Wednesday, 14th May 2008

Michael Shank Racing out to improve current championship standing.

Michael Shank Racing will hope for a solid run in this weekend's Rumbum.com 250 at Laguna Seca as the Grand Am Rolex Series heads to the Monterey circuit for the fifth round of the season.

The team has extensive experience of the Californian circuit dating back to its previous running in the Formula Atlantic series and Laguna has also been the scene of some important benchmarks in the team's history.

The first time the Rolex Series raced at the track, Oswaldo Negri took the first Rolex Series pole position of his career as he and Mark Patterson made their Rolex debut together, teaming for a top-ten finish.

Advertisement [Go Advertisement Free]

The pair have since gone on to taste Rolex victory champagne, and have visited the podium together at least once every season since 2005. 2007 saw the two take ten top-ten finishes, and the partnership has continued to pick up pace in 2008, as the duo enter the Rumbum.com 250 weekend third in the Rolex Team Championship standings.

“It was no accident that we first raced at Laguna Seca as part of our limited schedule back in 2005, as it's always been one of my favourites,” said Patterson. “Being on the podium at Laguna last year was a thrill, and we'd like nothing more than to do that again this weekend. We are even stronger as a team than we were at this point last year, but so too is the competition in the Daytona Prototypes, so it's going to be a fight once again.”

Laguna was the site of John Pew's first Daytona Prototype start with MSR last year, as he shared the driving duties with Ian James for a run to seventh at the chequered flag.

“Last year at this time I was really anxious about the weekend; I knew the track and that the team was good, but I just didn't know what to expect out of the race weekend,” he said. “With a year in these cars under my belt now, I feel really confident every time out. And Laguna Seca is one of those tracks that you feel lucky to get to race on, and to do it with a great team and great co-driver, I'm just really looking forward to it.”

Related Images

[Top of Article]