Newman Wachs Racing Heads To Lime Rock 2nd and 3rd in Championship

Mundelein, July 15, 2009: With the recently announced return of Jonathan Summerton to NWR, both he and teammate John Edwards find themselves in the top three in overall standings. Summerton sits 2nd, a mere eight points behind Championship leader Simona De Silvestro, and Edwards is 3rd, trailing by just 13 points. Both head to round five of the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda this weekend at Lime Rock Park, CT.

While he hasn’t seen Lime Rock in years, Edwards has been around the 1.5 mile course in a Skip Barber Regional race. Edwards explained, “The track used to be very flowing, but the chicanes should make it a little bit more technical. The straights and braking zones are very short, so it will be difficult to pass. This makes qualifying even more important. I’ve been preparing as much as possible, both mentally and physically, to be quick from the very beginning this weekend. The Championship is very close now and I want the Championship lead back!”

Summerton also raced at Lime Rock in Formula BMW in 2004, where he earned two top-five finishes. Five years later he returns to the track, which has seen some changes since then. This weekend marks a return to Summerton’s old team; he drove for NWR in 2008 and produced two wins and one pole position. He will be working with the same engineer and crew as he did last year when he narrowly lost the Championship at the season-ender Road Atlanta race. “It sort of feels like coming home. I’m really comfortable with the whole team, and even though I haven’t worked with them since last October, I’m very confident that we will fall back into stride just like last year. I’m looking forward to getting back to our winning ways,” told Summerton.

Lime Rock Park holds a sentimental place in the hearts of NWR. The late Paul Newman, who co-founded the team, lived near the track and frequently visited the facility. He turned his last laps in a race car there nearly a year ago. He is sorely missed.

Both Edwards and Summerton carry sponsorship from the Nuclear Energy Institute and Entergy, promoting the “Nuclear Clean Air Energy” campaign. This initiative is a collaborative effort from all parties to educate the public about the benefits of nuclear power as a carbon-free source of electricity. In addition, Edwards won the 2008 Star Mazda Championship, which earned him the coveted MAZDASPEED Motorsports driver development scholarship, providing funding for a full-season in the Atlantic Championship.