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Jennifer Tumminelli
ALMS and Grand Am Driver

Jennifer Tumminelli As a child, Jennifer Tumminelli would watch Formula One racing on television and then sit in her dad's Porsche and pretend she was racing. Jennifer would remain in the driver's seat for hours until she was called in from the garage for dinner.

For Jennifer, what started out as a childhood dream is now a reality. Jennifer is now a professional race car driver competing in the exciting and popular international sports car series American Le Mans and new Grand-Am Series.

Jennifer, a 35 year old single mom with a very supportive 15 year old daughter, Nicole has been involved in various aspects of motorsports for many years.

A former CART / PPG Pace Car Driver, Porsche racer, Star Formula Mazda Series Driver and pole-sitter for the Women's Global GT Series she has been fortunate enough to quickly gain the experience and exposure in only six years of racing to bring her to the forefront of racing.

Jennifer's passion for auto racing also led her to pursue a business career in motorsports as well serving as the marketing manager for Indycar driver, Richie Hearn of Della Penna Motorsports and Toyota Atlantic hot shoe driver, Chuck West of World Speed Motorsports.

Jennifer's first experience as a driver was one that she will never forget. "I earned my ride after two years as a mechanic/crew for a Formula Mazda team," Jennifer said.

Jennifer's dad was in Japan when she entered her first autocross. Because of the odds, he had prepared her not to expect to win and not to get her hopes up. "He called me from Japan and left me a ton of messages because he wanted to know how I did."

She won!

"When I got home, I told him, and he said he was proud and couldn't get home fast enough to congratulate me. He was ecstatic! I took him to my next autocross, and I won, and he was almost in tears!"

After witnessing his daughter's natural driving abilities, Jennifer's dad moved her to Time Trials where she won her first time-trial, took the pole and went on to win her first wheel-to-wheel race. After that experience, Jennifer moved up the ranks in her Porsche and eventually started running with the 24 Hours of Daytona Porsche drivers at various tracks. "My underpowered Porsche 914-6 was no match to their Porsche 993 race cars,

but I repeatedly ranked in the top 10 among the big-engined cars and earned the respect among the other drivers," Jennifer said.

Jennifer went on to win her first Autocross, Time-Trial and take the pole at her very first wheel-to-wheel race.

On May 4, 1997, Jennifer's racing career almost came to an abrupt end. Her brother, Rich Stephens, the 1996 Formula Mazda Champion had an accident at Portland raceway.

"The accident happened right in front of my dad near pit wall. He (Rich) was running in second place with five laps to go after placing a new track record the day before. He hit a concrete wall head on at nearly 100 mph, and the impact threw his car around to hit another concrete barrier head on. He was in ICU in critical condition for several weeks with a brain injury, on life support and in a coma," Jennifer said.

"My dad asked me not to race ever again."

Her brother also suffered two broken legs, two broken feet and a broken jaw. Jennifer, her dad and Rich's wife moved to Portland to be with Rich. "After Rich woke from his coma, we discussed my racing and agreed that I should continue. I took my dad to Road America in August with the PPG Pace Car Team, and he was delighted to see me finish fourth in the Celebrity Neon Race in the rain with a flat tire and a broken alternator and steering belt.

He gave me his blessing, and I have been racing ever since," said Jennifer.

In December 1997, Rich, fully recovered from his injuries, and together they built a Formula Mazda to for her to race.

Since 1997, Jennifer has went on to join the CART / PPG Pace Car Team and compete in the hotly contested Star Formula Mazda Series and took the pole at the inaugural Women's Global GT Series.

This year, Jennifer will campaign her Scient-Racers Group Porsche 996 GT3U entry in the American Le Mans Series and select Grand-Am races.