Driving Coach and BSI Racing Engineer Andrew Carbonell is no stranger to the world of motorsports. One of the most sought-after coaches and mentors in sports car racing, Carbonell's expertise is an invaluable part of BSI Racing's mission.
"I've been in racing for roughly twenty years. More than half my life," said Carbonell.
"I started in karts and grass-roots racing in Spec-Miata, all the way up to IMSA's WeatherTech and the 24Hours of Daytona."
Andrew's love of racing was sparked at an early age. Andrew's father was a racing driver, and as fate would see it, the apple did not fall far from the tree.
"At an early age, some of my earliest memories were flipping through scrapbooks or home videos of my dad's racing days. It was always something I admired. I think because of that, at least in part, I've always had an interest in racing."
Carbonell is one of the most respected names in the sports car world. Earning multiple wins as a driver across numerous series, the reputation has carried over into his role today.
"It's certainly a very tough industry to make a living in, so whether or not you're a driver or a coach, evolving as I did to engineering with coaching, adjusting setups throughout the weekend... It's what I know," said Carbonell.
"Sometimes it doesn't even feel like a job when things are going so well."
Before Carbonell's pivot to coaching and engineering, Andrew spent time as a factory driver with Mazda Motorsports as a part of their IMSA ST program. That relationship continues today as Carbonell serves as an advisor on the MX-5 Cup side of things, as well as a driver for their Hitorics cars.
"I'm grateful for my relationship with Mazda. One thing I have always appreciated is their family atmosphere. From the ST program to the DPIs to all that we put into MX-5 Cup racing, they're a great brand to work with and have done a lot for my career."
When husband and wife Nick Chorley and Shea Holbrook purchased BSI Racing, an instant connection was already established. Having been in the paddock together previously, Andrew Carbonell was a top target for the BSI Racing team to incorporate into long-term plans.
"I've known Shea and Nick for a long time. I even raced Spec-Miata for BSI Racing under the old owners, so now, to be back with this team, with them, it's a full-circle moment."
Paddock familiarity would soon become a working partnership as Nick, Shea, and Andrew began putting drivers in winning cars.
"BSI Racing is a family, and Andrew Carbonell is a massive part of that," said Team Owner Shea Holbrook.
"We come from similar backgrounds, understand grassroots racing, and prioritize proper driver development. Andrew gets that and pours everything he has into this team and these drivers."
As drivers under the BSI Racing tent continue to climb the ranks of the motorsports world, Carbonell knows that this is just the beginning for him and the drivers that he coaches.
"Being 'BSI Built' is all about the culture here at BSI. We want our drivers to be professionals, to grow, and evolve their way up the motorports ranks. This is their first forray into pro racing and it's up to us to mold them into the drivers they want to become"
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