Problemas no sistema de cronometragem encerraram a prova antecipadamente

A dupla Oswaldo Negri Jr e Rafael Mattos conduziram o kart nº 41 da equipe Targh Racing ao quarto lugar na 11ª edição da 500 Milhas Granja Viana. A prova acabou após mais de 10 horas e meia de competição devido a problemas no sistema de cronometragem que forçou a paralização da prova por cerca de 50 minutos, e a vitória ficou pela 7ª vez com Rubens Barrichello e Tony Kanaan, que tiveram ainda na sua formação Lucas Di Grassi e Renato Russo.

 

Rafa Mattos largou da segunda posição e manteve um ritmo muito forte nas primeiras horas de prova, grudado no kart de Felipe Massa que liderava. Nas paradas para reabastecimento e troca de pilotos a equipe chegou a perder quatro voltas em relação aos líderes, mas com uma tocada muito rápida e segura Negri e Mattos logo voltavam a figurar entre os primeiros.

 

Faltando 113 voltas para o final da competição aconteceu a primeira pane no sistema de cronometragem, e todos pilotos foram alinhados na pista. Neste momento Negri conduzia o kart e ocupava a quarta colocação; dada a relargada o piloto paulista, que compete na Grand Am nos Estados Unidos, pulou para o segundo lugar e tinha tudo para assumir a liderança, mas um novo pane forçou nova paralização e conseqüentemente o encerramento da prova com as posições de antes do problema.

 

"De nenhuma maneira estamos tristes com o resultado, muito pelo contrário. Toda equipe é extremamente profissional e fez um trabalho fantástico, nos dando um kart com condições de lutar pela vitória", falou Negri depois da bandeirada. "Gostei muito de receber novamente o convite para correr mais uma vez a 500 Milhas, que é primeiramente uma prova de confraternização entre os pilotos brasileiros. Só tenho motivos para elogiar a organização do evento, e principalmente a coragem em fazer este evento com motores sorteados e preparados por um único profissional", disse o piloto.

 

Negri elogiou muito aos proprietarios da Targh 400 (Beto e Pedro Gomes) ao preparador Neco, a todos mecânicos que trabalharam incansávelmente durante toda noite e também ao piloto Raphael Mattos, com quem dividiu a condução. A dupla promete voltar no próximo ano para mais uma vez brigar pela vitória. Negri viaja ainda hoje para os Estados Unidos, chegando amanhã às 5:00 em Miami e de lá pega uma conexão para Vírginia.

 

O piloto que renovou juntamente com Mark Patterson para defender a Michael Shank Racing na temporada 2008 da Grand American Rolex Sport Car Séries, treina na próxima terça e quarta-feira no Autódromo de VIR.

 

Resultado da 500 Milhas Granja Viana 2007:

1 Rubens Barrichello, Tony Kanaan, Felipe Giaffone, Lucas di Grassi e Renato Russo, 581 voltas em 10h35m41s829
2 Rubens Barrichello, Tony Kanaan, Antonio Pizzonia, Lucas di Grassi e Thiago Camilo, a 3s179
3 Luciano Burti, Denis Dirani, Gabriel Dias e Felipe Guimarães, a 5s635
4 Oswaldo Negri Jr. Rafael Mattos, a 43s195
5 Nelsinho Piquet, Rodrigo Piquet, Clemente Faria Jr., Felipe Nars, Geraldo Piquet e Tuka Rocha, a duas voltas
6 Tuka Rocha, Lucas Foresti, Geraldo Piquet e Tiago Azalin, a duas voltas
7 Alexandre Ruiz, João Preto, Glauco Alex, Bruno Neves, Felipe Lobo e Pedro Barbosa, a três voltas
8 Alexandre Rosário, André Rosário e Rafael Daniel, a três voltas
9 Sérgio Jimenez, André Nicastro, Mário Romancini, Felipe Lapenna, Pedro Rodrigues, Beto Monteiro e Osman Galid, a três voltas
10 Emílio Padron, Mário Maia, Osvaldo Badula e Leonardo Valois, a cinco voltas

Negri does it again with front row start for Granja

12/01/2007

Michael Shank Racing pilot Oswaldo Negri made his annual trek to his native Brazil for the 500 Milhas de Granja Viana, and duly reminded the motorsports world of both his immense talent and his big heart as he scored a front row start in a nerve-racking “Super Pole” qualifying session.
 
With champions from the worlds of Formula 1, IndyCar, and karting from across the globe, the 500-mile Milhas de Granja Viana is a charity karting race unlike any other. The event attracts a huge crowd, and generates national coverage by all of Brazil’s major television stations covering over ten hours of live action.
 
Negri posted the seventh quickest lap among the seventy-car field in the initial qualifying session, which was paced by 2008 Formula 1 rookie Nelson Piquet Jr. as the top twenty drivers moved on to the final “Super Pole” qualifying. Negri stepped it up in the Super qualifying, scoring a front row start on the twenty-turn 7/8-mile circuit.
 
“It’s an amazing feeling in the super qualifying-you only have one lap and your tires are cold, and you have to get it just perfect in every corner and in every braking zone for a good lap,” said Negri. “But this crowd is huge and everybody is so excited you get completely pumped up. It’s a great feeling to be racing at home like this with so many fans and for me as a driver to be going up against the best in the world one on one and getting this qualifying result is such a great feeling.”
 
It’s not just Negri’s pace that is a weapon for his Targh 400 team, as karting hotshoe Joao Vasconcelos  will share the driving duties, as well as 2007 Champ Car Atlantic Champion Raffa Matos, who will take the green flag for the team after Negri graciously decided to allow the up and comer to experience the manic start of the race. The two are racers and friends, as Negri has worked with "Raffa" for years and he is anxious to not just share his tricks for speed, but also the maturity, experience, and exposure that comes with pacing this kind of field.
 
“I am going to let Raffa (Matos) start, because to be up front of this field, with the crowd so excited for the first laps, that’s an unbelievable feeling and I want him to experience that,” said Negri. “He’s an amazing talent and not enough people know that, so I want him to show everyone here how good he is. I can’t wait.”
  
Starting grid:

1- 77 ˆ Win Brasil ˆ 56s915 ˆ André Nicastro
2- 41 ˆ Targh 400/Dolly ˆ 57s129 ˆ Oswaldo Negri`
3- 19 ˆ GTP/Massa ˆ 57s246 ˆ Felipe Massa
4- 110 ˆ MG Pneus ˆ 57s248 ˆ Dudu Ventre
5- 40 ˆ Targh 400/Dolly ˆ 57s282 ˆ Douglas Hiar
6- 04 ˆ Piquet Sports ˆ 57s315 ˆ Clemente Júnior
7- 29 ˆ Petrobras/Carcasci ˆ 57s403 ˆ Luciano Burti
8- 03 ˆ Piquet Sports ˆ 57s446 ˆ Nelson Piquet Jr
9- 63 ˆ Sabiá/Studio W ˆ 57s465 ˆ Sérgio Jimenez
10- 23 ˆ NOS/Enigma ˆ 57s468 ˆ Nicolas Costa
11- 777 ˆ Win Brasil ˆ 57s518 ˆ Beto Monteiro
12- 01 ˆ Fittipaldi ˆ 57s563 ˆ Vítor Meira
13- 72 ˆ HSBC/Caras ˆ 57s600 ˆ Rubens Barrichello
14- 28 ˆ Piquet Sports ˆ 57s618 ˆ Tuka Rocha
15- 71 ˆ HSBC/Caras ˆ 57s694 ˆ Tony Kanaan
16- 87 ˆ GTP ˆ 57s729 ˆ Dudu Massa
17- 92 ˆ Loctite ˆ 57s943 ˆ Nonô Figueiredo
18- 34 ˆ Bomix ˆ 57s954 ˆ Rafael Daniel
19- 108 ˆ MG Tyres ˆ 57s992 ˆ Connor De Phillips
20- 74 ˆ Loctite Henkei ˆ 58s096 ˆ Antonio Urbano
21- 971 ˆ Speed 500 ˆ 58s502 ˆ Aloísio Coelho
22- 177 ˆ WebMotors ˆ 58s659 ˆ Felipe Giaffone
23- 13 ˆ Spirit Sports ˆ 58s897 ˆ Denis Navarro
24- 38 ˆ Tejofran ˆ 58s969 ˆ Bruno Miloni
25- 45 ˆ MV Marba/Qualy ˆ 59s269 ˆ Paulo Freire
 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

Photo Courtesy : Miguel Costa Jr.

 

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Equipe Targh 400 dominou até segundos do final da tomada

O kart nº 41 da equipe Targh 400/ Doly, pilotado por Oswaldo Negri Jr, Raphael Mattos e João Vasconcelos vai largar da segunda posição na 11ª edição da 500 Milhas Granja Viana, que tem sua largada programada para as 0:00 do domingo, no Kartódromo Internacional da Granja Viana. Negri, uma das estrelas da Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, foi mais uma vez convidado por Pedro Gomes e Beto Gomes da Targh 400 e mostrou que conserva a alma de kartista.

 

Negri, que fez a tomada de tempos, registrou o tempo de 57s129 sendo batido somente por André Nicastro que foi o último a entrar na pista para tomada de tempo. Este é o segundo ano que o piloto compete na estrutura da Targh 400 que considera uma das mais profissionais e eficientes do kartismo de endurance.

 

"Estou muito contente por ter mais uma vez sido convidado pelo Pedro e pelo Neco. O kart que nos entregaram é excepcional, e o trabalho do Neco Fornari é indubitávelmente fantástico", disse Negri. "Ano passado conquistei o terceiro tempo para largada, e este ano vamos largar em segundo. É sem dúvida uma prova longa, mas nossa equipe tem amplas condições de brigar pela vitória", completou Negri.

 

Ao lado de Negri estarão o brasileiro Raphael Mattos, que conquistou o título desta temporada da Fórmula Atlantic e foi finalista no Capacete de Ouro, e o piloto de kart João Vasconcelos. Este ano a 500 Milhas da Granja Viana terá a participação de 68 equipes, na prova com 600 voltas.

Pos. – Número – Equipe – Tempo - Chassi

1- 77 – Win Brasil – 56s915 – Birel Sudam
2- 41 – Targh 400/Dolly – 57s129 – Kart Mini
3- 19 – GTP/Massa – 57s246 – Birel Sudam
4- 110 – MG Pneus – 57s248 – Kart Mini
5- 40 – Targh 400/Dolly – 57s282 – Kart Mini
6- 04 – Piquet Sports – 57s315 – Metalmoro
7- 29 – Petrobras/Carcasci – 57s403 – Birel Sudam
8- 03 – Piquet Sports – 57s446 – Birel Sudam
9- 63 – Sabiá/Studio W – 57s465 – Kart Mini
10- 23 – NOS/Enigma – 57s468 – Birel Sudam
11- 777 – Win Brasil – 57s518 – Birel Sudam
12- 01 – Fittipaldi – 57s563 – Kart Mini
13- 72 – HSBC/Caras – 57s600 – Birel Sudam
14- 28 – Piquet Sports – 57s618 – Birel Sudam
15- 71 – HSBC/Caras – 57s694 – Kart Mini
16- 87 – GTP – 57s729 – Birel Sudam
17- 92 – Loctite – 57s943 – Kart Mini
18- 34 – Bomix – 57s954 – Birel Sudam
19- 108 – MG Tyres – 57s992 – Kart Mini
20- 74 – Loctite Henkei – 58s096 – Kart Mini
21- 971 – Speed 500 – 58s502 – Kart Mini
22- 177 – WebMotors – 58s659 – Kart Mini
23- 13 – Spirit Sports – 58s897 – Kart Mini
24- 38 – Tejofran – 58s969 – Kart Mini
25- 45 – MV Marba/Qualy – 59s269 – Kart Mini
26- 115 – LP Kart Performance – 56s685 – Kart Mini
27- 101 – Foz Iguaçu/Girotto Racing – 56s722 – Birel Sudam
28- 02 – Jonas Kart – 56s723 – Birel Sudam
29- 24 – Rio Kart 500 – 56s775 – Birel Sudam
30- 35 – CKS/Yes – 56s779 – Kart Mini
31- 170 – Massoni Racing – 56s794 – Birel Sudam
32- 11 – Loctite/Henkel – 56s871 – Kart Mini
33- 10 – CPDB Star Team – 56s895 – Birel Sudam
34- 109 – MG Pneus/Cabot – 56s920 – Kart Mini
35- 977 – Clube de Saúde – 56s929 – Kart Mini
36- 25 – Massoni Racing – 56s931 – Birel Sudam
37- 05 – TR3 Motorsport – 56s937 – Birel Sudam
38- 100 – Stop Aço Racing – 56s967 – Kart Mini
39- 53 – CMKG/Ferrari Kart – 57s003 – Birel Sudam
40- 06 – TR3 Motorsport – 57s006 – Birel Sudam
41- 99 – Enigma Racing – 57s006 – Kart Mini
42- 90 – Wal Racing – 57s019 – Birel Sudam
43- 48 – Kart Store/Gordinho Racing – 57s035 – Kart Mini
44- 18 – Acument By/Ygor – 57s040 – Kart Mini
45- 12 – Digi System – 57s041 – Kart Mini
46- 07 – MS Team – 57s042 – Kart Mini
47- 09 – M Riberi Motorsport – 57s051 – Kart Mini
48- 75 – Power Kart Motorsport – 57s058 – Birel Sudam
49- 333 – Margeon/Randon – 57s075 – Kart Mini
50- 334 – Nitrogeni Racing Team – 57s077 – Kart Mini
51- 135 – Spirit Sports – 57s118 – Kart Mini
52- 112 – Feminina 500 Milhas – 57s126 – Kart Mini
53- 42 – Lofty C&C – 57s167 – Birel Sudam
54- 111 – LC Racing – 57s178 – Kart Mini
55- 142 – Lofty C&C – 57s186 – Birel Sudam
56- 107 – BSRKC – 57s226 – Kart Mini
57- 26 – VKR – 57s279 – Kart Mini
58- 69 – Bomix 2 – 57s282 – Birel Sudam
59- 22 – Stop Aço Racing – 57s336 – Kart Mini
60- 80 – Fernando Meira – 57s421 – Kart Mini
61- 33 – Kartzoom/Dolly – 57s528 – Kart Mini
62- 08 – Aboissa Racing Team – 57s538 – Kart Mini
63- 500 – Cisão Motorsport – 57s655 – Kart Mini
64- 286 – Cinho Racing – 57s727 – Birel Sudam
65- 88 – Red Bulletin Racing – 57s756 – Kart Mini
66- 32 – Filomena Zsa Zsa – 58s293 – Kart Mini
67- 97 – Speed 500 Racing – s/ tempo –
68- 27 – Atrade Forwarding Racing – 56s817 – Kart Mini

 

Michael Shank Racing announces 2008 driver line up

11/28/2007

Continuity key as Shank signs Patterson, Negri, Pew, and James for 08
 
(Columbus, OH)—With the Rolex Sports Car Series moving to Pirelli tires and Michael Shank Racing joining forces with Ford Racing Technology powered by Roush Yates Engines, there will be a lot of new elements to the 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season, but for the Columbus-based team, one thing will remain the same.   Actually, four.
 
Mike Shank announced today that he has retained the same full-season driver line up from the 2007 season as his team prepares to contest the full 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series calendar with a two-car effort in the Daytona Prototype class.
 
Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri closed out the 2006 Rolex season with a win at Miller Motorsports Park, which was deemed to be the “Rolex Moment of the Year” before the two scored eleven top tens and one podium in 2007. The two first raced together for Michael Shank Racing in 2005 with a pole and podium-scoring partial season before kicking off a full-time 2006 campaign with a Rolex 24 At Daytona podium run to second place overall. 2008 will see the two combine for a third full season together in the No. 60 Ford-powered Riley.  
 
John Pew and Ian James joined forces in May and developed a chemistry quickly, taking six straight top tens including two fourth place finishes. Despite sporting Rolex rookie stripes, Pew impressed with his qualifying runs as he and James closed out the season with a run to eighth in the Rolex Team Championship.
 
“I’m really excited to be able to keep this line-up heading into next year,” said Shank. “Obviously we’ve shown a lot of consistency and speed with these guys, and being able to continue our relationships with them is going to pay dividends for us moving forward. We’re lucky to be a two-car team that really operates like one big team, with great communication and teamwork between the two cars-from the drivers to the engineers to the guys setting up the pits.”
 
The team already has a firm foot forward on the 2008 season, coming off a highly successful Pirelli tire test earlier this month which saw the team set some impressive times in their first exposure to the new PZero Rolex Sports Car Series tire.
 
“This new tire is great, and we’re confident that we’ll be more competitive this season,” said Shank. “We are working flat out with the new cars and the new tires, but we are really excited about next year. We have also put a great line-up together for the 24 and are looking forward to making some announcements soon.”
 
While the new motor partner and race tire will have the team looking for champagne glory, there will be another contest to keep an eye on all season as both Mark Patterson and John Pew will be eligible for the prestigious Jim Trueman Award. Patterson won the award in 2006, and both he and Pew are expected to be lead challenges for the honor in 2008.
 
“Mark set a great benchmark for me to follow in my rookie season last year and I’m looking forward to competing with him for that Trueman trophy,” said Pew. “He still has a lot more experience than I do in these cars, but we were nipping at his heels a couple times last year, so hopefully we can keep improving and being competitive. I’m happy that Ian will be with us again this year to help make that happen because he’s a tremendous asset to this team both in and out of the car.”
 
“This is a great environment for me and to have everything in place with our driver line up and communication we’ve established already is a huge advantage,” said James. “Even though there are a lot of new things going on with the motor and the tires, the whole team can hit the ground running like we did at the test. I’m really looking forward to the season.”
 
The Pirelli test provided a shot of excitement for the team not just because of the fast times that were set, but also because the tire suited the styles of MSR pilots on the long runs.
 
“This team is really strong and this Pirelli test was further evidence of that,” said Patterson. “We were quick right off the truck and we will look to carry that pace all the way to the last lap of the 24 this year. We know this team is tremendously capable, and we are hungry to get back on the podium as often as possible this year and with our new Ford power and a tire that is going to make everyone a lot faster, we think we have what we need to do that.”
 
Negri, who backed up his record setting run to pole at Laguna in 05 with a podium performance there two years later, is anxious to get the season going after a taste of the Pirelli performance.
 
“This new tire is great and I know we’re going to be much stronger with it,” said Negri. “Mark gets faster every year-he really works hard at it and shows up at every track with great focus and it pays off with his times lap after lap. I think he’s going to be even stronger this season and we’re really looking forward to the potential we have with our drivers, the Ford power, and this new tire.”
 
-www.michaelshankracing.com

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Negri baixa em dois segundos o recorde de Daytona

Grand Am estréia pneus Pirelli

 

 

 

Hard-fought finish for Michael Shank Racing at Miller

09/15/2007

Alternator problem spoils possible podium for No. 60 entry as No. 6 returns to top ten form yet again
 
(Tooele, UT)— As it became clear that driver Oswaldo Negri would have to pit yet again, team owner Mike Shank could only shake his head in frustration after nearly seven hours of racing in the SunChaser 1000K at Miller Motorsports Park for the Rolex Sports Car Series season finale.  
 
The No. 60 Lexus-Riley of Negri, Mark Patterson, and Justin Wilson, was hoping to race into the Millers winners circle for the second year in a row, but after an alternator belt became dislodged early in the race, the team was forced to stop to make five battery changes to keep the car moving forward.
 
The motor issue was particularly frustrating given the great pace shown by the driving threesome.   Making matters worse was that it had happened multiple times during the season, including once when it took the 60 out of the lead at Daytona and then again from the lead at Watkins Glen. On Saturday, the problem cost the team one position in the team championship standings to close out the season.
 
“I’m just really disappointed,” said Negri. ”I put in a mega effort and we were quick today, quick enough to be on the podium but it just didn’t work out, really disappointing. It’s one thing to have a problem when you are running back in the pack, but to have such a good car but have to spend so much time in the pits, it was a frustrating way to end out the season. I have to thank the team because they put so much effort into the car all season, they should be really proud of themselves.”
 
Patterson demonstrated this weekend that he ought to be eligible for some form of ironman award to go with his Trueman Award from last year after recovering from a serious bicycle accident and putting in a strong performance behind the wheel of the distinctive orange and black Riley.
 
“I am just glad the team let me drive this weekend!” said Patterson. “I loved being out there and just getting into a good rhythm and keeping a good pace. Very satisfying. It’s a shame what happened with the battery problem because we could have been on the podium again here no question. But at least Oz was able to work back to tenth after a great fight today, and it was great to see the 6 car finish the season so well.”
  
The Miller event also marked the return of Justin Wilson to the team, and Champ Car’s most recent winner clearly enjoyed himself during the weekend, even though the alternator problem muted the outcome somewhat.
 
“I had a lot of fun racing these cars again,” said Wilson, who took a podium in his one previous Rolex start with the team in 2006. “I enjoy racing with this team and hopefully we can do this again.”
 
The sister Playboy-liveried machine of Henri Zogaib, John Pew, and Ian James finished a fighting seventh after 139 laps of racing as James scorched his final stint to bring home the tenth top ten of the season for the No. 6.
 
“I couldn’t be happier-Michael Shank Racing is always on their game,” said Zogaib, who returned to action with the team for the first time since March. “Ian (James) is the best coach I could ask for and obviously he had a flawless drive today. This was a great way to close out the year.”
 
The Miller event was not the first time on the 4.5-mile circuit for Pew, who raced in Utah previously in formula car competition. The Florida resident put in two strong stints to help bring the No. 6 into top ten contention once again.
 
“I had fun out there-the car wasn’t perfect the whole time, but it was good to get some long runs in today,” said Pew. “Ian did another great job today even though the conditions were pretty tough out there by the end.  It’s been great racing with this team and working with Ian. I was looking forward to making the move up to the Daytona Prototypes and I really have enjoyed  the season so I want to thank the team for all their efforts.”
 
“The car was moving around a lot under braking out there because there was so much debris on the track,” said James. “It was a bit hard to manage, but I was just licking my chops when we had that last restart and we were able to pick up some positions to close out the race and the season.”
 
The 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season takes the green flag on January 26, but for Michael Shank Racing, the next season starts tomorrow.

“After the way the race ended up here last year, we obviously had some high hopes for today,” said Shank. “And our cars I think showed the kind of pace that would have put us in a strong position if we didn’t have the problem that we did. I’m proud of my guys and the effort and attention to detail that they all put in this year. We wanted more than we got today, but we’ll get a good night sleep tonight and then start thinking about how to do better next year.”
 
Michael Shank Racing would like to thank all the team sponsors, suppliers, fans,  competitors, and  Rolex Sports Car Series staff, for a remarkable 2007 season and looks forward to being even stronger again in 2008. Thank you for your support.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Justin Wilson rejoins Michael Shank Racing for Miller Finale

09/10/2007

Champ Car’s most recent winner joins Patterson and Negri in Utah

(Columbus, OH)—Team owner Mike Shank announced today that Champ Car championship contender Justin Wilson has signed on to race the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley in Saturdays SunChaser 1000 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.  The affable Briton will share the driving duties with 2006 defending race winners Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri. The Rolex Sports Car Series event marks the second Rolex start for Wilson, who scored a strong 2nd place with Michael Shank Racing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2006 when he teamed with Patterson, Negri, and AJ Allemendinger.
 
Wilson arrives with Formula 1  and Champ Car experience and has shown great speed in the Daytona Prototypes;  he’s also bringing a little bit of momentum with him out West, having won the most recent round of the Champ Car World Series at Zolder in the Netherlands.
 
“I’m really happy about the opportunity to race with this team again,” said Wilson. “We had a great race together at Daytona last year and I’ve been keeping tabs on them ever since. I have never run at Miller before, but it sounds like an very interesting track. These cars are a lot of fun to race, and really, who better to team up with than the guys who won the race last year? I’m really looking forward to it.”
 
The team is hoping to create another positive “Rolex Moment” again this weekend as the two-car squad looks to defend an excellent team performance at Miller last season, taking fifth place as well as the win with the two team Lexus-Riley entries. The performance has been selected as one of the top “Rolex Moments in Time,” and fans can pledge their support at this address:
 
http://www.grand-am.com/News/Article.asp?ID=9066
 
The Sunchaser event will open with a live broadcast on Speed Channel starting at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 15.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Michael Shank Racing’s Miller victory selected as one of top “Rolex Moments of the Year”

09/08/2007
 
Fans can go online and vote for popular race win at www.Grand-am.com  

(Columbus, OH)—After nine hours and nearly 200 laps of the 4.5-mile Miller Motorsports Park circuit, the 2.94-second victory by Michael Shank Racing’s Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri in the final race of the 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series season was quite a moment for the Columbus-based squad.
 
But it wasn’t just the team that thought so, as Grand Am has selected the breakthrough victory for fan voting for the 2007 “Rolex Moment of the Year.” Even though the race win was in 2006, the thrilling finish has been included in the 2007 contest as it took place after the voting was complete for the 2006 “Moment.”
 
Fans can vote as many times as they wish until Saturday, September 15 at 6 p.m. ET by visiting this link:
 
http://www.grand-am.com/News/Article.asp?ID=9066

“That there were three cars within just three seconds of each other after nine hours of racing I think shows how competitive this Rolex Series can be,” said Patterson, who sealed the 2006 Jim Trueman Award with the win. “Obviously it was a thrill for us, but  judging by everyone’s reaction to it, there was a lot of nail biting going on for the fans as well! Hopefully we can create that kind of excitement again next weekend.”
 
The winner will be announced at the 2007 Rolex Series Champions Banquet at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Monday, September 17.
 
“That win was obviously a big moment for us, but of course it’s even better that the fans and the rest of the paddock also thought so to,” said team owner Mike Shank about the victory that pushed Lexus into the Championship Circle for Manufacturer laurels. “This entire organization has grown since deciding to race in the Rolex Series and that win is our proudest moment-so far. Hopefully we can do it again soon.”
 
The 2007 Sunchaser event will open with a live broadcast on Speed Channel starting at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 15.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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26/08/2007

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Shank Racing returns to double top-ten form at Infineon

08/25/2007

(Sonoma, CA)—Michael Shank Racing finished eighth and tenth in the Armed Forces 250 at Infineon Raceway on Saturday evening in the penultimate round of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series season. The result marks yet another double top ten finish for both team Lexus-Riley entries.  Michael Shank Racing now looks forward to returning to defend last years race win at the season-ending Miller Motorsports event.
  
The Rolex Series’ second visit to Wine Country ran under green conditions for nearly the entire race distance, with one yellow flag period setting the stage for a final run to the checkered flag. On the restart,  Ian James improved into the top ten and teammate Oswaldo Negri also took advantage of the opportunity as he made a bold move to pass on the outside of the final hairpin to move up one position at the finish.
 
“I saw that he (Brian Frisselle) got into the marbles, so he was going to have a hard time under braking and I just put a little bit of pressure on him,” said Negri. “I was able to get around him on the outside. He is a great guy and gave me the racing room I needed. He could have raced me dirty, but he didn’t and I will repay the favor some day. We were hoping to gain some ground in the championship, but we’ll take this result and get ready for Miller in a few weeks.”
 
The two-hour and forty-five minute race got off to a flying start as Mark Patterson sliced his way into the top ten early in the race.
 
“I was pleasantly surprised by how well behaved everyone was at the start,” said Patterson. “The car was great for me-when it was heavy with fuel on cold tires, or  light on fuel with worn tires-it didn’t matter. The car was great. I didn’t get into the same rhythm as the 23 car did so he was able to run in front, but it sure was nice to keep a Pontiac behind us there at the start, and Oz made things interesting once again at the end!”
 
John Pew, however, had a different experience as a possible bad set of tires threw the balance of the Playboy-liveried machine as he had to fight with some unpleasant handling characteristics.
 
“It was frustrating not to be able to do more in those opening laps,” said Pew. “I was working with the bars inside the car and trying everything I could, but the car was completely different from how it’s been all weekend. It was frustrating, but Ian did a great job to move us into the top ten there at the end and now I’m looking forward to getting back into the endurance mindset for Miller.”
 
The movement up the order was a tough one for James, who had to fight for every position as he positioned the Playboy machine to take yet another top-ten finish.
 
“That was a tough run out there but I got a good restart and we got back up into the top ten,” said James. “The car was a bit of a handful, but we had some good stops and kept working with the car. We were hoping for more, but we’ll take these points and get ready for Miller.”

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

Photo Courtesy : Motorsport/ Eric Gilbert

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Michael Shank Racing gains big ground in qualifying

08/24/2007

Fastest laps of the weekend come at the right time out West

(Sonoma, CA)—Mark Patterson continued to find time at Infineon Raceway as he set the fastest lap of his Rolex career at the track on Friday with a flying 1:30.977-second tour of the 2.52-mile natural terrain circuit. The time secured eleventh on the grid for Patterson in the No. 60 Lexus-Riley in Saturday’s Armed Forces 250.
 
John Pew has also been making significant improvement in his first Rolex race weekend at the track, slashing seconds off his time to score a spot on the seventh row with a 1:31.213-second lap during the fifteen minute session, which was cut short due to an on-track incident with nearly five minutes remaining.
 
“John made a big gain today, and Mark just keeps getting better no matter where we are,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We’ll just have to avoid any problems at the start and hopefully we can catch a break with the timing if we have any yellows. We’re really hoping to gain a little more ground in the championship with both cars before Miller and this is a good way to start on that.”

Pew has previous race experience at Infineon in a formula car, and has been working to translate that knowledge into the Daytona Prototypes.

“The car felt good-as grippy as it has been all weekend,” said Pew. “We’ve been getting faster and I was pushing pretty hard out there. I think we could have gone a little better if we had the full session, but I’m pretty happy with how much progress we’ve already made so far and tomorrow should be good.”

Patterson has had some outstanding race starts so far this season and will look to get another good jump at the green on Saturday afternoon.
 
“We’ve made a lot of progress and there were some sections where the car was just perfect,” said Patterson. “I think we could have gone even a little bit better if the session hadn’t stopped early, but now we need to focus on having this car quick in race trim. This thing can be a beast with full fuel and cold tires, but I think starting on the inside line like we are is going to be a help at the start tomorrow.”
 
The race will air on Speed Channel August 25th at 8:00 PM EST.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

Photo Courtesy : Motorsport/ Eric Gilbert

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Michael Shank Racing heads West as Rolex Series races to a close

08/22/2007

Looking for another California podium

(Columbus, OH)—Michael Shank Racing will make the long trip out West for the second time this season and the Armed Forces Grand-Am 250, the penultimate round of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series season at Infineon Raceway near Sonoma, California.
 
The last visit to the Eureka state netted a fine third place finish for Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri when the Rolex Series visited Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May. The sister No. 6 of John Pew and Ian James scored seventh place with the Playboy machine at Laguna, one of eight top-ten finishes for the duo this season.
 
The two and a half-hour race marks the second visit to Infineon, long known as Sears Point, for the Rolex Sports Car Series.  The tight Rolex championship battle has gathered a lot of attention heading into the final two races of the season, and Michael Shank Racing is focused on taking as many points as possible to close out the year.
 
The team, which scored a debut win in the season-ending race of 2006, is well placed to deliver the best double-team performance in the championship since joining the Rolex Series. Heading into the Infineon round, the No. 6 is seventh in points with a seven-point margin to sixth, while the No. 60 is currently fifth and looking to reduce the twenty-point gap to fourth position.
 
“This was one of the most intense races I ran last season,” said Patterson. “There is just no place to relax even for a moment here. It will be different not having the GT traffic like we did last year, but it will still be a great non-stop challenge every lap.  Hopefully we can come out of the weekend with another strong finish before heading off for Utah to defend our win there.”
 
Pew, who has previous race experience at Infineon in the Formula Mazda ranks against a field of drivers including Marco Andretti, Raphael Matos, and Graham Rahal, has adapted quickly  in his rookie Rolex Series campaign and is looking forward to adding Infineon to the list of tracks he has Daytona Prototype experience on.
 
 “It’s just a fun track,” smiled Pew. “I am glad that I already know my way around there, but of course there is always some adjustment between running in a formula car and in these Daytona Prototypes. The schedule, with practice in the morning and then not running until we qualify or race in the afternoon, could be a challenge as far as getting the set up right, but this team does a really good job with that. Things can get busy at Infineon pretty quickly, but I am looking forward to the race no question.”
 
The Rolex Series will have two practice sessions on Thursday, and then a pair of on-track sessions that book end the day on Friday with a 9:15 practice in advance of a 4:20 PM qualifying session. The Series will once again play the opener with an 8:30 AM final practice session on Saturday in advance of the scheduled 2:45 PM  (local) race start.
 
The race will air on Speed Channel August 25th at 8:00 PM EST.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

Photo Courtesy : Motorsport/ Eric Gilbert

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Michael Shank Racing finishes strong at Watkins Glen

Long road back from twenty-first to eighth for Negri

08/11/2007

(Watkins Glen, NY)—Michael Shank Racing has staged some thrilling finishes in the Crown Royal 200 at the Glen on the way to multiple podium appearances, and Friday evening provided another new chapter as Owaldo Negri powered into eighth on the final lap after climbing up through the field from twenty-first position early in the race.
 
The sister Playboy Lexus-Riley of John Pew and Ian James was also on target for a strong race finish, but an electrical problem forced James into the pits midway through the race for repairs. Despite a swift diagnosis and quick repairs by the Michael Shank Racing crew, the green-flag stop  cost  the No. 6 precious time on pit lane before James could rejoin and recover a sixteenth-place result.
 
“That was a great comeback for the 60 car,” said team owner Mike Shank after the Friday night race. “I’m super disappointed about what happened with the 6 car because John did a great job in his stint and Ian was well on his way to another good finish here. No question we’d have had both cars in the top ten again tonight.”
 
The Daytona Prototype-only event got off to a ragged start as Trueman Award combatant Tracy Krohn went off course in the bus stop chicane on the first lap, bringing out a caution and showering the high speed corner sequence in dirt. The ensuing restart saw Patterson, who started the race from the sixth row, spin as the field made it’s first return visit through the bus stop at speed on a restart.
 
“They didn’t quite clean off all the dirt that was out there and I got just enough on the left side tires that when I went back to put the power down, I just got a wiggle, and unfortunately, it kept getting worse and I got sideways there,” said Patterson, who was able to keep the orange and black machine away from the nearby walls. “So that was a disappointing start to the race, but Oz really did a fantastic job to make it all the way back through the field like he did, some really good stuff to watch.”
 
After Patterson pitted for new Hoosiers, Negri took the controls and returned to the track in twenty-first position and one lap down. The Brazilian put his head down and worked his way through the DP field.
 
“That was fun,” said Negri. “I just had to push ten tenths the whole time, but we had to be smart with our passes and choosing when to take chances and when not to. It was a lot of fun though coming through the field like that.  We just had a great car.  I had to just keep moving forward and once we got our lap back just keep pushing all the way to the finish and it was great to pick those last two spots up on the last lap, because everything counts in this championship.”
 
The Glen short course visit was the first for Pew, who despite having a strong weekend performance, is much more a fan of the “Long” course at Watkins Glen.
 
“We were carrying a lot of downforce so we were awesome under braking and into the corners, but it was pretty difficult to make anything happen in a straight line even if I had a good tow,” said Pew. “I passed two guys in one shot when they took too much time making a decision about a slower car going into the esses. It was too bad what happened to Ian there because he was on another strong run and this wont help with the points. But hopefully Infineon will go better for us.”  
 
The Rolex Sports Car Series will take a weekend off before reconvening out West at Infineon Raceway for the Armed Forces Grand-Am 250 as part of the IRL race weekend. The race will air on Speed Channel August 25th at 7:00 PM EST.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

Photo Courtesy : Motorsport/ Eric Gilbert

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Domínio de Gurney/ Fogarty em Watkins Glen

11/08/2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patterson steps up in Montreal qualifying

08/03/2007

(Montreal, Que)—Mark Patterson’s brother Ward coached the Middlebury College rugby team to the Division 2 National Championship this year, and was on hand in Montreal to see his brother put in his own strong performance in qualifying on Friday. The two share more than just a last name, as competitive excellence seems to run in the family.

Patterson carded a fast lap time of 1:37.913-seconds on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to take tenth on the grid for Friday’s Rolex Sports Car Series race in Montreal. The sister Playboy-liveried Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley of John Pew and Ian James will start from the seventh row for the 4:15 ET race start on Friday. The Rolex Series Montreal debut race will air on Speed Channel on a tape-delay basis starting at 8:00 PM ET.
 
The fifteen-minute qualifying session was interrupted by a black flag early on, leaving just six minutes remaining to set the field. Both Patterson and Pew have raced on the 2.71-mile circuit previously, and put that experience to work to quickly set a fast time.
 
Patterson was able to dig deep and score a top-ten starting position, but Pew was frustrated after a small bobble cost him big time on his final fastest flyer of a lap.
 
“It felt good-it’s amazing how little we have changed on this car through the weekend,” said Patterson. “We’ve just been fine tuning and looking for small improvements.  It was great to finally get into a good rhythm out there even though we didn’t get many laps in.”
 
“Mark did an outstanding job—his best qualifying ever,” said co-driver Oswaldo Negri. “We asked him for a few tenths and he got it. It was just a great job he did to improve by so much in such a short time this weekend. This kind of performance really motivates the whole team and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
 
Pew has made a habit of taking top tens since joining Michael Shank Racing, and while he was annoyed with the qualifying result, he knows that he and James have a good shot at another strong result on Friday night.
 
“I’m sorry for the team that it didn’t go better but the car just got sideways in the first part of the corner,” said Pew. “I caught it no problem, but then there’s another change of direction right there so I had to get out of it big time and that cost me a lot. Unfortunately, that was the last lap I had and there was no chance of making that kind of time up. But the car is good and we can make that ground up during the race.”

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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A primeira bandeira amarela aconteceu na décima segunda volta, por causa de um acidente com quatro carros, e a MSR aproveitou para chamar seus dois carros para os pits.  Negri assumiu os comandos no lugar de Patterson e James, que aniversariava,  assumiu o lugar de Pew. A relargada aconteceu sete voltas depois e Negri era o 13º, mas grudado no carro de Mark Wilkins.

Michael Shank Racing continues double-top ten runs at Barber

07/22/2007

Playboy machine once again scores Suntrust “Improve your position” Award

(Leeds, AL)—Despite a hectic run of races through the hot summer season, Michael Shank Racing continues to put precious Rolex Sports Car Series championship points in the bank with both team Lexus-Riley entries. Sunday’s Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park marked the third Rolex race in as many weekends for Michael Shank Racing, and the team once again responded with strong results as Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri finished sixth, just ahead of Ian James and John Pew in seventh.
 
The result is the third consecutive double top ten finish for the Columbus, Ohio-based team, and the seventh consecutive top ten result for the Playboy-liveried Lexus of James and Pew.
 
“It’s been busy for the team but everyone has responded perfectly, and the results have shown that,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We didn’t have the outright pace that we were hoping to here today, but we got some great drives out of all our guys and our strategy worked out at the finish.  The pit stops are critical in these races and we had good driver changes with both cars.”
 
Mark Patterson got a good start from eleventh to move up to ninth at the green flag in Alabama’s hot and humid conditions.
 
“It was a really exciting start with a lot of bumping, but it was all clean, everyone jostling for position and just very busy in the first few corners,” said Patterson. “My spotter Nick gave me a great call at the green flag and we got a good launch at the start. I’ll say it was a pleasure to drive against Hurley Haywood in those opening laps. He’s a real pro and it was just fabulous to race against him.”
 
The Playboy machine also got off to a good start, settling into a race pace rhythm in the opening laps. But Pew’s run was cut short when Tracy Krohn, who was returning to the pits to repair damage he sustained when he broadsided another car, cut a passing Pew off, sending him off course into the dirt and leaving green car parts lodged in the Playboy machines’ nose cone.
 
“Tracy’s going for the gentleman drivers award, but he didn’t behave at all alike a gentleman there,” said a frustrated Pew. “Usually when a car is damaged and heading back onto the pits, you don’t drive down the middle of the track and put people off, but that’s exactly what he did to me. There a lot of guys out there who are great to race with, who keep their head on their shoulders no matter what happens, but I’m afraid that might not be the case for everyone. It was a very frustrating way to start the race, but this team stayed completely focused and Ian did another amazing job right to the finish.”
 
The incident with the odd-green machine helped to create a full course caution as both Pew and Patterson turned the cars over to James and Negri. The two rejoined out of the top-ten, but by the closing stages of the race, had battled their way up the order as the race came to a thrilling conclusion with both MSR entries moving up on the very last lap to finish sixth and seventh.
 
But Negri and birthday boy James both had to battle not only the competition, big heat, and humidity in their nearly two-hour long stints, but were also hampered by a pair of small problems in the cockpit.  Negri’s helmet blower didn’t work, and James didn’t have the benefit  of an in-car water bottle.
 
“I had no fresh air to breathe in the car, and that was a big challenge for me because I was working so hard,” said Negri. “We were not that great at the exit of the corners after the 23 car made contact with me trying to get back by, and that made me vulnerable at the end. I want to thank Mark-he is so supportive and not selfish at all. I’m really happy to get this result for him and it shows how strong this team really is.”
 
James, who ran the KONI Challenge GS race earlier in the day, put all his Phoenix-based physical training to use to stay sharp despite the difficult conditions and circumstances as he battled to the last inch to keep moving the Playboy Lexus forward.
 
“The car  was really good under braking, but we had a pretty big understeer so I just did the best I could,” said James “It was pretty hot in there, and I think that’s just about exactly as long as I’d want to be in that car without any water!”
 
Michael Shank Racing will be back in action in two weeks when the Rolex Series makes it Montreal debut at the Circuit Giles Villenueve in Montreal.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Michael Shank Racing quick in qualifying at Barber

07/21/2007

(Leeds, AL)—Michael Shank Racing will start from the fifth and seventh rows in Sunday’s Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park for round ten of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series Season.
 
Mark Patterson scored eleventh on the grid with a 1:24.129-second lap with the No. 60 Lexus-Riley entry he shares with Oswalod Negri, as John Pew will line up fourteenth in the Playboy-livered Lexus-Riley he will co-drive with Ian James on Sunday afternoon.
 
“It’s good to have an inside spot for the start,” said Patterson. “We got unlucky at the green flag in Iowa, but were able to recover well before handing over to Oz.  I think we can race well tomorrow from where we are on the grid. This is a really busy track for the drivers, but we will see what kind of race develops without having the GT traffic like we did last year.”
 
The Barber weekend is not the first visit to the 2.3-mile track for John Pew, but he is working on adapting to his new ride this weekend. Pew noted that he “…needed to step it up a bit in qualifying…” before qualifying started, and did just that by posting his fastest lap of the weekend during the fifteen minute session.
 
“Last time I was here, I was in a formula car with about 400 fewer horsepower, so I am still working on adjusting to the best way to get a fast lap here with the Playboy car,” said Pew. “Even though I feel like I’ve been playing a little bit of catch-up, it’s been getting better every time I’ve gone out so hopefully we can get a good start and keep making progress here.”
 
The two and a half hour Sunday afternoon race marks the third consecutive weekend that Michael Shank Racing has done battle in Rolex competition, and the team is ready to go, looking forward to extending  a string of strong finishes from both team entries.
 
“This should be a much different race than it was last year since we won’t have the GT cars with us,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Hopefully, the timing works out for us if we get a yellow.  But know we made up a ton of ground here last year during the race with both cars, so hopefully we’ll put ourselves in a good position at the finish no matter how the race plays out.”
 
The 3:00 PM EST race start on Sunday will be shown LIVE on Speed.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Programação para as Porche 250 at Barber Motorsport Park:

Quinta-Feira 19/07 (horários de Brasília)

Michael Shank Racing ready to take on the heat and the competition in Alabama

07/19/2007

(Birmingham, AL)—This weekend’s Rolex Sports Car Series Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park outside of Birmingham, Alabama, marks the third Rolex event in as many weekends as the 2007 season moves into a hectic mid-summer pace. With both team Lexus-Riley entries hitting their stride through the mid-summer stretch, Michael Shank Racing is ready to keep striking while the iron is hot this weekend for round ten of the Rolex Sports Car Series season.
 
“These races are all falling right on top of one another, but we love it,” said team owner Mike Shank. “I’m proud of the effort the team has been putting in to be getting the results we’ve had week in and week out. This series is really competitive, and it a lot of things have to go right all weekend to finish like we have been, so hopefully we can keep making up ground in the championship.”
 
And with the Daytona Prototype-only race set in the South as the area spikes in both heat and humidity, things will indeed be hot this weekend. Fortunately, the team is stocked full of drivers who keep their cool.  Coming off yet another double top-ten finish for both Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley entries in last Friday night’s Iowa Speedway race, the team has reason for optimism heading into the Barber weekend. Michael Shank Racing finished third in the 2005 Barber event and went on to score a double-top-ten finish in 2006 as the two team entries moved up a total of twenty-four positions during the race.
 
While the pace of the season might cause some teams trouble, the hectic schedule has only driven Michael Shank Racing to greater success. The No. 60 entry of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri took their sixth top ten finish of the season in Iowa, and are situated eighth in the championship standings.
 
The Playboy-liveried No. 6 of John Pew and Ian James has a hot streak of its own going, moving up to seventh in the championship on the strength of five consecutive top-tens ahead of the Barber weekend. John Pew impressed many with his qualifying debut run to eighth place at Mid-Ohio, and has also shown well come race time as he grows his Rolex experience lap by lap.
 
“Working with this team has made the move to the Prototypes feel really natural,” said Pew, who also has thousands of nautical miles under his belt as a world-traveling sailor. “Driving with Ian (James) has been great and I am looking forward to getting back to a natural road course this weekend at Barber-it’s just an amazing facility.”
 
Ian James’s run of performances has divided the Rolex paddock firmly into two groups-one that insists that they knew all along that the affable Brit had this kind of talent, and a second group that just pretend to have known that. James has moved to third--out of over two hundred drivers--in Grand-Am’s “Driver Performance Index.”
 
The blisters on Oswaldo Negri’s hands after the race were proof of his outstanding effort at Iowa, where he took to the field in 12th place after the pit stop, but worked his way forward up to take fifth at the finish line after setting a remarkable race pace. Negri’s fastest lap of the race was just .01 of a second behind the race winning Ganassi’s best of the night.
 
Mark Patterson has cultivated a passionate following for his driving pursuits through the “Mark’s Take” section at www.michaelshankracing.com, and also made a broadcast debut of sorts last weekend when was asked by SPEED Channel to do the voice over for the “Lap Around Iowa” pre-race segment.  Patterson recovered after getting balked at the start of the Iowa race to pass NASCAR racer Mark Martin before turning the car over to Negri.
 
Already established as one of the most fleet of non-pro racers in the Rolex ranks and looking to successfully defend his Trueman Award Championship, Patterson still has Tracy Krohn’s green machine firmly in his sights this weekend at Barber, not to mention the bigger picture of the championship standings.
 
“After an exciting race in Iowa, it’s great to be heading to a natural road course again where this Lexus engine can stretch its legs a little bit,” said Patterson. “We had a really raceable car there last year and we’d like nothing more than to keep it coming with these results, and even better get back on the podium again like we did at Laguna.”
 
In contrast to the last two Rolex dates in Daytona and Iowa, The Porsche 250 race weekend is a multi-day affair, opening with a Thursday promoter test day in advance of practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday, and a 3:00 PM EST race start on Sunday. The race will be shown LIVE on Speed.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Michael Shank Racing continues top-ten streak at Iowa

07/14/2007
 
(Newton, IA)—Michael Shank Racing scored another double top-ten finish with both team entries in Rolex Sports Car Series competition Friday night at Iowa Speedway.  Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson finished fifth and Ian James and John Pew crossed the finish line in ninth with the Playboy-liveried Lexus-Riley in the 192-lap Daytona Prototype-only race.
 
“Oz (Negri) drove one of the best races we’ve ever seen him run in four years--just an outstanding job,” said team owner Mike Shank. “And if things had played out a little differently, Ian would have been right there with him at the end. He was running laps as quick as the leaders and that was key to taking some of those positions late in the race. So I’m happy with our race and it’s great to come out of here and move to seventh and eighth in the championship. We’ll look for more next week.”
 
Patterson and Pew started the race, which got off to a clean start despite the very tight nature of the 1.3-mile oval-based road course, although Patterson’s race didn’t open up as planned.
 
“This may not be the greatest driving track, but the laps are very intense,” said Patterson. “I don’t know what happened at the start, I think Max (Papis) was napping a bit and I didn’t want to get a penalty for moving out of the line to pass him, so I had to back out of it and we lost several spots right out of the gate.”
 
Patterson shrugged it off, and soon after tracked down another Mark, NASCAR star Mark Martin, and passed him for twelfth position. Patterson soon after established a gap back to the 2007 Daytona 500 runner-up before the first of two yellow flags appeared, sending the field into the pits for tires, fuel, and a driver change.
 
Patterson’s quick momentum loss at the start opened up a gap for other competitors to fill, including Pew.
 
“I just went for the hole,” smiled Pew. “I had fun out there and it was nice to get through the start and not get hit by anyone for once! Then I had a nice little run going with Mark (Patterson), and the car just kept getting better as the laps went on. Even though these laps are so quick, it was nice to get into a nice rhythm for a while. Ian did another great job, and it feels good to keep this top-ten streak going for all Mike’s guys, because they put a ton of effort and thought into everything they do for these races. Now, I can’t wait to get to Barber.”
 
Negri took over from Patterson and worked his way up through the order despite the nearly-impossible nature of passing on the track, garnering as many compliments after the race as he had developed blisters on his hands during it.
 
“Mark did a great job in his stint and it was great fun to see him having that battle with Mark Martin,” smiled Negri. “He’s really been working hard, and I have to also thank my engineer Dave Kanning, because he does a great job and puts up with me calling him three or four times a day to talk about how we can make this car go even faster. This whole team works so hard and it’s great when everything comes together to get a hard-fought result like this.”
 
Ian James had several big battles as he moved up from deep in the teens up to take ninth in the closing laps of the race, extending the streak of top-ten finishes for the Playboy machine to six consecutive Rolex events.
 
“Mike and his guys gave me another great car today,” said James. “We just kept getting faster as the runs went on. John did a great job and had a good opening stint. It was so rewarding getting by the 23 car there at the end-if we’d have been cruising the last twenty laps, that never would have happened. But we were pushing all the way, and all those tenths add up if you can keep that kind of pace, so it felt great to move up one more spot right before the checker.”
 
While the double top ten finish had the team in a positive mood after the long day at the new Iowa track, it wasn’t long before talk of shock settings for next week’s race at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama came to be the conversation topic, as the team never stops moving forward and  looking for improvement.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

Photo courtesy Grand-Am Communications

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Resultado da Brumos Porsche 250 (Daytona Internacional Speedway):
1 Jon Fogarty/ Alex Gurney - Pontiac Riley
2 Wayne Taylor/ Max Angelelli/ Jonathan Cochet - Pontiac Riley
3 Colin Braun/ Max Papis - Pontiac Riley
4 John Pew/ Ian James - Lexus Riley
5 David Donohue/ Darren Law - Porsche Riley
6 Scott Pruett/ Memo Rojas - Lexus Riley
7 Mark Patterson/ Oswaldo Negri Jr - Lexus Riley
8 Rob Finlay/ Michael Valiante - Lexus Riley
9 Jim Matthews/ Marc Goossens/ Jimmie Johnson - Pontiac Riley
10 Tracy Krohn/ Nic Jonsson - Pontiac Riley

 

 

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Michael Shank Racing finishes fourth in Sahlen’s Six Hour

06/09/2007

Sister entry comes home eleventh after both Michael Shank Racing entries lead at Watkins Glen
 
(Watkins Glen, NY)— Ian James and John Pew finished fourth in the Shalen’s Six Hours at the Glen after leading late in the race. Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri crossed the line in eleventh after also running at the front of the forty-five car field during different stages of the six-hour endurance event.
 
The result is the third consecutive fourth-place finish at Watkins Glen for Michael Shank Racing and marked the third consecutive top-ten finish for the No. 6 Lexus-Riley entry of James and Pew, which has now lead in three Rolex events thus far this season.
 
“Another solid day for us here at the Glen,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Ian did a great job running up front, and it’s a shame that Oz had that little problem with the alternator belt or else he would have also been in the top five no question. It was great to lead here and even run 1-2 at one point. I think this is a perfect way for us to set up for our home race at Mid-Ohio in a couple of weeks.”
 
James started the race from thirteenth on the grid and moved up smartly through the pack before turning the car over to Pew, who after battling with legend Hurley Haywood, soon found himself running in close contention with Patterson in the top ten. The two have diced on-track in everything from formula cars to Rolex GT machines, and this was another chapter in the fun for Pew.
 
“It was great, I had a blast out there,” said Pew. “We’ve raced inches apart in all kinds of cars, and I trust him completely. We had a good little dice going. He’s quite good on this track and obviously has a lot of experience in these cars, so I picked some things up from him! Ian did a fantastic job, and I am really happy to be working with this team.”
 
Pew then turned the Lexus-Riley back over to James, who worked his way to the head of the field by lap 128, and built a gap over the eventual race-leading machine before a recalcitrant GT car gave him grief.
 
“The Corvette ran me into the dirt and I lost all my momentum, so I was pretty much a sitting duck for the 99 car,” said James. “But it was great to be up front and controlling the race today. This car was excellent on the long runs and our only weakness was how the car was on new tires, so it’s a shame we didn’t get more laps under green today. But even getting into the top six in this series is something to be happy about, so to take fourth today is something I think we can be happy about.”
 
Oswaldo Negri started the race from ninth on the grid and moved up to lead the race before turning the car over to Patterson fifty laps into the race. Patterson has always been good at Watkins Glen, but his Six Hour performance on Saturday was the best he’s ever shown at the track, setting times two seconds a lap faster than he ever had before, despite running on Hoosiers with nearly 100 miles on them.
 
After his stand-out performance, Patterson turned the car back over to Negri, who once again powered up to the lead by lap 127, leading teammate Ian James as the field slowed for one of nine cautions on the day. Unfortunately, Negri and Patterson’s shot at another endurance victory was compromised after an alternator belt slipped, forcing him to pit an extra time and costing any chance at victory.
 
“Oz did a tremendous job today and it’s just a shame we had that small little problem take us out of contention for a really great result,” said Patterson. “It took a couple laps for me to get into a rhythm, but I got in behind Memo Gidley and just stuck off his back bumper and stayed with him. I really had a blast out there and am pretty pleased with the times we were putting up. The result wasn’t what we wanted, but it wasn’t due to a lack of trying from this team.”
 
The close of the race proved even more frustrating, as a final stint of green flag running didn’t provide the chance to move up that Negri was hoping for.
 
“I was frustrated by the 59 car and how unprofessional the driver was,” said Negri. “I am even more disappointed and surprised that he wasn’t penalized at all. But I had to keep our championship in mind and just try to get what we could out of the day.”
 
Negri did indeed get what he could, making some breathtaking passes including a perfect pick of GT traffic to move up two positions in just one corner with the clock counting down to the end of the race.
            
Michael Shank Racing will race again at the team’s home track, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in two weeks time.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Michael Shank Racing wins SunTrust “Improve your position” award

06/08/2007

Photo courtesy Grand-Am Communications
 
(Watkins Glen, NY)—Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri smiled and posed for the photographers on Friday as they picked up the $1,000 check from SunTrust Bank for having improved the most positions in the last Rolex Sports Car Series race at Laguna Seca in May.
 
The Suntrust award marked the third of three notable achievements for the pair from the Laguna weekend as they also scored podium honors together and Patterson collected the Jim Trueman medal for taking the highest finishing position amongst those competing for the Trueman championship.
 
But after the award was handed out and drivers meeting adjourned, it was back to business and a fifteen minute qualifying session to set the field for Saturday’s Sahlen’s six Hours of the Glen.
 
Oswaldo Negri strapped into the No. 60 Lexus Riley as Ian James took the controls of the No. 6 Lexus-Riley and as the session drew to a close, Negri had claimed ninth on the grid, with James taking a spot on the seventh row for Saturday’s six hour race and round six of the 2007 Rolex season.
 
The qualifying results were not quite what the team had been hoping for, but with six hours of racing to come and a long history of success at the upstate New York track stretching back to the teams very first season in the category in 2004, Michael Shank Racing is ready to race on Saturday.
 
“We just need to pull back a little bit with our set-up,” explained Negri. “We know we can find more grip, and we want to be sure to have a car that’s going to be good to drive over the long stints tomorrow, so we’ll just focus on that in the morning,”
 
While the longer races bring more pressure for the team and the drivers, they also seem to bring the best out in Michael Shank Racing. The team scored second, fourth, and first in the endurance events last year, and is looking to keep that kind of record intact once again this season.
 
“It’s a long race,” smiled Mike Shank as he reviewed the timing sheets after the session. “We were hoping for a little bit more in qualifying, but that’s really not going to matter that much tomorrow. A solid car, good pit stops, and the guys staying out of trouble and keeping a good pace, that’s what’s going to move us up in the championship and that’s what our focus will be until they throw the checkers on this race.”
 
The No. 6 entry of John Pew and Ian James was a handful for the Englishman during qualifying, but the two are still confident of backing up their strong seventh place debut result from Laguna with another good run on Saturday.
 
“It was as loose as its been all weekend so we were struggling a bit out there,” said a frustrated James. “But we’ll have a chance to make some adjustments in the morning and improve on what we’ve got.”
 
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will air on Speed Channel starting at 11:00 AM ET on Saturday, June 9, with the second segment broadcast starting at 2:30 PM.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Negri ready for long day at the Glen

06/08/2007   
 
(Watkins Glen, NY) — Taking second place in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, a close fourth in the Watkins 6-hour, and then winning the season-ending 9 hour event at Miller Motorsports Park set Oswaldo Negri and co-driver Mark Patterson head and shoulders above the other driver pairings when it came time for the endurance races in the Rolex Sports Car Series last year, and the two are looking to show that once again this weekend.
 
Saturday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will see Negri and Patterson look to once again take to the podium at the Glen, something that Negri has done with a variety of other driving partners at the upstate New York track.
 
“I really love this track,” said Negri. “The corners require the driver to be really committed, and you are working all the way through them.”
 
The long-distance event has a long history and traditionally brings some variable weather into the mix.
 
“You just have to get the car to be comfortable here,” said Negri. “Having a car that’s fast for just one lap but not good to race over a full stint is just no good. You have to be able to set a good pace and stick with it to get a good result in these races, so that’s what we are focused on.”
 
Negri brings some positive momentum to the track, having taken his first podium of the season with third place at Laguna Seca last month.
 
“It’s always a good way to come into the weekend with a good last race under your belt, but of course now that doesn’t matter anymore and we have to focus on doing well here once again,” said Negri. “There are a lot of things that effect your performance in these long races, and Mike Shank’s team always seems to do well in them. They pay a lot of attention to the small details and that shows in the results.”
 
Saturday’s race will start at 11:00 AM ET, with Speed Channel brining coverage LIVE.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Negri and Patterson take podium at Laguna

05/20/2007

Pew delivers strong debut with Michael Shank Racing
 
(Monterey, CA)—Michael Shank Racing finished third and seventh with the two team Lexus-Riley entries in the U.S. Sports Car Invitational at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  The finish is the best combined team result of the 2007 season to date for Michael Shank Racing.
 
Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri climbed to the podium for the first time since taking a win in the season-ending 9 Hour Sunchaser at Miller Motorsports Park last year. Despite having an eventful race from the drop of the green flag, John Pew and Ian James combined for seventh at the end of the two hour and forty-five minute race, which ended with a safety car period.
 
The yellow flag kept Negri and Patterson from getting the chance to improve late in the race after running in the top three and allowed the race winner to barely stretch the fuel to make it to the end, something that would have been unlikely had the race finished under green flag conditions.
 
“This was a great performance from the whole team all weekend,” said team owner Mike Shank. “John (Pew) did a good job in his first time out with us, and Ian ran a heck of a race. It was a shame the race ended under yellow, but it was still great to have Mark and Oz up on the podium once again. This is a big boost for us in the championship and we’ll just take this momentum home with us and start getting ready for the Glen.”
 
Patterson opened the race from twelfth on the grid as the field emerged largely unscathed from the tight turn one. The South African moved up to eleventh before brining the car in to swap driving duties with Negri under a full course caution.
 
“That was a really good car,” said Patterson. “Even though it had a full fuel load, I could attack as if we were in qualifying trim and I felt really confident with it.”
 
Patterson’s next remark proved prescient.
 
“I really think Oz is going to like this car.”
 
He liked it indeed, rejoining the field in seventeenth and working his way solidly up the order and into the top three in the closing laps of the race, running within one second of the leader before the final yellow flag kept him from having a shot at the lead.
 
“This podium is for Mark (Patterson) and for all the effort and support he puts into this team,” said Negri. “He never stops working and it pays off when we have days like we did today. The car was great all weekend from the moment we got on track, so I’m happy to get a result as good as our car was. We are staying focused on this championship and days like this are what we need as the season goes on.”
 
James, who raced in three of the four Grand-Am sanctioned races of the weekend, started from seventh on the grid but got hit on the very first lap, giving the Playboy-liveried Riley a new look, and a lot less downforce.
 
“We lost a lot of grip with the damage to the wing, and that’s pretty important around here, but the car was still pretty quick,” said James. “John (Pew) did a good job today and I was able to keep making up ground even though we got bumped around a lot.”
 
The Laguna race marked Pew’s Rolex Sports Car Series debut with Michael Shank Racing, and the Florida resident got off to a flying start.
 
“I had fun out there,” said Pew. “The car didn’t handle that well, but I had some good battles going on and of course Ian really drove the wheels off the thing. I just wanted to get some seat time and get as comfortable as possible this weekend and I was able to do that no problem. This is a great team, and I’m looking forward to the Glen in a few weeks’ time.”
 
Michael Shank Racing will compete once again at the famed Watkins  Glen for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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"Foi muito duro", falou Negri. "O Nic (Jonson) ao final da corrida veio pedir desculpas pela batida, mas infelizmente o meu carro ficou horrível de guiar depois do choque e o equilíbrio foi todo alterado", lamentou o brasileiro.

Michael Shank Racing lead Lexus at VIR

04/29/2007

MSR scores another double top-ten as officiating frustrates Rolex Series’ leading sportsman racer  
 
(Alton, VA)—In winning the final Rolex Sports Car Series race of the 2006 season, Michael Shank Racing helped seal the Manufacturer Championship for engine partner Lexus last season, and the Ohio-based team once again contributed to the effort on Sunday afternoon as Ian James and Burt Frisselle delivered the highest result for Lexus with a solid sixth-place finish in the VIR 400K with the Playboy-liveried Lexus-Riley.
 
The sister Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri finished a disappointed tenth after the distinctive orange and black machine was the victim of multiple incidents of contact during the DP-only event. The result is the third top-ten of the season for the No. 60, and the second double-top ten for Michael Shank Racing thus far in 2007.
 
“I’m really happy with the team effort this weekend,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We had the right strategy and some great pit stops from the guys. Our drivers did a good job and it was good to have Burt back with us this weekend. But, I am not happy with the calls made-or not made- by the officials today. It’s really frustrating because Oz has been penalized for doing a whole lot less than was done to us today and  it just kept happening all afternoon.”
 
The VIR weekend marked a return for Burt Frisselle to MSR after car owner Henri Zogaib was unable to make the VIR event due to pressing business commitments. Frisselle, who is sharing the No. 61 AIM Autosport Lexus-Riley with his brother during the 2007 season, had a strong run in his return to the team.
 
“I love racing with this team and it was just a pleasure to be back with them,” said Frisselle. “I was really happy with my stint and turning the car over to Ian in third place felt good. It was great to have Ian as a teammate.  I really enjoyed my battle out there with Mark Wilkins-it was interesting to be racing against the same car that I will be driving next round at Laguna.”
Frisselle turned the car over to James, who withstood a vigorous charge in the closing laps to bring the Playboy-liveried machine home in sixth.
 
“I think we extracted the maximum possible performance out of our package this weekend,” said James. “Burt did a great job and the strategy was absolutely spot on. We had awesome pit stops. This is not our best track, so to get everything out of the car and the team is pretty satisfying. I’ve been under the weather a bit this week, but once I got in the car it was no problem.”
 
The sister Lexus-Riley of Negri and Patterson was well-placed for a top five finish as the race resumed after the final yellow flag period, but contact from other cars significantly altered the handling for Negri as he fought to bring the car home in tenth.
 
“It was tough,” said Negri, who lost count of the different cars that hit the No.60 during his run. “Nic (Jonson) came up and apologized after the race but the car was just horrible after that and the balance was way off. There was nothing I could do but just hold on to get as many points as possible. It’s very frustrating because the passes I made were clean, but I guess the way to do it is just to knock people out of the way, I don’t know.”
 
The multiple incidents of contact with his car greatly frustrated Patterson, who won the Trueman award in 2006.
 
“I had a great battle going on with Rob (Finley) and JC (France) at the start, but it was very frustrating to watch Oz’s stint. Why would we want to be here just to be knocked around?” said Patterson. “There is no incentive at all for me to participate in this series when the officiating is so bad.”
 
Michael Shank Racing will return to Columbus, Ohio and begin preparations for round four of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series Season at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Oswaldo Negri scored the pole position at the Monterey peninsula track in 2005.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Michael Shank Racing strong in VIR qualifying

04/28/2007
 
(Alton, VA)— Michael Shank Racing will start from seventh and fourteenth on the grid in Sunday’s VIR 400K with the two team Lexus-Riley entries in round four of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series season.
 
Burt Frisselle has rejoined the Playboy-liveried No. 6 for the VIR weekend and was put to work right away on Saturday as he assumed qualifying duties. Frisselle  stepped up with a fast lap time of 1:46.451-seconds on the 3.27-mile natural terrain road course to secure a spot on the fourth row for Sunday’s two and a half-hour Daytona Prototype-only event.
 
“That is all we had in the car,” said Frisselle. “I think I might have got her a little bit dirty trying to get more out of it! But the balance was great and we should be in good shape for the race tomorrow.”
 
Frisselle had to leave the VIR grounds right after qualifying to catch a flight to Motor Mile Speedway to race in the NASCAR Whelen short track event in Radford, VA. Frisselle will share the driving duties on Sunday with Ian James, who has led in two of the opening three Rolex events thus far this season.
 
In the sister Michael Shank Racing No. 60 entry of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri, the qualifying effort was hampered when a hold up with the Grand Am officials kept Patterson from joining the fray until after the fifteen-minute session got underway. But the South African shrugged it off as he still got the most out of his Hoosiers with a fast lap time of 1:48.490-seconds for a spot on the seventh row of the grid.
 
“This is a solid start for tomorrow,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Burt did a good job for us today and it’s been great to have him back with us this weekend driving Henri’s car. We haven’t always had the best of luck at this track, but both our cars are quick and we think we are right where we need to be for good finishes with both cars tomorrow.”
  
Speed Channel will bring live coverage of the race on Sunday starting at 1:00 PM ET.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975

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Negri looking forward to Mexico City return

02/28/2007   

Returning South of the Border brings back Championship memories for Negri
 
(Miami, FL)—With a shelf full of trophies and fond championship memories from his days of racing in Mexico, Oswaldo Negri is looking forward to the second round of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series season. Negri will team with Mark Patterson in the Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley at the 2.5-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, this weekend on a track that Negri has proven lightning quick on.
 
Beyond a fondness for the country and the people, there is a good reason Negri enjoyed racing in Mexico-he was remarkably successful in his three seasons of racing South of the Border. Negri raced in the Pan-American Indy Lights Championship between 1998 and 2000, taking the championship in 1998 and backing that up with 2nd and 3rd in the championship standings with seven wins and ten podiums.
 
“It’s like coming back home for me to be racing in Mexico,” said Negri. “After racing F3 in Europe for several seasons, I raced for Juan Ferrara and Eugenio Derbez in Mexico and it was a great time in my career because we had so much success. Now when we go to Mexico City with Rolex, it is a little bit like coming home for me with all the familiar faces.”
 
Since joining the Rolex Series in 2004, Negri has once again found his competitive stride, taking ten top-ten finishes in 2006 and closing the season out with a dramatic breakthrough win in the 9-Hour Miller Motorsports event. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez course is one that Negri feels right at home on, and he showed that last year, even though the race weekend brought mixed fortunes for Negri.
 
After setting the pace with ease in the opening two practice sessions, Negri ran into problems in the third practice session as a pit lane track marker was knocked by another car into Negri’s path in the middle of the circuit’s fastest corner, and lodged itself under the nose of the Lexus/Riley, robbing Negri of any ability to steer and sending him into the wall at a high rate of speed.
 
The accident sent the car back to the shop for repairs and Negri to the medical center, but Negri’s excellent fitness and the safety measures designed into the Daytona Prototypes meant that ‘Oz’ was able to return to action to race the next day.  Michael Shank Racing made a quick switch to borrow a competitors car to qualify and race with, but the race didn’t bring the results that the early practice sessions promised.
 
“It was disappointing that the weekend played out the way it did, but we have a new chance this weekend to get a good result,” said Negri. “Mark was quite quick here last year and I think we are even stronger as a team than we were last year, so I am really optimistic about the weekend.”
 
Negri opened up the 2007 season with a ninth-place finish in the grueling Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing entry is seventh in the points among cars entered for the Mexico City round, something that Negri is well awareof.
 
“We lost some momentum here last year in the points championship, so that is a big focus for us this weekend,” said Negri. “We know we have to make the most of any advantage we can get all season, and this weekend we are looking for a home field advantage!”
 
TV: Speed Channel
LIVE, Saturday, March 3, 4:00PM EST

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com  
317.908.2975
Photo courtesy Grand-Am

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Valentia e determinação levaram Negri e companhia ao 9º lugar em Daytona

30/01/2007

Negri/ Helinho/ Patterson e Hornish entre os top ten na 24 Horas de Daytona

Nem um semi-eixo partido impediu o Lexus-Riley nº 60 de completar a 45ª edição da Rolex 24 at Daytona. O carro da equipe Michael Shank Racing (MSR) teve um problema com o semi-eixo partido durante a longa noite de Daytona, e este foi somente um dos vários problemas que atingiu o protótipo do quarteto formado por Oswaldo Negri, Mark Patterson, Helio Castroneves e Sam Hornish Jr.

A equipe, que foi a mais rápida no último treino livre, acabou se acidentando na volta de classificação, e com isso foi obrigada a largar de um longínqüa 40ª posição no grid. Negri tomou os comandos e até o final do seu primeiro stint (condução) com duas horas de prova, já ocupava a quarta posição na classificação geral.

Negri entregou o carro para Helio Castroneves, que manteve o carro nesta posição até entregar o volante para seu companheiro de equipe na IRL, o norte-americano Sam Hornish. Com o tricampeão da IRL começaram os problemas. Primeiro o carro parou e teve de ser rebocado aos boxes; rapidamente a equipe consertou o defeito e devolveu o carro à prova.

Logo depois um novo problema deixou o carro imobilizado, desta vez do lado oposto da pista, e perdeu várias voltas até ser levado de voltas aos boxes. Apesar de cair da primeira página dos monitores, os pilotos da MSR continuavam a imprimir forte ritmo, e seguiam em franca recuperação.

Por volta da meia-noite, Castroneves foi atingido por trás na curva 3. A batida danificou muito a carroceria do Lexus-Riley, e mesmo com o concerto a parte aerodinâmica do conjunto ficou comprometida. Negri e companhia seguiam determinados, e nem a pesada chuva que caiu durante a noite impediu os esforços do time sediado em Ohio.

Na última hora de prova a equipe já tinha retornado aos top ten, e na volta final o sul-africano Mark Patterson ultrapassou o Ford Crawford de Labonte/ Valiante/Finlay/ McDowell, recompensando toda equipe com um excelente nono lugar, nesta que foi a prova de abertura da temporada 2007 do Grand American Rolex Series.

"Este foi um grande resultado, depois de toda a dificuldade que nós tivemos durante todo fim de semana. Nosso fim de semana mais se assemelhou a uma grande montanha russa, depois de termos conquistado o melhor tempo no último treino livre. Na volta de qualificação veio a batida, e tivemos de lutar muito com todos problemas até conquistar este nono lugar na último volta", disse o brasileiro. "Realmente foi fantástico. Estes sujeitos nunca desistiram e não existe uma equipe que seja mais dedicada e coloque mais o coração no que fazem que a MSR", terminou Negri, elogiando sua equipe.

A vitória nesta prova, que chegou a ser paralizada com bandeira vermelha por duas horas para conserto de uma extensão de 40 metros de guard-rail, ficou com o quarteto formado por Juan Pablo Montoya/ Scott Pruet e Salvador Duran. A próxima etapa será no próximo dia 03 de março, no Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez, na Cidade do México, México.

Resultado final da 24 Horas de Daytona:

1 Pruett/ Duran/ Pablo Montoya  (Chip Ganassi - Lexus Riley), 668 voltas
2 Duno/ Carpentier/ Manning/ Dalziel (SAMAX - Pontiac Riley), 668
3 Taylor/ Angelelli/ Gordon/ Magnussen (SunTrust Racing - Pontiac Riley), 666
4 Haywood/ France/ Barbosa/ Moreno  (Brumos Porsche - Porsche Riley), 662
5 Wilkins/ Empringham/ Frisselle/ Frisselle  (Lexus Riley), 657
6 Yasukawa/ Enge/ Festa/ Montana  (SAMAX - Pontiac Riley), 655
7 Gidley/ Gollin/ Jourdain/ Servia (Doran Racing - Ford Doran), 655
8 Morgan/ Morgan/ Bernhard/ Zacharias  (TruSpeed Motorsports - Porsche Riley), 636
9 Patterson/ Negri Jr/ Castroneves/ Hornish Jr  (Michael Shank Racing - Lexus Riley), 628
10 Finlay/ Valiante/ Labonte/ McDowell  (Finlay Motorsports - Ford Crawford), 627

JV5Racing
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Michael Shank Racing and Fresh From Florida rally to top ten finish in Rolex 24 At Daytona

01/29/2007

(Daytona Beach, FL) — Despite a horsepower-sapping broken rear exhaust and no engine cover, Mark Patterson moved the Fresh From Florida Lexus-Riley up to ninth place on the very last lap of the Rolex 24 At Daytona to cap off a tremendous comeback for Michael Shank Racing.
 
The broken exhaust and lack of engine cover were a result of hard contact from behind during the long Daytona night, and was just one of the obstacles the No. 60 car of Patterson, Oswaldo Negri, Sam Hornish Jr., and Helio Castroneves had to overcome as the team rallied from 40th overall to move back up into the top ten at the finish with the Fresh From Florida machine.
 
The sister Michael Shank Racing Lexus/Riley of Henri Zogaib, Ian James, AJ Allmendinger, and Paul Tracy also staged an impressive comeback, finishing the race 16th in the Daytona Prototype class after falling as low as 56th  position ten hours into the race after going behind the wall twice to correct a pair of mechanical set-backs.
 
The Rolex race boasted strong teams, superstar drivers, and a full field of competitive entries.
 
Allmendinger took the start from tenth on the grid, and with some quick pit work by the Michael Shank Racing crew and some outstanding driving by the NASCAR-bound American, moved into the lead early in the second hour of racing. Allmendinger easily built a twelve-second gap over the rest of the field before turning the car over to James.
 
The run at the front was thwarted when a tire gave out under braking and James was forced behind the wall for the first time. The Lexus and TRD support staff worked relentlessly to correct a problem with the alternator to get the 6 car back on track.
 
Negri took the start in the Fresh From Florida machine in twenty-second position, but made quick work of the field to move the Lexus up to fourth by the end of the second hour. Negri turned the car over to Castroneves, who kept the car in the lead pack before turning the driving duties over to his Penske teammate Hornish. The Defiance, Ohio, native was keeping up the pace in his second career Rolex start, but was stopped on course with a driveline issue. The Fresh From Florida machine was towed back to the garage, and the MSR crew made quick work of the repairs, but the team had a big hill to climb after losing so many laps from  the tow back to the garage.
 
Despite falling off the front page of the scoring monitors, the Michael Shank Racing entries kept up the pace and began to work back up the order. Both team cars had been quick throughout the week leading up to the race, and continued to show impressive speed all day and all night.
 
Unfortunately, the great speed of the Fresh From Florida machine was severely hindered in an incident just after midnight as Castroneves was hit from behind heading into turn three. The damage to the rear clip of the car prevented the team from replacing the engine cover, which greatly reduced the aerodynamic efficiency of the Lexus/Riley and hindered the pace for the remainder of the event.
 
Despite the set-backs, the team kept the pressure on through the long night and heavy rain to keep working back up the order. After breaking into the top ten with just under an hour to go, the Fresh From Florida crew’s efforts were further rewarded when Patterson made the move to ninth on the final lap of the 24 hour event.
 
Henri Zogaib brought the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Riley home across the line sixteenth in the Daytona Prototype class in his first Rolex finish, much to the thrill of the many friends and family the Florida resident had on hand for the event.
 
Michael Shank Racing will return to action in one month at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was fantastically quick on the 2.5-mile road course in 2006, and will look to make the quick conversion to the sprint format (400k) South of the Border before returning to race Stateside in Homestead, Florida at the end of March.
 
Michael Shank Racing 45th Rolex 24 At Daytona Quotes:

 
Mike Shank
Team owner
 
“I said to someone about twelve hours into this thing after we had all those set backs that it’d be amazing for us to even get a top ten, and even though we had even more problems after that, we did it. We had both cars running at the finish and that’s a testament to the job my guys did preparing the cars and never giving up no matter what happened for twenty-four hours. We had super driving from all our guys. The six car probably passed the leader two or three times-- we had fast cars but we just didn’t have the luck this time around.”
 
“One thing I wanted to focus on improving this year over last was our performance in the garage.  Every time we went behind the well the guys did a great job for us. We really, really improved on that over last year. So I am pleased with that, but of course we were hoping not to get so much experience with that this year.”
 
“I started thinking about what we could do in Mexico City with about eight hours left to go in this race…”
 
Helio Castroneves
No.60 Fresh From Florida Lexus/Riley
 
“I had a great time, but the last stint (with no engine cover on the car) wasn’t much fun! A lot of things happened that were just out of our control.”
 
“When the 99 car hit us from behind, we couldn’t attach the engine cover back on to the car, so we had a really bad aero situation and the car was really loose. It cost us downforce and really hurt us on the straights, which had been our strength all day.”
 
“But the 24 was a good experience and hopefully I will be back next year. I learned so much, and think there are a lot of things I would do different next time so it was good to get this experience. I rested when I had the chance, so after 24 hours I feel tired for sure, but not destroyed. My conditioning is pretty good.”
 
“Independent of the results, it was a good race. This is a young team, with lots of good people on it. They are all workaholics who love racing and those are always my kind of people.”
 
Mark Patterson
No. 60 Fresh From Florida Lexus/Riley
 
“After being down in 41st like we were earlier, a top ten in this race is no shabby accomplishment.  From here, we want to target podiums and wins this season and we know with Michael Shank Racing and Lexus, we can do that. We’ve seen what Lexus has done for us all day and night, and we’re looking forward to that kind of partnership all season.”
 
(On his lap 232 bus stop accident)
 
“The left front tire went down just as I was braking for the bus stop, so it had no problem going left, but I couldn’t get back to the right at all so we ended up in the dirt. It was real shame because we lost a lot of time getting back to the pits and back on our way. But it was an outstanding effort from all the guys to keep this car running and we just kept working our way up the order.”
 
Oswaldo Negri
No.60 Fresh From Florida Lexus/Riley

“This is a great result with all the trouble we had all weekend. It was a big roller coaster all week from having a track record time in practice then right after that crashing in qualifying and then moving up to the front then having all the problems we did and then taking ninth place on the very last lap. Really fantastic. These guys never gave up and there isn’t a team out there with more heart than these guys.”
 
Sam Hornish, Jr.
No.60 Fresh From Florida Lexus/Riley
 
(On the 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona versus his previous start in 1999)
 
“The competition is so much closer than it was back then. With the World Sports Cars, we were a lot faster than the GT cars, but now the difference is a lot less, so you really have to do a good job timing your passes to get through traffic.”
 
(On being reunited with Michael Shank Racing for the first time since his 1999 Toyota Atlantic season with the team-One victory-Chicago)
 
“It’s been fun working with the team again, it’s too bad we weren’t able to do better, but we were in the wrong place at the wrong time a couple of times today.
Everyone’s working really hard to do the best we can. I definitely want to come back and do it again. If we had a couple less problems, we’d be right there up front no question.”
 
AJ Allmendinger
No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Lexus/Riley
 
“I was spoiled last year, racing in my first 24 and we didn’t even have a hiccup. We have to take the positives out of this- even at the end, our car was one of the fastest and with how many times we got hit, it wasn’t the handling that was good, that was all motor.”
 
“Big credit to Mike Shank and his team. These guys are bad ass and just don’t give up. At least the car is going home in one piece which is impressive after getting hit as many times as we did.”
 
(On going from tenth to first in his first stint and building a 12 second lead)
 
“It felt good, I was feeling so confident with the car and myself and I wasn’t pushing at all but had no problem getting to the front and staying there. I love doing this and anytime Mike wants me to do this again, I’ll be there no matter what track.”
 
“I’ll stay up 24 hours and bust my ass driving, but it’s not half as much work as what these guys (pointing to the MSR crew making repairs in the garage) do, they’re really bad ass.”

Henri Zogaib
No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Lexus/Riley
 
(On crossing the finish line for the first time in the Rolex 24 in his adopted hometown with so many friends and relatives on hand to see)
 
“It was fun even though I didn’t have as many gears in the car as I was hoping! I am amaze the car still rolls, but it was very fulfilling to finish here, and obviously the next step is to try to aim for a win.
 
“AJ, Ian, and Paul did a spectacular job. Mike and his crew were on it all week, and we had a very fast car and the Lexus/Riley is really a great package to be working with so we will keep building from here.”
  
Ian James
No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Lexus/Riley
 
“Its disappointing because we had a car that could win here. We showed some great speed and consistency with the car. A few things went wrong but we know we could have been fighting at the front. That’s racing.The good thing is this is clearly a great package, and the Mike Shank cars were running near the front all week, so I’m really looking forward to getting to the sprint races.”

Paul Tracy
No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Lexus/Riley

“It’s disappointing to finish like this just because our car was so fast but we just ran into problems. It’s frustrating to be up front two years in a row but to run into trouble right off the bat. But I’ll just have to come back next year and try to have some better luck.”

Negri relishing run at 24

01/17/2007
 
Miami, FL —A lot has changed since Oswaldo Negri drove into the night and across the finish line as the last Rolex Sports Car Series race winner of 2006.
 
His Lexus-Riley Daytona Prototype will have a new sponsor, will ride on different Hoosier tires, the Rolex 24 At Daytona race start will be broadcast nationwide live on the terrestrial FOX channel, and while he will continue to partner with full-season co-driver Mark Patterson, he will have new co-drivers for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
 
But after the team recently wrapped up testing in advance of the January 27th start of the Rolex 24, Negri is feeling that “…change is good!”
 
“I can’t wait,” said Negri. “Winning an endurance race with Mark was really fantastic and in a way took some of the pressure off of us, because now we know exactly what it takes to get it done. We’d been close before of course, but now we’ve done it and I think that gives us a lot of confidence for the 24.”
 
“Even though everyone in this paddock knew how good Mike Shank Racing is, I think winning that race really helped to let people everywhere know that,” said Negri. “And, I think it helped us get drivers like Helio and Sam to decide to race with us, and it’s a tremendous advantage.”
 
But what about the new teammates, tires, and the new traction control rules?
 
“I’m really excited about having Sam and Helio with us and they were both quick from the first time they got in the car,” said Negri. “I have known Helio for a long time so it’s a little bit like old times with him around, always making us all laugh!”
 
“The traction control isn’t that big of a deal for us at all. Mark has all that formula car experience under his belt and has done a really fantastic job adapting back to not having traction control. He’s been focusing on still being able to get the power down quickly as well as making small changes to his line in some places to get the most out of the car.”
  
“The tire is different-it looses a lot of grip late in the run, and we’ve had to adjust to be quick even when the tires aren’t at their best,” continued Negri. “We were not the fastest guys at the test, but what was so encouraging is just how fast we were on very old tires. That doesn’t show up on the timing sheets, but it should show up in the results.”
 
The full-time racer and driver coach is also busy with the future of the sport with his Kart Mini karting business and race team. Negri was particularly proud that two of his young team members, Jordan Taylor and Gabriel Chavez, both won scholarships with Skip Barber Racing in a recent karting run-off held in Sebring, Florida.
 
“I’m really proud of Jordan and Gabriel,” said Negri. “They are both great young and aggressive kids and have been great members of the Kart Mini team. I know that they will make the most of this next opportunity to move up with Skip Barber.”
 
The 45th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will start at 1:30 PM EST on January 27th. The Fox broadcast will open with ninety minutes of coverage at 1:00 PM before the race coverage is continued live on Speed Channel, which recently added 500,000 new homes to reach nearly 70 million subscribers in the US and Canada.

 

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com
Photo Credit: Richard Prince

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