CART: Team Target ready to repeat in Milwaukee
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 30, 2001
TCGR rookies look to duplicate last year's dominating performance
West Allis, Wis. -- Team Target heads north to the Milwaukee Mile this weekend hoping to duplicate last year's performance by Juan Montoya. The former Team Target pilot gave the team its first CART victory of the 2000 season with a masterful performance on the flat one-mile oval in West Allis, Wis. Montoya won the pole and led 179 of the 225 laps en route to the win. Rookie drivers Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian will be after the team's third win in the last four years at Milwaukee (former team driver Jimmy Vasser claimed the checkered flag in 1998).
The team hopes to continue the momentum it built Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Target Chip Ganassi Racing captured three of the top six positions at the 85th Indianapolis 500. Junqueira placed fifth, his best finish of the season.
"I am really starting to enjoy the ovals," Junqueira said. "That is easy to do when you finish fifth in your first Indy 500. Normally, I am not happy unless I win a race. But last Sunday, I was very happy with my fifth-place finish. I feel I am getting better and better with each race and it is now just a matter of time until I get my first win. I am excited to race on another oval this weekend. Especially at a track where the car that I am in now won last year."
Minassian, who placed 29th at Indy due to gearbox trouble, feels that his experience last weekend will pay dividends for him this week in Milwaukee.
"I'm very happy to have the experience of competing in the Indy 500," Minassian said. "It was an incredible feeling to be in front of all of those people. We had a solid run going until we had a gearbox problem that ended our day early. I think the experience of racing in the biggest race in the world will help me this week in Milwaukee. I was able to go through a three-wide start, several restarts and a few pit stops."
Team Target cars captured three of the top six finishing positions on Sunday. Former team driver Jimmy Vasser placed fourth and NASCAR star Tony Stewart finished sixth. Mike Hull, managing director for Team Target feels that the team can carry the momentum into this week's race in Milwaukee.
"We had a very solid race at Indianapolis," Hull said. "Of course, we were hoping for a victory, but having three cars in the top six is not a bad day at all. The team is confident going into the race at Milwaukee this weekend and we are hoping to continue the success that we have had there."
The Miller Lite 225 airs live at 4 p.m. Eastern Sunday on ABC-TV.
Text provided by Brian Zepp
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