Rocketsports Racing Edmonton Preview
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Heather Haupt ▪ cell: (517) 927-8472 ▪ e-mail: heatherh@rocketsportsracing.com ROCKETSPORTS RACING PREPARES FOR EDMONTON AFTER SECURING A TWO-CAR EFFORT EAST LANSING, Michigan (July 18, 2006) – Rocketsports Racing confirms a two-car entry for the West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix Presented by The Brick as Nicky Pastorelli is scheduled to return to the #8 Bavaria City Racing/Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone cockpit alongside driver of the #18 Flexovit Abrasives/Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone Tonis Kasemets. Pastorelli has made five Champ Car starts with the team this season and will attempt to make his first start on Canadian soil this weekend. His journey to Edmonton also marks the first time that the Italo-Dutch driver will visit the country of Canada. “I am very happy to be back racing with Rocketsports Racing,�?? said Pastorelli. “Edmonton will be a new experience for me. It will be the first time that I will be running on that track and the first time I enter the country of Canada. It is a nice track from what I have seen and heard, so I am even more excited to get back out there after missing out on the Toronto experience. I hope we can have a good result and continue from where we left off by improving even more this weekend.�?? Kasemets returns to the Champ Car circuit after having running a one-day test at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois. The Estonian-rookie Champ Car driver only had one test day prior to making his Champ Car debut in Portland with the team, so the extra seat time was vital. Feeling more comfortable in the car and obtaining more knowledge about it, Kasemets is ready to get to Edmonton with the hopes of better results as he continues his six-race quest this season. “I am looking forward to this race weekend,�?? stated Kasemets. “After the test we did last week, I feel good about myself driving the car because I was able to push the #18 Flexovit Abrasives/Rocketsports car to the limit, actually over the limit a few times, but none-the-less I learned what the limit of the car is. With that, we will head to Edmonton and try to find a setup on the car that will work for both the course and my driving style. I hope that will lead to better results, which I anticipate because I am now feeling very comfortable about my driving and my ability to really push the car.�?? Kasemets is no stranger to the Edmonton course as he competed there last year during his runner-up campaign in the Toyota Atlantic Series. Starting on the front row in the second spot, Kasemets earned a top-five finish when he rolled past the start/finish line in the fifth spot. This is the second year that the Champ Car World Series and Rocketsports Racing will compete on the 1.973-mile temporary road course at Finning International Speedway. During the inaugural race last year, the team’s best start was ninth on the grid with 2005 Rookie-of-the-Year Timo Glock. The rookie was en route to earn one of his best finishes of the season in the top five, but contact with five laps to go resulted in a 13th place finish for Glock. Rocketsports fields two rookies this season, but with the run of the team’s rookie last year leaves a promising window of opportunity for the new guys this season behind the Rocketsports machines. On-track activities start in Edmonton on Friday, July 21. Final Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. which will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s main event, The West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix Presented by The Brick. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 11:00 a.m. local time, and can be seen live on CBS Sports with coverage beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST. For live racing coverage all weekend, log onto HYPERLINK "http://www.champcar.ws/"www.champcar.ws and sign up for Race Director.