Northern Light IRL: Greg Ray continues pole streak at Pikes Peak
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
June 17, 2001FOUNTAIN, Colo. - The pole master of Pikes Peak has prevailed again. Greg Ray earned his fourth consecutive MBNA Pole at Pikes Peak International Raceway, winning the top spot for the Radisson Indy 200 with a speed of 176.593 mph June 16. Ray started his streak at PPIR in June 1999, winning the pole for both races at the track that year.
Ray, from Plano, Texas, earned his Indy Racing League-record 12th career pole in the No. 2 Johns Manville/Menards Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone. His other Indy Racing Northern Light Series poles this year came in the season-opening Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 in March at Phoenix and the zMAX 500 in April at Atlanta.
The Radisson Indy 200 starts at 4 p.m. (EDT) Sunday and will be televised live by ABC.
"It's going to be a tough race," Ray said. "This is a very fast 1-mile oval. Track conditions tomorrow are going to be a little bit tougher. Track temperature is going to be upward of 150 degrees.
"I think it's going to be the team that doesn't necessarily have the fastest car. It's going to be the team with the least amount of mistakes."
Scott Sharp, winner of the Casino Magic 500 one week ago, qualified second at 174.795 in the No. 8T Delphi Automotive Systems Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone. Indy Racing Northern Light Series points leader Sam Hornish Jr. was third at 174.589 in the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone.
Robbie Buhl was fourth at 174.213 in the No. 24 Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G Force/Infiniti/Firestone. Defending series champion Buddy Lazier, a resident of nearby Vail, Colo., was fifth at 173.566 in the No. 91 Tae-Bo/Coors Light/Delta Faucet Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone.
Winning the pole signaled a return to fast form for Ray, who qualified an uncharacteristic 20th for the Casino Magic 500 on June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. Ray led that race with four laps remaining when he made contact with the lapped car of Robby McGehee and crashed, ending his race in 11th place.
Gusty conditions today at the base of the Rocky Mountains prevented Ray or any other driver from challenging Ray's track record of 179.874 set in qualifying for this event last June.
But Ray gave every indication that he was headed for the MBNA Pole after leading the second practice at 174.523. Buhl was fastest in the morning practice at 175.502, while Ray struggled in 19th at 167.572.
Shigeaki Hattori was transported to Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo., for evaluation after crashing during his qualifying attempt in the No. 55 EPSON Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone. Hattori also crashed earlier in the day during practice.
Text provided by Paul Kelly
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