Pikes
Peak Is Middle of Three-Week Cross-Country Run
Sam Schmidt Motorsports Read to Win a Mile
In this
season's Menards Infiniti Pro Series, Sam Schmidt
Motorsports has been omni-present in the battle for the
series points championship, but the team hasn't been
synonymous with victory lane at the one-mile oval race
tracks. Schmidt hopes his rookie drivers and veteran team
will change that fact this weekend when the series heads
to Pikes Peak International Raceway, located just south of
Colorado Springs, Col.
Gregg, a
27-year-old from Camden, Ohio, drives Schmidt's #7 Lucas
Oil Special. He is the only driver in the team's ranks who
has even been to Pikes Peak - he observed there last
season. Gregg is second in the point standings with 314
points. Gregg, who does backflips in celebration of his
race wins, has four pole positions (Miami, Phoenix, Texas,
Kentucky), three victories (Miami, Texas, Kentucky) and
has led 221 laps in the MIPS this season.
Jaime Camara,
24, a Brazilian native residing in Miami, Fla. He is third
in the standings with 289 points. Driving Schmidt's #1
CELG, Goias entry, Camara has three pole positions
(Indianapolis, Nashville, Milwaukee), three outside pole
positions (Homestead, Phoenix, Kentucky), two wins
(Indianapolis, Nashville). Camara secured the team's best
finish at the last one-mile track - he was fifth at
Milwaukee.
Chris Festa,
19, of Atlanta, Ga, the youngest of Schmidt's drivers, is
seventh in the series standings with 246 points. Festa
led his first MIPS lap at Texas, where he qualified
second. His best finish of the season is also the team's
best finish at a one-mile race track this season - Festa
was second at Phoenix. He also has two third place
finishes (Indianapolis road course and Texas). The
teenager drives Schmidt's #19 SpacePak, CareCentric entry
and attends classes at Florida State University.
Sam Schmidt
Motorsports is also a means of promoting and publicizing
the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. The Foundation was
created by Schmidt to help individuals overcome spinal
cord injuries and other neurological disorders. Schmidt is
currently recovering from serious upper spinal cord
injuries suffered in a testing accident on January 6, 2000
while practicing for the season-opening Indy Racing League
event at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla.
Further information is available at
www.samschmidt.org or (317) 236-9999
Heading into
the IndyCar Series race at Michigan, Racer Magazine
announced they will auction a limited production Firestone
poster to be signed by all 30 drivers that have won while
driving on Firehawk tires. The auction will be held on
eBay in October with the proceeds to be split between Sam
Schmidt Paralysis Foundation and CARA Charities.
Here are some
thoughts from the drivers and owner heading into the PPIR
weekend:
SAM
SCHMIDT, Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports:
"Pikes Peak
International Raceway.I had great success there as a
driver and finished second in 1999, but unfortunately, we
haven't had the same success with our Menards Infiniti Pro
Series team. We have been pretty good on the mile ovals
this season, but haven't managed to win one. It would be
great for the championship if we could win there.
Also, it is in
the middle of our busiest month of the year for the team,
so it is important we don't make any mistakes. It is
already a thrash for the teams to be run Pikes Peak this
week and still be properly prepared for Infineon next
week. Add repairs on top of that, and it is really
going to be tough."
CHRIS
FESTA, #19 SpacePak, CareCentric, Sam Schmidt Motorsports
Entry:
"Pikes Peak is
a different track in that it has a much higher elevation,
so downforce and horsepower will not be as sufficient,
thus making making mechanical grip in the car that much
more important (for getting as much speed out of the car
as possible).
"It is a
one-mile oval as well, so the racing will be much harder
than the big tracks and making passes more difficult. So
you will really have to be aggressive to get it done.
"I am
confident going there because we always have strong cars
on the short tracks, so I am really looking forward to
going out there and attacking the track with everything
that I have."
TRAVIS GREGG, #7 Lucas Oil
Special, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"This will be the first time
for me on the Pikes Peak track. I did go last year and
watch. It looks like a fun track to drive. It will be
interesting to see how the high elevation changes the
handling of the car, and affects the driver's physical
ability.
"I don't think when we get to
Pikes Peak that we'll be thinking about how much distance
we're covering in this three-week stretch, but by the time
we leave, it'll probably sink in, especially since a lot
of us aren't going home between Colorado and California."
JAIME
CAMARA, #1 CELG, Goias, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"I will have a
lot of learning to do when I get to Colorado. I have
never been to this track before, and I know the car will
be different because of the altitude. I know my crew will
have a lot of good notes, and I plan on doing a lot of
listening and learning. We did a good job at Milwaukee,
which was a one-mile track. We had the pole position
there, but the finish was fifth. I'd like to do better in
the race to get a better finish at Pikes Peak."