Saturday
At Irwindale Speedway
Irwindale, CA
Lap length: 0.5 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (2) Joey Logano, Middletown, Conn., Chevrolet, 250 laps, 61.150 mph, $33,284.
2. (9) Peyton Sellers, Danville, Va., Chevrolet, 250, $22,684.
3. (3) Mike Duncan, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 250, $17,000.
4. (6) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, 250, $16,184.
5. (10) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., Chevrolet, 250, $13,530.
6. (5) Brian Ickler, San Diego, Calif., Chevrolet, 250, $12,000.
7. (25) Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif., Chevrolet, 250, $8,000.
8. (28) Mike Olsen, North Haverhill, N.H., Chevrolet, 250, $12,434.
9. (33) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, 250, $14,684.
10. (13) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif., Chevrolet, 250, $9,250.
11. (21) Eric Richardson, Bakersfield, Calif., Toyota, 250, $10,000.
12. (19) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Ford, 250, $9,500.
13. (16) Rogelio Lopez, Aquascaliantes, Mexico, Chevrolet, 250, $10,684.
14. (15) Mike David, Modesto, Calif., Ford, 250, $8,500.
15. (11) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford, 250, $8,000.
16. (31) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 250, $8,300.
17. (20) Daryl Harr, St Albert, AB, Chevrolet, 250, $7,700.
18. (29) Jamie Hayes, Norlina, N.C., Chevrolet, 250, $9,284.
19. (18) Ben Walker, Santa Clarita, Calif., Ford, 249, $4,550.
20. (30) Alex Haase, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet, 248, $7,500.
21. (36) Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif., Ford, 248, $5,400.
22. (27) Eric Hardin, Anaheim, Calif., Chevrolet, 247, $7,300.
23. (24) Andrew Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Chevrolet, 243, accident, $5,250.
24. (8) Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho, Chevrolet, 243, accident, $7,200.
25. (7) Ryan Foster, Anderson, Calif., Chevrolet, 242, $7,150.
26. (38) Woody Pitkat, Manchester, Conn., Chevrolet, 236, $6,254.
27. (4) Marc Davis, Mitchelville, Md., Chevrolet, 231, $8,784.
28. (22) Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Ford, 214, $7,100.
29. (35) Mike Johnson, Salisbury, Mass., Ford, 212, rear end, $8,630.
30. (39) Chris Bristol, Columbus, Ohio, Chevrolet, 208, $9,784.
31. (40) Antonio Perez, Mexico City, Mexico, Dodge, 189, $9,734.
32. (12) Nick Lynch, Burley, Idaho, Dodge, 176, accident, $4,000.
33. (34) Moses Smith, Tempe, Ariz., Chevrolet, 155, accident, $7,000.
34. (23) Tim Woods, III, Chino Hills, Calif., Ford, 139, engine, $4,000.
35. (37) Ryan Philpott, Tracy, Calif., Ford, 129, suspension, $5,000.
36. (1) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Chevrolet, 74, accident, $11,684.
37. (17) Jeff Barkshire, Auburn, Wash., Dodge, 60, suspension, $4,000.
38. (14) Stephen Berry, Huddleston, Va., Chevrolet, 45, accident, $7,530.
39. (26) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 31, accident, $7,530.
40. (32) Michelle Theriault, Bristol, Conn., Chevrolet, 28, accident, $8,684.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 2 hours 2 minutes 39 seconds
Margin of Victory:
Fastest Qualifier: S.Caisse (98.517 mph, 18.271 seconds)
Caution Flags: 13 for 61 laps.
Lead Changes: 3 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: S.Caisse 1-74; M.Duncan 75-154; B.Ickler 155-163; J.Logano 164-250.

FOUR SCORE! SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS MAKES HISTORY DOWN UNDER

Frenchman clinches unprecedented fourth consecutive Champ Car World Series title in Australia

Bourdais’ second career win at Surfers Paradise breaks streak of no repeat winners in Oz   

Rookie Robert Doornbos clinched Rookie of the year title

SURFERS PARADISE, AUSTRALIA (October 21, 2007) – Sebastien Bourdais (#1 McDonald’s Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) solidified his legendary status as a Champ Car World Series driver by locking up his fourth consecutive Series title with an impressive victory Down Under at the Lexmark Indy 300.

The Frenchmen, who is set to depart Champ Car to pursue a career in Formula One next season, will have left his name in many places in the record book. With his 30th career victory today, the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing driver became the first driver in history to win four consecutive Champ Car World Series titles, a feat that is very rare in professional sports. In fact it has never been done in either NASCAR or NFL and it hasn’t been done in the last twenty years in the NBA, NHL or MLB.

To add to his already long list of records, Bourdais also became the first repeat winner in the 17 year history of the Surfers Paradise event. Bourdais had previously won Down Under in 2005. The race started off well for Bourdais who moved up one position from his fourth place on the grid when Paul Tracy (#3 Indeck Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) and Oriol Servia (#22 Pay By Touch / PKV Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) touched, sending Tracy spinning.

While Tracy was making his way up through the field, Will Power (#5 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) was building a lead up front after starting on pole. Tracy was pushing a little too hard and touched the tire bundle in Turn 7 which took out the yellow flag. With the yellow came the first round of pit stops. Tracy, Robert Doornbos (#14 Minardi Team USA Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) and Bruno Junqueira (#19 Sonny’s Bar-B-Q Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) elected to stay out while the rest of the field headed down pit lane.

The first round of pits stops were not incident-free. Race leader Power was exiting his pit box when David Martinez (#7 Indeck Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) was entering his and contact ensued, sending Power to the rear of the field. Power would later on fall out of the race after he and Katherine Legge (#11 Dale Coyne Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) came together when the Australian was trying to get by her.

Bourdais picked up the lead when Tracy pitted on lap 20.  The Frenchman maintained his lead until his second pit stop on lap 32. Bourdais came out in second but was quickly overtaken by Justin Wilson (#9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone). However Bourdais retook his position in front of the field when Wilson pitted on lap 44. After that, the four time champ never looked back and kept putting in fast laps building a gap over Wilson. When Bourdais pitted for a final time on lap 48 he was able to maintain his lead on the Briton and clinch an unprecedented fourth straight title.

Tracy was running third when he had to pit for fuel on the last lap which enabled Junqueira to score a third consecutive podium finish. It was the Brazilian’s 100th start and 34th career podium. Rookie Doornbos came home in fourth and clinched the Rookie of the year title while Team Australia’s Simon Pagenaud (#15 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) was fifth.

Nelson Philippe (#34 Juniper Soul Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) finished sixth in his return with Conquest Racing. Alex Tagliani (#8 PBS Equities Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) Neel Jani (#21 Red Bull / Gulfstream Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), Tracy, and Martinez rounded out the top-ten.

Next up for the Champ Car World Series will be the season finale in Mexico City on November 11, 2007. The race will be broadcast live on ESPN 2 at 2:00 p.m. eastern time.

QUOTES FROM THE TOP THREE, PAGENAUD AND POWER

Sebastien Bourdais: “Well, it's been quite an above average day, I should say.  You know, it's just the success of an awesome group of people within that McDonald's team.  We started that relationship back in 2003.  Just all the results really speak for themselves.  You know, it's how good these guys are.  And they proved it today again when we came in the pits in third and came out first.  From there, it was in my hands to try to make it stick.  We had a great fight with Justin when he short-filled and got ahead of us.  Then we had to, you know, stay with him with a heavier car, and we pulled it off.  Then coming to that last corner, it's just all the emotions flowing through your mind.  Just you realize how much has come to you and how much you've achieved with these guys and you get the sense that it's coming to an end very closely now.  What a fun five years it's been.  I'm surely not going to forget about it any time soon.” 

Justin Wilson: “We had a few problems at the start as well.  I let the clutch out.  Everything was good.  I was just getting a little bit of wheel spin.  When I went to shift from first to second, I ended up in neutral.  A couple of guys went by me.  I was quite frustrated at that point.  Then Paul went off at the first corner.  You know, it was just a matter of staying calm and not doing anything stupid.  This race is always that way.  After I think the first yellow, there were three people on the same strategy I was, or two people in front of me.  I was running third behind Oriol and Sebastien.  I was pretty comfortable with that.  We were working out when to save fuel, when to push.  Then I was behind Oriol when he hit the wall at turn two.  He hit it pretty hard.  That allowed me to get on a roll.  I got a run on him into turn five.  After that, it was just a case of running down Sebastien.  The car was working well.” 

Bruno Junqueira: “Today we had a very eventful day.  I was third behind Sebastien and Justin.  My car felt very good in the warm-up, much better than in practice and qualifications.  I was very confident.  But two hours before the race, my mechanics found an oil leak in the engine.  So I had to change the engine in a hurry.  We put a fresh engine in the car.  The car was ready just two minutes before the start of the race.  On the start, because you do the out lap without going full throttle, trying to save fuel on the parade lap, I don't know, when I went full throttle, I lift the clutch the way I usually do, the car just bogged down and stalled.  I was first very lucky that nobody hit me from behind.  Then the safety team did a very good job to start me.  Then I kept racing.  I started the race.  I was like 57 seconds behind the leaders and realized I had to save fuel.  We were very close on the last three races.  That put us in a good position in the championship.  The team did a great job today on the pit stop and strategy.  My car was very good, very fast, not just today, throughout the whole weekend.  I'm enjoying a lot.”

Simon Pagenaud: “We had a very good car.  The car was just fantastic all race.  Just the race is not as good as it should be, the fuel save mode, because all race, I just save fuel and not push a hundred percent.  It was pretty disappointing I would say from a racing point of view.  I think we need to work on that for next year to make the race a bit more interesting for the drivers and the fans also.  But I was really pleased because we worked really well on that car during the practice and in qualifying.  In the race I had a really good car.  It was very fun to drive.  I was also very pleased to see so much Team Australia flags on the side of the track.  I could even see it when driving.  It was really nice.  It's great to feel so much support coming here.”

Will Power: “Once again in the first stint we had to pit under yellow.  All the cars are compressed.  There's a lot of mayhem in the pit lane.  Unfortunately, I got sent out early.  Just a simple mistake.  The guy left a lollypop and sent into another car, which bent the steering arm, then we're on the back foot.  From that point on, the steering wasn't straight.  The suspension was slightly bent.  So the car wasn't behaving exactly how it should.  Then I was trying to charge back through the field, got a run on Katherine Legge.  I guess the car stepped out a little bit and grabbed her back wheel and threw me into the wall.  A disappointing day.  You know, once again, the same as last year, we have the car, had everything in place to win the race, but, you know, just bad luck.  These things happen.  Feel disappointed for all the fans that came out to watch us today.  Feel disappointed for Craig Gore, as well.  Unfortunately he couldn't be here.  You know, we'll lift above it, move on.  We've got to race in Mexico.  Try and win that one.”

Photo courtesy ChampCar

Twelfth national victory for Antoine L’Estage

Merritt (British-Columbia), October 21, 2007.- The team formed by Canadian defending champion driver Antoine L’Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, both from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Quebec), dominated this weekend’s Pacific Forest Rally, penultimate round of the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship presented by Subaru and Castrol.

With their Hyundai Tiburon 4WD, L’Estage/Richard were never challenged for the lead of the event which they led from start to finish. They finished with a 6 minute and 7 seconds advantage over local favourites Norm LeBlanc (BC)/Keith Morison (AB) with their Production 4 class (models closed to the production) Subaru Impreza WRX. It was a fantastic result for the Western crew in their only national rally event of the year! LeBlanc/Morison finished ahead of championship contenders Andrew Comrie-Picard (Toronto, ON) and American co-driver Marc Goldfarb with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.9 RS. Hindered by a wrong choice of tires and centre differential problems, Comrie-Picard/Goldfarb lost important points in the championship chase as L’Estage now has a 15 point lead. It was also the twelfth national victory in Antoine L’Estage last eighteen events.

Regular competitors in the western events, Scott and Robert Trinder (BC) finished fourth in a Subaru Impreza WRX, ahead of Gord Olsen (AB) and Todd Patola (BC), also in a Subaru Impreza WRX.

In Group 2 (category for 2-wheel drive modified cars), the battle between Colin Armstrong/Ryan Warrington (AB), in a Volkswagen Golf, and Aaron Neumann/Graham Coates (BC), in their Honda Civic, was the focus of attention for many of the spectators with both crews seeking for victory throughout the rally. In the end, Neumann/Coates took the win, but Armstrong/ Warrington have secured the Group 2 championship. Colin Armstrong is also leading the novice driver category. These two Group 2 crews finished sixth and seventh overall, followed by Ontarians Nicola and Massimo Narini (Subaru Legacy GT).

While there were only a couple of retirements during this 2007 edition of the Pacific Forest Rally, weather conditions provided the greatest challenge during the event for both the organizers and the competitors. Rain in the host town of Merritt meant significant snow at higher elevations forcing cancellation of two mountain stages.  The organizers had to revise the schedule and two replacement stages were added.  Many of the roads used were snow and ice covered providing the competitors with critical tire choice decisions and difficult driving conditions.

The final round of the Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and Castrol, will take place November 24 in Ontario (Tall Pines Rally). It will be there that the driver’s title is claimed by either Antoine L'Estage or Andrew Comrie-Picard.

The filming of the series for TV broadcasting is provided by ATV Productions. Information on the Canadian Rally Championship and the various Canadian rally competitions is available at www.carsrally.ca.

Pacific Forest Rally final standings (complete results on www.pacificforestrally.com):

1) Antoine L’Estage – Nathalie Richard (Hyundai Tiburon 4WD) – 1 hour 49 min. 30 sec.

2) Norm LeBlanc – Keith Morison (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 1h55’37

3) Andrew Comrie-Picard – Marc Goldfarb (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.9) – 1h57’26

4) Scott Trinder – Robert Trinder (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h00’49

5) Gord Olsen – Todd Patola (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h02’13

6) Aaron Neumann – Graham Coates (Honda Civic) – 2h08’48

7) Colin Armstrong – Ryan Warrington (Volkswagen Golf GTI) – 2h09’59

8) Nicola Narini – Massimo Narini (Subaru Legacy GT) – 2h11’05

9) Martin Chung – Christa Monasch (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h15’11

10) Ken Maydaniuk – Chris Maydaniuk (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h15’51

…

- 30 -

Panasonic Toyota Racing today marks the final race with the team for Ralf Schumacher and the race team united to say a fond farewell in the Interlagos pit lane on the morning of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

After three years with Toyota, Ralf completed his final race in 11th place but before that his colleagues gathered together in the pits to present him with a rear wing end plate, signed by the race team, as well as a 10kg cake.

Since joining the team for the 2005 season, Ralf has scored three podium finishes, one pole position and 70 points.

Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina said: “I would like to thank Ralf for his contribution to the team. We have had some good times together, even though we have not had the results we all expected.

“Ralf brought valuable experience to the team and helped us move forward. He has worked well with the team and in many ways we are sorry our relationship is coming to an end. However, circumstances change and we wish Ralf all the best in his future career.”

President John Howett said: “We will all remember Ralf’s podium finishes with Panasonic Toyota Racing with great fondness and we are proud of those results. When we signed Ralf to the team we expected him to bring a great deal of experience which would help the team progress and that is exactly what he did.

“Even though his time with the team is ending, we still have a good relationship with Ralf and I speak for the whole team in saying thank you and good luck.”

Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test said: “I have enjoyed working with Ralf and I want to say thank you to him for his hard work over the past three years. He is a straightforward guy and a pleasure to work with.

“I will remember some great results together, particularly his three podium finishes and his pole position in Japan in 2005. In my position you really spend a huge amount of time with your driver and over the three years I have got to know Ralf very well. I hope he enjoys a successful future.”

Team Manager Richard Cregan added: “Ralf has been a valuable and committed member of the team. We have enjoyed having him here and I hope he has enjoyed being here. Ralf formed a close bond with his mechanics over the three years so I thank him for his efforts and wish him success in whatever he chooses to do next.”

INTERLAGOS, BRAZIL - RIS - Results of the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix, round 17 of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship Series:

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts
1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 71 Winner 3 10
2 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 71 +1.4 secs 1 8
3 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 71 +57.0 secs 4 6
4 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 71 +62.8 secs 10 5
5 10 Robert Kubica BMW 71 +70.9 secs 7 4
6 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 71 +71.3 secs 6 3
7 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 70 +1 Lap 2 2
8 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 70 +1 Lap 8 1
9 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 70 +1 Lap 9 
10 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 70 +1 Lap 19 
11 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 70 +1 Lap 15 
12 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 69 +2 Laps 18 
13 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 69 +2 Laps 14 
14 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 68 +3 Laps 20 
Ret 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 43 +28 Laps 22 
Ret 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 40 +31 Laps 11 
Ret 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 35 +36 Laps 17 
Ret 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 34 +37 Laps 13 
Ret 7 Jenson Button Honda 20 +51 Laps 16 
Ret 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 14 +57 Laps 5 
Ret 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 2 +69 Laps 21 
Ret 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 2 +69 Laps 12 

Fastest lap by each driver:
Pos No Driver Team Lap Time Of Day Avg Speed Time
1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 66 15:25:37 214.126 1:12.445
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 58 15:17:11 213.946 1:12.506
3 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 71 15:31:48 213.716 1:12.584
4 10 Robert Kubica BMW 61 15:20:27 213.416 1:12.686
5 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 69 15:31:14 212.161 1:13.116
6 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 59 15:17:48 212.062 1:13.150
7 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 56 15:14:17 212.036 1:13.159
8 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 68 15:29:34 211.452 1:13.361
9 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 65 15:26:21 211.432 1:13.368
10 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 53 15:10:33 211.190 1:13.452
11 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 56 15:16:38 210.643 1:13.643
12 7 Jenson Button Honda 20 14:29:03 209.516 1:14.039
13 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 22 14:31:18 209.076 1:14.195
14 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 64 15:27:47 208.699 1:14.329
15 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 13 14:20:00 208.505 1:14.398
16 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 18 14:26:28 208.435 1:14.423
17 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 32 14:44:50 207.545 1:14.742
18 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 31 14:44:31 207.133 1:14.891
19 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 39 14:53:48 207.069 1:14.914
20 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 13 14:20:29 206.276 1:15.202
21 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 2 14:06:52 140.505 1:50.404
22 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 2 14:07:03 126.446 2:02.680

Pit stop summary:
Stops No Driver Team Lap Time Of Day Time Total Pit Time
1 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 1 14:05:09 34.899 34.899
1 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1 14:05:41 34.164 34.164
1 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 9 14:15:12 17.362 17.362
1 10 Robert Kubica BMW 19 14:27:20 27.933 27.933
1 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 20 14:28:15 29.333 29.333
1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 21 14:29:30 29.163 29.163
1 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 22 14:30:56 28.964 28.964
1 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 22 14:31:14 26.528 26.528
1 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 22 14:31:27 28.329 28.329
1 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 22 14:31:36 26.753 26.753
1 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 22 14:31:51 28.718 28.718
1 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 22 14:31:53 26.873 26.873
1 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 23 14:32:29 29.534 29.534
1 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 23 14:32:32 27.421 27.421
1 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 25 14:34:58 27.047 27.047
1 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 25 14:35:37 29.890 29.890
2 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 24 14:35:47 42.189 1:10.907
2 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 26 14:37:44 2:49.325 3:16.198
3 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 27 14:41:53 3:10.813 6:27.011
2 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 30 14:41:56 27.154 44.516
2 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 30 14:42:51 33.743 1:08.642
1 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 31 14:43:00 34.201 34.201
1 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 33 14:45:38 34.708 34.708
4 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 29 14:47:45 33.207 7:00.218
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 36 14:49:21 26.468 53.221
2 10 Robert Kubica BMW 38 14:51:18 25.569 53.502
2 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 42 14:56:41 28.376 55.797
2 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 43 14:57:47 26.261 52.789
5 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 38 15:00:03 32.288 7:32.506
2 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 44 15:00:06 28.700 58.590
2 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 50 15:05:35 26.974 56.307
3 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 48 15:07:14 28.565 1:39.472
2 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 51 15:07:41 26.507 53.554
2 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 52 15:08:47 26.469 55.433
2 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 53 15:09:15 26.166 55.329
2 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 54 15:11:23 28.398 57.932
3 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 54 15:13:43 27.482 1:36.124
3 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 56 15:14:23 25.261 1:18.482
3 10 Robert Kubica BMW 58 15:16:24 25.220 1:18.722
2 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 61 15:21:00 28.706 1:02.907
2 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 61 15:21:01 27.982 1:02.690
3 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 63 15:23:01 25.879 1:18.668

INTERLAGOS, BRAZIL - RIS - (Courtesy FIA) - Transcript of a news conference on Saturday following qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, round 17 of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship Series:

DRIVERS:
1. Felipe MASSA (Ferrari), 1m11.931s
2. Lewis HAMILTON (McLaren Mercedes), 1m12.082s
3. Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari), 1m12.322s

Q: Felipe, it looked like a brilliant qualifying session for you: quickest on both your last two runs and the only man under 1m 12s in qualifying.
Felipe MASSA: Yes, it’s a fantastic feeling. Being back in Brazil, with pole position is always fantastic. In qualifying I had a very good first attempt and in the second I made a small mistake. I improved my lap time a lot but I made a small mistake and afterwards I was a bit afraid that Lewis could beat me but it was a good lap and I was quite happy to come back here in front of my people. It was big emotion.

Q: Pole last year and you won the Grand Prix, but a different Interlagos this year, a different track surface, much smoother but I guess the same atmosphere.
FM: Yes, the atmosphere is always the same. Yes, they are very nice people, they enjoy being here at Interlagos a lot, being here with the Brazilian flag and that’s amazing. I think last year we had a fantastic weekend. This year it was a good start, so hopefully we can finish in a similar situation as we finished last year. It would for sure be another dream.

Q: A new track surface, but very very close between you and McLaren Mercedes.
FM: Yes, it was very close between me and Lewis in the end. I was also slightly expecting my engineer to maybe say P2 but in the end one tenth was close but it was enough to be in front. The asphalt is pretty nice, I have to say. We don’t have the bumps like we used to have in the past. It’s very smooth and it was a great job by the Brazilian people.

Q: Well done to you, Lewis. I’m pretty sure you’re where you want to be; do you want to know that you were actually fastest as you went into that last corner and it was very close between you and Felipe. You almost had the pole.
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, very close. I really enjoyed the qualifying session actually. We seemed to have very good pace here, the car was great to drive and the team did a good job as always in getting us out in good space. Yeah, it was a really good lap. I think I just lost a little bit of time in the last corner. It wasn’t a mistake. I just didn’t want to lose what I had up until then, so I lost half a tenth or something like that. Apart from that, it was a close to perfect lap and I’m very very happy, a good place for us to start.

Q: It looked like an interesting fuel-burning period as well, you leading the pack and everybody seemed to be going for an extra lap if it was out there. It was pretty quick and of course you and Fernando had a stacked pit stop as well with Fernando right behind you.
LH: Yeah, it was good to get out first. The team as always did a really great job and I like to be at the front of the pit lane, I think it’s a good place to be, get out there with a clean head and no one messing around in front of you. Yeah, we came in, obviously I was ahead of Fernando but I just had to – as soon as I got my tyres on – leave as soon as possible which worked perfectly actually. I just came out each time close to Kimi and just had to let him past but otherwise it was perfect.

Q: Well, speaking of a clear head, a slight glitch yesterday with a very small infringement on the tyre regulation. How are you faring up to the pressure:  Brazilian Grand Prix and a big day for you tomorrow?
LH: It’s nothing to do with pressure. It wasn’t me, you know. I sit in the car and I do what I’m told and but that was just… we made a slight mistake there but that’s the way it goes. But we got a fine, fortunately I didn’t have to pay for it but we’ve come in today, we’ve got the pace. I feel very confident for tomorrow and I really hope the weather’s good and we can continue and have a good weekend.

Q: And what’s it like from Lewis Hamilton’s point of view going into what could be the biggest day of your life?
LH: I’ve not reached that point yet, and I’m just buzzing, I’m really buzzing. I’m really excited, I feel very relaxed, the car feels great underneath me, I love the circuit and the food here in Brazil is great and the fans are extremely enthusiastic. I’ve seen quite a few British flags out there, so I’m very very happy to see that we’ve got some support.

Q: Kimi, quickest in Q2, not quite there in Q3. How do you feel about your lap? It looks as if you ran a little bit wide coming out of turn four?
Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Yeah, I got sideways in turn four, lost some time, but for sure it could have been a better lap but I think the car was not too bad itself. The first try I didn’t really get the tyres working as I wanted, but the second attempt was good until that point, and even after that point, but it was a bit late at that point already. I think we still have a good race car tomorrow, we’re still in a good position to start, so I need a gap and we just need to go for it and see what happens.

Q: I suppose you don’t need Lewis Hamilton ahead of you on the grid; how do you see the Ferrari v. McLaren Mercedes battle tomorrow?
KR: Probably as close as it’s always been. It’s going to be a long race, a hard race. I think the tyres will be a bit on the limit, so I think whoever can use the tyres in the best way probably will make a bigger difference. Hopefully we get everything working and we can achieve what we want.

Q: Felipe, returning to you for final thoughts: in a grandstand position tomorrow with the World Championship to be decided around you and you’re on the pole.
FM: It is important to do a good start and I’m sure the fight behind me – hopefully behind me – will be a big fight and I’m sure it will be very nice for the spectators to watch a nice race, a nice fight between these three guys. Hopefully I can drive to victory.


PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Felipe, obviously, what does this fantastic pole here in Brazil mean to you?
FM: It means a lot, it means, it is my country and if you see how enthusiastic the Brazilian people are here and especially when you have a Brazilian guy fighting for the pole position and I think coming back after one year ago when I made a pole, before I won, it is a fantastic feeling for me. It is another fantastic day of my life, which is difficult to forget. Hopefully tomorrow I can have another fantastic cay and another one that it is difficult to forget. But it is a great feeling for me, a very big emotion, when you cross the line and you see that you have pole position and you can see all the Brazilian people in the grandstands are jumping... It is a very unique feeling.

Q: And you are good at converting poles into wins?
FM: Well, these things are never good to say before the race but let us try to do another one.

Q: From a Ferrari point of view, is this job done – and is this what they wanted out of you?
FM: Well, for the team, what they expect of the driver is to be in front and I am in front, so the team is happy with me.

Q: Lewis, second on the grid, but on the front row – that is the important thing. Are you happy with that?
LH: Yes, absolutely. It’s a good qualifying session for me and I had a good battle with Felipe with the times and he did a fantastic job to get pole, but it was quite straightforward and the car was very good. I was very happy with it, so turning to tomorrow, we sit in a good position.

Q: And on the left hand side of the grid in theory, is that still the dirty side? Or is it not so dirty here?
LH: I haven’t really thought about it actually, it’s my first time here, so I don’t really know, but I am guessing it is dirty because the track is new and I don’t know about you, but I’ve not seen many cars come across to this side of the track, so I assume it is going to be quite dirty, but we will do the best job we can.

Q: What about the tyres? Kimi said they are on the limit – are they on the limit for you as well?
LH: Yes, I think it is pretty much the same across the whole paddock. We were all on soft tyres and I think the track is getting better and better in terms of grip level but graining is the problem for everyone.

Q: And you said you were very relaxed a few days ago. Are you the same now?
LH: Yes, it must be the food I have been having...
FM: Keep on eating it...
LH: Yeah, I am fully relaxed and I feel very comfortable in the car and it has gone very well. Front row is what we needed.

Q: Kimi, I think two times you had to overtake Lewis as he was on a slow lap or coming out of the pits – was it a distraction?
KR: For sure, it didn’t help, so anyhow I ran wide and it cost a bit of lap time, but still I am in third place, so I think it is an ok place to start the race and we should have a good car and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.

Q: Starting behind your team-mate is that also encouraging?
KR: Yes, for sure we wanted to be one and two, but it didn’t happen. But like I said we should have a good car tomorrow and it is difficult to say how we will do here with the new surface. But I am still looking forward to the race and I think we have a good chance.

Q: You are not too disheartened by third on the grid?
KR: Like I said, I would rather be in the front, but it is where we are now and we cannot change it right now and so tomorrow we can try to do different things and we’ll see what can happen.

Q: (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Lewis, bearing in mind all the criticising and whingeing that Fernando has done of late, which has led to a scrutineer in the McLaren garage today, I wonder how it feels to beat him fair and square?
LH: It is always good to beat your team-mate in any circumstances and you know we approached this weekend with both of us challenging for the world championship and I don’t know for what reason he is P4, but I think we are both doing a good job. For sure, it is nice to be ahead of your team-mate and that is always your goal and for the team we want to be right at the front, so we still have some work to do.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) For Lewis. For everybody it is evident that twice you disturbed Kimi. Is everything good to become a world champion?
LH: To be honest there is no reason for me to do anything to Kimi because if anything he can win… (inaudible from the audience)
LH: Well, I came out of the pits and the guys said that, obviously, because Fernando was behind me and I could not hold him up in the pits… So I came out of the pit lane and they said you will come out close to Kimi and I came out and when you are at that sort of speed your mirrors are vibrating and so you cannot see too much and then I realised that he was very, very close and so I slowed down and I noticed I can’t attack the corner like he was, so I backed out and he went past me.
Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) ...You never showed him clearly that you would give him the track free?
LH: What do you want me to do? Put the indicator on?
Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) You know exactly... 
LH: I did the best job I could to get out of the way. And I did apologise to him if I did get in his way.
Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) Is that what you call the best job?
LH: Yes.
Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) As a sportsman?
LH: Yes, how are you at your job? Are you the best at your job? You have never made mistakes… No?
Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) Sometimes…
LH: Oh really.

Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) Again for Lewis. You have been a part of the McLaren family for about ten years but now for the last 10 months you have been part of the F1 team. Please describe how your relationship has grown and changed now that you are actually inside the team?
LH: I think like with any relationship it has been growing throughout the year and I think through rough times that I had in life how they stuck by me and through all the sun we had this year we have worked extremely hard to improve the car and challenge for the world championship and we have gone through some hard times and we have all stuck together. So, for sure the bond has grown and we get on as good as ever, so I am going to continue to try and do a good job for them and stay in their good books for sure.

Q: Felipe, you have done an extra lap at the end of qualifying. Why did you do that and were you afraid of some kind of punishment?
FM: No, because my car finished while the traffic light was still green, so I can do another lap and get the chequered flag.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, could you count the time that you lost with Lewis and did you feel in that moment that he did something wrong to you?
KR: I don’t know. I haven’t seen any data to see what happened. I don’t know for sure, I don’t know. I think other people can judge what has been done and make decisions. For sure, there could have been a slightly easier way to let me pass, but it is the way it is now and it doesn’t interest me anymore.

Q: (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Germany) Kimi, on your last attempt after you passed Lewis there was some smoke from your car – do you know what that was?
KR: No idea.

Q: (Ian Gordon – News of the World) Lewis, while we have been here, there has been a racism row back home following comments made by the head of the Spanish motorsport federation. I wondered what your feelings were about that?
LH: I haven’t heard anything.
Q: (Ian Gordon – News of the World) Basically, he said that Britain is a racist country and it is ironic that we should now be, that is nine million people, in front of our TVs tomorrow to support you winning your final race.
LH: Quite surprised by it, but you know they have their right to their own opinion and we just have to rise above it.

Q: (Ian Gordon – News of the World) Do you see yourself as a role model for the whole of the youngsters in Britain if you are crowned champion, not just one particular part?
LH: Yes, of course. I am not just going into this thinking I am going to be a role model only for black people. I hope it opens doors for everyone. Just me being in F1 I hope it opens doors for all cultures and all ethnic groups.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Massa, you were so much faster in Q3 than Q2 – how do you explain it?
FM: No explanation. I did the best I could and I don’t know.

Q: (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Lewis, just to clarify after the ridiculous exchange that you just had, do you feel that you did an absolutely honest job today and if you win the world title do you feel that you will do so honestly?
LH: Yes, I do. For sure I am going to be accused of something, but honestly I am here this weekend and I need to do a completely clean job and that means just getting up and doing a good job and not making mistakes and not being investigated for some things and that is what we are trying to do as a team and myself and if anything Kimi can win this and that would be good for us and obviously it would be good to beat him but I have most of all got to beat Fernando. But I honestly came in afterwards and he mentioned that and I said I apologised if I got in your way but you know I honestly did not think he was that close behind me, so I was going to take the corner but I really would have screwed his lap, so I moved over and I stayed where I was and braked and I don’t feel I have hindered his lap as I did get out of the way.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) Let us continue the ridiculous exchange… Do you think you can do everything you want and then you just apologise – is that the way it works in Formula One?
LH: I’m not going to answer that.
Q: (inaudible)
LH: Not really, I just don’t want to talk to you to be honest.

Subway 500

WHERE: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway

WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Sunday

WEATHER: Sunny, temperature in the upper 70s

TV: Coverage begins at 1 p.m. on ABC

RADIO: Motor Racing Network

RACE DISTANCE: 500 laps (263 miles)

TRACK LENGTH: .526 miles

TOYOTA TAKES SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE

Clinches NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturer’s Championship at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October  21, 2007) -- When Mike Skinner’s Tundra crossed the finish line first in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway, it enabled Toyota to clinch its second consecutive NCTS manufacturer’s championship. The performance of six teams fielding nine full-time Tundras -- Bill Davis Racing, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, Germain Racing, HT Motorsports, Red Horse Racing and Wyler Racing – all contributed to the second straight Craftsman Truck Series manufacturer’s title.  Tundra drivers have combined to produce 11 victories, 51 top-five finishes and 81 top-10 results in the first 21 events of 2007.

“Winning a second manufacturer’s championship is a testament to the outstanding race teams that Toyota has been associated with in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the extremely talented Tundra drivers,” said Jim Aust, vice president - motorsports, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.  “Although we’ve expanded our NASCAR involvement to include the Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series this season, we recognize the popularity and value of the Craftsman Truck Series and our commitment to the series has never wavered.  Winning this manufacturer’s title during the same month as Toyota’s 50th anniversary in the United States makes it even more special.” Skinner, driver of the No. 5 Bill Davis Racing Tundra, has been Toyota’s top performer in the series this season.  The Daytona Beach, Fla.-driver has recorded five wins -- California, Atlanta, Martinsville-1, Kentucky and Martinsville-2 -- and currently sits first in the championship point standings.  Skinner, the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series champion in 1995, is the only  Tundra driver to have competed in all 96 races that Toyota has entered since 2004. “It’s an honor to race a Toyota and to be part of the Tundra family,” said Skinner.  “I’ve driven a Tundra since Toyota joined the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004, and I know the tremendous amount of hard work and effort that has gone into winning these championships.  Now, that we’ve helped Toyota win one championship, our focus is on the driver’s title -- and driving these Tundras undoubtedly gives us a great shot at that.” Along with Skinner’s five wins this year, several other Tundra pilots have visited victory lane.  Skinner’s Bill Davis Racing teammate, Johnny Benson, has three wins this season in his No. 23 Tundra (Milwaukee, Bristol and Gateway), while defending series champion Todd Bodine has a pair of victories (Texas and Talladega) in his No. 30 Germain Racing entry.  In the series season-opener at Daytona, Jack Sprague crossed the finish line first in the No. 60 Wyler Racing Tundra.

In addition to the 11 wins this year, Tundra drivers have combined to capture 15 pole positions.  Skinner has a series-leading eight poles (Atlanta, Martinsville-1, Kansas, Charlotte, Dover, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Nashville and St. Louis), and Bodine has started ahead of the field twice (Texas and Talladega).  In addition, Sprague (Martinsville-2 and Daytona), Brad Keselowski (Memphis) and Ryan Mathews (Kentucky) have started on the pole. Skinner, Benson, Bodine, Sprague and Terry Cook have participated in every race this season. Other drivers to sit in Tundras this year include AJ Allmendinger (nine races), Ken Butler (two races), Aaron Fike (12 races), David Green (seven races), Justin Labonte (two races), Jason Leffler (two races), Michael McDowell (one race), Ted Musgrave (19 races), Jacques Villeneuve (three races), Tyler Walker (six races), Mike Wallace (one race) and Josh Wise (eight races). Since joining the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004, Tundras have won 36 races and captured 47 pole positions. Toyota in North America Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and will operate 15 manufacturing plants in North America by 2010.  There are more than 1,700 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sold more than 2.8 million vehicles in 2006.  Toyota directly employs over 41,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18.6 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.  Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $28.5 billion.  According to a 2005 Center for Automotive Research study, Toyota, along with its dealers and suppliers, has generated nearly 400,000 U.S. jobs, including jobs created through spending by direct, dealer and suppliers employees.  For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com.

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Sherman Takes Tucson for 12th ASCS Canyon Region Win
 
Lonnie Wheatley, TUCSON, Ariz. (October 20, 2007) – Jeremy Sherman and Charles Davis, Jr., resumed their on-track American Sprint Car Series Canyon Region rivalry Saturday night at USA Race Park, with Sherman coming out on top in the 30-lap feature for his twelfth series win of the year.

 

With the triumph aboard Fred Bryan's F&E Development No. 77 Maxim, Sherman completed a sweep of the series three events at USA Race Park in 2007 and locked up the series season championship in the process.

 

Starting from the third position, Sherman and front row outside starter Davis battled for the lead throughout.  While Davis led most of the way, Sherman slid into the lead late.  Davis made one last bid on the final lap, but climbed over Sherman's right rear tire and flipped out of contention.

 

Polesitter Josh Pelkey chased Sherman to the line, with R.J. Johnson racing from deep in the field to take the show position.  Mike Leslie was fourth, with Andrew Reinbold rounding out the top five.

 

Mike Martin was sixth, with Bobby Taylor, Justin Fisher, Seainn Hendricsen and rookie shoe Nick Aiuto completing the top ten.

 

The ASCS Canyon Region wraps up the 2007 season next Saturday night, October 27, at Casa Grande's Central Arizona Raceway

 

ASCS Canyon Region Results from USA Race Park:

 

Heat One:  1. 61-Justin Fisher, 2. 97x-Bret Mellenberndt, 3. 77-Jeremy Sherman, 4. 52-Josh Pelkey, 5. 11-Seainn Hendricsen, 6. 8-Bob Ream, Jr., 7. 27n-Nick Aiuto, 8. 62-Shon Deskins, 9. 55c-Chris McArthur.

 

Heat Two:  1. 76-Mike Leslie, 2. 50-Charles Davis, Jr., 3. 44-Jeremy Reagles, 4. 22-Mike Rux, 5. 16-Mike Martin, 6. 26az-Bobby Taylor, 7. 15-R.J. Johnson, 8. 19-Andrew Reinbold, 9. 5az-John Van Horn.

 

Pole Dash:  1. 52-Josh Pelkey, 2. 50-Charles Davis, Jr., 3. 77-Jeremy Sherman, 4. 22-Mike Rux, 5. 44-Jeremy Reagles, 6. 76-Mike Leslie, 7. 61-Justin Fisher, 8. 97x-Bret Mellenberndt.

 

ASCS Canyon Region “A” Feature (30 Laps):  1. 77-Jeremy Sherman, 2. 52-Josh Pelkey, 3. 15-R.J. Johnson, 4. 76-Mike Leslie, 5. 19-Andrew Reinbold, 6. 16-Mike Martin, 7. 26az-Bobby Taylor, 8. 61-Justin Fisher, 9. 11-Seainn Hendricsen, 10. 27n-Nick Aiuto, 11. 50-Charles Davis, Jr., 12. 62-Shon Deskins, 13. 55c-Chris McArthur, 14. 97x-Bret Mellenberndt, 15. 22-Mike Rux, 16. 44-Jeremy Reagles, 17. 5az-John Van Horn, 18. 8-Bob Ream, Jr.

 

ASCS Canyon Region Points (Top Ten):  1. Jeremy Sherman 2,737, 2. Charles Davis, Jr. 2,574, 3. Mike Leslie 2,492, 4. Bob Ream, Jr., 2,450, 5. Josh Pelkey 2,438, 6. Seainn Hendricsen 2,305, 7. Shon Deskins 2,287, 8. Andrew Reinbold 2,257, 9. Mike Martin 2,228, 10. Bernie Smith 2,155.

MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 Toyota Tundra, Bill Davis Racing Finished:  1st
How does it feel to have swept both races this year at Martinsville? “I thought Jimmy Hensley was the undisputed king of Martinsville -- see Jimmy when you quit racing they all forget about you.  For us to sweep both races at Martinsville with Jeff (Hensley) living just a couple miles through the woods over here -- that’s pretty good.  It’s great that Bill Davis Racing was a part of Toyota winning their second consecutive Manufacturer Championship and I think they clinched that today.  If we wouldn’t have won then I think the No. 60 (Jack Sprague) would have and he did an awesome job running us clean -- I owe a lot to him.”

Did you have a different strategy in today’s race and did you have the best truck? “Jack and Terry (Cook) got together and Terry was on a different strategy -- they had the motor de-tuned, trying to make it on fuel mileage and that took away some of the horsepower when you do that.  We came here with the same thought, but we had too much to loose by gambling at Martinsville so we tuned the motor back up.  I have to thank all the guys back at TRD (Toyota Racing Development), they put some power back in the motor and then we just had to stop and get gas.  When Jack and Terry got together it really opened the door for me.  I really didn’t think I had a truck that was strong enough to stay up front, especially if we went green for a long time.  The No. 60 was the best truck on the long green, but those cautions kept flying and we came out victorious.”

How does it feel to regain the point lead now by one point? “This thing will probably change back and forth a couple more times.  Hopefully he gets the lead at Atlanta, I take the lead at Texas, he gets it at Phoenix and I get it at Homestead -- that’s what I want.”

What does it mean to clinch the Manufacturers’ Championship for Toyota with your win here today? “First of all -- it started in February when Jack Sprague won the race in Daytona.  (Johnny) Benson has won three races and we were fortunate to win some races.  Todd Bodine has won a couple races so it’s not any one team that can win this thing.  Toyota is really good about giving information to all the race teams -- our engines, our stuff is really equal and you can see hat every week.  I just want to thank Toyota for allowing myself and Jeff (Hensley) for allowing us to be a part of this program.”

What type of adjustments and changes did you make to your truck today? “We always get upset with Goodyear when the right-front tires wear out so we need to make sure to praise them on such an awesome tire here at Martinsville.  We were able to run 200 laps on those same tires and there with one lap to go, on a slick race track, we ran a lap within a tenth of where we qualified.  I expected a lot more mix-up there at the end -- I knew Jack was hungry for a win and he definitely played it like a true champion.  He could have wrecked us and he chose not to.  I just hope that some day the shoe is on the other foot and I can pay him back with that same type of respect.”

Were you points racing today with all the wrecks around you? “In order to be there at the end of these races, you have to do an awful lot of riding during the race.  I had a lot of tire left and a lot of brake left there at the end of the race.  The brakes only got upset with me once during the race and we got a caution so I was able to get them cooled back down.  In fact I turned all the fans off there at the end to try to get as much horsepower as she would give me.  Then when I hit the gas, I was wishing that I had about 50 less horsepower because the track was so slick and all I did was spin the tires.  But the horsepower came in handy on the backstretch.”

Did this race seem any wilder to you than other short track races this season? “It’s the Craftsman Truck Series and it’s exciting.  We’ve seen lead changes, we’ve seen tempers, we’ve seen people act professional -- we’ve seen it all.  When you come to tracks like Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond -- you’re going to see it all.  This was only a 200-lap race and we never really had a chance to adjust on our truck -- we never changed tires and all we ever got to do was adjust a little wedge on the thing.  After we started back I thought that was a bad decision, but after we lost some fuel in the thing and we got a bunch of nose weight -- I thought it was better.  It was classic short track racing at Martinsville and it was awesome.”

What was your impression of Dario Franchitti and Jacques Villeneuve in today’s race? “Those guys are just like Juan Pablo (Montoya) and he’s proven that it can be done.  You have to understand that it would probably be easier for Jeff Gordon to go drive a Formula 1 car than it would be for Jacques Villeneuve to come drive the No. 24 (Gordon) car.  These cars are heavy, they don’t stop, they won’t turn and they want to spin the tires when you hit the gas.  That’s a challenge when you’re used to something that drives like a go-kart or a slot car where you have traction control and engineers on the box tuning the motors while the car is going around the race track.  You know what your tire temperatures are while you’re going around the race track, which makes it pretty easy on the crew chief.  That is very high tech racing and NASCAR has done a great job keeping this where it’s not just the driver or the crew chief or the engine builder.  Everything has to go perfect in order to win a race in any of NASCAR’s big three divisions.”

JEFF HENSLEY, Crew Chief, No. 5 Toyota Tundra, Bill Davis Racing Can you talk about the way the race progressed today? “We didn’t really have as good of a truck here today as we did in the spring.  We were mandated to pull a little higher gear than we had here in the spring and I think it hurt us.  We never really got the truck where it needed to be or where we probably could have gotten.  With the race only being 200 laps -- we only had one shot at it.  We thought about making it a fuel mileage race, but we kind of gave up on that strategy before the race even started because it was too risky.  Mike took a mediocre truck and ran great with it -- track position meant everything today and you could see that early on.   That’s why we got gas only when we came to pit road -- that enabled us to pick up a spot and then when Jack and Terry got together we were able to take the lead.  We had a pretty good truck today, but not nearly as good as we had in the spring.  I kept thinking with about five laps to go that I wanted to carry this truck to Phoenix and I was starting to worry.   Mike did a heck of a job -- it’s unbelievable that we swept both races at Martinsville.”

JACK SPRAGUE, No. 60 Con-Way Freight Toyota Tundra, Wyler Racing Finished:  2nd What happened in today’s race? “It was a good race and our truck was really good.  We didn’t want to take a chance of gambling on fuel and I don’t know how many caution flags there were, but I don’t think we would have made it if we tried.  I got into Terry (Cook) a little bit and I didn’t mean to.  He got on his brakes getting into the corner a lot earlier than I thought he was going to and I guess he thought I did.  Then he tried killing me getting into the corner and that allowed (Mike) Skinner to get by me and that was pretty much the end of it.  After that we really didn’t have anything other than five-lap runs and I needed about 10 laps to be able to get him.  I was definitely faster, it just took my truck a little longer to get going and I just wasn’t willing to wreck Mike for the win, but (Matt) Crafton was willing to wreck me for second.  That cost me a shot at Skinner when he turned me sideways with two to go -- really with no reason.  He doesn’t want to tangle with me -- I can tell you that.”

What was the point at which the tone of this race went from calm to crazy? “It seemed to be pretty calm for a while there -- through about halfway.  The No. 59 (Terry Cook) didn’t pit for fuel and he was losing his handle on the truck and holding us up.  I didn’t wreck him, I just moved him up a lane and that’s just short track racing.  People get impatient and people start hitting each other because they are having trouble getting off the corners and back in the gas.  That’s just what happens here and the closer it gets to the end -- the more it happens.”

TED MUSGRAVE, No. 9 Team ASE Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Finished:  8th What happened in today’s race? “We qualified tenth and that’s pretty much what we had, was a tenth place Tundra. Track position is the key here at Martinsville and we had to keep it. We came in for fuel, no tires, just a quick adjustment. I gave up some positions to save the tires. Our truck was good in the short runs just got a little too tight in the center. It was a good day-bad day – good finish for the Team ASE Tundra, eighth, bad day for my teammate and a lot of other guys ahead of us in points.”

JOHNNY BENSON, No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota Tundra, Bill Davis Racing Finished:  9th JUSTIN LABONTE, No. 00 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota Tundra, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Finished:  12th TODD BODINE, No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Finished:  20th

JASON LEFFLER, No. 1 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finished:  23rd TERRY COOK, No. 59 HT Motorsports Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Finished:  29th

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 17 Darrell Waltrip Toyota Tundra, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Finished:  30th

JACQUES VILLENEUVE, No. 27 Unicef Toyota Tundra, Bill Davis Racing Finished:  32nd How was your race truck and what happened that took you out of the race? “It’s a shame because the truck was handling real well -- the team was working hard and we were gaining positions.  I got hit a few times and then got turned around coming off of turn four.  But that’s short track racing at Martinsville.  I was having a lot of fun today.  This track reminds me a little of a road course because you can race hard and use the brakes a lot.  It was quite entertaining.”

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