Long Beach

SeventhGear.com Pre-Season Article By David Rutledge

“2001” …TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH!…A great way to start the season, a great race venue and we finished on the podium there last year. I am ready, the car is ready and as important the Lynx Racing Team is ready. Since last year we have been working hard towards developing a winning team. After finishing off last season on a very positive note, we are set to challenge for the 2001 championship.

Last season was highlighted with a win from the pole in Montreal. However, the results were not as good in the following races. It was at Laguna Seca that we got back on track to finish second and in front of the season champion, Buddy Rice. This was a great turning point that was long overdue. Buddy was pressuring me throughout the last third of the race, to the point that on the last lap he dove into my car and cut my rear tire. At the season final, in Houston, we had a strong second place finish, again ahead of Buddy, this time clearly avoiding any pressure from behind. Technically, the weekend went very smoothly and proved to be a strong starting point to begin our fall testing. The car setup had room for improvement and we were looking forward to developing it over the winter.

Our testing days are unrestricted until the beginning of January and we took advantage of this, concentrating on road and street course setups. Oval testing was scheduled around more favorable weather. A very important and strategic team decision to appoint Rick Cameron as my Engineer would accelerate the need to move the car up to the next level. Also, the team members from last year returned to stronger positions. As for myself, living in Sonoma County, just minutes away from the team shop at Sears Point Raceway, allows me to report to the shop every day. This has been very productive; making it possible to communicate directly with my Team and Engineer at all times. To keep sharp and fit I am practicing in my 125-shifter kart at a local track, as well as, working out daily at a local gym.

I spent a couple weeks at home in Vancouver over the Christmas holiday, I enjoyed seeing my family and friends. At the end of January, we picked up right where we left off with testing. We included several oval days into our allowable time. We needed to re-evaluate our oval setup, which immediately improved our performance. This was a relief for us and has given us more momentum going into the season. We also continued to test on road courses, focusing our time on producing a superior racecar.

Driving with Lynx Racing for another season has allowed me to develop my skills farther than ever before. I would like to thank Peggy Haas, Jackie Doty, Steve Cameron and the rest of the team for creating this opportunity for me. I am looking forward to a winning season and seeing you at the races!