NWR Heads To Mid-Ohio Full Speed Ahead

Mundelein, August 3, 2009: Following a dominant weekend at Autobahn Country Club in nearby Joliet, Ill., the team had just one weekend off to prepare for round eight of the Atlantic Championship at the Acura Sports Car Challenge/ Honda Indy 200 held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course August 8. With six races in 44 days beginning last month at Lime Rock, this is the busiest stretch of the 2009 season. NWR is pulling out all the stops and hopes to ride the wave following their first ever 1-2 finish all the way to Mid-Ohio this weekend.

With over half of the 12-race season complete, the Championship is getting even tighter. Newman Wachs Racing drivers John Edwards and Jonathan Summerton sit 2nd and 3rd in overall standings, respectively, and Edwards closed the gap to the points leader at Autobahn with two wins and two pole positions. He now trails by just five. Summerton, with one victory this season, trails the leader by 27 after an alternator failure in race #2 at Autobahn left him unable to finish. Both are optimistic about the Atlantic Championship Series’ return to Mid-Ohio for the first time since 2003. The 13-turn, 2.25 mile permanent road course is a favorite of drivers for the available passing opportunities and flowing turns.

Mid-Ohio will be Edwards’ home race, as he and his family currently reside in Cincinnati. It is also a short drive for chief engineer for NWR, and race engineer for the #34 car, Don Halliday, who lives in nearby Columbus.

John Edwards, #36 MAZDASPEED/ Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI/ Newman Wachs Racing:

“Mid-Ohio is a very fast, flowing track and I think that suits my style so I'm looking forward to going there. Qualifying will be key, as it usually is in our cars, but the long back straight-away should allow for a bit easier passing, especially with lapped cars. I would love to win at my home track, but the important thing to do this weekend is take back the championship lead."

Jonathan Summerton, #34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI/ Newman Wachs Racing:

“Now is the critical point in the Championship when it is won or lost. I am going to fight hard to come back in the Championship and win. This busy couple of months is crucial to our success and we’re going to do everything we can to win this Championship. I think these next few tracks are some of the best on the schedule and we will see who comes out ahead. It’s a strange thing to be in such tight competition with your teammate, but the most important thing is that we go out and win this thing for Eddie (Wachs).”