Simona de Silvestro won the second round of the 2009 Formula Atlantic Championship on the Miller Motorsports Park circuit in Tooele in Utah after starting from pole.
She also broke the track record and saw the flag with 11.7s in hand over her nearest rival! Right from the start of the weekend, Simona was at the top of the time sheets setting the quickest laps in the free practice sessions.
On Saturday, she became only the second woman to set pole in the Atlantic Championship after Danica Patrick at Portland in 2004. The next day, she made a perfect start and scored a flag-to-flag victory averaging 178 km/h, and became the first woman to win from pole in the Series. It’s Simona’s second success in the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda after her Long Beach victory last year. Today, she is in second place in the championship, only 5 points behind the leader.
Next round: New Jersey Motorsport Park on 13th June.
“AN EXTRAORDINARY FEELING”
Simona, how did the weekend go off?
SdS: “It was perfect. We were quick in each session and by fine-tuning the car’s set-up in each run we gained pace throughout the three days. We had a test session just before this round and it proved very useful for everybody.”
Was it difficult to keep up the pace in the race?
SdS: “From the outside my victory may have looked easy, but I had to fight for it. It was very important to push hard in the opening laps to build up a good cushion over the second-placed car. Then I had to control my lead, as the track was very slippery. In addition, the numerous left-handers put a lot of load on the right-hand front tyre. I was able to stay very concentrated till the chequered flag and not make any mistakes. The team really did a fantastic job. The car was perfect and I was able to set consistent times without taking too many risks. I’m very happy to give them this result.”
Is your win yesterday a good omen for the future?
SdS: “I think so. In 2008, the team won the event on the New Jersey Motorsport Park circuit, so I’m optimistic. In addition, there’ll be two races that weekend and my aim is to win them both!”
