Sunday, June 1, 2008

Tough Times For The T-Team Ten In West Allis

Graham Rahal as he slides against the outer wall about halfway through the The ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Indy 225 - The Milwaukee Mile :: West Allis, Wisconsin. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (The EDJE) 2008


Tough Times For The T-Team Ten In West Allis

The Milwaukee Mile proved to be a very tough place for many of the T-Team Ten. Mario Dominguez and the Pacific Coast Motorsports team could not get a clue as to how to get any speed or handling out of their Dallara all weekend long. Virtually last in qualifying and after hobbling around the track for half of the race, Mario and the PCM team thought it best to park the car for the balance of the race.

Mario Dominguez - Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

There were five transition team drivers to make it into the top ten of the starting grid, but the lead driver of the group, Graham Rahal, did not finish the race. The first half of the race, Graham showed well staying in the top five positions most of the time but then drifted high off of the driving line on the track and glanced the wall, crushing his right side A-Frame.

Oriol Servia running clean on the Milwaukee Mile. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

Oriol Servia, Justin Wilson, and EJ Viso finished 6, 7, and 8, respectively but they were helped into the top ten by an accident started by Marco Andretti when he tapped Ed Carpenter sending both cars spinning. When Marco’s car was turned 180 degrees on the track, Vitor Meira’s car rode up the nose of the car and was launched into the air and collapsed onto the track to slide up against the outer wall to a stop.

Ryan Brisco was leading the race and INDY 500 winner, Scott Dixon at the time and was able to win the race under the Yellow caution flag.

How the T-Team Ten Fared:

POS./Car # Driver, Team, Sponsor

06/ 5 Oriol Servia, KVRT, Plantronics

07/02 Justin Wilson, NHL, Mc Donald’s

08/33 EJ Viso, HVM, PDVSA

14/ 8 Will Power, KVRT, Aussie Vineyards

16/36 Enrique Bernoldi, CR, Sangari

18/18 Bruno Junqueira, DCR, Z-Line

23/19 Mario Moraes, DCR, Sonny’s BBQ

24/34 Jaime Camara, CR, Sangari

25/6 Graham Rahal, NHL, No Sponsor

26/96 Mario Dominguez, PCM, Visit Mexico City




This from Autosport.com -

"It's been 30 years since Roger's first IndyCar win," Briscoe said. "I can't tell you how important it is to me to get my first IndyCar victory for him in this race." Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)


Briscoe clinches first IndyCar win
By Matt Beer and Jeff Olson - Sunday, June 1st 2008, 22:00 GMT


Ryan Briscoe fended off championship leader Scott Dixon to score his first IndyCar Series race win at the Milwaukee Mile.

Penske driver Briscoe worked his way into contention in the second half of the race after falling as low as 14th early on. With 70 laps to go, Briscoe was up to third place, then overtook teammate Helio Castroneves and then Dixon in quick succession to hit the front on lap 176.

After briefly losing ground to Briscoe, Dixon closed right back in and put the Penske driver under enormous pressure through the traffic in the closing laps, briefly drawing alongside on the outside on lap 220 of 225.

But when a full course yellow came out with three laps to go following a dramatic multi-car incident, Briscoe was able to clinch his maiden win and put last week's controversial Indianapolis pit lane crash with Danica Patrick behind him.
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The only other major incident prior to the late crash was Graham Rahal's impact with the wall on lap 130. Newman/Haas/Lanigan's rookie had been running a strong third before understeering into the barriers in traffic.

Oriol Servia charged back through the field to take sixth for KV Racing despite having to pit for a new front wing on lap one, with fellow 'transition' drivers Justin Wilson (Newman/Haas/Lanigan) and EJ Viso (HVM) also putting in strong runs to seventh and eighth.

Danica Patrick and Buddy Rice completed the top ten.

Reference Here>>

Full Race Summary Here
Driver Points Standing Here - By finishing in the top ten, Oriol Servia surges into the Rookie Of The Year points lead. Next week it's the high banks of Texas for the T-Team Ten!

... notes from The EDJE

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