David Ostella has switched gears in 2014, from racing a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series last season to a Prototype Challenge car in TUDOR United SportsCar Championship this year. The change has not relinquished his love for his championship trophy from the GT3 Cup Canada series or his bright Guards Red Porsche 911 Carrera. Though the winter months stunted his quality bonding time with the Carrera, he is looking forward to enjoying a few more drives as springtime approaches.
David: “January, February and most of March we had pretty brutal weather up here in Canada. The most I would do was wash and clean it – basically simple maintenance. I wasn’t going to take it out and let the salt ruin the exterior. But now the weather’s turning, and it’s a little warmer. We still have piles of snow, but it’s gone for the most part and off the roads.
“I’ve been able to take the car out a few times. My buddies and I like to make trips out to Barrie. It’s a small town out in the countryside, open roads that you cruise along on the way there. You would think you would want to take the car to its limits and just bust down the gas pedal, but I like to just cruise after racing one. I can’t wait until it’s warm so I can put the windows down and take another trip.
“My family has a cottage that I’m looking forward to driving to as much as possible this year. It’s a nice drive to the cottage, too. The car lets you feel the road when you drive. That might annoy some, but coming from racing, it’s nice to have the feel and sounds. No radio on, just listening to the car. Out on the country roads, surrounded by nice scenery, it’s a totally different experience than when you’re racing the car but still enjoyable.
“Now that I’m racing in a PC, I notice the nuances of a Porsche a little more. I’m paddle-shifting a lot in the Porsche. It’s a little different than what I’m used to. After driving at Daytona and Sebring and then getting into the Porsche at home, that’s when I felt like, ‘OK, this is a street car.’ Before I was jumping out of a Porsche and into a Porsche, and really the race car is very similar to the street car.
“I’m excited to see the Porsches at Mazda Raceway. Laguna Seca was actually my first-ever race on a track back in 2010 with Star Mazda. I’ll be in the booth adding commentary to the GT3 USA race, which will be exciting to do. And I look forward to racing there again in a PC car. The Porsche guys should have a great race, though. It’s an amazing track.”
Ostella’s GT3 Cup Canada championship trophy may be parked in Ontario, but his No. 38 PC car heads out west to Monterey, Calif., to race May 3-4 in the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix Powered by Mazda with Performance Tech Motorsports. Ostella will take to the airwaves for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama race the same weekend as a color commentator. Look for more updates on David Ostella by following him on Twitter and Facebook.