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Indy Lights: Jason Bright and Casey Mears qualify in front two rows at Milwaukee

4 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

WEST ALLIS, Wis.- - Dorricott Racing outclassed the qualifying field Saturday in placing Jason Bright, of Gold Coast, Australia, on the outside pole and Casey Mears, of Bakersfield, Calif., in row two as the third fastest qualifier. Townsend Bell, of Costa Mesa, Calif., will start in row four after qualifying eighth fastest.

For while it appeared that the front row would belong to Dorricott Racing as Bright blistered the Milwaukee Mile at 0:24.058 = 154.427 mph to take the top spot after his run. Mears soon followed and eclipsed all but Bright to slip into the outside pole position at 0:24..085 = 154.254 mph.

"I really like running a high downforce," said Mears. "Many of the high downforce tracks have made for great, close racing. It's more fun. I like to lean on my car and fly through the corners. I contemplated running a high downforce for the past couple of years but not until Jason (Bright) tried it during testing did I become convinced it was the way to go. We have a better race package now."

The front row split occurred literally on the last lap of the last qualifier when Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, turned a nearly perfect lap to nudge past Bright and win the pole position at 0:23.975 = 154.961 mph. Although he didn't win his first Indy Lights pole, Bright was undeterred that his race set-up and strategy were anything but correct.

"I wanted to find what the car was capable of as early as possible so if there was a problem or adjustment to work I would have the time to do so," said Bright. "I thought the car was capable of running in the 23's for my second lap but I had a bit too much push in my green flag laps. I also scrubbed a bit coming out of a corner which cost me a lot of straight line speed. I was running 'flat' through turns three and four but not through turns one and two."

Bell, who was one of the first of 17 cars to qualify, secured eighth on the starting grid with a fast lap of 0:24.316 = 152.788 mph in the DirecPC Lola.

The 100 lap/103.2 mile Indy Lights sprint is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. (CT) and is the primary weekend support race to the Miller Lite 225 CART FedEx Championship Series race later in the day.

Text provided by James Hyneman

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