
FOR IMMEDATE
RELEASE
JUNE 6, 2005
Holding Three of Top Five Points Spots
Sam Schmidt Motorsports Rookie Drivers
Ready for Fast
Texas Weekend
A spot that Sam
Schmidt Motorsports has found familiar this season is that of
defending race champion. This is the case heading into
Saturday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. Last fall, Sam
Schmidt Motorsports collected the top two spots in qualifying
and drivers Thiago Medeiros and Travis Gregg still held those
same positions when the checkered flag waved.
Travis Gregg, who
drives Schmidt's #7 Lucas Oil Special, wants to improve on
last year's second-place effort and regain control of the
championship points lead. Gregg is second in the standings
with 138 points, just nine out of the lead. At 27 years of
age, the native of
Camden,
Ohio, has two pole
positions (Miami
and
Phoenix), one victory (Miami)
and has led 88 laps this season.
Chris Festa, 19, is
tied for fifth in the standings with 108 points. He has one
runner-up finish at
Phoenix. Festa is from
Atlanta,
Ga., and is a rising
sophomore at
Florida
State
University. He
drives Schmidt's #19 SpacePak, CareCentric entry. Festa takes
a studious approach to his racing experience with Sam Schmidt
Motorsports and looks at every situation as a learning
opportunity - he hopes what he's learned at
Homestead and
Indianapolis will translate
to a smooth, fast race at
Texas.
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 129 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).
P.J. Abbott,
who lives in
Grand Prairie,
Tex.,
will make his return to the Menards Infiniti Pro Series with
Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Abbott last drove for Sam Schmidt in
the 2004 season at California Speedway, starting 15th and
finishing seventh.
Sam Schmidt
Motorsports is also a means of promoting and publicizing the
Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. The Foundation (www.samschmidt.org)
helps individuals overcome spinal cord injuries and other
neurological disorders by funding scientific research, medical
treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances. This
research also benefits stroke victims and people diagnosed
with ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The
Foundation also addresses quality of life issues benefiting
people with paralysis and other disabilities through its
national Day at the Races programs and works tirelessly
promoting advocacy concerns.
Schmidt's rookie
lineup is very excited about the speeds and adventure of
racing at
Texas. Here is what the
drivers and owner Schmidt had to say going into
Indianapolis:
SAM SCHMIDT, Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports:
"It's great to be
going to one of my personal favorite tracks as a driver, Texas
Motor Speedway. I loved it as a racer, and as a car owner,
I've found a lot of success. We qualified and finished first
and second there in the fall, and our goal is to improve on
that. We'd like to own positions one through four.
"Also, it is
rewarding to be running a fourth car this weekend with P.J.
Abbott. I know this is considered his home track and
hopefully he will have a good weekend."
TRAVIS
GREGG, #7 Lucas Oil Special, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"I raced at Texas
Motor Speedway last year with Sam and had a great weekend. I
qualified on the outside pole and finished second in my third
start.
"Last time at
Texas, I spent a lot of
time with the nose of my car under the gearbox of my
teammate's car, trying to figure out how to get around him.
This year, maybe I'll be the teammate the other guys want to
pass.
"Texas
is a great track. The track has a lot of banking which allows
us to drive in the corners two and three wide. There should
be some very close racing."
CHRIS
FESTA, #19 SpacePak, CareCentric, Sam Schmidt Motorsports
Entry:
"This is a new
track for me. It's the place where I first met Sam Schmidt.
I'm very excited about racing there. It looks like it will be
very fast.
"I've learned a lot
about racing on the speedways at
Homestead and at
Indianapolis. I'm looking
forward to applying that to the race at
Texas.
"My hopes are for a
great qualifying effort and strong finish to get back into the
points chase. I'm looking forward to the race weekend."
JAIME CAMARA, #1 CELG, Goias, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"Last year, I came
to Texas Motor Speedway to see the race. This was one of the
few races I came and watched from the pit wall...so I've had
some contact with the track...I thought it was awesome! I am
looking forward to racing there.
"I think
Texas is one of the best
tracks of the season, the 24-degree banking must make it a
cool track to drive. Our car has been fast everywhere so far,
and I think we have a good shot at the front there, too."
The next
Menards Infiniti Pro Series race is at Texas Motor Speedway,
on Saturday, June 11, and will air Thursday, June 16th on
ESPN-2 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION:
Lori Smith OR
Richard N. (Chip) Williams, Williams Company of America, Inc.
502 E. Center Ave.,
Mooresville,
NC 28115
(704) 660-0796 FAX: (704) 660-0886
email:
chip.williams@mindspring.com
www.williamscompany.com
(digitized
high-res photos available for media downloading)