INDY LIGHTS: Dorricott Racing makes first visit to Texas Motor Speedway

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

April 25, 2001

FT. WORTH, Texas - Dorricott Racing is on course for the 2001 Dayton Indy Lights Championship but a new challenge is facing it and other contenders in the 2001 Dayton Indy Lights Championship - Texas Motor Speedway.

The 67-lap/100.50-mile Indy Lights race around Texas Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile high-speed oval will be round three of the 12-race series and is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. CT, Saturday, April 28. This will be the first ever CART and Indy Lights appearance at TMS, and the Indy Lights race is the featured support event for the CART FedEx Championship Series Firestone Firehawk 600, presented by Pioneer, set to run the next afternoon. It is the only scheduled Saturday race of the year for Indy Lights.

Townsend Bell, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., is looking to take command of the Indy Lights championship following his second and first place finishes at Monterrey, Mexico, and Long Beach, respectively in the DirecPC Lola. Bell's 36 points places him in a tie for first place with Derek Higgins.

Jon Fogarty, of Portola Valley, Calif., is looking for vindication in this weekend's race. Fogarty caught the attention of many during his Indy Lights debut at Monterrey when he piloted his Fogarty Winery & Vineyards Lola to a third place finish. The 2000 Barber Dodge Pro Series runner-up watched good fortune crumble, however, at Long Beach.

Through no fault on Fogarty's part, Fogarty was rear-ended by Danish driver Kristian Kolby in the first corner at Long Beach on the race start. Kolby's error also cost Dorricott Racing teammate Damien Faulkner, of Ireland, a chance for a good debut at Long Beach as Faulkner became collateral damage.

Kolby plowed his nosecone into Fogarty's gearbox and diffuser and, in turn, pushed him into Faulkner. Faulkner, who started fourth at Long Beach, never saw the contact coming as he spun and stopped in the middle of the turn. Both Dorricott Racing drivers were unhurt but their cars were unable to continue. Kolby, meanwhile, rambled back to pit lane where he replaced his nosecone and continued without consequence to a fifth place race finish.

Fogarty earned 11 top-10 finishes in 12 Barber Dodge Pro Series races last year. The 25-year-old northern California native posted seven top-three finishes including wins at Lime Rock Park, Belle Isle, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He also won poles at Lime Rock and Belle Isle.

Faulkner made his Indy Lights debut at Monterrey and scored a deceivingly impressive seventh place finish. Although he started sixth, Faulkner dropped three positions early before storming back through the field.

Faulkner became the Republic of Ireland's first European motor racing champion in 19 years by capturing the 2000 European Formula Palmer Audi Championship. The 25-year-old Dublin resident dominated the EFPA's 20-race season behind six wins, seven poles, and 12 podium finishes. Faulkner has a remarkable finishing record that has seen him fail to finish only once in 53 races over the last three years of race competitions.

Faulkner was also named Ireland's 2000 International Motorsports Competitor of the Year. This prestigious award is the same that had previously been won by Formula One star Eddie Irvine on two occasions.

Fogarty is in sixth place with 15 points, and in third place for Indy Lights Rookie-of-the-Year honors. Faulkner is tied with Luis Diaz, of Mexico, for 10th place with six points.

Text provided by James Hyneman

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