Pacific Mobile/Biosign car to start third in New Jersey
Team planning patient run before striking late in the race
(Millville, NJ) 17 July 2010 – AIM Autosport's Pacific Mobile/Biosign Ford Riley #61 will start tomorrow's NJMP 250 presented by Crown Royal from third place following this afternoon's qualifying session at New Jersey Motorsports Park. After an exciting battle that saw several drivers hold the top spot, Mark Wilkins secured the inside position of the row two for the start of the 2h 45m race.
Several drivers traded fast laps before the battle distilled to a three-way battle between Mark, eventual pole-winner Jon Fogarty and second qualifier Ricky Taylor. Mark cemented third place with a 1m 15.489s/107.3 mph-lap around the 2.75-mile road course.
"I'm happy," Mark said of his third-place qualifying effort. "Burt and I worked hard with the team to figure out how to find more pace.
"It's a nice way to return to the track after Daytona and I'm looking forward to handing the car over to Burt in a good position and in good shape. We have a good shot at winning here and that's our goal."
"Mark did a great job in qualifying," said co-driver, Burt Frisselle, who will assume driving duties after Mark drives the opening stint. "Ian (Willis—chief engineer) and Jim (Malicki—data engineer) did a great job making the car fast and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
"The heat will be tough and saving the car for the race to the finish will be key, so we have to be smooth and patient."
"The heat and difficulty passing on this narrow track will be the major challenges tomorrow," said chief engineer and AIM Autosport principal, Ian Willis. "Managing tires and track position are very important here. We have to be patient, save the car and go hard at the end."
Following a 30-minute final practice session at 9:30am, the NJMP 250 is scheduled to begin at 1:00pm. SPEED TV and MRN Radio will broadcast the race live.
•
Click here to go back to News: Burt Frisselle
•
Click here to go back to Home
Press Notes:
About AIM Autosport
Established in 1995, AIM Autosport operates multi-car teams competing in the Formula BMWUSA Championship and the Star Mazda Series. The company has a mandate to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners.
Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario.
Chassis brings resume of success to AIM Autosport:
AIM Autosport's Riley chassis was purchased from Chip Ganassi Racing and comes to the team with an impressive legacy of success, having won the Rolex Sports Car Series Championship in 2004.
AIM Autosport Alumni:
AIM has a long history of bringing drivers up through the ranks, and the alumni list reads like a who's who in the sport: www.aimautosport.com/drivers/Alumni/Alumni.htm
Performance-Oriented:
Performance Drink, the "Official Performance Drink" of Grand Am has signed on as an associate partner for the 2007 season, and will be utilizing the relationship to develop and demonstrate the high-performance capabilities of the drink. The drivers in the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be participating in a unique program that will closely monitor their bodies' performances throughout the enduro. More details to follow.
For additional information
www.aimautosport.com
www.michaelshankracing.com
