Tough Day for SPM at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course |
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Topics: Honda Indy 200, James Jakes, Ryan Briscoe
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Monica Hilton
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
August 2, 2015
For more information contact:
Monica Hilton
monicah@spmindycar.com
608.669.3211
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mansfield, OH - August 2, 2015 - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) drivers James Jakes and Ryan Briscoe finished 17th and 20th in the Honda Indy 200 on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Jakes started where he finished - in 17th - after an uneventful, 90-lap race on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course.
"It's pretty annoying because I'm starting to sound like a broken record," said Jakes. "We were looking so good for so long there, and we had really good in-and-out laps. That second yellow cost us. It just put us in a bad position. It's a shame, really, because the No. 7 MediaTech Oculus guys have been working really hard. We're close, we're really close to another good result. We just have to take all the positives from this weekend and move on. And it's my birthday on Tuesday so I may go have a beer."
Teammate Briscoe started the day in 20th and finished 19th.
"It was a long day," said Briscoe. "We were moving forward at times and then we were catching the yellows at the wrong points. We kept having to pit and go straight to the back of the grid. The strategy just didn't work out for us today and it was just really hard to pass. I think the No. 5 Arrow Electronics car could definitely pass but every time I'd get a run, the guy in front would defend and we just couldn't make it happen. I think we deserved better but that's the way it goes."
Earlier in the day, Jack Harvey started on the pole for the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires race. He was shuffled back to second place on the first lap and was fighting hard for the first half of the race to regain the lead.
On lap 20, Harvey attempted to make a pass on the leader and was squeezed into the grass. He sustained damage to the front wing but stayed out and finished tenth. The 22-year-old, British driver holds onto his championship standing by five points.
Saturday's race winner, RC Enerson started in the sixth spot and made some solid passes to earn the highest SPM driver finish on Sunday, in fourth. Scott Anderson was spun out on lap five but only lost one lap and finished eighth in the 38-lap competition. Ethan Ringel started from the back and fought his way forward to finish seventh.
In three weeks, the Verizon IndyCar Series heads to Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the 15th race on the 2015 circuit. The ABC Supply 500 will take place on Sunday, August 23 at Pocono Raceway. The 200-lap race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from 2-6 p.m. ET and tickets are available at PoconoRaceway.com.
About Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt and Canadian businessman Ric Peterson. Schmidt was paralyzed (quad) in 2000 after an accident during testing at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. SPM fields cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Lights Series presented by Cooper Tires. SPM is the most successful team in Indy Lights Series history with sixty-five race wins and seven championships. In addition, SPM won the coveted Indy 500 pole position in 2011, and has won five Verizon IndyCar Series races between 2013 and 2015.
About Conquer Paralysis Now:
Conquer Paralysis Now is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to cure paralysis, formerly known as the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. The organization is leading the charge for a cure through funding scientific research, medical treatment and technological advances benefiting those paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, stroke or diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's or in other ways. For more information, visit conquerparalysisnow.org .