Leeds, Alabama -- FIRST Motorsport have launched their 2019 Formula Virtual challenger, the Yunick 19, at Barber Motorsports Park. Team principal and co-owner Adam Blocker started proceedings: "Welcome to Barber everyone. Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that has made this car possible. First and foremost, we have to acknowledge FIRST for funding this project starting in mid 2015 and their continued support since. Likewise, Ford have been with us from the beginning. They continue to be great technical partners that produce reliable and powerful power units, and I think that their 2019 power unit, the Ford SVT 183 V10, is the best yet. This is evidenced by North Star and AMR both having the confidence to switch to Ford power this year, which is something that will only strengthen all of our efforts. Sonoco, iRacing, 3M, and SolidWorks are all back on the car this year despite our poor 2018 campaign. It means a lot to have partners that trust in our operation enough to remain with us after a season like that. I would also like to welcome some new partners for this year: Verizon Wireless, Taco Bell, MoTeC, and Grainger. I am looking forward to building strong relationships with all of them. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the guys and girls in Charlotte and Detroit that have busted ass to get this car ready for testing. 2018 was a challenge for all of us, but the team has kept up its work ethic despite the results and hopefully everyone will be rewarded for their efforts." Blocker went on to explain the meaning behind the chassis name: "As you have heard today, FIRST's 2019 car has been named the 'Yunick 19' in honor of the legendary mechanic and engineer Smokey Yunick. For those that aren't familiar, Smokey was one of the best stock car engine builders of his time and he also designed some of the most creative open wheel cars in history such as "The Reverse Torque Special" and the "Hurst Floor Shifter Special". His creativity and ability to find the grey area in the stock car rules led to a large amount of rules being written because of him. He was a man ahead of his time, and FIRST hopes that the Yunick 19 represents his legacy well." Then, with the help of race drivers Felix Perez and Oleksandr Zozulya, the covers were pulled off of the Yunick 19. Unsurprisingly, the car's livery is a refreshed version of the team's traditional grabber blue and black color scheme, with most of the livery changes happening at the rear of the car. The large sponsor turnover has also changed up the look of the car, but traditional identifiers such as the South Carolinian and American flags on the shark fin remain. Following the indoor unveil of the car, Zozulya took to the track to put the first public miles on the Yunick 19 around Barber Motorsports Park. Zozulya put in an unofficial lap time of 1:04.9, good enough for the unofficial track record (these were the first FV laps at Barber). The sounds of the Ford SVT 183 V10 engine echoed off of the Alabama hills, and locals were taken aback by the cornering speeds of a Formula Virtual car around the techinical, undulating 2.38 mile track. We will have just over a month to see the Yunick 19 on track with its Formula Virtual competitors in pre season testing. FIRST hope to better their 2017 performance in 2019, but there is a lot of pressure on the team after an poor 2018. Word around the paddock says that team co-founders FIRST have set season performance minimums that the team must meet to keep the organization's backing. Pressure is on!
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