Negri nabs third on the grid for Granja Viana 500

12/02/2006

(Sao Paulo, Brazil)-Oswaldo Negri will start the Granja Viana 500 karting event  from third on the grid after posting a 57:081-second lap at the Kartódromo Da Granja Viana near Sao Paolo, Brazil. Ferrari Formula 1 pilot Felipe Massa secured the pole position with a 56:784-second lap on the 1.2-kilometer track. Negri will share the driving duties with Pedro and Paulo Gomes.
 
The “Super Qualifying” session featured a one-lap format for the large and enthusiastic crowd,  as some of the biggest names in the sport have convened to compete in the twelve-hour event. The Granja Viana event first ran in 1997 with Felipe Massa, Tony Kanaan, Rubins Barrichello, and Dan Wheldon among the list of winning drivers.
 
Negri has made several starts in the Granja Viana 500, with a career best-finish of second place in 2004 when he partnered with countrymen Vitor Meira, Gil De Ferran and Helio Castroneves. Negri will partner with Castroneves in two months’ time for the 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona in the Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley.
 
“I must say that I am having a blast!” said Negri. “The qualifying was so intense and such a thrill because we each had the track to ourselves, and the crowd was really pumping everybody up. This is just a fantastic event and it gets better every year.”
 
Unofficial Qualifying Top Six, Granja Viana 500:
 
1-Massa                         56:784
2-Eduardo Ventre             57:029  
3-Oswaldo Negri               57:081
4-Felipe Leite                  57:137
5-Victor Meira                 57:236
6-Tonny Kanaan              57:260
 
Other notable entries
 
12-Luciano Burti             57:618
14-R. Barrichello             57:808
16-Felipe Giaffone          57:923
17-Nelson Piquet Jr.        58:135
20-Ricardo Zonta           58:788

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com

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Michael Shank Racing wins Discount Tire Sunchaser 9-Hour

09/03/2006

Win powers Lexus to Manufacturer Championship title as Patterson secures Jim Trueman Award
  
(Tooele, UT)—Michael Shank Racing won the Discount Tire Sunchaser at Miller Motorsports Park on Saturday as Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson took the No. 60 Flight Options Lexus/Riley to a 2.94-second victory to close out the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series season.
 
The win is the first in Rolex Sports Car Series competition for the Columbus, Ohio-based team and secured the Manufacturer Championship for Michael Shank Racing engine partner Lexus.
 
The sister Michael Shank Racing entry of Mike Borkowski, Burt, and Brian Frisselle capped off a strong team performance as the Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley finished in fifth position, less than one minute behind the Negri/Patterson machine after nine hours of battle in the Utah desert.
 
The win provided a podium-bookend on the season for the Flight Options entry, which opened  2006 with a second-place finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
 
“Many thanks to Lexus, Flight Options and to Mike Shank, he runs an absolutely fabulous team,” said Patterson. “It’s amazing to be on the podium and in this press conference surrounded by so much driving talent. The realization that we won this race hasn’t even begun to sink in. Oz did an amazing job today and all season, and all credit goes to him and Mike Shank. We started the season off on the podium, and its great to go one better to finish the season.”
 
Negri was at the controls as the 4.5-mile track was enveloped in darkness after the sun set, but the desire to win overcame any problem presented by the limited visibility as he clicked off fast lap after fast lap to charge to the checkers.
 
“We wanted to get Mike (Shank) his first win, to help Lexus win the championship, and to make sure Mark won the Trueman Award, and we did all three tonight so it’s absolutely fantastic,” said Negri. “Mark did a great job to keep us in contention up front during his stints, and we had a great last pit stop. Mike Shank has put together an unbelievable team and the support we get from Lexus is fantastic. I just want to thank my wife and kids and everyone who has had to put up with all the sacrifices we have to make to do this, but winning a race like this makes everything worth it. I’m just so happy I can’t believe it.”
 
The nine-hour event set a frantic pace, as the race was slowed by but one caution period near the middle point of the event.
 
Two key pit stops helped to parlay the pace of Patterson and Negri into a victory. The first came three hours into the race, as team owner Mike Shank played a hands-on role and repaired a broken cool suit in the Flight Options car during a pit stop. The repair cost just ten extra seconds in the pits, but allowed both Patterson and Negri to make the most of the impressive fuel mileage provided by the Lexus motor by keeping them cool enough in the car to stretch out their stints to the maximum mileage between pit stops.
 
The second key pit stop came late in the race, as Negri came in for a perfectly-timed stop to take on just enough fuel to make it to the finish, as the Michael Shank Racing crew got the speedy Brazilian back on course and into the lead, which he refused to relinquish despite immense pressure from behind.
 
Shank has made the most of his switch to the Rolex Series after a successful start campaigning cars in the formula car ranks, taking a fourth place in the teams first-ever start in the Rolex category in 2004 and following that up with a podium performance in the very next race. The team has grown into a thriving two-car entry and despite the ever-increasing competitive nature of Rolex racing, has been a threat every weekend, but the Utah event was the first time everything came together for the team.
 
“This is absolutely the best possible way for us to finish the season,” said Shank. “Oz did a phenomenal job in that last stint, and we had some great pit stops to help him get up front. The Playboy car also had a great run and I just can’t say how proud I am of all my guys, and how fortunate I feel to be racing in this series. It’s so competitive and you have to have everything possible go right for you to even hope for a podium, and obviously to get a win, every aspect of what you do has to be flawless, and that’s what we did tonight.”
 
The win also helped protect Patterson’s lead in the Jim Trueman award, a recognition of the drivers who do not derive their income from driving race cars, as Patterson wrapped up the title with his strong performance in Utah.
 
“We’re very cognizant of the fact that we are a team with one pro driver and one amateur driver, racing against all these teams with all-pro drivers, and we love the challenge,” said Patterson. “Especially when we come out on top like we did tonight!”

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing fast in the flats

08/31/2006
  
(Salt Lake City, UT)—Well it’s not exactly the Bonneville Salt Flats, but the 4.5-mile Miller Motorsports Park outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, has plenty of room for the Rolex Sports Car Series field to stretch their legs.
 
Michael Shank Racing got the season-ending Discount Tire Sunchaser 9-hour race weekend off to a quick start as Oswaldo Negri posted the third fastest time of the day in the Flight Options Lexus/Riley that he will be sharing with Mark Patterson on Saturday. The team tested at the track earlier this summer, and arrived armed with a strong set-up for the Series’ debut at the impressive facility.
 
"The car was great right off the truck and having tested here really prepared us for that," said Negri. "We've only been making little changes to the car so far, and Mark did a great job today even when he was running on old tires, so we are pretty optimistic about the race. The last few laps we ran tonight, though, I think it is too dangerous out there in the dark on this track. If someone drops a wheel and blows up a dust cloud, it's just impossible to see through it, very dangerous."
 
The sister Michael Shank Racing entry of Mike Borkowski, Burt, and Brian Frisselle was also a quick starter, as the Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach machine posted the tenth fastest time in the final night session, which closed out after the sun set behind the surrounding mountains, blanketing the track in darkness.  
 
The Rolex Sports Car Series races frequently in night conditions, but usually on an oval-based track configuration that provides plenty of stadium lighting. The Miller layout, which is devoid of elevation changes and distinctive sight pictures for the drivers, proved to provide a worrying challenge for the field as it got a taste of running at night on the track on Thursday evening as a precursor to running the closing laps of the race, scheduled to end at 9:00 PM local time on Saturday.
 
While the team’s strong performance had team owner Mike Shank feeling positive about the race weekend, his first concern following the evening session was the situation with the lighting.
 
“All of the drivers are concerned about running out there in the dark,” said Shank. “If a car spins and kicks up dust and stalls out, killing their lights, there is just no way for the guy behind to see them. It’s dangerous but hopefully they will sort something out for the race.”
 
The grid will be set for the finale-enduro at 2:00 PM local time on Friday. The race will be broadcast live on Speed Channel September 2nd at 2:00 PM (ET) for part one, and follow to the finish in part two starting at 6:00 PM (ET).

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing hangs tough at Infineon

(Sonoma, CA)—Halfway through the Sonoma 250 at Infineon Raceway, Michael Shank Racing was well-placed to keep a run of team double-top ten team finishes going, but the racing gods had another plan as the team had to fight back and overcome some bad racing luck.
 
The Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach entry of Brian Frisselle and Mike Borkowski finished eleventh as the Flight Options Lexus/Riley of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri came home thirteenth in the two-hour and forty-five minute Infineon Raceway debut for the Rolex Sports Car Series.
 
Patterson started the race from twentieth on the grid, and hadn’t a moment to relax as he staged a thrilling three-way battle in the opening twenty-five laps of the 100-lap event. The highlight reel for Patterson’s stint would no doubt include his bold outside move in the final corner, as he nearly lost a position under braking, but refused to cede the spot and re-passed on the outside of the hairpin corner to reclaim the position.
 
The South African, who led the Jim Trueman Award points leading into the event, had a busy day in the office on Saturday afternoon.
 
“This is a great flowing race track but there just isn’t anywhere to even take a moment in the car and get ready for the next section-it’s just non-stop,” said Patterson. “And when you are right in someone’s tailpipes with someone else in yours for twenty-five laps, there is even less of a chance to relax or even take a drink of water. This series is very intense, but this was the absolutely most intense race I’ve ever had in this car. But I had a ball out there-the guys were going for it absolutely 100%, but there wasn’t a single bit of contact between the three of us the entire time, so just some fantastic racing.”
 
The Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley of Mike Borkowski and Brian Frisselle got a good launch at the start as Frisselle emerged from the first lap in twelfth after starting from sixteenth on the grid. Frisselle kept up the pace, and continued to move the Playboy Racing machine up the order before turning the car over to Borkowski, who rejoined the field in seventh position.
 
However, it was more than just the other cars and the busy track that Borkoski had to battle with, as the Miami resident had to switch off a number of systems to cope with a dying battery.
 
“This is one of the most physical tracks we race on,” said Borkowski. “So to be running with the power steering, helmet blower, and cool suit all turned off made for a really tough stint. There isn’t any place to rest on this track, and when it’s 140 degrees inside the car, it just made for a tough run out there.”
 
Borkowski turned the controls back over to Frisselle at the two-thirds distance as the Michael Shank Racing crew made a fast stop to address the electronic issues and sent Frisselle on his way to fight back in the top ten, although the youngster just ran out of laps and came home eleventh.
 
Meanwhile, Negri was in form and on pace, moving the Flight Options car up to as high as sixth. However, contact with a GT class entry hampered progress as the Brazilian was called in for a stop-and-go penalty, which put Negri one lap down from the leaders.
 
“It’s too bad what happened with the GT car-I thought he saw that I was inside but we were both already committed to the corner, so we made contact as I tried to pass him,” said Negri. “He is a great racer (Tommy Kendall) and I really like the guy, but it was just some bad racing luck for us today. I’m really looking forward to the race at Miller next weekend-obviously we’ve shown a lot of strength in the endurance races (2nd/Rolex 24 At Daytona, 4th/Watkins Glen 6 Hour) this season, and it would be great to finish the year out like we started—with a podium.”
 
After netting four consecutive top-ten finishes with both team entries heading into the Infineon round, the Sonoma 250 proved to have a disappointing conclusion, but team owner Mike Shank is looking forward to the season-ending Labor Day race weekend and the challenge that the endurance races bring to the team.
 
“It was just not our day today,” said team owner Mike Shank. “But at least we only have to wait a few days to get back out there and keep going for it next weekend at Miller. We’ve had some good runs this season in the endurance races and we’d like to close out the season on a strong note in the nine-hour.”
 
The team will stay out West and begin preparations for the season-ending Sunchaser 250 at Miller Motorsports Park next Saturday. The race will be broadcast live on Speed Channel September 2nd at 2:00 PM (ET) for part one, and follow to the finish in part two starting at 6:00 PM (ET).

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing ready for Infineon Debut

08/25/2006

(Sonoma, CA)—Michael Shank Racing will be looking to extend the team’s impressive streak of double-top ten finishes this weekend as the two-car entry prepares for the Sonoma 250 on Saturday afternoon and round thirteen of the Rolex Sports Car Series 2006 season.
 
The grid for Saturday’s two-hour event was set in qualifying on Friday, as the No. 6 Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley of Mike Borkowski and Brian Frisselle scored sixteenth on the grid, and the No. 60 Flight Options Lexus/Riley of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri took twentieth.
 
The team has shown with both the Flight Options and the Playboy Racing machines that the qualifying results can bear little meaning to the finishing order. The last two races have seen both cars qualifying out of the top-fifteen, yet teamwork and precision driving have helped both sides of the Columbus, Ohio-based team score top-ten results in the last four Rolex events, with the Flight Options entry taking two fourth place finishes in the last five races.
 
“That was Mark’s (Patterson) best lap of the weekend, and he showed at the Glen that he can really move up well once the race starts,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We are a little disappointed with the results in qualifying for the Playboy Racing car because we just went the wrong way with the set-up.  Brian did a good job, but the result doesn’t really show what he can do. But we know what we need to do to move up, and plan on doing exactly that tomorrow.”
 
The Sonoma 250 will be broadcast August 27th on Speed Channel at 3:00 PM ET.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Sexta-feira (25/09)
09:00 às 06:45 - Treino livre 2 - Rolex Series
10:15 às 11:00 - Treino livre 3 - Rolex Series
14:15 às 14:30 - Classificação Rolex Series (Daytona Prototipe)

Sábado (26/09)
05:45 às 05:30 - Warmup Rolex Series 
12:00 Largada Rolex Series Race (250- milhas - 100 voltas ou 2 horas e 45 minutos de prova)

Michael Shank Racing continues to deliver

08/11/2006
   
(Watkins Glen, NY)—Michael Shank Racing continued to deliver strong results in Rolex Sports Car Series competition as both team entries finished in the top ten in the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen on Friday night.
 
The No. 60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley of Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson led the MSR charge with a run to fourth at the finish after starting from sixteenth on the grid, with the No. 6 Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus Riley of Mike Borkowski and Burt Frisselle coming home tenth despite a clutch problem throughout the race.
 
The result marks the fourth consecutive double-top ten finish for the Columbus, Ohio-based organization and the fifth straight top ten for Patterson and Negri. Patterson was a podium participant after the race to collect a medal as the highest-finishing driver in the Jim Trueman award battle.
 
The team welcomed a group of Flight Options customers and employees on hand for the race, and the crowd was thrilled to see their car make an impressive charge through the field on race day as Patterson moved up to ninth before turning the car over to Negri, who resumed from eleventh to take fourth at the end of the two-hour race.
 
“That’s as well as I have seen Mark and Oz drive, just outstanding,” enthused team owner Mike Shank. “I am really proud of the job they did and of the work that everyone on this team has done. This great run of top-tens is only happening because of the work my guys, Lexus, and the drivers do to be 100% ready every time we go out. Rolex is so competitive, you have to absolutely be on your game to even be in the top ten, and to do that week in and week out is really satisfying for everybody here. Hopefully we can keep it going at Infineon.”
 
The distinctive black Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach entry started nineteenth in the field with Frisselle at the wheel, and he was able to move the car up to eleventh before turning it over to Borkowski midway through the race. The race was the first outing for Frisselle with MSR since scoring a podium in this race in 2004 with the team.
 
“I’m just bummed I wasn’t able to do more with the car because it was really good, but the clutch problem meant that I was losing out under braking because it was just taking longer to get the downshifts done,” said Frisselle. “But I’m happy to get a top ten here and it’s been great to be back with these guys, and I am really looking forward to racing this car again at Miller.”
 
The strong result was particularly pleasing for Negri, who has always excelled at the high-speed upstate New York facility, having scored a podium with Frisselle in 2004 and with current co-driver Patterson in 2005.
 
“This is awesome,” said Negri. “Mark did another fantastic job at the start, and the car was strong enough to make some moves forward, so I’m really pleased with the result. Plus, it’s my daughter Nahalia’s birthday, so it was already a great day for me even before the race started.”
 
The race is the second event for the new configuration Lexus motor, and the team has worked to quickly adapt to the new specification V-8 powerplant.
 
“The car was fantastic, and compared to where we were at Barber just starting out with the new Lexus, we have already moved well ahead,” said Patterson. “The car just got better as the laps went on, and I was really able to make up ground and fight and defend when I needed to, and Oz just did the rest of the work from there. A real credit to this team I think for the job they do, and it was quite a treat I think for our guests from Flight Options.”
 
The Rolex Series will reconvene in two weeks’ time for the Series debut at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing gunning for Glen success

08/08/2006

(Columbus, OH)—Michael Shank Racing will be back in action this week, campaigning a two-car effort in the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen. The race will  run  Friday evening as part of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series visit to the upstate New York 2.45-mile natural terrain road course.
 
Michael Shank Racing enters the race weekend riding a wave, having scored three straight top-tens with both team entries in the last three rounds of Rolex Sports Car Series competition. With a strong track record at the Glen, the team is eager to put their proven set-ups at the track to work with the new specification Lexus motor, which debuted at Barber Motorsports park and delivered instant results as the mount proved both powerful and miserly with fuel.
 
The team’s chances are further bolstered by the fact that all four team drivers have appeared on the Watkins Glen podium in Daytona Prototype competition.
 
Burt Frisselle, who scored a podium in this event racing with the team in 2004, will be re-joining Michael Shank Racing, teaming with Mike Borkowski in the No. 6 Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus Riley. Borkowski savored victory in Daytona Prototype competition at the track in 2003 and also held the track record in the class.
 
The No. 60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley of Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson took a podium at Watkins Glen last year in just the third start together for the duo.
 
The two-hour Glen event is the second shortest of the 2006 Rolex season, and the short-course configuration will see the Daytona Prototypes carry an average speed  of nearly 120 mph in qualifying.
 
“Things can happen quickly at the Glen, and especially in this race,” said team owner Mike Shank. “This is a track where we have traditionally had some good speed right off the truck, and hopefully that will be the case again this weekend. We’re really excited about the package we have and just want to keep making progress on the championship with both cars.”
 
The positive results have seen both Michael Shank Racing entries strengthen their respective positions in the team championships, with the Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach machine looking to improve from twelfth in the standings while the Flight Options entry will work to move up from eighth as the Rolex Series enters its final three rounds. Mark Patterson also continues to lead the Trueman Award standings, with a sixty-one point advantage over Rob Finley.
 
“Getting to the podium with Mark at the Glen last year was a real high-to get such a strong result so early in our partnership,” said Negri. “The Rolex Series gets more competitive every round we race, and the team has continued to work really hard to keep raising our game with every aspect of what we do, and it would be great to be back on the podium again this weekend.”
 
The Crown Royal 200 will see a Thursday-Friday schedule in place, with three practice sessions on Thursday in advance of the 4:30 PM qualifying session. A final night practice on Thursday evening will be the last time the Rolex machines take to the track before the scheduled 6:30 race starting time to kick off the two-hour sprint event.
 
The Crown Royal 200 will be televised Friday, August 11th at 9:00 PM ET on Speed Channel.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing continues top-tens at Barber

07/30/2006

(Birmingham, AL)—After a four-week break from race action, Michael Shank Racing took off right where the team left off in June by scoring the third consecutive double-top ten finish for the Columbus, Ohio-based squad in Rolex Sports Car Series competition at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday.
 
Leading the MSR charge was Tommy Constantine and Mike Borkowski, who combined for a seventh-place finish in the Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus-powered Riley, with the sister team car of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri scoring ninth in the Flight Options Lexus-Riley combination. The result moved the Playboy Racing entry up to twelfth in the team championship order as the Flight Options entry strengthened its eighth place standing with the top-ten result.
 
“Lexus put a lot of man-hours and preparation to be ready for this race weekend with the new-specification motor, and it really paid off for us today because we got the mileage we needed to get to the finish today without having to make an extra stop,” said team owner Mike Shank. “The support we get from Lexus and TRD is amazing, and to score another top ten with both cars is very satisfying given how incredibly competitive this series is.”
 
Patterson and Constantine started from nineteenth and twenty-first respectively, and both drivers made quick work to move up and be running twelfth and thirteenth just one hour into the race. As a full course caution was called, the Flight Options crew called Patterson in for a driver change, new Hoosiers, and a full load of fuel. However, the timing was just off by a matter for twenty yards, meaning that Negri rejoined the field in sixteenth, one lap down.
 
The Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach squad employed a different strategy, waiting until the field packed up before bringing Constantine in for his stop, allowing Borkowski to rejoin on the lead lap in sixth position.
 
Negri fought through several re-starts before gaining his lap back to the leader as Borkowski ran in the lead pack in sixth, moving up to fifth as a full course caution regrouped the field with just minutes remaining in the race.
 
As the two hour and forty-five minute race entered its final stages, Negri moved up into ninth despite being as conservative with fuel as possible, as Borkowski also used every trick up his sleeve to make sure his Lexus had the fuel it needed to make it to the finish while still defending his position.
 
One final caution period once again set the stage for a dramatic finish, but on the restart, Borkowski was forced to relinquish positions in order to make it to the finish line, something that Negri only barely did, running out of fuel just after crossing the line.
 
“It was so frustrating not to be able to fight with those guys in the last few laps, but on the other hand it would have been pointless to have stopped and lose all those positions, so we’ll take the top ten points and get ready for the Glen,” said Borkowski. “Tommy (Constantine) did a fantastic job in his opening stint to put us in the position we were in. Everyone from Lexus and from the team has been working really hard, and it showed with our run in the lead pack today.”
 
The Barber event marked Patterson’s debut Daytona Prototype run at the facility, and the South African clearly enjoyed his competitive run through the field on the very busy and technical 2.3-mile natural terrain layout.
 
“That was fantastic,” said Patterson. “I was really having a ball out there. The car was great and even though we didn’t quite play the pit timing right, we were able to get another top ten and keep gathering points for this very competitive championship. That we were able to get our lap back and still run a one-stop strategy I think shows that Lexus has really done their homework and I am really looking forward to the Glen because we were on the podium there last year, and we feel like there’s no reason we can’t be again.”
 
Brazilian hotshoe Negri had to balance his aggression with fuel savings as he played off of team engineer Dave Kanning’s urgings on the radio, which worked to perfection as the Flight Options machine put in exactly the race distance before exhausting the fuel load.
 
“We just made it!” smiled Negri. “We of course want to be fighting for podiums and wins, but this is a team sport and you have to take the good with the bad, because you can’t do anything without a great team behind you. We just made a bad call with the pit stop and lost the lap, but fortunately we were able to make up some ground late in the race and get back into the top ten. It’s a solid finish, but we’ll be looking to do even better at Watkins Glen in a couple of weeks.”
 
The Barber race weekend kicks off a flurry of Rolex events as the series rushes to its’ conclusion on Labor Day weekend, but not before a visit to Watkins Glen for a Daytona Prototype-only 200 mile sprint race in conjunction with the NASCAR Nextel Cup event, and then back West for the Series debut event at Infineon Raceway near Sonoma, California.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing bringing hot streak to Barber

07/26/2006
 
(Birmingham, AL) —After a four-week break from race action, Michael Shank Racing is looking forward to returning to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, this weekend for the Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant and round eleven of the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series.
 
Mike Borkowski and Tommy Constantine will once again partner up in the Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus-powered Riley, as Oswaldo Negri and Trueman Award points leader Mark Patterson team up in the Flight Options Lexus/Riley combination.
 
With some strong outings leading up to the short break in the summer schedule, Michael Shank Racing will be looking to keep the heat on in the Alabama summer at the 2.3-mile natural terrain road course facility.
 
Aiding in this quest will be a new-specification Lexus motor, which will see the team benefit from a Grand American-approved motor capacity increase. Lexus currently leads the engine manufacturer championship.
 
With two consecutive top-ten finishes in the last two races, the No. 6 Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach has climbed to thirteenth in the team championship standings after losing ground earlier in the season, and with just a handful of races to go, will be looking to make up even more ground this weekend.
 
“Our car was really strong here last year and there’s no reason to think that we don’t have another good chance again this weekend,” said Borkowski, who visited the Barber podium last season with a third place finish. “Tommy (Constantine) has done a great job, and we know that we have a good car set up from last year, so hopefully we can be in the ballpark right off the trailer and improve from there.”
 
After a challenging race outing in May at Phoenix International Raceway, the No. 60 of Negri and Patterson regrouped and has been on a strong streak ever since, taking fourth in the Watkins Glen Six Hour event, seventh at Mid-Ohio, and tenth in the summer Daytona round at the end of June. The team is firmly ensconced in eighth in the team championship, but with a sixteen-point advantage over the Lowes/Fernandez entry and a twelve-point deficit to the AJR Porsche team, will be looking to make up even more ground to the leaders as the final races of the season play out.
 
The Barber round will mark Patterson’s Daytona Prototype debut at the facility, although the South African has logged many miles on the track in other categories.
 
“Barber is an impressive facility, and while one might question the wisdom of visiting Alabama in the middle of the summer, we should be able to put everything the team learned here last year to good use,” said Patterson. “We’d like to keep our results strong through this string of races we have coming up and are very much focused on the championship. Having said that, though, it’s been a while since Oz and I have been on the podium and we’d certainly like to do that once again…”
 
The Barber race weekend will kick off a flurry of Rolex events as the series rushes to its’ conclusion on Labor Day weekend, but not before a visit to Watkins Glen for a Daytona Prototype-only 200 mile sprint race in conjunction with the NASCAR Nextel Cup event, and then back West for the Series debut event at Infineon Raceway near Sonoma, California.
 
“We are pumped up about Barber because we know that we have a good car here from last year and we’d like to get a good start on closing out the season on a strong note with both cars,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We have a lot of racing to do yet, and we are excited about the package we have for these tracks with the new Lexus motor, and hopefully we can cool down with some champagne at Barber like we did last year.”
 
 
Note: Michael Shank Racing drivers Justin Wilson and A.J. Allmendinger have won the last four Champ Car World Series events. The two co-drove to second place in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri in the Flight Options entry.
 
Event Schedule:
(All times local)
 
Promoter Test Day  Thursday
Practice 1   Friday, July 28 9:10 AM
Practice 2   Friday, July 28 1:45 PM
Practice 3   Saturday, July 29 10:00 AM
Qualifying    Saturday, July 29 1:00 PM
Warm-Up    Sunday, July 30 10:00 AM
Race       Sunday, July 30 2:00 PM
 
Drivers autograph session, Saturday 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
 
The race will be broadcast LIVE on Speed Channel at 3:00 PM ET

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Double top-ten for Michael Shank Racing once again

06/29/2006
 
(Daytona Beach, FL)—Michael Shank Racing backed up a strong double-top ten run in the teams home event last weekend at Mid-Ohio with a second consecutive double-top ten performance Thursday evening at Daytona International Speedway in the Brumos 250.
 
The Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley of Mike Borkowski and Paul Tracy finished sixth, with Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri bringing the Flight Options Lexus/Riley across the finish line in tenth.
 
The pace and performance of both team cars was strong throughout the sessions during the one-day event, but the effort came up short as an extra fuel stop was required to make the full seventy-lap race distance.
 
“Another solid race for us with both cars,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We ran a great pace with both cars, but we are looking forward to improvements with our fuel mileage in the next four races. Lexus has some of the hardest working guys in the sport, and they are as hungry for an improvement as we are. But this is a good way to close out a busy June, and we’ll be looking for more at Barber.”
 
The starting grid was set by championship points after a problem at the track forced the cancellation of the qualifying session, as Borkowski started from fourteenth in the Playboy Racing machine, as Patterson took the green flag from eighth on the grid.
 
Both drivers got good starts, with Patterson rocketing up to sixth briefly at the start and settling into seventh by the time the event’s only yellow flag flew in the early laps, with Borkowski making up good ground to slot into ninth just a handful of laps into the two hour and forty-five minute event.
 
The Flight Options race plan had to be altered, though, some ten laps into the race, as Patterson made a heroic save to avoid a Daytona Prototype that took to the grass in the high-speed ‘Bus Stop’ chicane, with Patterson keeping control despite having the back to wheels in the grass, and the front two still on the pavement.
 
Eager to resume his race pace, Patterson pressed the Lexus-Riley to its limits, and took to the grass himself a lap later as the Hoosiers were still encumbered with debris from his previous excursion.
 
“I just wasn’t patient enough,” said Patterson. “Lesson learned-I should have just taken it easy for a couple of laps to make sure the tires were clear, but we were still in a really good position and I just didn’t want to lose our spot.”
 
Patterson brought the car in to clear the radiators of grass and dirt, and turned the car over to Negri, who rejoined the field in thirty-first position, working his way up through the order to finish in tenth.
 
“All the credit goes to Oz--he drove like a soldier tonight,” said Patterson. “It’s a shame we were in that position, but he made the best of a bad situation.”
 
Borkowski continued his own upward mobility to take the Playboy Racing machine up as high as sixth before turning the car over to Tracy, who ran a lonely race to the finish due to the long green flag conditions spreading the field, but was forced to pit late in the race and had to accept a sixth place finish at the end.
 
“I didn’t end up racing anyone out there,” said Tracy. “The race went pretty much to plan and we had a great pace, but then we had to make that last stop to get to the finish, so I just couldn’t make up the track position we lost.”
  
Michael Shank Racing will race again in one month, at Barber Motorsports Park outside of Birmingham, Alabama.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Negri terá novo motor em Daytona

28/06/2006

Negri embarca para Daytona onde acontece a 10ª etapa da Grand Am

Negri soma importantes pontos em Mid-Ohio

06/25/2006

Brasileiro se coloca entre os top ten na EMCO Gears Classic presented by KeyBank 
 
Oswaldo Negri Jr e seu parceiro Mark Patterson, levaram o Lexus Flight Options nº 60 da Michael Shank Racing à sétima colocação na EMCO Gears Classic presente by KeyBank, disputada neste sábado no circuito de Mid-Ohio. A dupla comemorou bastante o resultado e os importantes pontos conquistados, nesta nona etapa da Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.
 
Negri contou que pela primeira vez na temporada, enfrentaram problemas de acerto. O carro estava muito difícil de conduzir na sexta-feira e todos se esforçaram muito para melhorar o setup do carro.
 
"O primeiro dia foi meio truncado, já que no primeiro treino choveu muito e não saímos à pista. No segundo treino, que começou com o piso molhado, resolvi sair de pneus slick, para se secasse já estar com os pneus quentes e acostumado", disse Negri. "Logo passei o carro para o Mark, e apesar de um despiste, conseguimos perceber que o carro estava bem melhor", falou ainda.
O brasileiro e o sul-africano alinharam em 11º para a corrida. No warm-up a equipe MSR ainda mexeu em vários ajustes, e conquistaram o segundo melhor tempo, mas largando atrás a dupla sabia que seria impossível lutar pela vitória.
 
"Mais uma vez a equipe está de parabéns e se mostrou fantástica. Porém sabia que teriamos que vir de trás e nesta pista é muito difícil de passar. Nosso carro tinha muita asa, fazendo com que o carro ficasse lento na reta, e dificultou muito as ultrapassagens", contou. "Na parte mista o carro estava muito rápido, só que não dava para passar, já que as curvas são muito travadas. Andando sozinho tinha um foguete nas mãos, mas quando encostava nos que iam à frente, ficava empacado pois eles fugiam nas retomadas", comentou o brasileiro.
 
Ainda assim tanto Negri quanto a equipe ficaram extremamente contentes, com o bom resultado e com os pontos obtidos. A Michael Shank Racing, conseguiu ainda colocar seu outro carro entre os 10 primeiros, com o nono lugar de Mike Borkowski e Tommy Constantine
 
A vitória foi da dupla formada pelo brasileiro Mario Haberfeld, e pelo mexicano Adrian Fernandez, que punidos tiveram de largar da última posição no grid. A décima etapa da Grand Am acontece já no próximo final de semana (29/06) no circuito de Daytona, na Flórida, com a Brumos Porsche 250.
 
Resultado da Emco Gears Classic present by KeyBank (Mid-Ohio):
1 Mario Haberfeld/Adrian Fernandez (Lowe's Fernandez Racing) - Pontiac Riley
2 Colin Braun/Jorg Bergmeister (Krohn Racing) - Ford Riley
3 Alex Gurney/Jon Fogarty (Gainsco/Blackhawk Racing) Pontiac Riley
4 Wayne Taylor/Max Angelelli/Jan Magnussen (SunTrust Racing) Pontiac Riley
5 Butch Leitzinger/Andy Wallace (Howard-Boss Motorsports) Pontiac Crawford
6 Alex Figge/Ryan Dalziel (Pacific Coast Motorsports) Pontic Riley
7 Oswaldo Negri Jr./Mark Patterson (Michael Shank Racing) Lexus Riley
8 David Donohue/Darren Law (Red Bull/Brumos Porsche) Porsche Fabcar
9 Mike Borkowski/Constantine (Mears-Lexus/Riley) Pontiac Riley
10 Rob Finlay/Michael Valiante (Essex Racing) Ford Crawford

JV5Racing
João Vasconcelos – (011) 9736-2398
                           (011) 7677-2309
MTB:38553
Foto Crédito: Divulgação

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Double top-ten for Michael Shank Racing at home track

06/24/2006
 
(Columbus, OH)—Michael Shank Racing scored a strong double-top ten finish in the  EMCO Gears Classic presented by Key Bank at the team’s home track on Saturday evening.
 
The Flight Options Lexus-Riley of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri converted Patterson’s eleventh on the grid into seventh at the finish, as Mike Borkowski and Tommy Constantine moved up five positions to score ninth in the two hour and forty-five minute race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The results mark the best finish for the Columbus, Ohio-based team in Rolex competition at their home circuit.
 
“This was quite a weekend for us, being so close to home we had a great group of guests and supporters here,” said Shank. “And to bring both cars home in the top ten after not getting the best start to the weekend is really encouraging. Our cars were only average at the beginning of the weekend, but everyone just kept working at it, and we were pretty fast by racetime today. We have never had much good luck at this track racing in Rolex, so it’s even better that we were strong with both cars, got to the finish, and got more valuable points.”
 
Patterson started off from eleventh on the grid after putting in the best qualifying performance of his young Rolex career, and had no trouble keeping the Flight Options machine in the thick of the battle, racing as high as eighth before turning the controls over to Negri.
 
“The car was simply beautiful,” said Patterson. “We didn’t make a single mistake all race, and even though we ran in traffic most of the time, I had no problem clicking off some fast laps. We had a great strategy with our pit stops, and I think had there been fewer yellows, some of the guys who finished ahead of us would have had their luck and their fuel run out. But we will gladly take the points and get ready for Daytona, because this team is really clicking.”
 
The Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach machine of Borkowski and Constantine carded their third top-ten result of the season, although the traffic frustrated Constantine throughout his stint.
 
“I was really frustrated by the lack of sportsmanship that Tommy Drissi showed today,” said Constantine. “I was surprised by how he was racing out there, and more so that Grand Am didn’t do anything about it, because it cost us a lot of track position. Otherwise, I felt like we had a fast race car, and it feels good to get another finish under my belt in the Playboy Racing car, and that it was a top ten is even better!”
 
The Mid-Ohio round will be backed up quickly by another race this Thursday, as the team returns to the site of their season-opening podium performance and the Brumos 250 at the Daytona International Speedway. The race will be run as part of the NASCAR Nextel Cup event weekend, and the team started preparations immediately after the race ended to be ready to go first thing Thursday morning, as the Daytona event is a one-day affair.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing drivers step it up in Mid-Ohio qualifying

06/23/2006
 
(Columbus, OH)—Michael Shank Racing will start the EMCO Gears Classic from eleventh on the grid with the No. 60 Flight Options Lexus/Riley of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri, and fourteenth with the No.6 Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley of Tommy Constantine and Mike Borkowski.
 
The qualifying result is a career-best for Patterson, who impressed with a strong run along with Negri to fourth in the Watkins Glen 6 hour event earlier in June.
 
“The car felt really good, and I was just trying not to be too greedy out there,” said Patterson. “We haven’t started this weekend off as quickly as this team normally does in part because the track conditions are much different from what we experienced here last time, but I think this qualifying result shows that the car is back in normal Michael Shank Racing shape, which is to say, easy to drive very fast. I’m looking forward to a clean race start, and hopefully we can get another good points finish like we had at the Glen.”
 
The session also marked Constantine’s first-ever Daytona Prototype qualifying effort, as he stepped up to the challenge much the same way he did in his Prototype debut at Watkins Glen to score a spot on the seventh row.
 
“The track is so much different from when we tested,  we have just been chasing the grip all weekend,” said Constantine. “But we have another practice session in the morning, and we’ll keep working on the Playboy Racing car to be in good shape for the race. I know there is more speed in the car, and hopefully we can just get a clean start and set a good pace before turning the car over to Mike to take it to the finish.”
 
The Mid-Ohio race weekend is a special one for the Columbus, Ohio-based team, and the qualifying results have team owner Mike Shank looking forward to finding a new chapter of success at the track where he himself first got his start in racing.
 
“We didn’t come out of the gates as fast as we normally do, but I think both cars have made a lot of progress even though we sat out the rain session this morning,” said Shank. “Tommy and Mark both did a great job today, and we feel like we have caught up to where we should be with the cars for the race tomorrow. I’d really like to get on the podium here at the home track, so hopefully we can avoid other people’s trouble, keep a good pace, and score another good finish.”
 
Saturday, June 24
10:10 am-10:50 am Rolex Practice
12:00 pm-1:00 pm Rolex driver autograph session
  5:30 pm  EMCO Gears Classic start

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing finishes fourth at Watkins Glen

06/03/2006
 
(Watkins Glen, NY) —Michael Shank Racing finished fourth in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen on Saturday as Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri brought the Flight Options Lexus-powered Riley charging to the finish line less than twenty seconds away from a podium after a hard-fight six hours of racing at Watkins Glen International.
 
The sister Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach machine of Mike Borkowski, Paul Mears, Jr., and Tommy Constantine finished fourteenth in the debut run for the Playboy Racing machine and marked the Daytona Prototype debut for Constantine.
 
The race, which was run under variable weather conditions throughout the entire race distance, provided plenty of challenges for the forty-six car field as drivers had to battle not just the competitors, but also the conditions.
 
Patterson made a highlight-reel worthy pass of multiple Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Andy Wallace late in the race as the two were heading into the bus stop chicane to claim fourth before bringing the car into the pits for Negri to take over for  the final stint.
 
“That was fantastic!” enthused Patterson. “Oz told me to trust the car, and I did, and I was able to go up the hill completely flat out even though it was still a bit wet so I was able to get by Wallace,” said Patterson. “He gave me exactly enough room to do it safely, an utter professional.”
 
The pass was greeted with large cheers in the Flight Options pits, and the team is looking to take this momentum forward in the second half of the Rolex Sports Car Series season.
 
“After Phoenix, we decided that we didn’t need to take the big chances, to focus on getting to the finish in every race, and to make the most of the fantastic package that Mike Shank and his team brings to the track every race weekend, and I think this result is a just reward for putting our heads down and getting on with the job,” said Patterson. “With a championship as tight as this one, every point is precious and if we can keep it up with these kinds of finishes we should be in decent shape.”
 
Negri, who also generated significant interest from the television cameras thanks to some close but clean racing from start to finish, was happy with the team effort put forth all weekend from Michael Shank Racing.
 
“I am so proud of Mark and the progress he has made in the car-he is really an incredible natural talent, and he really motivates everyone around him,” said Negri. “The Lexus motor we had was excellent as always, and the guys did a great job with our pit strategy and with tire selection all day. We made some good compromises with the set-up for the race, and I think we went in exactly the right direction so we could be competitive no matter what the conditions were.”
 
The Glen round also marked the return to action for Mears, who relishes running on the high-speed track.
 
“I had a lot of fun out there,” said Mears. “It felt like I had some rust to knock off not having been in the car for so long, but once I got some laps under my belt I was fine. It was also a blast watching Mark (Patterson) making those passes!”
 
Borkowski started and finished the day in the No. 6 car, and is looking forward to getting back in the heat of battle in two week’s time at Mid-Ohio.
 
“It was tough out there because once we got a lap down, we just wanted to make sure we stayed out of trouble to get to the finish and not ruin anyone else’s race,” said Borkowski. “Tommy did a great job in his first run with us, and it was also great to have Paul racing with us again. I’m looking forward to Mid-Ohio because we had a good car there last year, but not a good race, so I think we can be strong there at the team’s home track.”
 
“I’m just really happy to have both cars finish well in the points and without a scratch on them,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Even though the conditions were pretty tough and kept changing, Tommy did a good job for his first time out in a Prototype, so that was really encouraging. And what can I say about Mark and Oz? That pass he made was really something else, and everyone is so pumped up from watching these guys race.”
 
The team will be back in action in two weeks at the newly repaved Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Mansfield, Ohio. The track was the site of the formation of Michael Shank Racing, and the team is headquartered in nearby Columbus, Ohio.
 
“We haven’t had the best luck there in the past, but we are looking to change that this time around…” said Shank.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing third fastest on Friday at Watkins Glen

06/02/2006
 
(Watkins Glen, NY) —Michael Shank Racing got the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen weekend off to a quick start on Friday, with the Flight Options car of Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson posting the third fastest time overall after three practice sessions on Friday.
 
The Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus Riley of Tommy Constantine, Paul Mears Jr., and Mike Borkowski also had a strong run with the striking new Playboy Racing livery, with a fast lap time of 1:47.131-seconds on the 3.4-mile natural terrain road course.
 
Due to the circumstances surrounding the Glen race weekend, Grand American elected to set the grid by points rather than staging a qualifying session. Patterson and Negri will start the Flight Options car from eighth on the grid, with the Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach set to take the green flag from the eighth row.
 
Patterson and Negri have been looking forward to the Glen round, having scored third place at the famed facility last September.
 
“I’m thankful that Grand Am gave us the track time tonight to make up for what we lost yesterday,” said Negri. “I have a great group of people behind me with Michael Shank Racing, and this is a good way to finish out the day today. The Flight Options car was great right off the truck, and we have just been fine-tuning it. It’s just a shame that we didn’t get to qualify today, but it’s a long race and we should be in great shape.”
 
The Watkins Glen event marks the Daytona Prototype debut for Constantine, who last raced at the track in F2000 competition. Despite never having run the long course layout that the Rolex Series is employing this weekend, the Scottsdale, Arizona resident was quickly on the pace.
 
“Tommy did a great job in the Playboy Racing car today,” said team owner Mike Shank. “He set a fantastic time late in the day with tires that had 150 miles on them, so that was an impressive first day for him. Paul (Mears) is always quick here at the Glen, and today was no different. It’s too bad we didn’t get a chance to qualify today because both cars are quick , but we should be able to move up once the race gets going tomorrow.”
 
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will get underway at 2:30 PM ET on Saturday, and will be carried live on Speed Channel.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing looking for Glen success once again

05/31/2006
 
(Watkins Glen, NY)–Team owner Mike Shank has added a Watkins Glen podium trophy to the collection in the Columbus, Ohio, shop each year that his team has raced at the track in Rolex competition, and will be looking to make room for some new hardware once again this weekend as Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri head for the historic upstate New York road course for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen and round eight of the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series season in the No. 60 Lexus-powered Flight Options Riley.
 
“We are always fast at the Glen, and I know we are ready to go this weekend,” said Shank. “We lost some ground in the points championship in Phoenix, so we are focused on making some of that up this weekend. The six hour is always an unpredictable race, and being fast is only part of what it takes to be on the podium. But we showed in the 24 that we can finish well in the endurance races and hopefully we can do it again this weekend.”
 
For Negri and Patterson, they already know their way to the podium at the storied track, having scored a podium result with third place in the Crown Royal 250 at the Glen last September in just their third Rolex start together.
 
“It’s great to be going back to a proper road course this weekend, and even better that this team is always so well-prepared for the endurance races,” said Patterson, who scored his first pole in formula car competition at the Glen. “Oz is as hungry as I’ve ever seen him after the Phoenix weekend, and we know that Mike will have a fast car for us. We just need to keep our nose clean in the early going and keep a good pace to be in a good position to fight in the end.”
 
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen is slated for a 2:30 PM ET start, with the full race being carried LIVE on Speed Channel.
 
3:00-5:00 PM            Thursday, June 1                    Practice
7:00-8:00 PM            Thursday, June 1                    Practice
1:15-1:45 PM            Friday, June 2                        Practice
4:45-5:00 PM            Friday, June 2                        Qualifying
8:15-8:45 AM            Saturday, June 3                    Warm-UP
11:00-12:00 PM         Saturday, June 3                    Driver Autograph Session
2:30-8:30 PM            Saturday, June 3                    Race/6 Hours

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing disappointed with outcome of Phoenix racing incident

05/13/2006

(Phoenix, AZ) –Grand American officials have suspended Michael Shank Racing driver Oswaldo Negri from racing in the GAINSCO Grand Prix on Saturday night after a racing incident during the Friday evening qualifying race.
 
“This is obviously a very disappointing situation and a severe penalty, as it was clearly a racing incident, and we were already penalized after the race last night,” said team owner Mike Shank. “That we were also penalized out of the lead last weekend in Laguna deepens the frustration for the team.”
 
Driving the Flight Options Lexus-Riley with Mark Patterson will be Rod MacLeod of Scotland.
 
MacLoed has a long history of success in the sport, going back to his International F3 championship in 1996, through his winning ways in the Panamerican Indy Lights Championship. MacLeod has also worked as test and development driver for the Barber Dodge Pro Series and Formula BMW USA, and most recently has been distinguishing himself in the last few seasons in Mexico, racing in the Mustang Cup Mexican stock car series, and the NASCAR Mexico series last season with several top-five championship efforts south of the border.
 
MacLeod, who has experience in the Daytona Prototypes, was on hand for the event working with Brian Tuttle as a driver coach. Tuttle, who made available for the Mexico City round his back up car for Michael Shank Racing after a crash in practice, has once again made his resources available to the team by freeing MacLeod to race this weekend.
 
The GAINSCO Grand Prix is slated for a 7:00 PM local time start on Saturday.
 
The race will be broadcast on Speed Channel on a tape-delayed basis starting at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing  second fastest in Phoenix practice

05/11/2006

(Phoenix, AZ) – Michael Shank Racing scored the second quickest lap of the day in practice on Thursday for the GAINSCO Grand Prix at Phoenix International Raceway as the Flight Options car of Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson posted a 57.881-second flyer on the 1.51-mile road course.
 
“Well, of course, we want to be fastest, but second quick is a good start,” smiled Negri. “This is just one of the Michael Shank Racing deals where the Flight Options car is fast right off the trailer, but you can never rest in racing, so we kept trying new things for the race. The Lexus guys and everyone on the team is doing a great job. Mark is driving really well, and I’m proud to have him as my teammate.”  
 
The sister Mears Motor Coach Lexus-Riley of Antoine Bessette and Mike Borkowski were also quick on the opening day, with a 58.561-second lap setting them in the top ten.
 
“The track didn’t have much grip at all, and it was even worse as the tires went off, but we definitely have a good start and saving the tires is going to be important in the races,” said Bessette. “I have been impressed with Mike Shank and his team, they are definitely a very strong organization, and I am looking forward to the race on Saturday night.”
 
The opening day pace wasn’t too surprising for team owner Mike Shank, as the team lead this race convincingly last year, and is looking for another strong finish with both cars this weekend.
 
“Definitely a good start, no question,” said Shank. “We might have been able to go a little bit faster with both cars today, but we are trying to conserve the tires for the races because of course, that’s where the points are. The drivers are doing a great job here again this weekend, and we should be strong in the qualifying race tomorrow.”
 
Friday night will feature a half-hour qualifying race starting at 7:45 PM local time, with the feature race slated for a 7:00 PM local time start on Saturday.
 
The race will be broadcast on Speed Channel on a tape-delayed basis starting at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing looking for redemption in Phoenix

05/10/2006

(Phoenix, AZ) 10 May 06–After a disappointing conclusion to what was a promising outing at Laguna Seca last weekend, Michael Shank Racing will be looking for redemption this Saturday night in the Gainsco Grand Prix at Phoenix International Raceway for round seven of the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series.
 
The team, which was forced from the lead to the back of the pack late in the race by a judgment call from the Rolex officials last weekend, suffered a similar fate at Phoenix last year, as Mike Borkowski and Oswaldo Negri were officiated out of a likely win after leading twenty-nine laps in the 2005 event in the Mears Motor Coach machine.
 
Michael Shank Racing will sport a two-car entry for the Gainsco Grand Prix, with Negri sharing the Flight Options Lexus-Riley with last weekend’s front row starter Mark Patterson, as Borkowski will split the driving duties with Rolex rookie Antoine Bessette, who put in an impressive performance in his first run in Rolex competition last weekend.
 
“This is a race that we feel like we should have won last year,” said team owner Mike Shank. “And to be coming here after what happened last week only makes us more motivated to do well. We have been quick everywhere we’ve gone this season, and we know we have a good set up for Phoenix, so we should be fast this weekend as well. We are focused on picking up as many points as possible in both races this weekend to keep moving up in the championship with both cars.”
 
The No. 60 Flight Options entry, which moved to fifth in the team championship standings in advance of the Laguna Seca feature race, led late in the race at last weekend, and will be looking to do it at the checker this weekend.
 
“We have had some very good starts to weekends after being on the podium at Daytona,” said Negri. referring to the team being fastest in Mexico City practice, Patterson out-qualifying last years’ champions at Homestead, and most recently starting on the front row and leading the race at Laguna. “But we just need the last part of our race weekends to go like they start! We had a great car for Phoenix last year and I just know we are going to be strong again this weekend.”
 
Borkowski, who until recently was a Phoenix resident, echoed Negri’s optimism about the pace the team will bring to the night race event.
 
“This was one that got away from us last year,” said Borkowski. “But that was last year, so we just have to go into this weekend looking to make the most of the opportunity we have this weekend with two races to get points, and I am sure we will have a fast car.”
 
Another reason for optimism within the squad was the performance of newly signed Bessette, who like Michael Shank Racing, proved himself as a winner in a variety of formula car series including Toyota Atlantics, before moving up to race in Rolex. His run at Laguna showed he had no problem stepping up to the high-horsepower Lexus powerplant, and kept his cool in the highly competitive category.
 
“We were already impressed with Antoine in testing, but once the race started, he just got better and better,” said Shank. “His times were good, and so was his judgment. He did a great job in traffic, timing his passes and making good decisions, and at the end of the day, turned the car over to Mike (Borkowski) without a scratch, and in a good position, so we are looking forward to having him run with us again this weekend in Phoenix.”
  
Practice will get underway on Thursday, with the half-hour qualifying race taking place Friday in advance of Saturday night’s main event, which will go green at 7:00 PM local time. The race will be broadcast on Speed Channel on a tape-delayed basis starting at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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A good day gone bad for Michael Shank Racing at Laguna Seca

05/07/2006

(Monterey, CA) – With less than thirty laps to go in the U.S. Sports Car Invitational, things were going exactly according to plan for Michael Shank Racing, as Oswaldo Negri led the field in the Flight Options Lexus/Riley, and the sister Mears Motor Coach of Antoine Bessette and Mike Borkowski also ran firmly in the top ten.
 
However, when the fifth full course caution period of the race was called, the Flight Options machine was already heading full speed into turn one as the pace car began to roll from pit lane.
 
The Grand Am officials declared that Negri was to blame for the pace car not catching him as he led the field, and penalized the team by sending it to the back of the pack, meaning that the leading car was demoted some eighteen positions and out of contention for the podium or a possible win.
 
“It’s really disappointing,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Both cars were obviously very competitive today, and to have it all thrown away by a tough call by the officials is very frustrating.”
 
Mark Patterson started the race from the front row after Negri scored second in Saturday’s qualifying race, and the South African kept the pace and in the lead pack despite not getting off to an ideal start.
 
“I’m not sure why the pole sitter had us basically at a walking pace at the start, but it didn’t help us out at all because the car in third was already ahead of me before I even made it into the first turn,” said Patterson. “But once everything settled down, I was able to stay in the lead group no problem and I was really having a ball out there because the car was just handling beautifully.”
 
The Mears Motor Coach car of Antoine Bessette and Mike Borkowski started from tenth on the grid as Bessette made his first Rolex Sports Car Series start, holding station at the start before making inroads to the lead pack, including pulling off an impressive outside pass in turn ten.
 
“Antoine did a fantastic job,” said Shank. “He was patient when he needed to be, and then when he got his chances, he took them. Very smart in the car, and a great pace, so we were really excited about his run.”
 
Shank wasn’t alone in his excitement.
 
“This is fun,” were the first words out of Bessette’s mouth after turning the car over to Borkowski. “You have to be very careful out there because you are running very close with the other cars, but you can’t mistake that for a chance to pass just because you are close-you really have to set up a pass to do it cleanly in the traffic. It was also different for me because I had to keep in mind saving the car a little bit for Mike (Borkowski), so it was a different challenge than running in formula cars, and I really can’t wait to race again soon.”
 
Borkowski and Negri both took over the controls during a caution period thirty laps into the event, and the two charged up the order from twentieth and twenty-first, with Negri clearing his way to the lead by lap sixty before the problem with the pace car.
 
“It’s a shame to be officiated out of a win like that,” said Patterson. “Clearly Oz was in control of the race, so to have all this work taken away is very disappointing.”
 
Negri, who has four Rolex podiums to his credit but is still chasing his first win in the category, was equally frustrated by the turn of events.
 
“I don’t understand it at all,” said a mystified Negri. “It completely ruined our race and a chance at a win today. The car was perfect, the crew did a great job, and I know we would  have been strong at the end, but I guess it just wasn’t our day today.”
 
Borkowski was also dealt his share of bad luck, as a competitor crashed into him late in the race, sending him off-track. Making matters worse for the team, Negri was coming back from the penalty and had to go off-track to avoid Borkowski’s car.
 
“I guess Valiante wasn’t happy just sending the Ganassi car into the gravel trap, and wanted to do the same to me,” said Borkowski. “Maybe he just didn’t like that I’d passed him, I don’t know, but he just crashed right into me. And poor Oz (Negri) was right behind us and he had to go off track to make sure I didn’t hit him.”
 
Both cars resumed racing, and charged to the finish, as Negri came up just two feet shy of a top-ten finish, with Borkowski coming home an unlucky thirteenth.
 
The team will once again get the chance for a strong result in less than one week, as the Gainsco Grand Prix will be staged on Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway. The team led the race convincingly last season, and will be looking to exact a measure of revenge at the track that owes them one next week.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing starting on front row for U.S. Sportscar Invitational
 

05/06/2006
 
Mears Motor Coach machine to line up on fifth row

(Columbus, OH) – The Flight Options Lexus-powered Riley of Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson will start on the front row for Sunday’s U.S. Sportscar Invitational after Negri finished second in the half-hour qualifying race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday. The race pays full championship points, and the second runner-up finish for the team this season has moved the Flight Options machine up to fifth in the overall championship.
 
The result marks the second time that the Negri/Patterson combination has started on the front row at Laguna Seca after Negri set the track record in Daytona Prototype qualifying last season to win pole position. Negri started the qualifying race from second position, and shadowed the race winner throughout, but was pleased to take second at the finish.
 
“The start was good, everyone was very aggressive but clean,” said Negri. “Dalziel and I went two wide into the corkscrew on the first lap, but it was no problem, everyone was really heads up out there. After that, I was just trying to pressure the Porsche into making a mistake, but unfortunately he did a really good job and never made one. It’s a good finish and I’m really happy to get the points for Michael Shank Racing. Mark (Patterson) is even faster than he was here last year, and I know he’s going to do a fantastic job for us tomorrow.”
 
The sister Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley of Antoine Bessette and Mike Borkowski will start from tenth on the grid for Sunday’s two hour and forty-five minute race after Borkowski brought the car home in tenth despite a difficult race start.
 
“I had a good run  at the start, but one of the guys went off ahead of me and then came right back onto the track, so I had to check up and I just got freight trained,” said Borkowski. “So I had to work just to get back up to tenth, and we just ran out of laps to make up any more ground. But the car is good, and I know Antoine will be able to make the most of a top-ten start tomorrow.”
 
The double top-ten result for the team was welcomed by team owner Mike Shank, who is looking to add to the Ohio-based squad’s Rolex podium count this weekend.
 
“This is right where we want to be for tomorrow,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Oz gave everything he had, but that 23 car just had everyone covered today. But having both cars in the top ten is a good way for us to start the race tomorrow-its going to be a long one, so hopefully we can just stay out of trouble and get more points because we have another good chance to move up in the championship with both cars.”
 
Sunday’s U.S. Sportscar Invitational is slated to start at 3:00 PM ET, with Speed Channel carrying a live broadcast.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing up to speed at Laguna

05/06/2006
 
(Columbus, OH) – Michael Shank Racing was right on pace in the opening practice sessions for Sunday’s U.S. Sportscar Invitational on Friday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, posting competitive times as the Rolex Sports Car Series warmed up for the weekend’s two races.
 
Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri carded the sixth quickest lap of the day in the Flight Options Lexus-powered Riley with a 1:25.084-second lap at Laguna Seca. Negri, who set the qualifying track record for Daytona Prototypes on the 2.258-mile circuit last year, was encouraged by the pace the team has shown straight out of the gate.
 
“We have a very good car,” smiled Negri. “Balanced, good grip, and of course good Lexus power. We ran on old tires in the second session to make sure we have what we need as far as a race set up and when we are running with a full tank, so we know that we should be good in the race on Sunday. We will use the warm up tomorrow morning to make sure we are all set up for the sprint race so we can score some more points and get a good spot on the grid.”
 
Patterson, who has already improved on his times from last year by over a second, will start the Sunday feature race after Negri runs in Saturday’s half-hour qualifying race.
 
The Mears Motor Coach Lexus-Riley of Mike Borkowski and Antoine Bessette, who is making his Rolex debut this weekend, netted a best lap time of 1:25.497-seconds to be within one second of the fastest time of the day.
 
“Much, much better this afternoon,” said Borkowski. “The car had better grip, and I could push harder almost everywhere.”
 
Borkowski had to put his quick reflexes to work in the afternoon session after a GT car didn’t see him as the two entered the ultra-fast braking zone for the corkscrew corner.
 
“He was off line and I thought he was giving me room to make the pass, but I guess he just had no idea I was there, and I had to go four-off to not hit him,” said Borkowski. “Thankfully they’ve made a lot of improvements to this track to make it safer, and I had the room I needed to clear this guy. It was a pretty close call!”
 
The Mears Machine will see a different driver line up this weekend as young Canadian star Antoine Bessette has joined the squad for the Laguna and Phoenix rounds, and has already impressed many in the pit lane with his cool adaptation to the Daytona Prototypes.
 
“Antoine has done a really good job for us so far this weekend,” said team owner Mike Shank. “This car has double the horsepower of anything he’s driven before, but he’s taken right to it. It’s great for him to be working with a guy like Mike (Borkowski), who is very quick and very experienced in these cars, so he has been able to pick up a lot from him already.”
 
For Bessette, who won two races in Toyota Atlantic competition in 2005, he is focused on getting back to racing action after being on hiatus since the completion of the 2005 season.
 
“The car is really fun to drive, especially at a track like Laguna,” said Bessette. “I am still learning how to get the best lap times out of the car, but I feel really comfortable and the team obviously does a very good job preparing these cars. It’s been a little while since I have been in a race, so I am really looking forward to racing again!”
 
Saturday’s half-hour qualifying race will start at 1:00 PM local time, with Sunday’s U.S. Sportscar Invitational slated to start at 3:00 PM ET, with Speed Channel carrying a live broadcast.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing quick in qualifying at Long Beach

04/07/2006

(Long Beach, CA) – As he watched teammate Mark Patterson take on his first-ever qualifying session on a street circuit, Oswaldo Negri couldn’t stop pointing at the timing monitors and smiling.
 
The South African showed that he was more than up for the challenge, as Patterson improved his times lap after lap, ultimately setting a fast lap time of 1:22.036-seconds on the world famous 1.98-mile Long Beach Grand Prix circuit  to earn fifteenth on the grid for Saturday’s Crown Royal Grand American Challenge of Long Beach in the Lexus-powered Flight Options Riley.
 
“Mark did a phenomenal job today,” said team owner Mike Shank. “He’s never driven on a street circuit before today, but he just put his head down and didn’t think twice about attacking, lap after lap. I think this puts us in a great position for the race and as long as we can avoid any trouble and have a clean race, we should be a threat tomorrow.”
 
The qualifying session was staged using an alternative set-up from the traditional fifteen minute qualifying sessions that the Rolex Series normally employs. The Daytona Prototypes, some twenty-six strong for the Rolex Series Long Beach debut, were split into two groups, with each group getting a full twenty-five minutes to qualify.
 
“I’m really pleased with the car once again,” smiled Patterson. “Mike Shank and his guys just never stop working to find more speed, and I was able to get familiar with the track this morning so I could concentrate on making the most of the car they gave me here in qualifying. It was great that the session ran green the entire time and gave us all the chance to find some space for ourselves out there, and that we had the time to make the most of it.”
 
The condensed track schedule has meant a paucity of running time for the Rolex racers, but the thrill of running on the famed circuit has trumped the tribulations for Patterson.
 
“The track is really something else for a driver,” said Patterson. “Having a wall right at the exit of every corner just means you have to be smart about how you go about trying to get the most out of each corner, each lap. I am really excited about where we ended up today, and hopefully we can have a strong race tomorrow.”
 
The Crown Royal Grand American Challenge of Long Beach will go green at 4:00 PM local time, with the race being televised by Speed Channel starting at 9:00 PM on Saturday evening.
 
Special Note:
The No. 60 Flight Options machine is carrying the colors of “The Painted Turtle” this weekend. The Painted Turtle seeks to reach beyond illness, to inspire children with life-threatening diseases to become their greatest selves. The Painted Turtle’s mission is to provide a year-round life-changing event for these children and their families. More information is available at www.thepaintedturtle.org.


Television information:
Speed Channel, Tape Delay
4/8/2006 9:00 PM ET

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing Mexico City race report

03/04/2006

(Mexico City, Mexico) — Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson made quite an impression in their first Rolex Sports Car Series start together nearly a year ago, taking the pole and posting a top-ten finish at Laguna Seca in car that the team had rented for the weekend.
 
After setting the pace in the opening sessions in Mexico City, a massive crash in practice on Friday forced the team to make arrangements to use another team’s car for the rest of the weekend as fellow competitor Brian Tuttle had a spare Daytona Prototype on hand for the weekend.
 
But, after posting the fourth quickest time in the morning practice on Saturday, hopes were again high that the team might make a big impression with someone else’s car.
 
As the 250-mile race got underway, Patterson continued his quick adaptation to the Pontiac-Riley, starting from twenty-second on the grid and making steady progress up the field. But the leaders pace was relentless, and after having used up the grip in the Hoosier tires making several passes for positions, Patterson had an off-course excursion that cost him several laps while being pulled from the sand trap.
 
“I should have just taken it a bit easy once the tires had given up pretty much everything they had,” said Patterson. “But I really wanted to give the car over to Ozz in a good position so I just kept pushing and I shouldn’t have. It’s a shame, but we got to the finish and got some points, so it’s good to get something out of the mess that this weekend has been.”
 
The team worked to get the rocks and sand out of the car as Negri took the controls of the Flight Options machine. While he had several laps to make up to the leader, he was still able to pick up three positions to bring the car home in nineteenth and collect some crucial points towards the championship.
 
“This has been a very tough weekend, but we got to the finish, picked up some points, and now everything is about getting back on track and being ready for Homestead,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Mark did a great job toughing it out in qualifying yesterday and he was doing a good job getting the car into a good spot for Ozz to take over, but we just didn’t have any kind of luck this weekend.”
  
The team will be back in action in three week’s, as the Rolex Sports Car Series visits the Homestead Miami Speedway in Oswaldo Negri’s adopted hometown for the Linder Industrial Grand Prix of Miami.
 
“We really appreciated Brian Tuttle making this car available to us this weekend,” said Patterson. “But this had been a difficult weekend, and I am very much looking forward to racing with a Lexus in Miami.”

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing taking Rolex podium momentum South

03/01/2006

(Columbus, OH) – After getting the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve season off to a flying start with a strong second place in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in the Flight Options Lexus/Riley, Michael Shank Racing is looking to keep the positive momentum up this weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
 
The race marks just the seventh event that drivers Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri have raced together, yet what they have achieved with Michael Shank Racing has been quite impressive, with two podiums and a track-record setting pole position to their credit. The two are also the de facto championship points leaders heading into the weekend, as the Rolex-winning team will not be participating in the Mexico event.
 
The Rolex series first raced in Mexico City last November, with over 100,000 vocal spectators getting their first taste of the close-quarters racing that is fast becoming a Rolex trademark. The teams will have a new challenge in their second visit, as the 2.5-mile road circuit layout is different from what was used in November.
 
“The track is technical and quick, with enough bumps and high rumbles to keep your attention throughout the entire course,” said Patterson.  “Without the stadium turns, we’ll all enter the main straight much more quickly and have another series of bumps to deal with.”
 
For Negri, the Mexico round is a homecoming of sorts, as the Brazilian has several season’s of experience racing in Mexico under his belt as he worked his way up the racing ladder in open wheel cars.  Negri not only raced in Mexico, but he did so for several prominent Mexican figures, including Filiberto Jimenez, Mexican soap opera actor Juan Ferrara, and Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez.
 
Negri first took wins in International F-3 before winning the 1998 Pan American Indy Lights Championship, and backed that performance up with two more top-three championship runs in the category.
 
“I love racing in Mexico,” smiled Negri. “I have a lot of good memories from my time racing there, and this weekend is going to be like a reunion with so many old friends from that experience. It’s even better to be racing here after getting our season started in such a positive way. It’s been almost five weeks since Daytona, and I’ve been counting down the days to getting back into the car!”
 
Last November’s visit to Mexico City yielded disappointment for the Columbus-based team, as an oil line burst and forced the Flight Options machine to the sidelines, but the team is looking to make the return visit a more productive one this time around.
 
“Daytona was a great start to the season for us and we just want to keep that going and keep ourselves up front,” said team owner Mike Shank. “This series is extremely competitive, and getting more so each round, so you really have to have your homework done ahead of time.  The guys haven’t let up one bit since getting back from Daytona, so we feel like we are ready to go.”
 
The Mexico City event marks round two of fourteen for the 2006 Rolex season, with hundreds of laps yet to go in the championship battle, something that the team has firmly in mind.
 
“Taking a win with Ozz would certainly be nice and we are working hard to achieve that goal, but the points championship for all the top cars in this series is the primary focus for us,” said Patterson.  “We’re all a long way from the end of the season and anything can happen.”
 
The Flight Options machine will take to the track on Thursday with a pair of practice sessions, with qualifying slated to get underway on Friday in advance of Saturday’s 3:15 PM 250-mile race. The race will be carried by Speed Channel beginning at 8:00 ET on Saturday, March 4th.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing finishes second in Rolex 24 At Daytona

01/29/2006

(Daytona Beach, FL)–Michael Shank Racing got the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve season off to a strong start, taking second place in the 44th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday.
 
The podium result was the result of a strong driver line-up, a dedicated and well-prepared team, and a lot of hard work.  Oswaldo Negri, Mark Patterson, A.J. Allmendinger, and Justin Wilson collaborated with the Michael Shank Racing crew to emerge from a twenty-four hour battle against sixty five other cars to bring the Flight Options Lexus-Riley across the finish line just four miles shy of the 2,613 miles covered by the winning Ganassi entry.

The team was never slated lower than sixth in the order each hour, and quickly overcame a pair of small mechanical setbacks in order to launch into second position in the season team championship points battle.
 
Negri started the car from fifth on the grid, and moved up to third in just three laps before tucking behind the sister MSR car in the lead to pace the field in the early stages of the race. Negri turned the car over to Wilson, who put the Flight Options machine back out front just before the 100th lap before himself turning the car over to Allmendinger, who moved the Lexus/Riley to the front again by lap 125. Patterson took control as the afternoon began to turn into night, and he kept the car firmly in the top three before the rotation began again.
 
The cycle of running in the lead pack was only interrupted twice during the long night and day.
 
A small rear suspension component problem forced Wilson to bring the ill-handling machine in for a quick fix early in the night and then just before sunrise, a problem with the steering rack meant that Patterson had to struggle with a machine that became difficult to steer, but he quickly diagnosed the problem and brought the car in for a fix from the crew as he turned the car over to Negri once again.
 
As the sun came up, the Flight Options machine battled for positions among the lead cars, securing second place for good with just over an hour to go with Allmendinger at the wheel. The young American then fought to bring the gap down to the leader, but ran out of time as the checkered flag fell just after noon on Sunday.
 
“I am so proud of this team and how hard everyone worked to get this result,” said an exhausted but exuberant team owner Mike Shank. “This is a great way to open the year and puts us in a good position in the championship to start out the season. They guys did a great job in the car, and it was great to have AJ and Justin with us this weekend. Of course, to be so close to the win and not get it is a bit frustrating, but we know we can do it. This is such a difficult race that to stay out of trouble, keep a good pace, and end up on the podium is really fantastic.”
 
Patterson has made quite a splash in the Rolex ranks since teaming up with MSR and Negri, as the two already have a pole and podium from just a handful of starts, but both are aiming for more.
 
“I’m really thrilled,” said Patterson. “This team is so well prepared, and it showed when we had two small problems that stayed just that-small problems, and we were able to get back on track right away and keep getting the laps in. This was a fantastic and humbling experience for me to be teamed up with drivers of this caliber, and to come away with a second place in the biggest race of the season. Now, we just need to go win one of these things.”
 
Patterson will be teaming with Negri for the full Rolex season, and are sure to be a consistent threat this year.
 
“I am so happy for this team, for Mike Shank and for Mark Patterson,” said Negri. “Everything went almost perfectly, and to come so close to winning this race I think really gives us a lot of confidence looking to the rest of the season. To be racing with this team and with Mark is an opportunity that I am very thankful for, and I just can’t wait to get the rest of the season going.”
 
The Rolex event was the first for both Allmendinger and Wilson, and the RuSPORT duo seem to have found a new target for their already impressive racing resumes.
 
“It’s great to come here and be able to compete,” said Wilson.  “There were a lot of fast cars here, the racing was close and everyone was going for it in the early stages.  Other teams had their problems, but MSR gave us a fast car and it ran faultlessly.  I had a couple of close shaves in traffic, including a Porsche that spun in front of me, but other than that it was just a case of putting in the lap times and taking care of the car.  It’s a fine achievement for the team, and I’d certainly love to come back again next year and do one better.”
 
“I was really impressed with Mike Shank and his team-they have the same total devotion to winning that RuSPORT does, and obviously they know a lot about how to prepare and run in these 24 hour races,” said Allmendinger. “This was a great way to get the season started for me and Justin, and hopefully we can come back again next year and go one better.”
 
The team will be back in racing action on the weekend of March 2-4 as the Rolex Series makes a return visit to Mexico City.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com   
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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Michael Shank Racing ready to go the distance at Daytona

01/25/2006

(Daytona Beach, FL) – The #60 Michael Shank Racing Flight Options Lexus Riley of Mark Patterson, Oswaldo Negri, A.J. Allmendinger, and Justin Wilson will be put to the ultimate test  in the quest for one of motor racings most elusive prizes for the 44th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend. The race is the third Rolex 24 At Daytona start for the team, which took fourth in the 2004 event after leading early in the race.
 
Full season drivers Patterson and Negri are being joined by Champ Car standouts Allmendinger and Wilson for the event, marking the Rolex Sports Car Series debut for the RuSPORT duo.
 
Negri last raced in the Rolex 24 in 2003, taking 4th in the DP class in a Lexus-Fabcar and is eager to take to the track in this year’s event, which has once again attracted the best of the best from across the motorsports globe.
 
“After not racing in the 24 for two years, I just can’t wait to get going,” said Negri. “This is going to be a very competitive race, but we feel like we have everything in place and are ready to go the full distance. You never know what is going to happen in a race like the 24, but we know that if we can stay out of trouble, we have the car, the crew, the drivers, and the speed that it is going to take to do well here this year.”
 
Mark Patterson is making his third career start in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, having raced in the SGS class in 2004 and in the Daytona Prototype class in 2005. With the field expected to include seventy cars, traffic from the GT class is likely to be a factor in the highly competitive event from start to finish, and Patterson will be putting his experience to work.
 
“Having driven in slow and slower cars, I have a much better appreciation for how hard it is for the GT class drivers to move aside flawlessly every time a quick DP shows up uninvited in the rear view mirror,” said Patterson. “I finished both 24’s I have raced in, but the cars needed some TLC to get over the line.  We have a world class crew and the car is like silk to drive, so our expectations are for a very high finish by noon on Sunday.”   
 
The Rolex event is not the first time that Wilson has taken on a twenty-four hour challenge, as the two-time Champ Car race winner made his Le Mans debut in 2004, and he feels as though that experience will help him prepare for the Daytona classic.
 
“Things in testing went according to plan, but of course you never know what to expect once the race starts,” said Wilson. “It’s going to be very competitive, but I’ve been pleased with the car and the team knows what they are doing in these kinds of races. We have a fast car and everyone is working well together, but staying out of trouble and out of the pits is also going to be very important.”
 
Team owner Mike Shank, who himself last drove in the 24 in 1999, has seen his team thrive in the Rolex Sports Car Series since joining in 2004, and is totally focused on a strong performance this weekend.
 
“We feel like we are so much more prepared for this race than we have ever been for any race,” said Shank. “We have all the pieces we need to do well here. We were right on the pace in the open test and feel like we should be quick right off the trailer this weekend to hopefully get a good spot on the grid. From there we will just have to make sure we execute well in the pits and with our driver changes, and hopefully we can knock out the laps all night and be ready to race once the sun comes up.”
 
Practice will get underway on Thursday, with the first thirty spots on the grid being set in Thursday’s qualifying session at 3:45 PM ahead of the final night practice from 6:30-8:00 Thursday evening.
 
The race is scheduled to start at Noon on Saturday, with Speed Channel carrying thirteen hours of live coverage including the start and finish of the event.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com   
317.908.2975 (mobile)

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