, gaining nine positions on the
opening lap. While House was jumping
forward Kohls slipped back a couple of
spots and Michael Guasch got caught up
in an incident in the first corner that
would end his race early.
“I had a
great launch and found myself gaining
spots quickly,” third place finisher
House explained. “I had made it past
Michelle Bumgarner into turn one when a
melee of cars were scattered across the
track. I was able to hold the
position on her under the yellow flag
but once the green flag came out I had a
target on my back from all the drivers
that I had passed at the start. I
fell back in the field but the race was
still a blast.”
Kohls was
not as pleased with his first standing
start but regrouped to fight his way to
the second step of the podium. “That
standing start was tough,” Kohls said.
“I think I was standing still when Dave
went by but I was able to avoid the
trouble in turn one and spent the race
trying to work my way back. I want to
thank everyone at World Speed
Motorsports for all their hard work this
weekend, I had a great time out there.”
With Round
Four of the West Coast Series in the
books the drivers and teams now head
back to California for Rounds Five and
Six of the Championship as part of the
MOLECULE Formula Mazda Challenge at
Thunderhill Raceway Park on June 6-8.
This round of the championship will be
featured on Speed Channel on Sunday, May
31 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. For more
information please visit
www.formulamazdachallenge.com
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2008 Molecule Formula
Mazda Challenge Round 2-3 May 3-4,
2008 Thunderhill Raceway |
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Round 2 Results May 3,
2008
|
Round 3 Results May 4, 2008 |
|
Patrick O'Neill Sweeps Rounds Two and Three
at Thunderhill Raceway Park
Bill Weaver
Victorious in Standard Formula Mazda
Category
May 4,
2008. Willows, California. Driving the #64
O'Neill Construction Pro Formula Mazda,
Patrick O'Neill, from San Francisco,
California, captured Rounds Two and Three of
the MOLECULE Formula Mazda Challenge at
Thunderhill Raceway Park. Tackling the
reverse direction for the first time,
affectionately known as Llihrednuht,
(Thunderhill backwards), O'Neill led flag to
flag in both races to score his second and
third victories of the season in the Pro
Formula Mazda class. Bill Weaver, of Fresno,
California, captured the Standard Formula
Mazda class victory on both race days.
"Running
Thunderhill backwards is a blast," O'Neill
exclaimed afterwards. "The track is really
quick going this direction and it was like
racing on a roller coaster. My crew did a
great job getting the car working here and
has helped me jump out with a great start to
the season."
Joining
O'Neill on the podium in both races were
series rookie Kevin Woods, in the #77 World
Speed Motorsports Entry, and Michael Guasch
in the MOLECULE Phenom Racing Mazda.
Starting from the third spot on the grid on
Saturday Woods was able to jump inside
Guasch in the first corner and was able to
hold him off throughout the event with the
pair racing nose to tail. "I was able to get
a good jump on the start and get inside of
Michael in the first corner," Woods
explained. "Patrick opened a bit of a gap
but we were fighting the whole way. I knew
he would try to make a move on the restart
but was able to hold him off and maintain
second place."
The race
was slowed for several laps in the middle
when Jim Mashburn and Stan Kohls tangled as
they came onto the front straight at the
start of lap five, bringing out the caution
for several laps. "I had closed up on Jim as
we were going through the final corner and
had committed myself to the outside line
when he started to spin," Kohls explained.
"His momentum carried him in the same
direction and there was nowhere to go
unfortunately."
In the
Standard Mazda class Weaver had opened up a
comfortable lead as Stew Tabak and series
newcomer Matt Trudell were battling for the
second step on the podium. In the end Tabak
would take the spot by a slim 2 second
margin with Trudell taking the third and
final podium position in the class.
Sunny
skies continued on Sunday for the second day
of racing and while O'Neill and Weaver once
again rolled to victory, second and third
place in both classes were hotly contested.
Following Saturday's race Guasch had vowed
to protect his position at the start of
Sunday's affair and kept his promise with a
strong start, sliding in behind O'Neill as
Woods slipped past Kohls into third place.
The three drivers would remain in these
positions for the remainder of the event.
"There
aren't a lot of passing opportunities going
the reverse direction on this track as I
found out yesterday when Kevin got the jump
on me at the start," Guasch commented. "Even
though I felt I had the faster car in the
race I couldn't get back by him and I told
myself that wouldn't happen again in this
race. I got a good start this time and was
able to open a gap while chasing Patrick."
In the
Standard Formula Mazda class it initially
appeared that Saturday's second and third
place drivers Stew Tabak and Matt Trudell
had swapped positions for Sunday's podium,
with Trudell edging out Tabak by less than a
second, however a blend line violation cost
Trudell one finishing position making
Sunday's podium a duplicate of Saturday's.
This
weekends event marked the first time the
MOLECULE Formula Mazda Challenge has
participated with NASA this season and
drivers and teams all commented on the
efficiency of the sanctioning body. "We
really have to thank NASA, Trackmasters and
Thunderhill for making this event so
successful," Series Administrator Eric
McCombs commented. "Everyone is looking
forward to our next event here in June." |
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March
31, 2008 Benicia, CA |
5458 GATEWAY PLAZA
DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510 TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 •
FAX: (707) 746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
|
Print /
Download: |
Get the PDF
 |
|

|
Molecule Formula Mazda Challenge
& Star Mazda West Coast Series
Opens at Infineon Raceway
Almost 50 cars race green to checker
at first event
March 31, 2008 Sonoma, CA
The Molecule Formula Mazda
Challenge and Star Mazda West Coast
Series opened up this weekend at
Infineon raceway. The event which
was a part of the SCCA Regional
weekend saw almost 50 entries. "We
chose this particular event as our
opening race as it would allow our
drivers who have not run with the
local SCCA to get used to the club,
and would also allow them to see
first hand how the club operates,"
stated Eric McCombs the series
administrator. "Michael Smith and
Peter Nosler who are both board
members of the San Francisco Region
SCCA arranged for a group meeting
and they were kind enough to allow
the participants to share their
thoughts on how the program could be
improved moving forward." The series
has two more weekends planned with
the SCCA for 2008.
In Sunday's race, Patrick
O'Neill, who had qualified on pole,
took off to a commanding lead and
never relinquished it. O'Neill drove
his red #64 O'Neill Construction
Racing Pro Formula Mazda to the
overall and PFM win followed by
Phenom Racing's Molecule sponsored
driver Mike Guasch. World Speed
Motorsports driver Jim Mashburn
rounded out the PFM podium in his
Magma Grills sponsored entry. In the
Formula Mazda class Bill Weaver was
on pole and took the win followed by
Derry O'Donovan, and Stew Tabak. The
FE class finishing order was Brandon
Aleckson on the top of the podium
followed by James Davenport, and
Archie Snider.
The Thursday
and Friday prior to the weekend saw
a contingent of Standing Start
coaches out on the corners working
with various participants in the
series. Eric Freiberg, who is
competing in the Star Mazda
Championship presented by Goodyear
with World Speed Motorsports, came
out to test on Thursday and spent
the balance of the weekend coaching
his sister Ashley who was competing
in a WSM Standard Formula Mazda.
"Ashley is fairly new to racing
cars," stated World Speed
Motorsports Operations Manager Mark
Milazzo, "but she is really doing a
great job. In most sessions she was
within a second of multi-year
champion and local Formula Mazda
legend Bill Weaver. Due to a sound
violation she had to start at the
back of the pack in Sunday's race
and she passed more than 20 cars on
her way to finishing 4th in the FM
class."
Eric Freiberg also
spent Sunday morning showing the
local Boy Scout troop around his Pro
Formula Mazda, and explaining to
them the commitment needed to be a
competitive driver.
Other
notable runs during the race were by
Kevin Woods a new driver to the
series who was running as good as
4th overall before a sound violation
required him to pit and lose a lap
late in the race. Sean Prewett who
is also new to the series had a
great start but hit some oil early
on and went off track. He recovered
and went on to pass 30 cars before
the end of the race.
Vince Gaddini, who has a Pro
Formula Mazda being delivered to
World Speed Motorsports this week,
was racing most of the event with
Paul Lahaye and Larry Schnur.
Gaddini went on to win in the DSR
class. The Molecule Formula Mazda
Challenge Series and Star Mazda West
Coast Series heads to Thunderhill
Raceway next for an exclusive double
header with NASA on May 3rd-4th.
For more information visit:
http://formulamazdachallenge.com |
|
|
February 25,
20088 Benicia, CA |
5458
GATEWAY PLAZA DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510
TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 • FAX: (707)
746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
|
Print /
Download: |
Get the
PDF
 |
v |
|
Feb 25th, 2008 |
|
MOLECULE Partners with Formula
Mazda Challenge for 2008
Series to be called The MOLECULE
Formula Mazda Challenge
02.25.2008 BENICIA, CA
With the growth and popularity
of MOLECULE's line of Nomex® fire
suit care products, the next step in
the promotion of the brand has
emerged with a partnership with the
Formula Mazda Challenge Series.
The series will be referred to as
The MOLECULE Formula Mazda
Challenge, and a new look for the
series marketing materials is in the
works. MOLECULE will provide sample
products to drivers entered in the
series, and will be on hand at the
events to discuss the products with
the end users themselves. "The
products are amazing," stated World
Speed Motorsports Operations Manager
Mark Milazzo. "The MOLECULE guys
cleaned a fellow competitor's suit
that I would have thrown in the
garbage it was so dirty and covered
with grease. When they brought it
back it was like new, smelled good,
and they showed us how well it
repelled fluids. I was sold on the
spot." MOLECULE will also be hosting
the series year end party during the
November race weekend at Infineon
Raceway.
MOLECULE is used to
clean and service fire suits for
half of the F1 drivers and pit
crews, the Champ Car World Series,
the American Le Mans series, the
British Touring Car Championship,
the FIA GT series, Off-Road racing,
and everywhere in between. By
partnering with the Formula Mazda
Challenge, MOLECULE will reach out
to another important segment of the
industry; the club racer. The series
has race events with the SCCA and
NASA, the two largest club racing
organizations in North America.
More information about the
partnership is expected to be
released in an upcoming press
release. The opening race weekend
for the MOLECULE Formula Mazda
Challenge Northern Pacific Division
is Mar 29th at Infineon Raceway in
Sonoma, California.
About
MOLECULE: MOLECULE Labs, Inc.
provides solutions for the safety,
care, and maintenance of numerous
technical fabric applications.
Specially formulated for Nomex®,
tested by the SFI Foundation and
proven in diverse racing conditions
for over two years, MOLECULE is
designed for racers by racers.
Formulated to be used on any brand
of Nomex® fire suit, the lineup of
MOLECULE WASH, MOLECULE REFRESHER ,
MOLECULE PROTECTOR, and MOLECULE
SPOT CLEANER can be found in use on
driver and crew suits around the
world. For more information and
complete info on the products, with
videos, technical info, testimonials
and more visit www.moleculelabs.com
|
web:
http://www.formulamazdachallenge.com
With top locations, available
driver coaching from Standing
Start, and dealer support, the
various Mazda West Coast Series
are perfect for drivers that are
preparing for a career in
motorsports or just looking for
an opportunity to race at some
of the best tracks in the
western United States.
|
|

Molecule Labs
Partners with Matt Varsha and MPME to Tackle the 25
Hours of Thunderhill
|
November
05, 2007 Benicia, CA |
5458
GATEWAY PLAZA DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510
TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 • FAX: (707)
746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
|
Print /
Download: |
Get the PDF
 |
Molecule Labs,
makers of the premier technical fabric care system, have
partnered with racing team Marshall
Pruett
Motorsports Engineering (MPME) and rising racing star
Matt Varsha, son of SPEED’s F1 host Bob Varsha, to race
in the upcoming NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance
event.
The ‘25HR,’ the
worlds’ longest endurance race, is the perfect
environment to put the power of Molecule’s products to
the extreme test that only a 25 hour race can provide.
Varsha joins co-drivers Tanner Foust, Gary Sheehan, Mark
Hotchkis, and Dave Pratte behind the wheel of the SPEED
Touring Car-spec turbocharged Scion tC.
Michael Guasch,
owner and founder of Molecule Labs, found the challenge
of the ‘25HR’ irresistible. “The conditions drivers and
crews withstand in a race like the ‘25HR’ are unlike
anything else in motor racing. Their Nomex®
fire suits are subjected to more than a days worth of
dirt, oil, grease, water, sweat, and every other
contaminant imaginable. All the crew suits and driver
suits will be treated with our Molecule WASH™
and Molecule PROTECTOR™
to keep the MPME team as clean and safe as
possible.”
It’s Guasch’s
support of the 20yr old Matt Varsha that brings the two
former Star Mazda competitors back together for the
December 1st-2nd race in Northern California.
“Matt proved himself to be fast and mature beyond his
age when we shared the track together in 2006. I’m only
too happy to help support his career in 2007 as it’s
obvious he has the talent and pedigree to continue into
2008 with a full head of steam behind him.”
Varsha, a student at
the University of Colorado at Boulder, can’t wait for
his second endurance race of the year, coming off of a
successful run at the GrandAm 24 hours of Daytona in
January. “Running in a Rolex GT class Porsche was an
amazing experience. I can’t wait to round out my year
with an even longer endurance race—going back to Daytona
in 2008 and doing more Rolex or Koni challenge races is
my ultimate goal. I really want to thank Molecule Labs
for their support, and appreciate Mr. Guasch’s belief in
my abilities as a spokesman for his company.”
In addition to
Matt’s representation of the Molecule brand, Guasch has
also enlisted the elder Varsha to lend his famous voice
to Molecule’s advertising campaign. It’s a powerful
tandem that’s hard to ignore. “While Matt is working
hard in college, to win on the race track, and to
develop his presence as representative for his sponsors,
I’m working hard to support him however I can. It takes
a strong network of partners to get an emerging driver
like Matt on the track, and its companies like Molecule
Labs that endear themselves to their customers by giving
back to the sport by keeping young drivers like Matt
progressing forward.”
While Bob’s voice
will be featured on Molecule’s promotional videos, the
Molecule logo will be featured on all four sides of the
MPME Scion tC being campaigned by Matt Varsha, on the
driver and crew suits, and other team equipment. “I’m
excited to be a part of this event, and can’t wait for
my son to race with Molecule and MPME!”
Follow the teams’ progress in the
25HR at
www.moleculelabs.com,
www.speedtv.com, and
www.modified.com.
About Molecule:
Molecule
Labs, Inc. provides solutions for the safety, care, and
maintenance of numerous technical fabric applications.
Specially formulated for Nomex®, tested by the SFI
Foundation, Inc, and proven in diverse racing conditions
for over two years, MOLECULE™ is designed for racers by
racers. Formulated to be used on any brand of Nomex®
fire suit, the lineup of MOLECULE™ WASH, MOLECULE™
REFRESHER , MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR , and MOLECULE™ SPOT
CLEANER can be found in use on driver and crew suits
around the world, from Off Road Racing, Le Mans, Champ
Car to Formula One. For more information, visit
www.moleculelabs.com

Molecule Repels
The Canadian ChampCar Rain In Mont-Tremblant and Toronto
As Pacific Coast Motorsport drivers and crew deliver
their best-ever performance at Toronto, Molecule Labs
keeps the team dry and performing at their peak in a
downpour
|
July 16, 2007 Benicia, CA |
5458
GATEWAY PLAZA DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510
TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 • FAX: (707)
746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
|
Print /
Download: |
Get the PDF
 |
Coming
off a two week stretch of rain-soaked events in Eastern
Canada, the Pacific Coast Motorsports/Molecule Labs team
of Alex Figge and Ryan Dalziel had more to overcome than
just their fellow ChampCar competitors in the battle for
success; unrelenting skies at Mont-Tremblant and then
Toronto challenged the PCM pit crew and drivers to
deliver top performances in the wet.
With all of
their fireproof Nomex® fire suits laundered and treated
with the full range of technical fabric care products
from their team partner, Molecule Labs, the PCM team had
an advantage the rest of the ChampCar field would have
loved to have had: Molecule’s liquid repellency traits
that kept their suits dry while their own suits were
soaked to the core.
“The weather was so
unpredictable in both races,” commented PCM Team
Manager, Tyler Tadevic, “all the teams and drivers were
scrambling to remain dry as the rain fell throughout
both races. Alex, Ryan, and our entire pit crew had it
easy as the water would just bead up, and roll off our
backs.”
Armed with MOLECULE™ WASH and MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR
fire suit treatments, the cleaning agents within WASH
and liquid repelling agents within PROTECTOR allowed
Dalziel and Figge to give their full attention to the
treacherous racing tracks while the competition sat in
soggy fire suits as the falling rain was absorbed by
their untreated suits.
“I’ve been in a lot of
rain races, and there’s nothing worse than trying to
battle for position while wearing a water-logged suit,”
noted Molecule’s owner and founder, Michael Guasch.
“MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR does an incredible job of repelling
flammable liquids when they contact Nomex® material, but
in this case, it locked out the water and kept the PCM
team and drivers focused and dry. Their suits were
refreshingly clean and even smelled great after the race
because of MOLECULE™ WASH.”
PCM’s Ryan Dalziel
led the team’s first race at Toronto, and was on target
for a podium finish but for some over-aggressive driving
by a competitor in the final stages of the race. Despite
this, the realization of PCM’s potential and that of
Molecule’s product line were seen both on and off the
track. “We’re incredibly proud of what Ryan, Alex,
Tyler, and the entire Pacific Coast team achieved last
weekend at Toronto, said Guasch. “I have no doubt that
in the coming races, the momentum of the PCM/Molecule
ChampCar team will continue to grow.

Molecule
Proves its Point in ChampCar with Pacific Coast
Motorsports
Leading
Nomex® and technical fabric care, safety, and
maintenance company is tasked with providing fire suit
solutions and advantages for Pacific Coast Motorsports.
|
June 6, 2007 Benicia, CA |
5458
GATEWAY PLAZA DRIVE, BENICIA, CA 94510
TOLL FREE: (888) 665-7223 • FAX: (707)
746-5643
WWW.MOLECULELABS.COM
|
Print /
Download: |
Get the PDF
 |
With the
growth and popularity of Molecule’s line of Nomex® fire
suit products, the next step in the usage and promotion
of the brand has emerged with a partnership between the
popular Pacific Coast Motorsports ChampCar team, and
Molecule Labs, Inc.
Set to debut the #29 Molecule
Labs PCM ChampCar driven by Alex Figge at the Portland
race, June 8th-10th, Molecule’s founder and inventor
Michael Guasch will be on hand to launch the partnership
and to serve as a technical consultant to the team.
“I started Molecule to help clean and protect the vital
fire suits that drivers and teams use during a race;
joining with Pacific Coast Motorsports to demonstrate
our products on the ChampCar pit lane and on the track
at 200mph only makes sense,” noted Guasch.
“I’ve
always admired the ChampCar series and drivers. In a
championship where identical cars are used and the
slightest advantage is the difference between winning
and losing, Molecule’s commitment to keeping the PCM
drivers and pit crew cleaner, fresher, and safer than
their rivals is the core of our partnership.”
Figge’s black #29 ChampCar will carry the full Molecule
livery for the Portland event in an effort to draw
awareness to the company and its products—products that
Guasch says any racing driver or team would benefit from
using. After Portland, Molecule will move to an
associate’s role on the branding of the car. “I want
everyone in the ChampCar series and all the support
series to see how serious and committed we are; I drive
in those ChampCar support series and what I’ve created
with Molecule was done to help my fellow racer look
better for their sponsors and to be more protected in
the event of a fire.”
With Molecule™ Wash serving
as the premium Nomex® cleaning product, and the
Molecule™ Protector spray treatment delivering
unparalleled flammable liquid repellency, the importance
of having Molecule Labs on board with Pacific Coast
Motorsports isn’t lost on the team.
“The real
power of Molecule became obvious after I sent them our
newly dry cleaned fire suits,” said PCM team manager
Tyler Tadevic. “You assume that dry cleaning will return
items that are perfectly cleansed, but after seeing the
vials of dirty water that came out of the washer when
the dry cleaned suits were processed using Molecule
Wash; it’s obvious we’ve been wasting good money on dry
cleaning dozens of suits after each race.”
“Molecule Wash is designed
to work with any fire suit using a traditional washer
and dryer. Dry cleaning does a good job at removing dirt
and contaminants, but not a great job. The vials of
dirty water we collected from the washer Tyler is
referring to are so brown and murky, you can barely see
through them,” said Guasch.
Beyond the
deficiencies in thoroughness and high costs of dry
cleaning a fire suit, Molecule™ Wash is an
ecologically-friendly product – something dry cleaning
can’t claim. “The carcinogenic and ozone depleting
solvents used in dry cleaning are some of the more
hazardous chemicals used in the industry; spending a lot
of money for that harmful process only to get dirty
suits in return is no longer necessary.”
While
the announcement of the Molecule and PCM partnership in
the ChampCar series is new, Guasch has seen all of
Molecule’s products, MOLECULE™ WASH, MOLECULE™
REFRESHER, MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR , and MOLECULE™ SPOT
CLEANER quickly become a popular solution in other
professional racing series.
“Molecule is used to
clean and service fire suits for half of the F1 drivers
and pit crews, the Champ Car World Series, the American
Le Mans series, the British Touring Car Championship,
the FIA GT series, in Off-Road racing, club racing, and
everywhere in between. As serious as we are about the
quality of our products, we’re impressed with how highly
major racing teams regard the benefits of Molecule’s
fire suit cleaning and safety solutions.”
Broadcast of Alex Figge’s #29 PCM/Molecule entry from
the Portland ChampCar race can be seen on ABC, Sunday
June 10th, at 1pm PST.
Molecule Labs, Inc.
provides solutions for the safety, care, and maintenance
of numerous technical fabric applications. Specially
formulated for Nomex®, tested by the SFI Foundation,
Inc., and proven in diverse racing conditions for over
two years, MOLECULE™ is designed for racers by racers.
Formulated to be used on any brand of Nomex® fire suit,
the lineup of MOLECULE™ WASH, MOLECULE™ REFRESHER ,
MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR , and MOLECULE™ SPOT CLEANER can be
found in use on driver and crew suits around the world,
from Off Road Racing, to Le Mans, ChampCar to Formula
One. For more information, visit www.MoleculeLabs.com.
About Molecule:
Molecule Labs, Inc. provides solutions
for the safety, care, and maintenance of numerous
technical fabric applications. Specially formulated for
Nomex®, tested by the SFI Foundation, Inc, and proven in
diverse racing conditions for over two years, MOLECULE™
is designed for racers by racers.
Formulated to be used on any brand of Nomex® fire
suit, the lineup of MOLECULE™ WASH, MOLECULE™ REFRESHER
, MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR , and MOLECULE™ SPOT CLEANER can
be found in use on driver and crew suits around the
world, from Off Road Racing, Le Mans, Champ Car to
Formula One. For more information, visit
www.moleculelabs.com
About Pacific Coast
Motorsports:
Formed in 2002 and based in Oxnard, California, Pacific
Coast Motorsports are champions on the track and in the
marketplace. The 2004 Toyota Atlantic Champions have
competed in a diverse array of motorsports challenges,
from open wheel to sports car racing and succeeded in
every discipline. In 2007 the challenge comes full
circle as PCM makes their debut with a two-car effort in
the highest level of open wheel motorsports in the
United States, The Champ Car World Series. Off the
track, PCM has represented some of the countries most
recognizable names, from Menards to Playboy, Vonage to
Uniden establishing successful, high-profile marketing
platforms that deliver meaningful exposure and a
quantifiable return on investment. PCM is dedicated to
success in the Champ Car World Series and committed to
go beyond the traditional means to deliver value and
exceed the expectations of our partners. Follow
our Champ Car debut at
www.PCMracing.com .
###
RELATED LINKS:
Comments from PCM:

- Driver Alex x Figge and Pit Crew
- Tyler Tadevic and others

Formula 1 Drivers’ Suits … Care
and Safety Testing with Molecule Labs
Caretaker of half the Nomex suits used in F1 looks to
Molecule Labs for advanced cleaning and fire
protection solution

HondaF1’s fire suits are one of many teams that entrust
the care and maintenance to the David Charles Group. The
DCG organization is currently testing the full range of
products from Molecule Labs. (Photo: Molecule)
Michael Guasch, president of Molecule
Labs recently visited The David Charles Group, the
company responsible for servicing and maintaining the
Nomex fire suits for approximately half of the Formula
One teams and drivers. With each F1 team comprised of
dozens of fire suit wearing pit crew, team principals,
support staff, and the race drivers themselves, The
David Charles Group is charged with using the finest
chemicals to treat the 100+ F1 suits in their care.
“From the drivers’ suits to the pit crew members, we
clean them all,” noted David Charles.
“We’d previously dry
cleaned the crew suits because they get so dirty with
grease, oil, and fuel, but we wanted to find a better
solution to deliver them to our customers looking and
smelling fresher.
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Yes, it's true! Say good bye to the high costs,
limited effectiveness, and environmentally
damaging process of dry cleaning your fire
suit.
(Photo: Molecule) |
“When we found out
about Molecule we immediately contacted and invited them
to our plant to review our cleaning procedures and
cleaning chemicals; using the very best products is our
commitment and dedication. We’re also trying to become
more environmentally correct by reducing the use of the
carcinogenic, ozone depleting solvents used in dry
cleaning.”.”
“Our technology
cleans Nomex much better than dry cleaning,” said
Molecule’s Guasch. “Dry cleaning does well in removing
the motor oils and other racing contaminants, but does a
poor job of eliminating the sweat, body oils, and dirt
as well as our new chemistry that utilizes traditional
washing machines.”
“We’re also very
interested in Molecule Protector™; we’ve been testing it
and have seen great results,” said Charles. With the
chemically-engineered Molecule Protector™ formula, a
spray-on application of the product reduces the ability
for flammable liquids to penetrate a Nomex suit by a
staggering 75% to 85%. Without Molecule Protector™,
suits can become the source of their own fuel soaked
fires. This safety precaution isn’t lost on Charles.
“We hope to get all
the F1 suits treated soon. We currently have it on a few
BTCC and GT3 European Championship drivers’ suits and
they really like the peace of mind it provides.”
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The storefront for the David Charles
Group's British base. (Photo: Molecule) |
RenaultF1 driver Heikki Kovalainen's
driver's
suit after treatment. (Photo: Molecule) |
Freshly treated fire suit of Red Bull
Racing's
Technical Director, Adrian Newey.
(Photo: Molecule) |
The Aston Martin sportscar
team's Sabelt suits shine after being
washed
with Molecule Wash. (Photo: Molecule) |
After the washer, the HondaF1 fire suits
are
finished in DCG's industrial dryer. .
(Photo: Molecule) |
###

Mazda Looks to Molecule Labs
for Pit Crew Safety
Written by: Marshall Pruett
Salt Lake City, UT – 4/28/2007
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I prefer crispy chicken, not crispy
firesuits. Results of a 1 minute
burn comparison of Molecule
Protector-treated Nomex® vs.
untreated Nomex®. (Photo: Molecule)
|
Mazda has a
reputation as innovators in motor racing—winning Le
Mans with a rotary engine, helping to flood the
amateur circles with Spec Miata’s, establishing a
one-make formula
car championship, now the
Star Mazda Pro Series, that dates back to 1984, and
support of series today ranging from SPEED Touring
Car, GrandAm Cup and the GrandAm Rolex Series, Mazda
Atlantics, the MX-5 Cup….
It shouldn’t be a
surprise to learn that Mazda has now looked outside
of the race track to incorporate their latest
innovation—use of a brand new Nomex® fire safety
solution to better protect their ALMS pit crew.
The B-K Motorsports ALMS LMP2 factory Mazda
team stumbled upon a new product made by Molecule
Labs, owned by Pro Formula Mazda entrant, Michael
Guasch. Guasch, a racer in the Formula Mazda series
and a chemist by trade, was inspired to develop a
spray chemical treatment for Nomex® suits after
watching Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffer burns when his
firesuit was doused by fuel in his famous ALMS
accident at Sears Point in 2004.
“I saw Dale
Jr. burning at Infineon Raceway and it really
disturbed me. If it was a normal fire, one where he
wasn’t doused in flammable liquids, he’d have been
OK, but that’s not what happened. If you spill
burning fuel on a Nomex® suit, the suit itself
becomes the source of the fire. That’s what happened
to Jr. Eventually, the Nomex suit starts to burn,
and you’re in deep trouble at that point.”
That’s when the light bulb went off for me: if
Nomex® can’t stop a fuel or oil fire once it
penetrates a suit, why not try to develop a liquid
application that stops flammable liquids from being
absorbed into the Nomex fabric.”
Brilliant. A
fire preventing ‘Scotch Guard’ for firesuits. We'll
have to see how long it takes for the rest of
Mazda's ALMS and GrandAm competitors, and the rest
of the firesuit-wearing racing series to follow in
their footsteps. Let Mazda Motorsport’s John Doonan
tell the story on why he picked Molecule’s Fire
Protector for his ALMS team: “Safety is of the
utmost concern for all teams and the Mazda/B-K team
is no exception. We saw Molecule as an additional
way to help insure the safety of the crew, drivers,
and guests in the pits.
“Our team studied a
number of new products during the winter and they
determined Fire Protector was something they wanted
to add to the mix. Again, any safety enhancement
that is reasonably priced and is a proven success is
certainly worth trying. Every B-K team member is
using Molecule; we’ll be hosting a number of
corporate guests the rest of the season in the pits
at races and we’ll be treating those suits as well.”
Safety innovations in auto
racing have slowed a bit in the past few
years—especially the ones that are affordable or
accessible for everyone; the HANS device is now
found around the neck of almost every driver that
takes to a track, but beyond this innovation haling
from the mid-‘90’s, we’ve been waiting for some new
breakthroughs. In this case, it has taken a chemical
engineer that’s new to racing to bring a fresh
perspective to an age-old fear.
###

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