It's
Not All About Going Left
Sam
Schmidt Motorsports Rookie Drivers
Set
for Series Second Road Course Race
Sam Schmidt is a
lot of things to IndyCar racing - besides being a champion
of awareness and assistance for fellow paralysis victims, he
is also owner of the defending championship team of the the
Menards Infiniti Pro Series. Schmidt has been involved in
the series since its inception and is looking forward to the
latest adventure and challenge: racing the road course at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The series will
be the first to run the oval and the road course at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Travis Gregg,
who drives Schmidt's #7 Lucas Oil Special, was the highest
finisher among his Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammates at the
MIPS first road course event of the season, St. Petersburg.
Gregg leads the point standings with 191 points. At 27 years
of age, the native of Camden, Ohio, has three pole positions
(Miami and Phoenix), two victories (Miami, Texas) and has
led 154 laps this season.
Chris Festa, 19,
holds fifth in the standings with 143 points. He has one
runner-up finish at Phoenix and led his first lap in the
MIPS at Texas, taking the lead from teammate Gregg for one
lap. Festa is from Atlanta, Ga., and is a freshman at
Florida State University. He drives Schmidt's #19 SpacePak,
CareCentric entry. Festa really looks forward to the road
course races-he grew up with a fondness for them from
watching his dad race them in SCCA.
Jaime Camara,
24, is a Brazilian native living in Miami, Fla., and
following last month's win at Indianapolis, he jumped to
third in the standings with 151 points. Driving Schmidt's
#1 CELG, Goias entry, Camara has one pole position
(Indianapolis), two outside pole positions (Homestead,
Phoenix) and was the team's highest qualifier at St.
Petersburg (fifth). Camara has one win (Indianapolis) and
one runner-up finish this season (Homestead).
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
Schmidt's rookie
lineup is very excited about the speeds and adventure of
racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Here is
what the drivers and owner Schmidt had to say going into
Indianapolis:
SAM SCHMIDT,
Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports:
"The road course
preparation is really a test for every team, because we
don't have huge staffing like the IRL teams The parts'
changeover from oval to road course is at least one full
day, per car - if you haven't torn something up at Texas -
and it is the weekend immediately following a pretty big
race. Having said that, I think every team is really
excited about having two races at the most famous track in
the world and being a part of an F1 weekend. It doesn't
matter that it is a road course event, everyone will want to
win this race, just like the Futaba Freedom 100."
TRAVIS GREGG, #7 Lucas Oil
Special, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"The Indy road course is a
first-class track. Since we are racing the same weekend
as F1 it will be very
exciting, especially with all the international fans
watching the event. At the open test for the road course
things went well, and hopefully we will be stronger for the
race. There are many drivers in the series with more road
course experience than I have, so it's my goal to steer
clear of trouble and get a top five finish.
"The international aspect adds a
new element, especially for me. The one thing I've learned
is that cheers sound the same, even though the words are
different a lot of the time. Boos are universal, though -
and hopefully directed at someone else."
CHRIS FESTA,
#19 SpacePak, CareCentric, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"The road
courses are what I've always raced and what I've always
enjoyed, so I am a bigger fan of the road courses. There is
just a different-type challenge there and I really enjoy
that. Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course is my
favorite of all the road courses I've ever driven. Road
Atlanta was my favorite until we tested Indy - Indy's track
is much more technical. It takes a long time to recover
from a mistake in a corner there. You have to know when to
go slow and when to push. It's more of a driver's road
course than any I've ever driven."
JAIME CAMARA,
#1 CELG, Goias, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"It's gonna be
nice to return to Indianapolis [after winning the Futaba
Freedom 100 there in May]. It's gonna be different because
the Formula 1 rubber is different than what we are used to
so we should have more grip on the track. I'll do my best
there and hopefully we can fight for the win. It's very
different because it's [a] low downforce track. The car's
more free, you have got to be very careful but at the same
time you have to be aggressive, so it's very hard."
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION: Williams
Company of America, Inc. (704) 660-0796