Livermore, Calif. – February 25, 2021 – Topcon Positioning Group announces its partnership extension with James Roe Jr. for the upcoming auto racing season. The sponsorship is a continuation of support for Roe as he announces his move to the highly regarded Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires, the official NTT Indy Car Series support and feeder series. The partnership with Roe began in 2019 as Topcon sponsored the Ireland native and his #95 Formula 3 Americas car.
“James has been an excellent ambassador, both for the world of motorsports and for showing ways in which our solutions can improve the racing environment,” said Ray O’Connor, Topcon Positioning Systems president and CEO. “He brings real-world experience to bear in a way that others simply can’t, and we are proud to once again have his car sporting our livery.”
O’Connor cites a surprising amount of crossover between what the motorsport world demands and what Topcon provides — first and foremost of which is a focus on safety. Because of their ability to meet demanding specifications, the same Topcon paving solutions at work on roadway and major airport runway projects such as New York’s JFK and Frankfurt’s Main Airport have found success in racetrack resurfacing projects around the world. Locations include Silverstone in the U.K., the Singapore Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands, and Spring Mountain Motorsports outside of Las Vegas.
Roe said, “It is an honor to have extended my partnership with Topcon as we make a move onto the Indy Car package. Together, over the past two years, we have enjoyed successful campaigns in multiple markets; I look forward to continuing to work alongside the Topcon team. I have no doubt that Topcon technology is going to improve the on-track performance of our team throughout the season.”
According to Roe, drivers and team owners alike can appreciate the improvements of the resurfaced tracks firsthand.
“There are a host of additional benefits beyond safety aspects,” Roe said. “These include cost savings realized through reduced equipment wear and risk of crash-related damage, as well as a direct savings to tracks and promoters who minimize the risk of weather-related race delays and cancellations. Performance gains have been astonishing too; naturally, the smoother the surface the lower and stiffer we can run our race car whilst not having to worry as much about tire wear,” he said. “In both cases, the savings and performance gains can be substantial.”
Roe added, “Motorsports and technology companies like Topcon are both grounded in the power of data. As a driver, everything that takes place in the car, from the minute the power switch is turned on, is recorded and used to refine performance for the next race by our race engineers. It’s not so different from the paving technology being used to better today’s tracks. With the solutions that currently exist, there’s no reason a racetrack has to be built, paved or resurfaced with inadequate information — every data point can now be measured for better productivity. All that differs is how that improvement is measured: for paving it’s in millimeters; for me it’s in tenths of a second. Both can make a huge difference.”
O’Connor said, “It really is exciting to see James enter the new circuit and to be part of that journey. He is a talented driver and dedicated to the sport. We are rooting for him every step of the way.”
Roe will kick off his 2021 season on April 15 with the Honda Indy Grand Prix at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information on the racing schedule and Roe’s partnership with Topcon, visit topconpositioning.com/james-roe-jr.
About Topcon Positioning Group
Topcon Positioning Group, always one step ahead in technology and customer benefits, is an industry leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, geospatial and agriculture markets. Topcon Positioning Group is headquartered in Livermore, California, U.S. (topconpositioning.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook). Its European head office is in Capelle a/d IJssel, the Netherlands. Topcon Corporation (topcon.com), founded in 1932, is traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (7732).
