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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Packing Lofty Goals, Strong Track Record
Sam Schmidt Motorsports Readies for Chicagoland
With three
rookies wheeling his Menards Infiniti Pro Series race
cars, Sam Schmidt still holds hope that his team can
repeat as the series champions. Trailing in the title
chase by 33 points, Schmidt's three-car team is packed and
ready to roar at a track where they hold the series
qualifying and race records.
Travis Gregg,
a 27-year-old from Camden, Ohio, drives Schmidt's #7 Lucas
Oil Special. He raced for Sam Schmidt at Chicagoland last
season - he qualified second. Gregg, who does backflips in
celebration of his race wins, has five pole positions
(Miami, Phoenix, Texas, Kentucky, Pikes Peak), three
victories (Miami, Texas, Kentucky) and has led 222 laps in
the MIPS this season. Gregg is second in the championship
standings with 378 points.
Jaime Camara,
24, a Brazilian native residing in Miami, Fla., is fifth
in the standings with 329 points. Driving Schmidt's #1
CELG, Goias entry, Camara has three pole positions
(Indianapolis, Nashville, Milwaukee), three outside pole
positions (Homestead, Phoenix, Kentucky), and two wins
(Indianapolis, Nashville).
Chris Festa,
19, of Atlanta, Ga, the youngest of Schmidt's drivers, is
sixth in the series standings with 304 points. Festa led
his first MIPS lap at Texas, where he qualified second.
His best finish this year 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
Racer
Magazine announced it 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 two key Indy Racing League charities, Sam Schmidt
Paralysis Foundation and CARA Charities.
Here are some
thoughts from the drivers and owner heading into the
Chicagoland weekend:
SAM
SCHMIDT, Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports:
"Our Menards
Infiniti Pro Series entries have always been strong at
Chicagoland and, since many of our team sponsors are based
in the area, we hope this year will be no different.
"Obviously we
are hoping Travis (Gregg) can have an exceptional weekend
and put some pressure on Wade (Cunningham, points leader)
for the championship, but we also need our other drivers
to be right there with him fighting for the win."
TRAVIS GREGG,
#7 Lucas Oil Special, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"I raced at Chicagoland last
year with Sam. It is a little different than Kentucky and
Texas, but it is definitely my kind of track. I expect
the whole team to run strong there. We need a win to run
down Wade (Cunningham) in the points chase, so that is the
goal. To get a repeat championship for Sam would be huge.
Being a rookie would make it that much better."
JAIME
CAMARA, #1 CELG, Goias, Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:
"The Sam
Schmidt Motorsports cars have a strong history there, and
that seems to translate to good cars for us when we show
up at a track where the team has been really strong.
Chicagoland could be a good weekend for us to do very
well."
CHRIS
FESTA, #19 Western Union, CareCentric, Sam Schmidt
Motorsports Entry:
"Chicagoland
is a cool race track, and we have had pretty good mile and
a half cars all year, so I am feeling really good going
into Chicago. We have had some stumbles this year up to
this point in the season but we are really looking to
rectify everything - really go out on the track, put it
down and get the momentum we had earlier in the season
going again so we can end this year on a strong note."
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