IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series™Texas 100At Texas Motor Speedway5 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004
Entry List
Car - Driver - Hometown - Car Name - C/E/T - Entrant - Chief Mechanic
2 Al Unser (R) Albuquerque, N.M. Western Union Speed Team D/I/F Keith Duesenberg Racing Nelson Eves3 Ryan Hampton Chandler, Ariz. Bush-Cheney ’04 D/I/F Brian Stewart Racing Mo Larsen5 Travis Gregg (R) Camden, Ohio AVS-Sam Schmidt Motorsports D/I/F Sam Schmidt Motorsports John Roof Jr.6 Jon Herb Chicago Aercon Industries Special D/I/F Racing Professionals Larry Curry10 Rolando Quintanilla Nuevo Laredo, Mexico Roquin Motorsports D/I/F Roquin Motorsports Jose Benavides11 Thiago Medeiros Sao Paulo, Brazil Sam Schmidt Motorsports D/I/F Sam Schmidt Motorsports Chris Griffis21 Taylor Fletcher (R) San Clemente, Calif. World Vision & Olive Crest Foundation D/I/F Roquin Motorsports John Jones22 TBA TBA Keith Duesenberg Racing D/I/F Keith Duesenberg Racing Gilbert Lage24 Jeff Simmons Hartford, Conn. Team ISI D/I/F Kenn Hardley Racing Mark Olson25 TBA TBA Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. D/I/F AFS Racing Jayson Madison27 Arie Luyendyk Jr. Scottsdale, Ariz. Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. D/I/F AFS Racing Jayson Madison33 Leonardo Maia (R) Miami Skip Barber Racing School D/I/F Brian Stewart Racing Dave Metcalf64 TBA TBA Sam Schmidt Motorsports D/I/F Sam Schmidt Motorsports Tim Whiting67 James Chesson (R) Far Hills, N.J. Mo Nunn Racing D/I/F Mo Nunn Racing Butch Winkle76 P.J. Chesson (R) Far Hills, N.J. Mo Nunn Racing D/I/F Mo Nunn Racing Butch Winkle91 Paul Dana St. Louis Ethanol/Hemelgarn Johnson D/I/F Hemelgarn 91 Johnson Motorsports Matt Dove
Legend: Chassis: D=Dallar
SCHEDULE: (all times local; subject to change)
Friday, Oct. 15
8 a.m. – Garages open
11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. – Menards Infiniti Pro Series practice
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m. – Menards Infiniti Pro Series practice
5:45 p.m. – Menards Infiniti Pro Series qualifying
Saturday, Oct. 16
8 a.m. – Garages open
10:30-10:45 a.m. – Menards Infiniti Pro Series warm-up
4 p.m. – Texas 100 Menards Infiniti Pro Series race (67 laps/100 miles)
2004 MENARDS INFINITI PRO SERIES STATISTICS
Driver Points
1. Thiago Medeiros 461*
2. Paul Dana 360
3. P.J. Chesson 312
4. Arie Luyendyk Jr. 298
5. Jesse Mason 283
* Clinched championship at California Speedway on Oct. 2
Entrant Points
1. Sam Schmidt Motorsports #11 461*
2. Hemelgarn 91 Johnson Motorsports #91 360
3. Keith Duesenberg Racing #2 358
4. Mo Nunn Racing #76 312
5. Brian Stewart Racing #33 306
* Clinched championship at California Speedway on Oct. 2
Wins
1. Thiago Medeiros 5
2. P.J. Chesson 3
3. James Chesson 1
Paul Dana 1
Phil Giebler 1
Pole Positions
1. Thiago Medeiros 7
2. Paul Dana 1
Travis Gregg 1
Jeff Simmons 1
Al Unser 1
Laps Led
1. Thiago Medeiros 521
2. Paul Dana 123
3. Travis Gregg 57
4. P.J. Chesson 26
• Medeiros earns championship: Thiago Medeiros clinched the 2004 Menards Infiniti Pro Series championship Oct. 2 at California Speedway. Medeiros has dominated the series, winning five of the 11 races and capturing seven pole positions. Earlier this season, Medeiros set an Indy Racing League record by winning four consecutive races. Other Menards Infiniti Pro Series records established by Medeiros this season are:
- 5 consecutive pole positions, 7 poles in a season, 8 poles in a career
- 525 laps led in a career, 521 laps led in a season, 249 consecutive laps led over four races
- 11 races led in a career, 10 races led in a season, 9 consecutive races led
- 11 consecutive top-five starts, 15 consecutive top-10 starts
- 15 consecutive top-10 finishes
• Sam Schmidt Motorsports clinches first championship: Sam Schmidt Motorsports clinched its first championship at the California 100. Sam Schmidt formed his race team in 2001 and joined the Menards Infiniti Pro Series in 2002. The team had made 38 starts in the series before this season. Schmidt, a Las Vegas native, made 27 IndyCar® Series starts as a driver, including a win at Las Vegas in 1999.
• Christopher Reeve left impact on Indy Racing League: Actor Christopher Reeve, who died Oct. 10 nine years after becoming paralyzed, has had a positive influence on two Indy Racing League families. Menards Infiniti Pro Series owner Sam Schmidt entertained Reeve at the 2003 Racing for Recovery Gala prior to the Indianapolis 500. Schmidt was paralyzed four years after Reeve. Cody Unser, sister of Menards Infiniti Pro Series driver Al Unser and daughter of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr., became paralyzed in 1999 after the onset of Transverse Myelitis. Unser recently participated in a workshop in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Reeve filmed a short video clip for Unser to use as an introduction during speaking engagements.
• James Chesson looks to repeat victory: James Chesson earned his first career victory in just his second race. Driving the No. 67 Mo Nunn Racing entry, Chesson led the final two laps of the California 100 to earn the win. Chesson and his brother, P.J., became the first set of siblings to finish first and second in IRL history. Earlier this season, P.J. won three consecutive races.
• Drivers battle for third through sixth: Just 38 points separate the four drivers who are third through sixth in the Menards Infiniti Pro Series point standings. P.J. Chesson is in third place with a 14-point advantage over Arie Luyendyk Jr. Jesse Mason is 29 points out of third, while Leonardo Maia is in sixth.
• Quintanilla calls Texas home: Driver Rolando Quintanilla calls Laredo, Texas home. Quintanilla and his family own Transportes Quintanilla, one of the largest trucking companies in Mexico. The company has offices in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
• Drivers graduate to IndyCar Series: The Menards Infiniti Pro Series is doing its job graduating drivers to the IndyCar Series. Series champions A.J. Foyt IV (2002) and Mark Taylor (2003), along with Ed Carpenter, are all regulars in the IndyCar Series.
PRE-RACE QUOTES:
JAMES CHESSON (No. 67 Mo Nunn Racing Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “Honestly, the last several days have been very relaxing. The big win in Fontana finally sunk in, and it is a great feeling. People who I didn’t even know followed racing have been congratulating me on the victory. While I’ve enjoyed other solid wins before, the California race is probably at the top of the list. Between it being only our second race as a team, the glamour of California Speedway, the great battle at the end, and my brother (P.J.) taking second, it would certainly be hard to top it. We had a very productive series of meetings this week in preparation for the Texas race, and I’m excited to get back into the Pioneer car. I’ve never raced on the Texas Motor Speedway before, but am anticipating another strong team effort and result. The high banking should provide for some excitement, and hopefully P.J. can finish strong and hold onto third place in the points race.”
P.J. CHESSON (No. 76 Mo Nunn Racing Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “I think we’re all finally getting over the exciting finish in California. It has been over 15 years since my brother (James) and I finished 1-2 so it was naturally a big day for all of us. As we head to Texas for the big finale, we’re hoping to carry the momentum and finish the season strong. Even though we started things off slow in the Menards Infiniti Pro Series back in Kansas City, we enter the race on Saturday third in points, and hopefully we can maintain our ground. Texas Motor Speedway will be the steepest banked oval we visit all year, and it should provide for some good passing and racing. We’ve made a solid charge in a short period of time due in large part to the team’s strength and determination. I am so appreciative of everything that my father, Kathryn (Nunn) and the guys have done for me this year.”
PAUL DANA (No. 91 Ethanol/Hemelgarn Johnson Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “We’re solidly in second place which is a bright spot, but we’re living on what we did in the middle of the season. I want more wins. We’ve shown we can do it. I didn’t run Texas last year, so this will be a new track for me. I saw the tape of last year’s race, and I’m sure it’ll be crazy out there. We want to get back on track, get our consistency back. Our qualifying hasn’t fallen off, but our race performance has. We want to turn in another strong performance and get to the end-of-year banquet.”
RYAN HAMPTON (No. 3 Bush-Cheney ’04 Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “I’m very excited to get back into a race car. It’s kind of like reverse engineering going from drifting back into a race car. I had a strong run at Texas in 2002 (moving up from 12th to third), and I think that definitely had an influence on Brian (Stewart) getting me back into the car. There will be a lot of close racing, and it comes down to how you play your cards in traffic, how you work with people.”
ARIE LUYENDYK (No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “I’ve really got my work cut out for me if I’m going to pass P.J. (Chesson) for third in the points. I think it would’ve been a different story if we would’ve won at California. I have a lot of confidence in my crew. They’ve given me an awesome car the last few races, and it keeps getting better. If the car is anything like it was in California, we’ll be in good shape. The last two years at Texas, I’ve been able to run up front, so I expect to do so again. It’s a really fun place to race.”
LEONARDO MAIA (No. 33 Skip Barber Racing School Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “I think it’ll be an awesome race. It will be a little tougher than some of the other ones. I think it will be real hard to pass. Like Kentucky, it will be exciting, but it will be tough to pass. I did my rookie test at Texas, so at least it’s a track I’ve been to before and know a little bit about. It’s a fast track with a lot of banking. I think in qualifying everyone will be right there, so I think the race will be real close, some exciting racing.”
THIAGO MEDEIROS (No. 11 Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone): “I have really good memories from Texas Motor Speedway. It is a really nice track that allows us to run nose to tail - really close pack of cars. Two- or three-wide, there is no problem at all to do that at that track because the asphalt and the grip level. Overall, it's really good. It’s a special place where I got my first win in the series. So for sure, I will be hunting to keep my title and not let anybody else win this race because it is a special place for me.”
